After Victorian England and World War I, the third volume of Newman's Anno Dracula series moves to Rome in 1959 and (for the appended novella) London in 1968. As usual, this installement is crammed full with open and hidden references to all kinds of pop culture, sometimes just barely managing to not bury the story under the avalanche of allusions. It always manages to claw its way out from underneath them however, and both novel and novella remain great fun to read.

They are, however, quite different in tone, which I think is due not just to the varying length and different time periods, but also because they both follow quite different templates. The general atmosphere and elements of the basic plot both appear to be based on movies - for Dracula Cha-Cha-Cha that are the over-the-top, extremely artifial horror movies of the Italian Giallo genre of the 70s, in particular those directed by Dario Argento, and for Aquarius another italian film by an Italian director, namely Blow-Up by Michelangelo Antonioni. Some readers seem not to have liked the novella as much as they did the novel, but for my part I am very impressed at how different they are from each other and how Newman manages to adapt to the divergent period styles without being too obtrusive about it - he is actually treading a very fine line here, on the one hand to match his style to the time the stories take place in, and on the other hand to keep the voice of shared protagonist Katie Reed recognisably the same in both texts. It is a testimony to Kim Newman's quality as a writer that he pulls off this balancing act and appears to do so effortlessly.

Overall, this is nothing too deep, but a great yarn that I found very enjoyable to read - not just for the story but also for the way Kim Newman presents and handles it; there is a lot to admire there. I really need to read more by his guy, and branch out to his non-Anno Dracula novels, too.

Outrageously good third novel in Kim Newman's alternate world Anno Dracula series, where Dracula won and vampires were outed. After Victorian London and the trenches of France, this outing takes place in the bustling, lively, swinging city of Rome, 1959. Kate Reed arrives to see the aged and infirm Charles Beauregard one last time, only to find herself witness to the brutal murder of two vampire elders. Genevieve is also in Rome, caring for Charles, and Dracula himself is nearby, living out the years of his exile in the Castle Otranto, but engaged to be married, thus possibly signalling his impending reemergence onto the world stage. Keeping an eye on things for British intelligence is the suave, deadly, if rather shallow, newborn agent, Hamish Bond. Running Dracula's household is one Penny Churchward, an old friend of Kate and Charles, and under her spell is the American, Tom Ripley.
Faces familiar and unfamiliar, fictional and real, human and vampire jostle in the crowded streets and scenes and parties. The Crimson Executioner cuts a flamboyantly bloody swathe through more vampire elders, rival powers stalk each other and jockey for position, but who is behind the killings? And what does Dracula intend when his dynasty is joined to another?
I love this stuff, this clever, multi-referential, sharply written, bloody confection that mixes murder and comedy and spies and stars, that looks at death and life and undeath and unlife and tries to make some sense of it all, or at least come to terms with what little sense there is. Included in this edition is the novella Aquarius, a tale of murder and revolt and a wide variety of coppers and plods set in swinging London, 1968, featuring Kate and her investigations on the behalf of the Diogenes Club into the murder by a vampire, of a young woman, as the dark tides and passions of the sixties' underbelly roll towards a violent explosion.
If I have a criticism of this volume, it's the annotations, which I enjoy. Only annotations for Cha Cha Cha are included, and even they feel a little sparse. I could have done with a run-down on some of the bit players in Aquarius. It doesn't detract from the novel or the novella, but it would have added to them, for me, anyway. ( )

Fantastic!

The third installment of the Anno Dracula series takes place in Rome in 1959. Newman brings his impressive font of period knowledge to play, captivating readers with blatant and obscure references (I am in awe of his historical, political, literary and pop culture catalog of knowledge), as well as an engaging plot.

I shake my head to think this voyage began when I won an advanced copy of Johnny Alucard, which I assumed as a stand-alone novel. As soon as I discovered that it was the 4th book of a series, I scoured the local libraries so that I could get up to speed, and have recommend the series to all. ( )

"Judgement of Tears" is apparently several books in to the "Anno Dracula" series by Kim Newman. When I went to look it up at my library (on a friends recommendation) my library only carried this book in the series, so I didn't realize I wasn't getting the first book, whose title is simply "Anno Dracula." I have that one on order now through the Interlibrary Loan system.

I wouldn't recommend reading the series out of order. I have a fair idea of what goes on before this book from reading this book. However, based on reading this one book, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series!

The Anno Dracula series is based of the concept of what the world would be like if Dracula wasn't vanquished, if the Stoker book was merely a dream of what could have been, and if vampires became a part of society.

In "Judgement of Tears" we follow Kate's story. She's a vampire that a warm blood like your or me can identify with. She gets jealous, wears glasses, and has many of those "human" foibles that make a character seem more real. (Yes, they explain the glasses)

Kate finds herself in Rome as Dracula prepares for yet another huge public wedding. Things aren't all flowers and rings though, somebody who's been named the "Bloody Baron" is going around and killing the elder vampires. Then Kate learns there may be an even older power behind this bloody work... ( )

I like collecting vampire fiction, and Newman's style makes this different from most I've read. With characters molded from history, literature and legend, the story is witty, satirical and fun to read! ( )