ker ▁family ▁to ▁re assert ▁control ▁over ▁D rac ula ▁fiction . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Tw enty - five ▁years ▁have ▁passed ▁since ▁the ▁v amp ire ▁Count ▁D rac ula ▁met ▁his ▁end ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Jonathan ▁H ark er ▁and ▁Qu ince y ▁Morris . ▁Though ▁they ▁were ▁vict orious ▁in ▁their ▁quest , ▁the ▁band ▁of ▁hero es ▁has ▁now ▁become ▁a ▁broken ▁shadow ▁of ▁its ▁former - self ; ▁Jack ▁S ew ard ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁morph ine ▁add ict ▁obs essed ▁with ▁stamp ing ▁out ▁the ▁und ead , ▁Arthur ▁Hol m wood ▁h ides ▁behind ▁his ▁lov eless ▁marriage ▁and ▁Jonathan ▁H ark er ▁d row ns ▁his ▁sor rows ▁and ▁inse cur ities ▁in ▁alco hol ▁and ▁prost it utes ▁over ▁M ina ' s ▁remaining ▁t aint ▁from ▁D rac ula , ▁which ▁has ▁caused ▁her ▁to ▁retain ▁her ▁youth . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁begins ▁with ▁S ew ard ▁tracking ▁down ▁Elizabeth ▁B á th ory , ▁whom ▁he ▁bel ieves ▁is ▁a ▁v amp ire . ▁After ▁seeing ▁her ▁bat he ▁in ▁a ▁young ▁woman ' s ▁blood , ▁he ▁tracks ▁her ▁to ▁a ▁the ater ▁in ▁Paris . ▁Qu ince y ▁H ark er , ▁son ▁to ▁Jonathan ▁and ▁M ina , ▁is ▁in ▁Paris ▁having ▁been ▁forced ▁to ▁attend ▁law ▁school ▁instead ▁of ▁purs uing ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁the ater . ▁Qu ince y ▁lear ns ▁that ▁Bas arab , ▁a ▁Roman ian ▁actor ▁who ▁is ▁taking ▁Europe ▁by ▁storm , ▁is