When Buffy, Mina and Bella discover that they may be descendants of Dracula, they decide to use their powers for healing instead of harm. But is the world ready for them - let alone their suspicious home of Ternstown? Well, ready or not, here comes Dracula and Daughters!

This is a charming Gothic tale of mischief and mayhem readers will love. It gets 3.5 stars, and is well worth checking out!

Dracula & Daughters is the start of a superb, spellbinding new series by the queen of historical fiction, but this one has a supernatural bite!

It’s midnight on a starless night and Mina is on a mission that she doesn’t relish, but it’s one she hopes will help her on the path to becoming Temstown’s first female doctor. When she gets to her destination, she is discovered by a girl who accuses her of an illegal activity, but Mina has not had the chance to complete her mission as the person she has come to collect has already broken out of her coffin …

It’s been twenty years since the contagion struck, but its effects have resonated throughout Temsworth ever since with strict protection rituals being followed including eating garlic, spreading salt and carrying silver. But will these protections be enough to stop a vampire who has come to hunt?

So begins an absolutely gripping gothic adventure as Mina, her younger sister, Buffy and their cousin, Bella, discover a family secret that will change their lives and lead them on a hunt, not to cull, but to heal vampires with the help of a special book – and their own incredible powers. This is an edge-of-your-seat, high-stakes adventure brimming with danger, revelations and deliciously dark twists and turns that will bring gasps … Are the vampires the villains or the victims? Could those with their own agenda have brought danger back to Temsworth?

This is a brilliantly atmospheric read with the increasing air of icy coldness permeating the city, the pervading hold of ever-increasing peril, the stifling control exercised by the Watchmen and the uncertainty of the fate of friends.

I absolutely adored the three cousins who each have their own strengths which they combine brilliantly when solving the mystery behind a famous death, and stopping the contagion spreading through the city. They are a strong, courageous and tenacious team who support and give strength to each other. Underestimate these girls at your peril!

As well as being a superb supernatural adventure, this story feels like it is set in an alternative 19th century with references to grave robbing, anatomy lectures and stalwarts of gothic literature – with a twist! There is also reference to gender inequality within society, something that is particularly evident as Mina wants to have the same rights as male students to have access to medical training, and as female scientists have not had their work valued. It is so wonderful that this story celebrates strong female characters who are intelligent, gutsy and who are determined to forge their own path in life.

A compelling, dark gothic adventure, with family and friendship at its heart, a story that pulsates with danger, secrets and hope.

Having been a huge fan of Emma's for many years, I was excited to get my hands on an early copy of the first book in her first ever series, Dracula & Daughters. Set against the backdrop of the fear of the 'Contagion' returning, we enter a world where superstition and daily protection rituals rule everyone's lives. Emma's atmospheric prose and vivid descriptions, fully immerses the reader in this strange and unnatural place from the very first page. Our three unusual characters Mina, Buffy and Bella are bound together by a secret, which if discovered threaten to destroy everything they love. A deliciously dark and dangerous adventure which swept me away and kept me gripped throughout, With dastardly villains, scandalous secrets and sublime characterisation, this feisty feminist tale thoroughly entertained me. I can't wait for the next instalment in the series.