I didn’t quite know what I was getting into when I picked up this book, and I raised my eyebrows when I discovered it was all about vampires and the legend of Dracula, but I’m glad I stuck through it. Turned out to be a totally enthralling mystery/suspense/thriller, laced with romance and lots of lovely imagery of Eastern Europe. The descriptions of Budapest have placed Hungary near the top of my ‘places to see’ list, with a quick pop over to Istanbul to check out the Hagia Sophia and wander the street markets. This novel was rich with historical lessons, too, about the Ottoman Empire, the fall of Constantinople and the major figures of power that ruled in Eastern Europe in the 1400’s. I had no idea that Stoker’s Dracula was inspired by a real person, and was surprised to find that the horrific crimes committed by Vlad Tepes, as listed in this book, seem to be true. Dark, interesting stuff. My book club rates our reads on a 5-star scale, and I’m giving this one a solid 4. Well worth all 675 pages.
la v says:
i give it a 4 too. loved all the history and the vivid descriptions, but rolled my eyes at all the “coincidences” written into the book. nobody’s research goes that smoothly…
September 28, 2009, 9:18 pm