I Read Books: The Bloody Red Baron
Newman’s alternate vampire history continues with the First World War. After being forced out of Britain in 1897 Dracula toured the royal courts of Europe, finally settling in Germany. There he finds a Kaiser keen on his plans for world domination, as well as scientists more than willing to build murderous machinery and delve into the secrets of vampirism.
As well as characters from vampire fiction this introduces many from WW1 and the fiction of the 20s and 30s from books and films. So for example Condor Squadron, set up to work for British Intelligence and to counter the Red Baron’s flying circus, has James Bigglesworth (Biggles) amongst its flyers; Dr Moreau and Herbert West, Robur and Dr Caligari are some of the mad scientists on both sides. There's some historical personages as well.
As ever Newman takes a lot of delight in touring the setting. Though concentrating on fliers and a secret war of plot and counter-plot we find ourselves in the trenches, in Paris, Americans arriving, night fighting with vampires, the whole thing. The actual plot is a little thin; Edwin Winthrop of British Intelligence is trying to find out what the Germans are up to; Kate Reed, a journalist vampire from the previous novel is trying to find out what the British are up to, also the Germans; Eddie Poe is trying to write up the unforthcoming Baron von Richthofen’ story for propaganda. It’s 1918 and the war is reaching a climax.
Read This: For an entertaining war/vampire story that flirts with a hundred other stories via borrowed characters
Don’t Read This: If World War One is already too much; the addition of vampires does not improve it (though it is barely more inhumane)
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