Despeyroux's latest offers 13 vampire-themed legends and literary classics, all adapted into neat six- to eight-page narratives and illustrated with eerie Tim Burton style art. Though written as at least mildly melodramatic episodes rather than just plot summaries, most of the tales rticularly Stoker's "Dracula," Polidori's "The Vampire," and Tolstoy's "Family of the Vourdalak" e so abbreviated that they rely on the art to create proper atmosphere and crank up the creepiness. At this, Falcone's misty gothic scenes of pale, doll-like, exaggeratedly thin figures with pointy teeth and bloody mouths succeed admirably. Despeyroux also takes liberties in her retellings of six folktales, converting both the traditional dragon of Poland's Wawel Castle and the demonic revenant in a Danish barrow tale to vampires to fit the theme, for instance. Authenticity is not the strong suit here, and aside from a closing gallery of authors, there are no specific source notes.Still, starting with the lurid face peering through a die-cut hole in the front cover, this supplies an adequate number of chills.

This anthology presents chilling but middle-grade-appropriate adaptations of famous vampire stories from the likes of Stoker and Tolstoy as well as legends from all over the world. Falcone's creepy illustrations with muted tones and dramatic, elongated characters enhance each tale. Introductions to the fictional and legend-based sections and appended author details with antique-looking portraits provide context.