Horror, sapphic, a sort of retelling but more of a spin-off? These have my name all over them.

The opening glimpse is from Dracula dated January 2025 so we know he's still up to his usual skulking and hiding but the bulk of the story follows Lucy and a 25-year-old runaway of sorts named Iris.

To start, I thought this was a really interesting story about Lucy Westenra, who many of us know from the original Dracula, and how things went before, during and after her run in with Dracula. I liked the alternative take on Mina, Jonathan, the group of men that hunt Dracula and how their stories intertwine. These were all really positive things.

I didn't even mind that Iris is a bit insufferable. She's the rich heir of a fortune she doesn't want, in a pyramid scheme/cult she hates and has generally been plagued by it all her life. All of that very likely means sheltered and coddled so of course she's not going to be particularly worldly.

How she, and Lucy who is well over 100 by this point, came to the conclusion they were in love after three days together I'll never quite be able to explain but here we are. Also, their pet names were super cringe. Not sure I can look at butter chicken the same way. And Iris needs to keep it in her pants. Calm down, have a glass of water, take a deep breath.

I liked the shift between diary-Lucy, interview/client transcript Lucy and modern Iris. It allowed for a very full picture that pulled the timelines all together. Lucy's stories had an excellent voice and tone. You could feel the naivety in her diary and the weariness and longing in her client transcript.

My issues overall come down to a few things. As usual there is a non-UK based or experienced author telling a story set in London and getting some key things wrong. As someone living in the UK, we do not use kilometers. We don't have rabies in our wildlife (generally). We don't have Animal Care and Control. The biggest issue was it went on for too long. There were so many natural end points in the book and instead it just kept going. And as it went on, it dragged and became too much. Not in a good way. Everybody returns, everyone reunites for better or worse, Lucy attacks Dracula. He's Dracula! You can't kill him in a modern kitchen! The characters just became unbelievable, and unrealistic (as much as they could in a book about vampires). Everyone just seemed to deviate from their established personalities and not in a way that made sense. All of this highlighted the things that stood out. The unbelievable nature of Lucy and Iris' relationship, Iris' role in her family and their company, the vampires we meet through Lucy's POV, etc. If it had stopped earlier, I think this would have been a much, much stronger book.

I’m still pinching myself—Lucy Undying by Kiersten White is my first ever physical ARC, and I’m beyond grateful! A huge thank you to Random House UK and the author for giving a small account like mine the opportunity to shine. This is an experience I’ll never forget!

Without giving too much away, here’s a brief glimpse into the story: Lucy Westenra, one of Dracula’s first victims, was written into someone else’s story—but her death was only the beginning. After rising from the grave as a vampire, Lucy has spent her immortal life running from Dracula’s shadow and trying to discover her true self.

In twenty-first-century London, Lucy’s life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Iris, a woman trapped by her own family’s dark secrets. The connection between Lucy and Iris is electric, but their blossoming love is threatened by forces from both their pasts. Iris’s family will stop at nothing to maintain their power, and Dracula has returned, still holding Lucy in his grip.

Will Lucy find the strength to finally defeat Dracula, or will her heart once again be her undoing?

This thrilling and emotional tale gripped me from start to finish, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it!

1 star

Nobody touches me, I'm unwell.
The way this book was written is so convoluted that I reread chapters because I forgot who was supposed to be narrating.
I didn't enjoy Lucy's story or Iris' either or anyone in this book, for that matter.
This book was slow paced, and it dragged at times, and it affected the flow of the story, which, in the end, let me not like the storyline. It did have parts I liked but overall I'm very sad I didn't enjoy this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kiersten White has been a hit or miss author for me — the last time I enjoyed a book by her was in my early teens, and that was when I was reading her Paranormalcy trilogy. What an era that was! I’ve certainly dated myself there.

Unfortunately though, I haven’t liked much else — for some reason I couldn’t get in to And I Darken despite the concept being something I was really interested in, the pacing and structure was just really not for me. I despised The Dark Descent of Elizabeth
Frankenstein despite, again, this conceptually being something I should love. So this really was a gamble for me and I’m glad I took the bet. This is one of my favourite books I’ve read this year and one of the few out of the 100+ I’ve given a 5 star.

