Terovolas

By Edward M Erdelac

The personal papers of the enigmatic Professor Abraham Van Helsing are collected and presented for the first time by his longtime colleague and defender, Dr. John Seward. Texas, 1891 Following the defeat of Count Dracula, Abraham Van Helsing – suffering from violent recurring fantasies – checks himself into Jack Seward's Purfleet Asylum. Once discharged, he volunteers to return the ashes and personal effects of the late Quincey P. Morris (the American adventurer who died in battle with the nefarious Count) home to the Morris family ranch in Sorefoot, Texas. Van Helsing arrives to find Quincey's brother, Cole Morris, embroiled in an escalating land dispute with a group of neighboring Norwegian ranchers led by the enigmatic Sig Skoll. When cattle and men start turning up slaughtered, the locals suspect a wild animal, but Van Helsing thinks a preternatural culprit is afoot. Is a shapeshifter stalking the Texas plains, or are the phantasms of his previously disordered mind returning? The intrepid professor must decide soon, for the life of Skoll's beautiful new bride may hang in the balance. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: JournalStone
• Release date: Nov 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781936564552

Edward M Erdelac

Edward M. Erdelac is the author of ten novels including Andersonville, Monstrumfuhrer, and The Merkabah Rider series. His short fiction has appeared in over twenty anthologies and periodicals. He's also written everything you need to know about boxing in the Star Wars Galaxy. Born in Indiana, educated in Chicago, he lives in the Los Angeles area with his family.  

Book preview

Terovolas

The Van Helsing Papers

(1891)

By

Edward M. Erdelac

JournalStone

San Francisco

Copyright ©2012 by Edward M. Erdelac

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

JournalStone books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

JournalStone

199 State Street

San Mateo, CA 94401

www.journalstone.com

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN:   978-1-936564-54-5   (sc)

ISBN:   978-1-936564-55-2   (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012949586

Printed in the United States of America

JournalStone rev. date: November 16, 2012

Cover Design:  Denise Daniel

Cover Art:  M. Wayne Miller

Edited By:  Norman Rubenstein

For Adonai and my family

Check out these titles from JournalStone:

That Which Should Not Be

Brett J. Talley

The Void

Brett J. Talley

Cemetery Club

JG Faherty

Jokers Club

Gregory Bastianelli

Women Scorned

Angela Alsaleem

The Donors

Jeffrey Wilson

The Devil of Echo Lake

Douglas Wynne

Pazuzu’s Girl

Rachel Coles

Available through your local and online bookseller or at

www.journalstone.com

Forward

I first met Professor Abraham Van Helsing in Natal in 1877 while doctoring for the army. By the end of that year I was best man at his wedding, which will indicate the regard with which we held each other. I loved and respected the old man dearly. We passed through hell together at Intombe, beneath the churchyards of London, and beyond the Borgo Pass. Thus it was with an outraged heart that I watched the deterioration of his private and professional life in the years following the publication of the Dracula papers.

That this paragon of wisdom, so like a Faust in the totality of his learning, should have met with professional scorn to…I was about to write ‘to the end of his days,’ but that would be a lie. Abraham Van Helsing is mostly forgotten. The world turned away from him as a schoolyard bully turns at last from a righteous underdog who refuses to fight. He passed away quietly last year in his little cottage in Holysloot, and no ill-timed clamoring of detractors marked his passing. There was only a feeble local obituary reciting the string of titles after his name, hinting little of his exploits. Perhaps he would have thought this correct.

Thanks to his portrayal on stage and in the motion pictures, most schoolchildren know the name Count Dracula, but are unfamiliar with Abraham Van Helsing, except as a footnote to that fiend’s story.

This, I am sure, he would not have found correct.

It is with this terrible loss to posterity in mind that I present the current volume, a collection of the late Doctor’s private papers detailing his heretofore largely unknown career. It was my honor to be assigned the task of publishing this work by the man himself, whose will stipulated that I, as his friend, edit his writings and that they not be submitted for publication until one year after his death. The reasons behind the former request I have already stated. As to the latter, I can only surmise. Was it to protect the identities of persons described within, or to save himself from further censure by the academic community whose universal scorn cost him his tenure? I do not know, so it is likely that no one ever will.

In reading through the voluminous records Van Helsing kept, I have chosen to publish these particular papers first as I believe they may hold some interest to the public. They cover the period directly following the events of Dracula, which has seen print elsewhere and continues to enjoy popularity (albeit as fiction, which the parties behind its publication perhaps wisely, if falsely, touted it as). Although I myself was not personally witness to the events described here within, having been wholly engaged in my work in Purfleet at the time, knowing Van Helsing as I did, I believe every word of it. He was not the sort to record exaggerations, nor to give himself over to self-promotion. 

Personal endorsements aside, I have included with Van Helsing’s journal entries numerous accounts corroborating the Professor’s claims. Whether this work will bear fruit in the vindication of Van Helsing’s great and slandered name, I doubt. Like him, I have come to view today’s scientific community as a jackass who will starve for want of feed while standing in a field of tall grass. But that is another matter entirely.

