Review: Now Comes the Mist by Julie C. Dao

Lucy Westenra is beautiful, rich, loved by three men—every inch a lady. But beneath this sparkling, flirtatious facade, she is fascinated by death, which has stalked her throughout her short life. For her, the dead do not slip away easily, as they do for her best friend, Mina; they linger.

When Lucy departs for Whitby, her nightly sleepwalks introduce her to the mysterious Vlad, who seems to see parts of her she has never let show before. Vlad makes her an Every century, he seeks out the “perfect woman of the age,” who embodies all the values of her society, to live with him in immortality—and Lucy could very well be this woman. For the first time, she feels herself able to share her darker side with someone. Thinking herself dreaming, she agrees to cheat death with him.

When Vlad finally appears in the light, it is aboard a ship covered in corpses. He toys with Lucy and mocks her in Mina’s presence. And one night, he drains a corpse dry right before her eyes. He is a vampire, a monster ready to take her. He expects a good Victorian lady, appalled by his darkness, a victim. But Lucy is only enraptured. When Vlad reacts with violence, Lucy has no choice but to fight for her agency, even if it means giving up her humanity. And her tormentor will soon find she is no easy opponent...

The first book of a duology that retells Dracula from the point of view of Lucy Westenra, this gothic romance is perfect for fans of Penny Dreadful and Danielle L. Jensen.

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📌 Disclaimer: I received an e-arc for review from the publisher  
📌 Publication date: 01/10/2024

I have been in the biggest reading slump of my life and this is exactly what I needed to get me out of it. Now Comes the Mist is a Dracula re-telling told from the point of view of Lucy. I listened to Dracula on audiobook in 2019 and really enjoyed the experience. This is a re-telling that is just as gothic and atmospheric. 

My only complaint and the reason why this is a 3.5 instead of 4 star read is because of Lucy. While for the most part I liked and felt for her, she was also quite frustrating. Specifically when it came to decision making. She was too quick to act before thinking things through, and didn't deal well with the consequences. 

I will say that if action is what you're after there's not much here. Instead there is ball gowns, flirting (a love square), and a very creepy and manipulative vampire. We don't spend enough time with any of the love interests to be able to really form an attachment or root for them. However, I will say that I did like them all and they each had a distinct personality. On the subject of romance, I felt like Lucy had the most chemistry with Mina. Unfortunately though, due to the time period, nothing came of it...

Overall, Now Comes the Mist was a fast paced read. If you want a Dracula re-telling with a POC cast and a bold Lucy that takes agency of her life, look no further. 

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