This is more like a 3.5 star book. We get Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde teaming up to fight vampires and other supernatural creatures in this entertaining tale. A great Summer read for people looking for a fast paced fun book. ( )

A mysterious man called the Black Bishop is using supernatural means to cause murder and mayhem in Victorian England. An unlikely duo...Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde....join forces with an expert on vampires and other supernatural creatures to battle the Black Bishop before he can open the gates of hell itself.

This novel is a sweet mix of supernatural horror and Victorian social commentary. There's a little bit of everything in the mix -- vampires, werewolves, cultists -- not to mention imprisonment under morality laws and forced social conformity. When I first started reading I wasn't sure I was going to like this book....the plot line just seemed a bit too much. But....it didn't take long for me to get totally pulled into the story. This book surprised me! A group of monster hunters formed by two famous authors before their fame took hold, a European expert on supernatural cults, and theater actors is an incredibly difficult thing to pull off -- but these two authors did it well! The story is told through the correspondence of Stoker and Wilde. It was reminiscent of Dracula. Normally I don't really like epistolary novels...but in this case, it works. Loved it!

I will definitely be looking for more by both of these writers. Very enjoyable read! A dash of the truth mixed with a bit of the fantastical smothered in a nice dose of classic monster horror -- very entertaining book!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Flame Tree Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

I received a free e-copy of Stoker’s Wilde by Steven Hopstaken and Melissa Prusi from Net Galley in exchange for my review.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book the moment I read the description, and I was absolutely not disappointed. I loved the writing style - journal entries and letters written by the main protagonists that really allowed me to see the events of the book through their eyes.

It was also very funny, even while being creepy and a little bit gruesome. I especially enjoyed the banter back and forth between Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. It was very clever and rang true to what I’ve studied about the two.

I think my favorite parts, though, were the scenes I recognized as being “inspiration” for Dracula and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I love both works and this version of how they came to be written was just such fun to read and experience. I would recommend this to just about anyone, with no hesitation whatsoever. ( )

STOKER'S WILDE is an epistolary novel, blending the styles of Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. What a hoot!

Not since ANNO DRACULA have I had such fun with characters from history. In this tale, Bram and Oscar team up, despite hating each other's guts, to cleanse London of the scourge of vampires and werewolves currently at large about the city. With humor and great talent these authors have written quite an adventure. Will Bram and Oscar be successful? You'll have to read this to find out!

Having read only a few things from both Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker, and knowing next to nothing about them personally, I cannot speak to the historical accuracy regarding their personal lives. The epistolary portions written by "Oscar" were often hilarious and scathing all at once. Those of "Stoker" were much more serious and weighty. The fictional origins of the THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY are here and of course, Dracula.

My only issue with this book was the dragon. I thought at first it sounded a little silly, and the authors were able to make it less so, when it finally appeared. Still, it seemed a bit too over the top in the end.

Overall, this book was a blast! I had a lot of fun in this London of the early 1880's, in the Lyceum Theater and even at Stonehenge. (Yes, that's here too!) It's clear that the authors did quite a bit of homework and the little bit of actual history I am familiar with is borne out here. Solely because of the fun factor alone, I heartily recommend this book-especially to fans of epistolary novels!

*Thank you to Flame Tree Press for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*

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I bought this on a whim, after seeing it reviewed on Blackwell's website.

It's not the sort of thing I normally buy or read, but it's actually pretty good, and decently written and researched - Bram Stoker's fascination with train timetables and his use of typewriters as a motif for modernity appear, as do Oscar Wilde's affectations.

It's good, it's enjoyable, what more can one ask ... ( )