Instead, it is my hope that a reader astute enough to crack a book with Abraham Van Helsing’s name on it will glean some modicum of the truth the old man always sought to bring to light himself. That, and wonder as I do at the astonishing career of a man who by wit or by providence found himself again and again in the path of fantastic forces, and never flinched.

It is to them, the seekers of truth, that I dedicate this volume.

Dr. John Seward

London

May 19, 1935

CHAPTER 1

The following entries have been transcribed from a series of handwritten documents found among the personal effects of Mr. Buckner J. Tyree of Callahan County, Texas, United States of America. Any peculiarities of diction or deliberate omissions have been included in the interest of preserving the original source material. –J.S.

Aug. 13th, 1891.

Picker told me to say nothing about what we done, but I feel like if I don’t tell somebody I’ll bust. I know he’s probably right though, on account of he’s got a better head between his ears than I got, so I’m just gonna write down in this book what I swore by the moonlight and my Mama’s good name that I wouldn’t tell nobody.

Picker and me was rangin’ out back of the Morris place, where we could see the light of the big house and the back porch real clear. Cole told us he didn’t wanna see us back there no more, on account of the trouble between him and the Norgies that bought the Judson spread after Old Man Judson went toes up. Cole told me one night he might come out and blow holes in us thinkin’ we was them Norgies tryin’ to steal his cows. But Picker said Cole and his boys was campin’ down on Busted Elbow Creek huntin’ up the mountain lion that’s been at their stock, and anyway it’d be alright so long as we didn’t make no trouble.

We wasn’t doin’ nothin’ wrong back there. Maybe we had a jack of Injun whiskey between us, but it gets cold at night and Picker says a man has got to have something to keep the blood movin’ up and down his limbs, else they’ll ice up and drop off. I been sayin’ how it’s been real sparse for wolfin’- Picker has too - for the past couple years. You’d think somebody had gone and shot all the god____d wolves and coyotes, just like they done all the d___d buffalo. We needed the work, and Picker said even if Cole caught us on his land and run us off, we’d still be able to hawk any hides or bones we got.

We’d left a couple chaws of jerky sprinkled with arsenic out on the range yesterday to catch some wolves whilst Cole and his boys was out on the north forty lookin’ over some cows that got mauled by the lion. Well, me and Picker plain forgot about that pair of hounds Cole had just picked up on his last trip to Bastrop (he done it to keep varmints from settlin’ in under his porch), and Picker come by my place and said,

Hey Buckner, we ought to go and make sure we ain’t pizened them dogs.

I wish to the Lord he hadn’t.

We was out in the dark feelin’ around for the spot on account of we didn’t dare use no light for fear of Cole’s Mex cook seein’ us from the house and maybe takin’ the scattergun to us, when right sudden Picker told me to stop movin’ and get quiet. I did, on account of Tonks got real good hearing - better than any white man’s. At least that’s what Picker says.

At first I thought we seen one of Cole’s dogs go runnin’ across the yard, but Picker told me he’d got a look at them dogs earlier and they wasn’t near as big as whatever it was we seen. Well, I got real scared then, ‘cause right away I figured it must be that mountain lion that had been at all the cows. I figured it must’ve doubled back from Busted Elbow Creek to avoid the hunters and come back near the big house where there weren’t no men, but lots of calves to pounce on.

Then the back door of the place banged open and we seen them two dogs of Cole’s come barkin’ and skitterin’ off the porch after the whatever it was, on account of they seen it too. I’d been afraid that maybe one of them dogs had been at our pizen jerky and crawled under the porch or back up into the house to die, but now I seen ‘em both, and Picker was right, they weren’t near as big as the whatever it was we seen. From inside the house I heard that Mex cook start to cussin.’

Them dogs was mad as h__l and they made a bee line right for the lion. We couldn’t hardly see nothin’ in the dark, but we heard ‘em tear into somethin,’ and that somethin’ let out a noise that weren’t nothin’ at all like no mountain lion.

Me and Picker stayed there where we was, listenin’ to the fight, and I seen Picker had with him that gun he bought from Old Alkali Firebaugh. Lord, I wish he hadn’t brung it, but sometimes when we come across a lobo that the pizen ain’t done for yet, it takes a bullet. I always told Picker it was a waste, and that we could’ve just as soon bashed it with a stick of firewood, but Picker always told me to stow it. I think he likes shootin’ that gun whenever he gets the chance. 

One of Cole’s dogs let out a yelp and I seen it go flyin’ just like it’d been picked up and throwed. It hit the corner of the house and lay there whinin.’ I don’t know what happened to the other one, but I guess it died, ‘cause the next thing I heard was a lot of cracklin’ and wet noises like it was being et. I asked Picker what we ought to do, and I thought I said it quiet enough, but Picker hushed me.

Then the noises stopped, and we could hear the whatever it was we seen, plain as day, sniffin’ the air. I don’t know if we was down wind of it or up. I didn’t feel no wind at all, but all of a sudden the thing growled real low, and come tearin’ right towards where we was. I could hear it cuttin’ through the grass, and in a minute I seen it - or at least part of it. Big and dark it was, and the hair on its back was all up and it had long sharp ears laid flat against its head.

