Dracula and Daughters by Emma Carroll

Emma Carroll has done it again with an stunning gothic adventure for middle grade readers. The first in a new historical fantasy series, Dracula and Daughters is equal parts frightening, inspiring and intriguing. You will never look at vampires the same way again!

Who can resist a story that begins with the sentence:

“It’s November, midnight: the perfect time to steal a corpse.”

This is a masterclass in story-telling, characterisation and atmospheric setting. Every eerie gothic detail lifts the story off the page and into readers’ imaginations.

The story begins with Mina creeping around the cemetery in Temstown. She dreams of becoming the town’s first female doctor and is willing to do just about anything to take part in Dr Polidori’s anatomy lectures – including digging up a body for him. She’s taken all the precautions but there is still the risk that she could dig up a vampire, reigniting the “contagion” that plagued the town 20 years earlier. Although no vampires have been seen since, everyone still worries they will return.

Mina’s evening in the graveyard doesn’t go as planned. Her friend, Varney, doesn’t show up with the doctor’s cart; she meets Bella, an unusual girl and the daughter of the local undertaker, who has a knack for charming the Night Watchmen; and then, when they reach the grave, it appears someone has beat them to it. The grave is empty and the body of Temtown’s famous theatre star, Elsie Irving, is gone!

Signs of vampires flood Temstown. Garlic and silver are in high demand while curfews are put in place and vampire hunters search for anyone suspicious. Meanwhile Mina and her sister Buffy make a startling discovery about ancient family secrets, a mysterious book and connections to Dracula himself. There are powers to unleash, truths to reveal and dreams to follow. Teaming up with Bella, the girls come to understand that they are stronger together and healing is much better than harm. These are exceptional girls with exceptional powers, determined to discover the real monsters in their town.

A huge thank you to Faber Childrens for an early copy of this fantastic book!

Coming September 2025.

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