Bram Stoker's Dracula: Elysian Nightfall Studios Full-Cast Audiobook - Review

Brought to you by Daniele Lanzarotta's Elysian Nightfall Studios and Briar Somerset's Vellichor & Vein Press, this audiobook features riveting performances by Christopher Tester, Pagan McGrath, Aure Nash, Peter Wicks, Lucas Webley, Curtis Michael Holland, Kristian Eros, Andrea Emmes, Krys Janae—and Jason Lasky as Dracula.

When solicitor Jonathan Harker travels to a remote castle in the Carpathian Mountains, he believes his task is solely administrative. Instead, he soon finds himself an unwitting prisoner to the enigmatic Count Dracula: an ancient, bloodthirsty being plotting to reach far beyond the crumbling walls of his castle.

In England, a quiet terror unfolds as the lives of Harker's fiancee Mina Murray, her friend Lucy Westenra, and those around them become entangled in a battle against a hungry, immortal predator who feeds not only on blood, but devotion and fear. 

Relayed through a series of letters, journals, and fragmented accounts, Dracula is an epistolary, timeless tale of desire and damnation—Victorian science and superstition—and the terrible cost of inviting darkness across the threshold.

Production and Publication by Daniele Lanzarotta of Elysian Nightfall Studios, Production Management by Krys Janae, and Sound Effects Direction and Co-Publication by Briar Somerset of Vellichor & Vein Press.

Finishing Dracula on All Hallows’ Eve feels incredibly fitting! Having finally experienced this classic, I can absolutely understand why it has stood the test of time. Stoker’s prose is remarkable, and it’s easy to see why this story continues to captivate readers more than a century later. Having known Dracula more through popular culture than the original novel, it was great to finally experience the story that started it all.

I also couldn’t imagine a better format for experiencing this novel than a full-cast audiobook. The incredible lineup of stage, audio, and video game actors brought so much life and personality to the production: Christopher Tester, Pagan McGrath, Peter Wicks, Aure Nash, Lucas Webley, Curtis Michael Holland, Andrea Emmes, Kristian Eros, Krys Janae, and Jason Lasky as Dracula. Each performer brings their own presence to the story, helping distinguish the characters and making the experience feel more like a drama unfolding around you than simply listening to a book being read. As an audiobook lover, I will be keeping an eye out for these voice actors in my next reads.

Stoker’s use of letters, diary entries and different character perspectives also makes the story particularly well suited to this format. The mystery gradually unfolds through the characters’ accounts, building tension as they begin to understand the threat they are facing. Combined with the full-cast performances, it makes for an engaging way to experience the novel while still appreciating the writing that has made it such an enduring classic.

A huge shoutout to Elysian Nightfall Studios for the production and engineering, Briar Somerset for co-publication, co-production, and sound effects direction, and Krys Janae for project coordination. So much care and creativity have gone into bringing this production together, and the work behind the scenes deserves recognition alongside the performances themselves. I would absolutely love to see this team bring another literary classic to life!

If you’ve been intimidated by the prospect of reading Dracula, this audiobook is the perfect place to start. It’s a wonderfully accessible way to experience Stoker’s classic without losing the qualities that make the original so special. Whether you’re discovering the story for the first time or revisiting a beloved horror classic, I can’t recommend this production highly enough.

A gothic horror classic, a fantastic full-cast production and the perfect Halloween listen — I’m so glad I finally gave Dracula a chance!

My rating for the full-cast audiobook of Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Elysian Nightfall Studios – ★★★★★.