Then Picker put up his gun and shot at it. I heard it make a noise, but it didn’t stop comin.’ I don’t know if Picker hit it the first three times, but he must’ve got it the last three, ‘cause it went nose down in the dirt and slid to a stop right in front of us.

Me and Picker was right happy, and not just ‘cause we was alive, but ‘cause we figured Cole’d be pleased as all h____ with us ‘cause we kilt the critter that had got his dogs, and probably all the calves and cows that’d been turnin’ up missing too. Picker got out his skinnin’ knife and said he was gonna take the pelt. He handed the whiskey over to me, and in between swallows I got to wonderin’ aloud what we ought to do with the carcass till Cole got back. Then Picker stopped cuttin’ and he took out a match and lit it.

To this very minute I can’t get it straight in my head. I don’t know if it was that Injun corn or all that dark and the blood pumpin’ in my ears, but when I looked, Picker had the hide peeled halfway back, and underneath there was a bare naked human man.

The match went out, and I guess I must’ve had one of my spells, ‘cause the next thing I knowed Picker was shakin’ me, and that Mex cook was in the light of the back door, holdin’ up his britches with one hand and totin’ the scattergun in the other, and hollerin.’ Picker got me up, and we set to runnin,’ whilst the cook yelled after us and let loose with the shotgun over our heads.

When we struck the old road that goes by my place, I was near out of my head for fright, but Picker shook me and made me promise not to tell nobody - not Alkali, not Cole, not nobody, what we seen or done. I don’t remember how I got here back in my little shack. I guess Picker must’ve brung me. I just knowed I had to write it all down before I forgot. It’s near daylight now and I’m real tired and drunk. I can hear my birds scratchin’ on the roof wantin’ to be fed. Maybe it was a dream I had. I got to ask Picker when I see him...

*   *   *

From the Journal of Professor Abraham Van Helsing (translated from the original Dutch)

5th July.

Thank God I am sane.

Those were the last words I wrote concerning my previous expedition to the Carpathian Mountains. How much has happened since I wrote those words, and in such a short time! Eight whole months have passed. Where to begin?

I will tell of how I came to be diagnosed with lycanthropy.

Following the series of events which took me away from my teaching at the University in Amsterdam to London, and at last to the mountainous region of Wallachia, I deemed it necessary that I should submit myself to the observation and care of my old friend Dr. John Seward in his asylum in Purfleet. The particulars of my stay I will not here recount. If John has learned anything from his old mentor it is the value of copious notation, and thus it would be mundane to relate here what has probably been more thoroughly documented on his phonographic records.

I know now that the specific reasons behind my decision were conceived in certain deeds which I was forced to commit in my pursuit of Count Dracula. In particular, I believe that the seed of my instability was planted by his wives - those three beauteous ladies with whom I dealt so harshly whilst they lay in their ghastly repose. I do not know how much of my current mental state is the product of whatever preternatural bewitchment almost stayed my hand in their execution, and how much is the perfectly logical after-effect of prolonged mental stress and fatigue.

Whichever, not long after the funeral for our heroic Mr. Quincey Morris, I privately confided in John that I had begun to harbor some very unsettling, violent fantasies centering around our beloved Mrs. Mina Harker.

I was possessed of an unusually keen paranoia concerning her safety. I could not sleep for wont of assurance that she was at all times secure. I was at the Harkers’ nearly every day, and I am sorry to say I made quite a nuisance of myself. When at last Jonathan spoke frankly to me about my peculiar habit, I took to visiting the Harker home unannounced by night, watching from the silent shadows of the courtyard until the last lamps in the house were extinguished.

I would find myself passing cemeteries, which were not on my usual route. A ghoulish compulsion began to grow within me, that I should enter the graves within and subject the innocent corpses to the same maschalimos treatments I had prescribed for the vampires. I took to carrying my implements with me: my mallet and stakes, vials of blessed water, and garlic cloves. I knew the bodies in those plots were not the creatures that my imagination was telling me they were, and yet I was overwhelmed with a desire to do them violence.

I also had terrible nightmares in which I would pry open the tomb of Miss Lucy Westenra-Holmwood, thinking to find Dracula’s favored bride there - the very lovely, dark haired one whose coffin had commanded such a special place in his ossuary. When I flung aside the sarcophagus however, it was always Miss Mina who would leap from the casket, slavering and hungry for my blood. Sometimes these terrors ended with my death. Quite a peculiar thing, for is it not speculated that those who die in dreams die in life? Other times, they ended with her’s - and if it was her’s, it was always a prolonged, bloody end, and my phantasmic alter ego would perform acts of lustful malice upon her too vile even to recount here.

In a moment of clarity I saw that it would not be long before I was apprehended in the midst of some atrocity that would bring myself and my loved ones much shame. It was with no small relief that I surrendered the care of my body and mind to my friend John.

I have been on extended leave from my teaching for far too long, but I am grateful to the understanding of my colleagues, who have written me with assurances that I can return whenever I am able. It is good to feel needed.

