Dracula vs. Hitler

By: Patrick Sheane Duncan

Narrated by: Matthew Brenher

Length: 19 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

What if Dracula were brought back to life to fight the Nazis?

Ravaged by the Nazi Secret Service during World War II, Romanian resistance forces turn to one of their leaders, Professor Van Helsing, for any way out. To fight these monstrous forces, Van Helsing raises a legendary monster from centuries of slumber - Prince Dracula himself.

Once he was the ruler of Transylvania. Prince Dracula, is, above all else, a patriot. He proves more than willing to once again drive out his country's invaders. Upshot: No one minds if he drinks all the German blood he desires.

In Berlin, when Hitler hears about the many defeats his forces are suffering at the hands of an apparent true vampire, he is seduced by the possibility of becoming immortal. Thus two forces are set upon a collision course, the ultimate confrontation: superpower against superpower.

©2016 Patrick Sheane Duncan (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Fantastic read!

Highest recommendation, I enjoyed the slow build and marvelous conclusion. This is a fantastic and timeless alternative history.

Brilliant Re-Imagining

Love this book! I will read it again. So much to unpack, but I thought it was brilliant.

Surprisingly Good!

This is a World War II novel about the resistance fighting in Romania to drive out the Nazis. It is also a story of Dracula, the monstrous vampire from the Bram Stoker novel. That Duncan weaves the two stories together so well proved to be a pleasant surprise.

The novel opens with the Romanian resistance achieving success in their battle against the Nazis—so much success that special forces are called in to counter them, driving home the SS’s well-deserved reputation for brutality. The resistance is rapidly being picked apart when one of its leaders—Van Helsing from the original novel (now an old man)—decides that the only way for the Romanians to continue the fight is with the supernatural aid of Dracula. So, with the help of his daughter and the grandson of John Harker, he revives the vampire initiating the main part of the novel.

Here Duncan has a choice to make as to the direction of his story. Will he write Dracula the monster or the man? The monster might have proved more interesting, but it would certainly have been harder to bring about his confrontation with Hitler had he gone that route. Instead, he chooses to resurrect the patriotic prince of history with the superhuman powers of strength, healing, and the ability to mesmerize. I personally wish he’d gone the further route of the bat, mist, and wolf, but it’s Duncan story, not mine.

As the novel proceeds, a love triangle is developed involving Harker’s grandson, Van Helsing’s daughter, and Dracula that added additional tension to the story. The reader will also immediately note the two mistakes the resistance makes that lets Hitler find out that a vampire is confronting his army. This leads to the final and best phase of the story as the Nazis try to capture the count to turn him to their own uses. Watching Dracula confronted by human foes who know what they are contending with was very exciting.

Overall, this was an exciting and immensely fun read. If you are curious about the title, you’ll probably enjoy the story.

a fun weird war book

I enjoyed the story, the portrayal of Dracula, and the narration. it was very entertaining!

Great Story Telling

Very unique take on Dracula. Loved the ending and wouldn't mind seeing Dracula verses other evil beings, real or fiction.

Better than expected

Worth the buy but has a few stumbles.. good regardless and very enjoyable and nicely read

An Okay Novel

The concept is pretty good but I would have liked a better reading performance. Everything was in the same proper British tone and became very tedious. Could have been worse but could have been better, too.

Refreshingly New Tale of Dracula

Dracula has always been a favorite of mine. I read the original once every couple of years. And as a pop culture icon, he's been portrayed as both a hero and a villain, but even as a villain, we love to root for him. In Dracula vs Hitler, Dracula becomes the perfect anti-hero, the reluctant hero who gains redemption through his positive deeds. The story was masterfully written and the narrator played through the assorted accents and character changes flawlessly. It ended in such a way that could easily transition into a series, while concluding the story if nothing more is to come of it (which I hope isn't true). I'll definitely look into more selections from both Patrick Sheane Duncan and Mathew Brenher. Well done.

Who are the real monsters here?

What made the experience of listening to Dracula vs. Hitler the most enjoyable?

The performance was quite engaging and worked well with this story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Strangely, Dracula himself. You find yourself cheering on a character that has ever been the villain. Here he is shown to be a more reasonable being of honor and some self control.

What about Matthew Brenher’s performance did you like?

The voices fit the characters perfectly. Well done.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, revulsion. You quickly realize that the idea of a vampire and all that it brings with it is nothing compared to the horrors that men do to one another. Perhaps making that point more striking is the fact that the Nazi's in the novel were not portrayed doing anything worse than they did in real life...and that puts any creature of the night in the category of "not that bad by comparison".

Any additional comments?

This novel is not a fantasy with over the top action and heroics. Instead the author has crafted a World War II espionage novel that happens to have a vampire as a character. Not nearly as florid in its prose as the Dracula novel itself and, in fact, that same novel is referenced several times on how overly melodramatic is was written. I recommend this novel.

enjoyable

the narrator was very good, the premise is fantastic, story format is a bit strange but I liked it overall very satisfied