This is the third book to be published from the vaults of the Van Helsing family library and presents the accumulated wisdom of Adelia Van Helsing. The first female Van Helsing to take up the sword and do battle with the denizens of Hell, Adelia lived some seven centuries ago. Dragon Hunter’s Handbook is in fact a prequel to both Demon and Vampire Hunter, and like these two books it weaves practical advice about combating dragons with a journal of Adelia's most terrifying encounters. Within these pages are notes on identifying different types of dragon, proven tactics for defeating them, effective weaponry and armor, and how to find their lairs. Interwoven with this useful information is the tale of Adelia’s battle against the most terrifying foe of her career, a dragon simply known as “The Ancient.” Traveling to a remote Tibetan village she discovers that far from being a dwindling threat, dragons are regrouping and are about to unleash monstrous revenge on the human race. Faced with a power even she cannot resist, she summons the dragon’s most fearsome opponent, the servants of hell. But no Van Helsing makes a pact with the devil without consequences, and in the final act of dispatching The Ancient, her brother Caspar, is dragged through hell’s portal to a life of torment. wordcount: