Renfield - Slave of Dracula - Barbara Hambly

I've always been fascinated by the Dracula mythos - as have so many others - and always enjoy variations of the original Bram Stoker theme. There was an especially good one that was told from Dracula's perspective, whose name escapes me. This one is, as is obvious from the title, told from Renfield's perspective.

Renfield is a particularly creepy and crafty character in Stoker's story (which led Alice Cooper to write "Ballad of Dwight Frye" based on the actor who played him) and here his tale is fleshed out, so to speak. It has been a while since I read the original story, but here we find out why he was imprisoned in the asylum and what became of him after Dracula escaped the clutches of Van Helsing and his crew and fled to his home of Transylvania.

While I enjoyed the premise, the story was a bit slow going until - spoiler alert - Renfield himself becomes a vampire and he interacts with the Count's brides. He becomes a pawn to many throughout the story but as sanity returns to him as a vampire, his cunning and resourcefulness enables him to survive where others do not.

Not essential, but an entertaining read - I would say get it if you find it at a reasonable price.