Van Helsing's Castle 2

I’ll admit, I side-eyed the premise at first—*Van Helsing as a monster-collecting playboy?*—but Knightley’s worldbuilding is so unapologetically bonkers that it works. The audiobook’s strength lies in its narration: Harbour’s Van Helsing sounds like a man who’s seen too much and still can’t look away, his voice a mix of dry wit and exhausted menace. McCullough, meanwhile, steals scenes as the liberated monster women, particularly a vampire whose purr could melt steel. The chemistry between them sells the absurdity, making even the most outlandish moments (a *succubus heist* in an alternate 1920s Paris) feel oddly plausible. That said, the pacing stumbles in the middle. The Black Phoenix cult’s schemes sometimes blur into repetitive chase sequences, and the half-sister’s motivations could use more depth—she’s compelling but underdeveloped. Still, the production quality is top-notch: the audio mixing highlights supernatural growls and whispered threats, and the narrators’ commitment to the material elevates the weaker prose. If you’re here for *over-the-top horror-fantasy with a side of smoldering monster romance*, this delivers. Just don’t expect Shakespeare—expect *a gothic soap opera with bite marks*.