Escaping from the world to somewhere new, Dracula muses on where he is now, his escape from being chased by Van Helsing and who his current host is. Heading into the throne room of the Wizard of Oz, he is met by the same apparition as Dorothy first did, with the same outcome when Dracula comes face to face with the Wizard. Even while deciding on how to take over, Dracula is surprised to find himself attacked by the Tin Man. Despite his undoubted abilities, Dracula finds himself in a losing battle as the Wizard seems to have more tricks and more knowledge up his sleeves. In the end, only one of them is going to survive their conflict.

I picked this up as crossover stories tend to pique my curiousity as I look for a new twist or idea in bringing two differing stories together. This short story partly lives up to it although it does have a slight sting in the tail. This is very much a one-scene showdown between the two main characters. Both of them are well-written playing slightly off the expectations of how they have been depicted and giving each of them a slight twist. This also allows the writer to cleverly highlight what is different without having to expound on everything that is the same. The scene also plays well off the original source material and the author has obviously put some thought into which parts would be suitable for such a crossover.

However, this story is short, very short, so while it could have been twice as long, there is a certain amount of skill in being able to condense it down to such a small piece of work. It will only take five minutes to read, so if you are looking for a quick fantasy horror short to fill a coffee break, it will fit the bill. The first time I read it, I was surprised I had got to the end so quickly, but this just gave me the opportunity to read it once again and enjoy it for a second time in quick succession.

Formatting for the eBook is as you would expect, although it is a little sparse on many pages. There is an intro at the front and some author’s notes at the rear and only brief details on other works. The editing and grammar are fine, and I didn’t notice any glaring issues that may have pulled me from the story.

Overall, a very brief story, but well written and an interesting twist on the two tales.