I also take comfort now that I am once again the man that I was, and am pursuing an active role in my emotional convalescence. I feel that my return to these notes, which are evolving into a kind of journal, is somehow a part of it. John tells me that there was a time when I would place this book within a circle of holy water and bury it in sprigs of fresh cut roses, and cower in the corner of my room, not daring to look at it, fearing the entries scrawled within. I have no memory of this, and it seems humorous to me now that I should have been so foolish. I hope that John will share his documentation of my case with his grateful patient one day, if only to amuse an old man.

It was John who diagnosed me with melancholic lycanthropia. I was of course already familiar with the condition. It has been in the physician’s lexicon since the fifth century, though with the advent of modern medicine and the eradication of humoral theory, the melancholic has been mostly done away with, leaving the lycanthropy (the Greek lykos –‘wolf’ and anthropos - ‘man’) alone intact.

In folklore of course, it is the name given to the werewolf—the man or woman who assumes the shape of a wolf, usually by night. The means by which this is achieved are numerous, and include everything from wolf-hide belts and imaginatively composed unguents, to the ubiquitous pact with Satan.

In psychiatric terms, lycanthropy refers to the belief of the patient that he or she assumes the form and characteristics of a wolf or other beast. This belief often translates itself into violent and in the extreme, even cannibalistic acts. While it was never in my mind (I do not think) that I should become a beast and eat the flesh of the living (or the dead), I do believe that the acts which I was contemplating were of a potentially bestial nature.

When John first brought his theory to me, I was reminded of the case of the soldier Bertrand, who in 1849 in France began his horrific career by strolling through cemeteries at night just as I had. Bertrand took to digging up and mutilating the bodies of young women and girls. It took a spring gun trap set into a freshly buried coffin to end his diabolical career at last. I did not want my ailment to progress so far as had Bertrand’s.

But these things are behind me now. The nightmares have ceased, and once barely controlled instincts have abated. 

It is most ironic however, to have written this and now to have to tell that I am on a passenger steamer with only the remains of poor Quincey Morris for company.

But I must explain.

Having born the body of our dear Mr. Morris back to London after the end of our travails, it was mutually agreed that as our American friend had made no preparations for his sudden and regrettable departure from this earth, we should let Arthur Holmwood also known as Lord Godalming, who was his eldest and closest friend, decide what should be done with him.

He was a man at home in so many places, and yet...it seems to me that he should want to rest at home, in Texas. He spoke very fondly of his family’s ranch there. Yes. Texas, I should think.

This was the proclamation I heard Lord Godalming give prior to my illness, and so far as I knew, it was carried out when I entered John’s care.

Yet when I emerged again, Mr. Morris was still in London, reposing in an urn on Lord Godalming’s mantle.

During my recuperation much had occurred in the life of Arthur Holmwood that did not allow sufficient time for a voyage to America. There were many decisions to be made regarding his late father’s estate. Not only were there a good deal of unforeseen settlements to be arranged with his father’s creditors, but there was also the managing of the will and the mediation of rival inheritors who were not at all disposed in their shameful avarice to allot to the executor and chief heir time enough to mourn for both a fiancé and a best friend.  A miser’s patience is as short as his compassion.

With John’s encouragement (he seemed to see in the hiatus some therapeutic value), I offered and was then granted the task of bearing the remains and worldly remembrances of Quincey P. Morris home to his native land, which lay in the Callahan County of Texas, United States American.

CHAPTER 2

Dead Man Found at the Q and M, by A.N. Crooker (all articles reproduced with the permission of The Sorefoot Picayune)

August 15th, 1891 edition

Sheriff G.B. Turlough and Deputy Rufus Shetland rode into town yesterday with several men of the Q&M ranch in tow. Among them was Mr. Coleman R. Morris himself, who inherited the Q&M spread from his late father, Captain Quentin Morris some years back. It seems that the lifeless body of an unidentified Mexican was found in the immediate vicinity of Mr. Morris’

Reviews for Terovolas

[hredwards · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was alittle put off by the cover. Wasn't sure this would be worth reading. It is a further adventure of Van Helsing.Starting out I didn't like the way it switched from one character to another.But it was an entertaining read and I enjoyed it despite my misgivings.I would be interested in reading more as it seems to be a set up for a series.

[pamkaye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book through Librarything's Early Reviewer Program.Terovolas takes you to Sorefoot, Texas in the year 1891 & brings back the great paranormal hunter Abraham Van Helsing. A simple quest to return a dear friends ashes to his homeland turns into something much more frightening (and intriguing to Van Helsing). The story had me enthralled. I am a lover of Dracula and Van Helsing stories, so I knew I would enjoy this. There was plenty of action with very descriptive passages. Even though I knew who/what was responsible for the attacks, it came in a sort of twist I didn't see coming. I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 only because it was taken from somebody else's idea. It's a great addition to the Van Helsing story. But original characters and storyline would have received 5 stars from me. I do recommend that anyone who enjoys paranormal stories should read this one.

