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On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, in The Van Helsing Heritage, writing as his protagonist, Jacob Van Helsing, takes readers to the early 1900s, following Abraham Van Helsing’s son, young Jacob, as he leaves his life in Whitby for university in Germany, where he uncovers a centuries-old web of intrigue and the shocking truth of his own vampiric nature.
Jacob Van Helsing’s debut novel, The Van Helsing Heritage, isn’t your typical vampire story. It’s a gripping and atmospheric tale that revitalizes classic gothic themes with a distinctly contemporary edge and a foundation of scientific plausibility. Fans of Stoker’s Dracula and Le Fanu’s Carmilla will find themselves immersed in a world of bloodlust, debauchery, and scientific intrigue, a far cry from the diluted vampire narratives that have permeated popular culture in recent years.
Van Helsing, a lifelong professional in biological science, brings an authentic layer of depth to his narrative, reminiscent of the bold storytelling found in 1970s vampire cinema. His protagonist, young Dr. Jacob Edwards, is an enthralling figure whose scientific explorations become a journey of self-discovery, revealing his ancestry, his future, and the unsettling truth behind his own desires. This isn’t just a story about vampires; it’s a story about the intersection of science and the supernatural, a chilling exploration of what happens when the logical world of biochemistry clashes with ancient, dark forces.
Dr. Edwards, like many, views vampires as mere folklore, creatures of legend unsupported by history, science, or medicine. He’s a man of science, comfortable in his laboratory with his rats, until a series of events begins to blur the lines between the known and the unknown. He uncovers the disturbing truth that experiments, even those meant to forestall death, haven’t always been conducted with scientific rigor, and that these experiments, spanning centuries, have taken on a life of their own. Even more chilling, Jacob begins to suspect that his own life may be the culmination of these dark endeavors.
The Van Helsing Heritage asks profound questions: If you placed your faith in science, what would it take to shatter that faith? If your father, a prominent scientist and expert in blood disorders, had concealed his more esoteric research, would you be haunted by the secrets left untold? The novel delves into these questions, exploring the tension between the rational world and the creeping dread of the undead emerging from medieval darkness into the harsh light of modern science.
This “literary triumph,” as some are calling it, breathes new life into a gothic tale over 120 years old. It appeals to fans of both classic gothic fiction and contemporary dark fantasy, offering a fresh perspective on vampire lore that challenges the diluted versions popularized by works like Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Van Helsing resets a generation’s perception, offering a visceral and eerie tale that resonates with the primal fear of the unknown.
Ultimately, The Van Helsing Heritage forces readers to confront a terrifying possibility: the undead may already be among us, or if not, they soon will be. And the most unsettling question of all: How high a price would you be willing to pay for immortality?
The writing style is deliberately intended to give the story a dark ‘Period’ feel and while only a few of my vampires are of the gruesome kind, they do like blood. The book, as I hope is apparent to all from the title, is a story of vampires – but vampires who do not turn into bats or (rarely) fanged monsters and never, ever, turn other people into vampires – or sparkle!
They are hereditary vampires whose long life and remarkable self-healing characteristics have been developed down the centuries through selective in-breeding amongst European aristocracy.
-Jacob Van Helsing
A scientist with a Ph.D. in chemotherapy, the author dedicated his career to medical and pharmaceutical research, specializing in cardiovascular disease. His work led to the discovery of a widely prescribed drug for hypertension and angina. Later, he consulted for biotech companies, advising on the complex process of developing successful new medicines. He now resides in rural Essex with his wife, Sara, and their mischievous cat, Molly, where he pursues his passion for creating “gothic” curiosities in his workshop, affectionately named “Objets d’ark.”
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