Yes, this book is quite slow paced but it takes its time well. It doesn’t take the pages for granted. Some chapters are short, and I liked that, it kept my attention, where others, when necessary, were longer. I liked the different types of chapters — interviews, diary entries, chapters set in the past…it was never just one thing and that was really entertaining and kept me engaged the whole time.

I also thought it was just a really beautiful story between Lucy and Iris and I just really love how they saw each other. I love the additions too of the Queen, the Doctor, the Lover and the therapist and how they all played their roles and intertwined. It was such a beautiful tale of womanhood and friendship and I truly loved it so much.

This review is for Lucy Undying by Kiersten White which was released in the UK on the 10th September! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Delray for giving me an eArc and a physical copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, Lucy Undying is a great sapphic novel and it was refreshing to read about women finding love without being punished for it. This book's cover also deserves more than five stars with the beautiful artwork that you can't take your eyes off!

There were a few small things that I didn’t enjoy as much when reading, and one of those was that it does feel a bit slower paced at times, and I really didn’t like the instalove aspect between Iris and Lucy, but apart from that I couldn’t put it down!

Another aspect I really enjoyed is Lucy Westerna as a character. She’s a well-developed character that draws you into her story so easily, especially when talking about her transformation into a vampire. I loved reading her POV of this point, it was so sad to see how alone she felt. I much preferred the diary entries as well as the psychiatrist sessions, as you got to see a lot more of Lucy, her many sacrifices for Mina, the struggles she faced with her mother as well as her upcoming marriage and her self-exploration in finding her place in the immortal world.
I didn’t find Iris' character development as well done as Lucy's which made it a little harder to understand her as a character. At times, I found her a little immature, but after finding out a little more about her childhood and how she was treated, it made a lot more sense.

Even though this is a really long book (and sometimes it can feel long too) you don't get bored! It’s a unique journey and l would highly recommend to readers, especially those who like main characters with fangs!

Dracula is my favourite classic novel, so when I read what this was about I immediately wanted it.

Kiersten White masterfully entwines the retelling of Dracula with new historic chapters and a modern day spin off,

We get a more in-depth view into Lucy Westenra whilst also meeting new modern characters like Iris Goldaming, and this is delivered across 4 timelines with each chapter being a new POV. This sounds like it would be complicated but the story flows well and is an enthralling read.

The characters were likeable, the story slow paced but enough to keep you wanting more and it was atmospheric which makes it a great autumnal read!

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but I personally found the second half shifted gear and the pace went really quick which kind of spoilt it for me. However, I loved the first half so I will still be recommending.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you for an ARC in return for an honest review!

Lucy Westerna had always had her life dictated to her and even in death Dracula still has the final say. But foe her death is only the start of a journey of self discovery.

Travelling through time to find answers, she meets some interesting characters along the way to discovering the truth of it all....why did Dracula chose her?

*Disclaimer/confession - whatever you want to call it...I have never read Dracula before...shocking...I know. BUT I have watched Gaty Oldman's rendition and loved it! So I do know the key players of the story.

Now we have the awkwardness out of the way...Lucy Undying is the perfect read for the autumn season, ready for Halloween and everything spooky.

I really enjoyed this new retelling and spinning the classic story on its head. With a new array of characters to get to know, like Iris, The Doctor, The Lover and The Queen, we see where Lucy's undead life goes after her initial human death at the hands of Dracula.

Even though I did guess the final twist at the end, I still enjoyed the lead up to it all and felt the author was very clever in her re-telling of events from the original story. Dripping with female power there was a lot to love!

I don't want to say much more but I loved how to travel through time - through Lucy's mortal diary, her therapy sessions and the present day. By the end of it I felt like I knew Lucy as I do a friend and rooted for her!

P.S I also loved the note from the author at the end where she says - "And finally to Bram Stoker: Sorry. But also thanks. But also sorry. But mostly thanks".

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for approving me to read this ARC. Lucy Undylibg is out today!

