I’m a sucker for pretty covers and vampires. That much has always been clear. So, I voted for Princess Dracula by John Patrick Kennedy to be published by Kindle Press because I thought it would be fun. Then, I started it and was excited because wow! A wlw book too??? Can this truly have everything I could want? Then, I kept reading and my hopes became a nightmare.
I had to stop reading at 30% because it genuinely was so cringey for me to keep going. It felt like it was written as someone’s wet dream, and I’m sorry to be so crude, but that’s the honest truth. Then, I went back and realized the author was a man and realized oh, this makes sense. Everything is done to titillate. Oh look, I’m so innocent and naive and oh, woops! I’m naked and going to stay naked and woops! All the sex with all the people! And like, I’m no prude and I’ve read books that have been mostly pwp, aka the later books in the Anita Blake series. However, none have left me feeling so grimy and gross. This feels like it was written by someone who views women as toys, as Barbies. Even if that’s not who the author is, the writing feels this way and it is extremely off-putting.
Princess Dracula by John Patrick Kennedy is a story that had so much promise. A fantastic synopsis and cover which falls so low. It fails as erotica, it fails as parody, it fails as dark fantasy. If Kennedy tries to use Ruxandra’s sexuality as a metaphor for her budding liberation and freedom, he has sorely missed the mark as it is just completely written with obvious male gaze in mind.
