Dark Shadows Audio Book 46 - The Curse of Shurafa

At long last we find out exactly what happened on Barnabas' jaunt to Cairo with Dr. Julia Hoffman and Professor Stokes.  This story has been hinted at in past audios, and finally we learn exactly what happened. With Andrew Collins reprising his role as Barnabas Collins (and yes, the fact that the actor is a "Collins" himself is not lost on me), Stephanie Ellyne continues voicing Amy Jennings Cunningham, while Scott Haran plays her son, Harry (as he did in the Bloodlust mni-series).

The Curse of Shurafa is told as a flashback, as Barnabas sits at the table with Harry, following the events in the Bloodlust story.  Barnabas tells Harry about the trip he took with Professor Stokes and Dr. Hoffman to Cairo, where they visited the famed City of the Dead cemetery.  Only, their visit quickly turns to horror when zombie-like creatures infested with flies appear and seem to be chasing after a young woman - a woman they soon discover is the last in a bloodline that is keeping a cursed Egyptian noble from coming back to life!

Author Bob Morris weaves a captivating tale of horror, friendship, love, family, evil, and sacrifice, as Barnabas quickly discovers that Dr. Hoffman has been infected by the spirit of Shurafa - and the only way to save her is to kill the young woman who can end his curse and free him to come back to life and reign terror on the earth!  What length will Barnabas go to in order to save his friend, the woman who has stood by his side for so many years and has done everything in her power to save him?  How can he not do anything he needs to in order to save her life?

As Harry listens, fully attentive to every word, Barnabas reveals the cost required to save Dr. Hoffman - and their ultimate battle to keep Shufara from every being freed from the curse that keeps him bound in his sarcophagus.  But did they truly defeat him?  For, before this story is finished, one final shock is revealed - one that will test the limits of family loyalty and love and prove, once and for all, that the Collins' family will always stick together and they will always win.

While Andrew Collins provides the voice of Barnabas, he also does the voices of Professor Stokes and Dr. Hoffman as he relates the events that occurred in Egypt.  What's funny is that there are moments where he manages to capture Thayer David's unique voice, and there are a couple of instances where it sounds like they used some footage from the original Dark Shadows with Grayson Hall's one-of-a-kind moans and cries of "Nooooo!"  There is also a reference to Professor Stokes helping Amy fight some zombies, which Amy also mentioned in an earlier audio drama, The Happier Dead.  This again shows the strengths of the writers and editors of these DS audios, as they keep the continuity flowing nicely, and even with stories that have never actually been told, the references are dropped now and again to keep it all the more real.

RATING:  9 fly-filled corpses out of 10 for honoring Thayer David, Grayson Hall, and Jonathan Frid with a great little story about the characters they so vividly brought to life on screen.