[kimmydavis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I will begin my review by stating that I have not read Dracula by Bram Stoker, and that my knowledge of Van Helsing and his legendary monster-slaying friends is gleaned solely from popular culture. Now, acknowledging that...I loved this story! I found it interesting enough that I put aside the final book of a series I've been reading for weeks--I just couldn't seem to put my Kindle down! I loved the writing in the journals of the characters and the tone and accents came through in a way that made me smile and also, at time, roll my eyes. I like and believe that Van Helsing could have visited Texas during his travels and his journey to bring home the remains of Quincey Morris; he muses at one point in the story that Americans in general seem more open to the idea of "monsters," being that we have so much "open space" that our minds can imagine supernatural beings at play just outside of the light of a campfire.Overall, I'm giving this 4 stars because it was a compulsive read--and I sincerely plan to read the original Dracula soon!

[command3r · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Terovolas could have had an interesting concept in a "weird western" horror tale, but fell very short. Recycled protagonists (Van Helsing) can work to take advantage of a built in backstory for the readers, but in this case felt stale. For a book this length, it took much too long to get into the action of the story, as the narrative style introduced the plot and villains much too slowly. When a reader picks a novel starring a known character such as Van Helsing, then the author should realize that the reader knows what sort of story to expect and should be able to jump directly into the meat of the story, skipping the slow style that the author chose in ignoring the built in backstory and expectations given to his main character when he chose to recycle another author's creation. The story and action picked up to the end, and the premise turned interesting, but for this reader it was too little too late.

[britt84 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found that the novel had a bit of a slow start, it took a while for the story to really take off and it took me some time to really get into it. Once I did get into it though, I really enjoyed it.I'm a long-time Dracula fan, so I was very interested in reading this novel about Van Helsing's further exploits. The book follows Van Helsing on a trip to America, where he faces a different type of supernatural creature. After the somewhat slow start I found the story to be gripping and it really kept me reading.I very much liked the fact that the author tried to write in the same style as Stoker, using diary fragments and letters to tell the story. I think this was done quite well, and I really like the fact that it tells the story from different points of view and gives you insight into the thoughts and feelings of different characters in the novel.All in all, a nice read, and definitely enjoyable for fans of Dracula.

[silverlily26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story of Terovolas by Edward M. Erdelac really appealed to me. As a fan of Bran stokers Dracula and general supernatural tales I couldn’t wait to read this.Unfortunately I was a little disappointed, I found the journal style hampered the story and the fact that it was being written after Van Helsing death by his friend the mis-spelling and poor grammar could have been changed as it published. The difference in language styles just made the book tiresome to read and a very slow paced.The book had a mix of great characters, Van Helsing, Cole Morris, Alkali, but Skoll and his men lacked any real character and the inclusion of local Indian Shaman just made the whole book a little poor for me.

[majkia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ever wonder what other mischief 'Abe' van Helsing got up to after his Transylvania adventure? Me neither. But this story tells us. A mysterious woman on a train, Van Helsing traveling to Texas to report Quincey's death to his family, a surprising bunch of Norwegian hunks. Put it all together and you get cowboys and werewolves.I found the beginning of the tale uneven, and hard to follow, but once the action picked up I fared far better. An interesting supernatural romp across the prairie.

[mdkoets · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was another fun read. The concept of this happening in Texas, of all places, sold me on the story. Vampires and werewolves, a clan of Scandinavian "cowboys" , a famous scientist, add a few Indians and you have an engrossing tale. All the character 's were well developed and somehow they all belonged in the story.

[roudyjsoule · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book. The characters were interesting and the story itself kept a quick pace. I would recomend this to anyone who likes Dracula/vampire novels or westerns.

[marcush_42 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Terovolas is an interesting story that picks up with Van Helsing directly after the events of Dracula. It is constructed in an epistolary form that helps establish a decent flow of action. The main aspect of the plot involves Van Helsing investigating some mysterious and supernatural occurrences. Erdelac does an excellent job of maintaining intensity along with a style that is similar to the Stoker original. While I wouldn't call this a classic horror story, if you liked Dracula you'll enjoy this tale.

[heptonj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Traditional Van Helsing tale. Excellent. This time the vampire hunter is on the trail of a she werewolf aided by non other than Quincey Morris's brother Cole. Quincey was the brave young man who died in the pursuit of the terrible Count Dracula. When Abraham arrives in America to deliver Quincey's ashes and to relate the brave way he died to his brother a mystery surrounding a neighbouring group of Norwegians unfolds. Terrible deaths and adventures follow leading to a confrontation between Van Helsing and Madam Terovolas(the werewolf). An unexpected ending and I liked the continuity of the Van Helsing stories.

[mayaarb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Erdelac has a knack for creating believable dialog, and an impressive ability to continue the tradition of storytelling from the characters' perspectives. His skill at telling the story from the characters' perspectives leaves you wondering whether or not the story just might be real, after all it would take an immense talent to truly capture the various literary styles each different actor in this particular drama would employ, but Erdelac does this with finesse giving each storyteller his or her own unique voice and adding an endearing quality to the narrative that allows you to become personally involved with each character as they face the mysteries of Terovolas.

[lesliejung_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

writing is not bad at all, but i had real trouble following who was speaking in which journal - switching from mss to mss i began not to believe the stories could dovetail each other so perfectly that the illusion was broked - von helsing is a true hero, and yet i was not sure whose perspective was kicking in at times.