Favourite Quote:
"There's no elegant or easy way to cut off someone's head".

Lucy, Undying is a spin off re-telling of Dracula and follows Lucy and Iris on a whirlwind adventure of betrayal, love and vampires.

I’ll openly admit that Iris is not a character I enjoy. I did not like any of the chapters which involved her and found her very dull and odd. I did, however, very much enjoy the look into Iris’ back story and her family.

Lucy - I adored her character. She was witty, she was quirky. She was fun and exciting and definitely was the one who got all the character development from White - in my opinion.

I wasn’t keen on the multiple POV’s but I do understand why they were relevant to the story and can’t knock them for fleshing it out more. I also found that the first half of the book was very slow paced and it only got better around 75% of the way through.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and it did shock me in areas, especially as someone who has read Dracula before. It is a book I’d easily recommend due to the interesting take on Dracula, and the interesting background for Iris.

Rating: DNF

A gothic, sapphic retelling featuring Lucy? Instantly I was excited for this, and when I saw it was available to request, I quickly did. 

Told from the alternating POV of Lucy and Iris, we travel back and forth in time to get a real picture of Lucy and her tragic death, as well as her rise from the grave. For Iris in the present, we learn of her family and their hold on power, but both of them have holds on them, keeping them from living and being truly free. 

Going into this so excited, it wasn't long before I was let down. The writing style is not for me, and comes across as whiny in places despite this being an adult book. I was quickly put off by the incredibly slow pacing, barely anything happens for so long, and when it does, it's not enough to keep interest. There's no way to connect with the characters who are incredibly dull, and there's minimal gothic themes (which is one of the things I was so excited for).

All in all it just wasn't for me, and I couldn't get past 130+ pages. I tried, I really did, but maybe this will be enjoyed by others.



Did I like the book? No.

Did I love it? Nope.

Would I recommend it? No.

This was a fantastic book, though a touch confusing at first. It plays out over four timelines/narratives - two modern day, one in 1890 and one in the early half of the 20th century, so until it gets going, you do have to pay attention to the when and where of your chapter.

White does a wonderful job of taking the well known story of Dracula, and twisting it to work alongside her own plot and characterisations. Using the journal/therapy transcript to tell Lucy's story was somewhat reminiscent of the original formatting, but didn't ever feel like a copy.

That said, I really felt like this could be cut into two books. The revelations about Lucy's death and the machinations of those surrounding her, felt like an obvious conclusion. I was very surprised when I checked my progress bar and discovered there was still 1/3 of the book to go. While I was still invested in the story, in the shadowy Goldaming Life, and how that interacted with Lucy, it almost felt like two stories. I had been so invested in Lucy's history to that point, that when her identity was revealed, it felt like a natural break, and I think it would have worked really well as an ending, before picking up the Goldaming threads in a sequel.

Adding to this, the last third of the book felt a touch rushed after the meandering back and forth of Lucy’s story. Goldaming had been a menacing presence in Iris’ chapters, but the take-down of the company was action-packed, with reveal after reveal coming at us in quick succession, and not a lot of processing time to understand the emotional impacts on the characters. The third act, in my opinion, let down the rest of the book with its pacing and didn’t pack the same emotional wallop as the rest of the story.
I’m recommending the book, and overall giving it four stars, but I think it would have been one of my top reads of the year if I didn’t have issue with the conclusion. With better pacing in the final act, it could have easily been a five star read.

“It’s not endings that give stories meaning. It’s the forever-full-of-nows”

What to expect:
- Gothic fantasy
- Sapphic romance
- Dracula reimagining
- Vampires and billionaires
- Cult-like family

Plot:
Lucy Westenra is one of Dracula’s first victims, and she has a story to tell as she searches for answers, finds love, and topples an empire. This book starts out with three different timelines and two POVs, Lucy’s and Iris’s. I think it was so well done the way the past and present of both women are woven together and there were several moments that I audibly gasped. While the pace was initially slow, it picked up quite a bit towards the middle and end! I also thoroughly enjoyed the different adventures and the overarching plot and how it all culminates, the writing is beautiful and the story was superb.

