Me revolvió el estómago en más de un sentido. Buenísimo. ( )

I think I got taken in my an author's review on this one. I read one chapter, which had 3 completely different scenes and have no idea what the heck was going on in any of them. I have seen a good author use a little of that to create the effect of intrigue and ignitie curiousity, but between the overwrought prose and absolutely confusing storyline, this was just a muddled mess. I'm not wasting any more of my time. ( )

I bought this a while ago & in my continuing 2013 quest to read some of the lingerers on my Kindle, I tore into this one. I do have something of a fascination with Vlad (not the vampire) & really enjoyed reading a fictional recounting of his final confession as told through three closest to him. I really had hoped it would be something like Vlad's own words speaking to us in found journals or from the great beyod but I really came to enjoy the points of view of those closest to him. I think the main character is well known enough that I don't need to recount them here but I will say that the author spared nothing in the bloodfest & ruthless campaigning that was done. I thought it was necessary & certainly well written & ultimately does give one a lot to think about when trying to reconcile the man with his deeds. I don't think the author was giving Vlad a pass for anything but simply laying out the complexities of the man & that made for a good read for me. I'm glad that I read it but I probably wouldn't read it again (not a 5 star for me) but I will definitely read more by Humphreys. ( )

This is one of those hard books to review. I picked up the bargain ebook because I had seen some good buzz about it here or on another forum, my ereader was new and itching for content and it was on sale. It sat in the TBR section for several months because the time and place were not my favorites (I was "stretching" when I bought the book) and newer, shinier books kept bumping it back. I finally took the plunge while on a trip. I read it sitting around airports and on the plane, but it never quite grabbed me.

The story is about Vlad Dracula--The Impale--and I thoroughly enjoyed the craft of the writing. Humphreys is a solid writer. I particularly appreciated the framing story where--after his death--three intimates of the infamous Dracula (his best friend, his mistress and his confessor) were brought together to tell their stories in an effort to combat the propaganda being spread by his enemies. The narration is smoothly integrated with occasional visits to the "present" where third parties fill in background and detail--very clever. My only quibble with the writing was the twist at the end, which I didn't feel worked.

I also appreciated learning more about this historical character, but suspect I would have enjoyed one of the non-fiction books mentioned in the end notes more. In the end, the characters didn't pull me into the story, nor did the plot. There was a lot of graphic violence, but this is a tale about a man called "The Impaler" so I didn't expect different. I would have given it two stars for enjoyment, but bumped it up for good solid writing. Others with an interest in this time period and character will find it more enjoyable. ( )

This book was written very well and kept me glued to the story all the way thru.
I really liked the angle the author used to tell the story of Vlad.
Anyone who is into Dracula would love this book. ( )