[pratchettfan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Terovolas picks up Professor Abraham Van Helsing's story after his run-in with Count Dracula.With the intent of returning the remains and possessions of Quincey Morris to his family in Texas. On the way there he meets Madame Terovolas, a mysterious Greek woman who is about to be wed to a Norse cattle farmer. Soon after his arrival in Sorefoot Texas, Van Helsing finds himself in the middle of a range war between between the Morris family and the tribe of Norsemen. When people start turning up dead with strange markings upon them Van Helsing starts to doubt his sanity, but nevertheless is resolved to get to the ground of this case.Terovolas continues the literary style of Dracula insofar that it is told only by first hand accounts, such as diary entries, newspaper clippings and telegrams. I greatly enjoyed this book, which was fast-paced and fascinating till the last pages. And the afterword suggest that more adventures of Professor Van Helsing might be published in the future, to which I am looking forward.

[retronatrix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Terovolas considering the initial plot description. Erdelac manages to write in a very fluid manner and captures the voice of his characters with a natural feel.The well fleshed background story/setup mixed with the action made it very enjoyable, plus the lack of Old West stereotyping helped a lot. I didn't stay up all night to read it like I do with some books but it certainly kept me interested and I'm already looking forward to more of the author's work.

[zjordi_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very well written, in the Old West style, with a compelling plot and many characters, all of them excellently painted.Masterly blend of action and exposition, with plenty of both, Good narrative rythm, with things happening (and being explained) in a compelling way.Whish I had read the previous book before, 'cause I missed some references, but it did not detray from the pleasure of a good story.

[iampeachy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good story with wonderful characters. An easy read, loved the various view points between the characters. Keeps you on your toes, and hard to walk away from.

[josephlyoung · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantasy account of the travels of Professor Van Helsing after his and Quincy Morris' encounter with Count Dracula. The Professor agreed to return Quincy Morris' remains to his ancestral lands near Sorefoot, Texas. While traveling by train from St. Louis, he met an attractive Greek woman, Madame Callisto Terovolas, who he recognized as coming from the Arcadian area. He also felt a strange attraction to her. The engaging story is told trough the writings and journals of a variety of major and minor players, all having a part in the story from professor Van Helsing, Madame Terovolas, Coleman Morris, an old range Warrior, Alkali (Aurelius Firebaugh) horse Trader, Crenshaw Brothers (rough guys), Sigmund Skolls and his group of large blonde Norgie ranch hands. Once they arrive in Sorefoot, Texas, home of Quincey and Coleman Morris and now Sigmund and Madame Callisto Terovolas, the sherrif and his deputy are early casualties. Language barriers between the large blonde Norwegians and the western Texan ranch hands lead to strained relationships. It didn't help that the Norwegian ranch hands seemed to ignore ranch boundaries and moved cattle across them without any regards to brands or ownership. There also were killings attributed to large wolves or lions that were not readily identified. Ranch hands with hounds were sent out to try to hunt the lions and put an end to their damages. The strangeness of the characters and their links to a variety of legendary historical variances of sub human activities lent credence to the large fires, totems and ritual activities apparently occurring on nights of a full moon in the barren lands. An local Indian shaman had dreams of death and fighting as a wolf against other equally strong wolves. The western ranchers encouraged by Professor Van Helsing, believed Madame Callisto Terovolas was being held by the large Norwegians against her will so made plans to rescue her and save her from a terrible fate. As the story evolves, more background is provided for the characters and justification for their interactions is provided. The action is constant with danger always at the edge and all characters threatened by overwhelming forces. This is an edge of chair story that compels close attention to the end. The strange twists and unsuspected connections between characters and their individual philosophical bent lend additional interest to the story. A worth while read for Fantasy Lovers who like a different approach to standard mythical characters.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Professor Van Helsing has travelled to the Old West to return the remains of Quincey Morris to his family after their encounter with Dracula. On the train, he meets Callisto Terovolas, a beautiful Greek woman who is headed to the same town to meet her fiance. Van Helsing is both intrigued and disturbed by this woman. When he reaches his destination, he discovers the town is in the grips of some unknown horror. Something is killing both humans and livestock and in particularly brutal ways and soon Van Helsing finds himself helping to hunt down whatever is behind these murders.I have to say I really enjoyed this book. Told in journal form and from several different viewpoints, the story is engrossing from beginning to end. The characters are well-drawn and the pace rarely lets up. In fact, it has all the ingredients of a terrific story which I have come to expect from Journal Stone. It is my opinion if you are looking for a good horror tale, look no further than JS. You won't be disappointed.

[krushkelsey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

i really enjoyed this book. i'm a vampire nut and i love werewolves and zombies. this was done quite well. it comes from the long lost diaries/ journals of van helsing. i think everyone knows who that is at least sort of. it is coupled with articles and journal/diaries etc.. to validate his writing. i like the way the author has done this and his claim of truth at the end. it read very quickly and was a very different take on van helsing himself. i quite liked this approach and side of him. again, i love this stuff so this was great. but even if your not into the unknown world of mysteries this is still a well written, original take that i quite liked.