Characters:
Lucy and Iris and amazing, but I think the side characters deserve a shoutout, there was a fantastic cast of both endearing, funny and intriguing characters to go along with the different stories and I found myself getting really attached. Of course Lucy and Iris’s romance was really lovely to read about and I could feel the build up and the love through the words!

Overall this felt akin to something lie The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue but make it gothic and with vampires. So worth the read!

✍️ Quote: “And if a home wasn’t safe, we can’t shake the scars of that violation. We never forget the violence of losing a home, or the pain of never having been given one, or the comfort of having lived in one filled with love and community. The longing for home is a universal human experience; there are few of those.”

The story Lucy Westenra always deserved!

As an OG Dracula fan, I always wondered about poor Lucy and why she was so hard done by. Well it looks like Kiersten knew the whole time and FINALLY gave us her story
♾️ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ♾️

Gothic and decadent and gripping! And the cherry on the cake … it’s SAPPHIC maybe one of my favourite sapphic books ever! I ATE up the romance that was in this book. Spread across 3 timelines, and multiple POV’s we really are kept guessing the whole way through and the ending had me in the biggest knot! My favourite vampire book of the year … maybe ever?!

𝙑𝙄𝘽𝙀𝙎:
* 𝘿𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙐𝙇𝘼 𝙍𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙂
* 𝙎𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙃𝙄𝘾 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀
* 𝙁𝙀𝙈𝘼𝙇𝙀 𝙍𝘼𝙂𝙀
* 𝙂𝙊𝙏𝙃𝙄𝘾 𝘼𝙏𝙈𝙊𝙎𝙋𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀
* 𝙈𝙐𝙇𝙏𝙄𝙋𝙇𝙀 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙎
* 𝙈𝙐𝙇𝙏𝙄-𝙋𝙊𝙑

I wanted to love this book so bad! Queer vampires are my favourite, and Lucy is easily one of my top vampiric characters. I've read my fair share of vampire novels, but sadly, I had to DNF this one because I just couldn’t bring myself to want to pick it up. This was my first Kiersten White book, and I'm fairly certain it will be my last, as I simply didn’t connect with the writing style.

I found the book unnecessarily slow-paced and somewhat predictable. The potential was there—the concept and material were promising—but the execution fell flat. The dialogue often left a bad taste in my mouth, and I just couldn't push through to finish all 400+ pages.

If you're drawn to the premise of this book, I’d recommend exploring more authentic and beautifully written vampire fiction, such as S.T. Gibson's work (which has abundant queer representation) or ‘House of Hunger’, a unique vampiric tale by a WOC author. For a retelling that specifically features Lucy, I’d recommend giving ‘Reluctant Immortals’. And of course, if you haven't already, I’d also recommend checking out ‘Carmilla’ and ‘Dracula’

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

2.5*

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book just missed the mark for me. I loved the characters and getting to know Lucy and Iris throughout the first half of the book. I definitely enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second. The book did drag on a little bit for me, the story could probably have been told in less pages.

I did love that Lucy got to be more than this timid character she was made out to be in Dracula itself.

I enjoyed the story but just didn't love it. It could be because I wasn't the biggest fan of Dracula when I read it last year.

**Book Review: *Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel* by Kiersten White**

Kiersten White reimagines Lucy Westenra, one of Dracula’s original victims, in *Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel*. No longer a tragic, forgotten figure, Lucy becomes the star of her own story—an immortal vampire seeking freedom from Dracula’s control and exploring her identity in modern-day London. Her journey intersects with Iris, a woman also desperate to escape her corrupt family’s legacy. The two women form a powerful connection that drives the emotional heart of the novel.

White masterfully brings depth to Lucy’s character, portraying her not just as a victim, but as a resilient, complicated woman. Through flashbacks and diary entries, Lucy’s centuries of struggle and self-discovery are revealed, making her one of the novel’s most compelling aspects. The gothic atmosphere adds rich tension, especially with Dracula still looming over Lucy’s life.

