I was somewhat wary of the book at first, as Dracula has been overdone in so many ways, but surprisingly, I ended up really enjoying the book. It's long, but it's very action packed. It's also complex enough to keep your attention through out the meanderings of the plot that traverse the various histories of 'the search'. However, what was really exciting was the detail on Vlad Tepes Dracula - you could tell that the research had been painstakingly done (and not just on the dracula legends but also on the settings in the novel). The ending, I must admit, isn't as good as the rest of the book, but how you get there...definitely a worthwhile read.