Review Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)
Reviewed By Tiffany Ferrell for Readers’ Favorite
If your passion is historical fiction mixed with horror, then The Nosferatu Conspiracy by Brian James Gage is definitely the book for you. Taking place in Imperial Russia, we meet Empress Alexandra, wife to the czar and sufferer of a mysterious illness that also plagues her son Alexei. Rasputin, who brings terror and leaves mutilated corpses in his wake, is on his way from Romania back to Russia to bring about an ungodly reign of terror. This is fulfilling what Vlad the Impaler had begun hundreds of years before. Titled 'the sleepwalker killer' in other countries, Rasputin has big plans for the Russian royal family. Meanwhile, Prince Felix Yusupov's happy life with his fiancée Irina is destroyed with the murder of his love. Accused of the horrendous murder, Felix escapes prison and is introduced to the local coroner Rurik, who also happens to be a vampire hunter. The two come together in a race against time as they try to stop Rasputin from fulfilling the prophecy of the Nosferatu.
Brian James Gage certainly has succeeded in writing historical fiction in which I didn’t find myself constantly nitpicking inaccuracies. Being a huge Romanov history lover, it’s really hard to sway me. Yet, the sheer horror and tone of The Nosferatu Conspiracy made me forget all about facts. It’s really well written and is definitely a page-turner. I soon found myself engrossed in this new mythology that was presented. Also, I really like the author's approach to Felix Yusupov in this book. In history, we know him as the man who married Grand Duchess Xenia’s only daughter and who conspired with others to kill Rasputin. He kind of falls away from history afterward and I feel like he’s redeemed in this novel. Overall, I think it is the perfect book for those who love something gory and nightmarish before bed.