Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde were already booked to go to America. One to manage a theater company and the other to have his play performed. Florence, Bram's wife, is along for the ride which turns out to be a very good thing when Bram finds himself on the wrong side of the law. They pretty much encounter all that the Wild West has to offer and then some.
The story is told through telegrams , diary entries, meeting transcripts, and other first person point of view documents. This is much the same as Dracula. The majority of entries are from Oscar, Bram, and Florence although there are other sources. Entries really show each character's personality. Bram and Florence are slightly more reliable narrators than Oscar. Oscar tends to embellish a little though he usually admits to it in the end.
I enjoyed the friendship that Florence strikes up with Calamity Jane. Oscar and Bram make a nice counter pair with their own relationship and adventures.
While a little slow in a few places, overall the plot moved along at a good pace. There are also some nice twists.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's well-written and in an interesting format. At first the format makes it a little confusing as it introduces characters that aren't picked up again until much later. Overall, it's a good story and worth a read. It is a sequel, but can be read as a standalone, which I did. I would recommend it to people who enjoy weird westerns, vampire stories, or paranormal stories.
Stoker's Wilde West by Steven Hopstaken and Melissa Prusi was published August 11th, 2020 by Flame Tree Press.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion or the content of this review.
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