Now Comes the Mist

Dao (Mermaids Never Drown) reimagines Dracula in this refreshing and clever gothic romance. Charming Lucy Westerna hasn’t been the same since her father’s death. Though she has three men vying for her hand in marriage, her grieving heart longs for the alluring freedom that only death can give her. She sleepwalks every night, endlessly dreaming of death until, still dozing, she happens upon a mysterious man who seduces her, tempting her to leave propriety behind. Though she believes her dream-man to be a figment of her imagination, she can’t help developing intense feelings for him. One day, she wakes to the news that a ship has arrived in London with a crew entirely drained of their blood. Later that day, she meets her secret lover, Vlad, for the first time when awake—and he is even more seductive and dangerous in her world. The perilous love story that unfolds from there is not for the faint of heart. Dao’s writing is haunting and atmospheric and, despite the familiar source material, the plot takes some surprising turns. Most commendable is the characterization of Lucy, a Victorian woman struggling to assert her agency. Fans of dark vampire romance will be delighted. (Oct.)