[andrefan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.All comments are my personal opinion.I'll preface this review by saying I have never read Stoker's Dracula. Nor have I seen a complete version of any of the many film versions (other than Mel Brooks'). I can't say whether that is an advantage or a disadvantage for reviewing this work. This book is an epistolary novel consisting of a series of newspaper articles, and journal and diary entries written from various viewpoints. I have seen this technique used both more and less effectively than this particular example. The story was interesting, but not so compelling as to make me force myself to stop reading when it was time for bed. In other words, I found it easy to set aside when necessary but also easy to pick up again when I had some free time. This is in contrast to some other works I've read, where I have had to force myself to finish them (and in few cases, abandon them).The biggest detraction, for me, was the jumping between the many viewpoints. I would have preferred to see a fewer number of POV jumps.I have one minor and one major quibble. The minor first. This work is subtitled with a date of 1891, yet when Van Helsing reads Callisto's diary, it mentions dates after that (1894 & 1896). This is, as I said, a minor point. The major issue is the final confrontation between Van Helsing and Terovolas. I felt that Van Helsing's solution didn't match his character and experience as I understood it from this work. As I've mentioned earlier, I have never read Dracula, so it is possible that this is a fitting solution based on that earlier work.I give this three stars with the major problem being too many POV jumps.

[svfreeman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Professor Abraham Van Helsing's story has always begged to be told IMHO. In the original Bram Stoker's, he is almost as mysterious as the imposing Count Dracula with references to his multiple degrees, his wife who he identifies by "and me, with my poor wife dead to me, but alive by Church’s law, though no wits, all gone—even I, who am faithful husband to this now-no-wife...", and .references to his extensive travels. In Terovolas we have the beginning at what promises to be a series of reports on Van Helsing's those other events starting with this account of the adventure which followed the events around the undead Count.Erdelac has attempted to recreate the flow and style of Stoker from the classic account. He incorporates the device of the multiple viewpoint of major and minor observers of the events through journal entries, diaties, notes, telegrams, and newspaper articles/editorials. Through these, he embues the various sources with some of the characteristics appropriate for each of the witnesses'; The different viewpoint/sources can give a chppiness in this style to the story flow that can be irritating; indeed, Stoker's was for some a difficult read for some because of that unevenness and abrupt changes in viewpoint. Erdelac's treatment flows much smoother than the orginal but is slightly artificial and forced without the impact of the original. The events in this book are after Van Helsing leaves is discharged from his friend, Jack Steward's asylum after the trials of chasing down and trying to help his friends survive Dracula's attentinos. He's affliction is reported as violent recurring fantasies which causes some doubts at first to what befalls him as he returns his friend's Quincy Morris's remains to Quincy's brother, Cole. The beautiful and exotic Terrovolas is a fellow passenger to whom he is drawn on this trip on her way to her marriage to Sig Skoll, a Norwegian rancher in Sorefoot, Texas. Sig and Cole are neighbors who are on the verge of a strange range war. The Professor is confronted by a bullying pair of roughs on his arrival and, when he stands up to the brothers ends up in a gun fight where one of the brothers is killed by another citizen. Cole's foreman is arrested after a separate a altercation with Sig's attorney. Sig's men are all large Nordic men and do not mix with the common folk of Sorefoot in their clannish behavior. The Professor gets thrown into the local affairs when the local sheriff and the foreman are found brutally murdered in the jail, torn apart as if attacked by animals, and the major suspect is the surviving brother who was being held in the jail from the earlier fight. As the story develops , Prof Van Helsing is drawn to a suspicion that the lovely Lady Terovolas is being held a captive of a terrifying group of monsters--but something stranger is going on. Prof Van Helsing's academic background helps identify clues that point to a preternatural legend that may have had some basis in actual fact but the clues are mixed and inconsistent, crossing cultures and logic. Erdelac succeeds in combining elements from four different sources of familiar legend into one set of tragic events in the prairie of early Texas.

[moniqueleigh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.I've been a fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula for a bit more than thirty years, so the idea of following Van Helsing to the United States was intriguing. The author was obviously trying to follow in Mr. Stoker's footsteps with journal excerpts, letters, and newspaper clippings, but I never got quite the same sense of urgency from Mr. Erdelac's work as from Mr. Stoker's.

[radella_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Terovolas is one of the books that fits into the ever-expanding genre of "What happens after the events in that really famous book?". In this case, Van Helsing leaves Europe after the events in Dracula for the Wild West. That premise was so bizarre, I knew I just had to read it! It's got a bit of everything in it- the supernatural horror you would expect from a Dracula continuation, and all the tropes you'd expect to find in a western. With a mountain lion (maybe?) mauling local cattle, Van Helsing teams up with (among others) a disreputable horse trader and an Indian shaman to discover what is really going on.It was written in the same style as Dracula, told through letters, journals, and articles... and somehow feels like it was written in the 19th century. Definitely an enjoyable read.

[sumik_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed Terovolas. It's kind of a continuation of the story of Prof. Van Helsing from Bram Stoker's Dracula. A "what if Van Helsing went to Texas and encountered something uncanny there.

Told in epistolary style like Dracula.