Overall, *Lucy Undying* is a fresh, engaging take on Dracula’s lore, breathing new life into Lucy’s character. Fans of gothic fantasy and vampire fiction will find much to enjoy in this atmospheric, sapphic story.

Lucy was a side character in the Dracula story, even though a pivotal one to the events, her tale was over too quickly... or was it....

Lucy gave her life for what she loved and is determined to do the same in her afterlife. Abandoned by her maker she ambles along setting her own path over the years, and we learn all about this with Iris

Iris has inherited some properties after her mothers death, one being a little bit rundown but she is hopeful it'll have some profitable items hidden inside. What she finds, in the form of Lucy's journals, will prove priceless to her as she learns her history and sees a lot of herself in the girl Lucy was

Aided by new friends, and possibly someone who could be more, will Iris be able to step out on her own and out of her mothers shadow... and what else is in the shadows that Iris needs to learn about to keep herself safe...

Amazing take on the Dracula tale we all know. Lucy really did deserve better and she gets it in this story.

Out 10 September so still time to get ordering! Thanks to NetGalley and DelRey for the review copy, all opinions my own

This premise of this book was such a good one. The gothic atmospheric vibes were spot on which I loved.

The character arcs are brilliant - my favourite characters were Lucy and Iris. I feel like throughout the book, we got to know Lucy so well and I really enjoyed this aspect of the story.

In places I found this book too long and I think it could have benefited from being a bit shorter. I think this along with the slow pacing of the story meant that I found it a bit hard to get into to begin with although this definitely improved as a read on.

This is a book filled with plot twists and as a reader I could never get too comfortable in thinking I had things figured out but this kept it interesting

When I saw this book on Netgalley for the first time, I decided to skip it. That's firstly because the cover, although very authentic, is not very attractive. It's also because I did read some Kiersten White books before and I remembered them not being easy and fast reads. However, I eventually got an invitation from Del Rey and my curiosity won. I accepted the digital review copy from Netgalley and last week it was time to start reading.

This was one of the best books I've read this year. Everything about it worked. I don't want to give that much away, since the blurb is a little vague and is so with reason, but I especially loved how well the different parts of the story worked. We had Lucy's diary from when she was human, we had transcripts of her talking to a therapist, we had chapters from Iris' point of view and even Dracula got his own point of view chapters.

And, normally when we read from different points of view, there are points of view I prefer over others, but in this case I liked them all. Because each of them added something. Each of them was exciting. Each of them was leading somewhere. And of course that somewhere was eventually one and the same place. The author really did a great job having everything come together in the end and giving this story a satisfying ending.

What I liked most, though, is that Lucy really gets her own storyline and personality. In the original novel she's just Lucy, but after reading this book I will never be able to read the book in the same way. I will always notice how horribly Lucy is treated. This story makes us care about Lucy, makes us see her in a different light and makes us root for a happily ever after for her. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book!

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

I've had mixed success with White's books in the past, but how could I say no to picking up something with a cover like this??? Sadly I think this was a case of the book having a bit of an identity crisis and trying to do too much.

The tone of Iris' chapters was also strange to me - I think the aim was to provide some levity but the humour fell flat for me and it sat strangely with the other diary/past/Lucy storylines that had a much more serious tone. We also get a lot of the classic "it sucked to be a woman in the olden times but this is a feminist book" being shoved down your throat which wasn't the vibe.

4.5*

Lucy Undying is a dracula sapphic retelling, giving Lucy the story Kiersten felt like she was deserving of and one of these was Kiersten's belief that Lucy in the novel Dracula was queer. I can't attest to that as I haven't read Dracula (sacrilegious I know!) but after reading Lucy Undying I really want to sink my teeth (get it?) into Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Kiersten did an amazing job with taking the story of Dracula and reworking it into something original. I loved the glimpses into Lucy's past and the many people and vampires she meets along her to way to finally meeting Iris who is our other queer character in the story. Iris is a Goldaming, another feature taken from Dracula but Kiersten manages to turn this into something unexpected and wonderful.

I really can't wait to see what Kiersten does next and eagerly await her next novel.