[jadestar31 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Texas and werewolves and Norse gods, oh my. This was a really strange books. The character of Abraham Van Helsing is already well-known from Dracula. When he goes to return the ashes of Quincey Morris, he becomes part of another paranormal adventure.This book is a collection of journal entries and newspaper articles. I'm a fan of epistolary fiction, and I liked how it was used in this novel. It was a great way to know the inner workings of all the characters and honestly, I found myself sympathizing with nearly all of them. The mythology is presented in a really unique way, and I was really glad that it didn't overwhelm the plot or bore the reader with details.I would classify this as another successful book from Journalstone Publishing. If you were a fan of Dracula, then the continuation of Van Helsing's adventures will be a good read.

[katyas_26 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book Info: Genre: Dark Supernatural ThrillerReading Level: AdultRecommended for: Fans of Bram Stoker's Dracula, those who enjoy supernatural thrillers with a Wild West flavorTrigger Warnings: mauling, murder, violence, shootingMy Thoughts: One part Western (complete with attempted land grab and cattle rustlin'), one part horror novel, one part supernatural thriller, this book is a lot of different thing that nevertheless manage to come together in a complete whole that is wholly satisfying. It continues the story of Professor Van Helsing, after his adventures as related by Bram Stoker, as he attempts to bring the remains of Quincey Morris back to his hometown in Texas, only to become embroiled in mysterious happenings that seem to involve some large predator killing both livestock and people. An afterword by the author hints that this manuscript was discovered in a dusty basement, along with evidence that the story behind Dracula is absolutely true, and that we can look forward to new adventures with Van Helsing. I, for one, can not wait.Dracula is one of the great loves of my literary life. The first (and one of only three) book to ever give me nightmares, it is one I have read and enjoyed several times. This book is written in the same way, consisting of journal entries, newspaper articles, telegrams and such like to tell the story. While it is a bit more readable for a modern audience, I absolutely loved that it kept to the tradition that Stoker set for his masterpiece. If you enjoyed Dracula, then you absolutely must not miss this story. Same if you enjoy this author's other works. Highly recommended.Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this e-book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.Synopsis: The personal papers of the enigmatic Professor Abraham Van Helsing are collected and presented for the first time by his longtime colleague and defender, Dr. John Seward. Texas, 1891: Following the defeat of Count Dracula, Abraham Van Helsing—suffering from violent recurring fantasies—checks himself into Jack Seward's Purfleet Asylum. Once discharged, he volunteers to return the ashes and personal effects of the late Quincey P. Morris (the American adventurer who died in battle with the nefarious Count) home to the Morris family ranch in Sorefoot, Texas. Van Helsing arrives to find Quincey's brother, Cole Morris, embroiled in an escalating land dispute with a group of neighboring Norwegian ranchers led by the enigmatic Sig Skoll. When cattle and men start turning up slaughtered, the locals suspect a wild animal, but Van Helsing thinks a preternatural culprit is afoot. Is a shapeshifter stalking the Texas plains, or are the phantasms of his previously disordered mind returning? The intrepid professor must decide soon, for the life of Skoll's beautiful new bride may hang in the balance.

[stormraven_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Disclosure: I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. Some people think this may bias a reviewer so I am making sure to put this information up front. I don't think it biases my reviews, but I'll let others be the judge of that.Terovolas is a book that mines a character out of one of the famous works of the past in order to create new fiction. This does not necessarily result in a bad book - after all, Philip Jose Farmer had a long career in which he made a practice out of doing just that, and Fred Saberhagen also got a decent amount of mileage out of the same trick. And when well-executed, the result can be a good book. The character of Abraham van Helsing, drawn from Bram Stoker's Dracula, is a potentially interesting character, and Terovolas details his continuing adventures after the death of the blood sucking Count. The resulting book is a fairly decent adventure story, somewhat hampered by the artificial story telling style that the author chose to present it.The book opens with a brief forward in which a character called John Seward presents the premise: that the story he is about to tell is drawn from the collection of personal papers left to him by van Helsing. This conceit runs throughout the entire book, with the story told via the letters, journals, and newspaper articles of the various participants in the tale's events. And while this is handled reasonably well through most of the book, this method of storytelling becomes awkward and forced at times, with nearly illiterate characters sitting down and writing an account of their daily activities on a scrap of paper, or literate characters making sure to update their journal huddled around a campfire while on the run from insane murderous berserkers.[More forthcoming]

[pjmanley41 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Got this as an early review item so I couldn't enter it correctly in my library. If you like Van Helsing and Dracula, as I do, you like this book. It's an easy afternoon read. Enjoyable. Good storyline. I recommend it. I don't think I've read anything else by this author but this is worth the read.

[dekan-6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

i really enjoyed this book. i'm a vampire nut and i love werewolves and zombies. this was done quite well. it comes from the long lost diaries/ journals of van helsing. i think everyone knows who that is at least sort of. it is coupled with articles and journal/diaries etc.. to validate his writing. i like the way the author has done this and his claim of truth at the end. it read very quickly and was a very different take on van helsing himself. i quite liked this approach and side of him. again, i love this stuff so this was great. but even if your not into the unknown world of mysteries this is still a well written, original take that i quite liked.