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Impaler
Impaler by Kate Paulk revisits the tale of Vlad Dracul, also known as Vlad Tepes and Vlad the Impaler. This is the tale of historical fact mixed with fiction and a touch of fantasy. But this is most definitely not the tired tale of vampires skulking in the night, lying in wait for innocent victims. Impaler tells the tale of a man devoted to family and country, cursed and looking for redemption. December, 1476. The only man feared by the all-conquering Ottoman Sultan battles to reclaim his throne. If he falls all of Europe lies open to the Ottoman armies. If he succeeds... His army is outnumbered and outclassed, his country is tiny, and he is haunted by a terrible curse. But Vlad Draculea will risk everything on one almost impossible chance to free his people from the hated Ottoman Empire.
448 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2011
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About the author
Kate Paulk
17 books8 followersKate Paulk is a transplanted Australian with an infant writing career, a hyperactive imagination, and a fondness for weird stuff. She has published enough short stories to be losing count, a novella and Knights in Tarnished Armor, which doesn’t exactly fit any kind of category. Kate’s first novel, Impaler, is an alternate history about Vlad the Impaler (he wins). Kate spends her time juggling the demands of software quality assurance (the day job), her husband, two very demanding cats, and the stories demanding attention. The stories usually win.
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November 16, 2020Impaler is the first novel I've tried by Kate Paulk. Every so often, I'd get the feeling that I was missing something, whenever the protagonist, Lord Draculea, mentioned something that had happened earlier in his life. At first, the events seemed so adequately described that they could just be bits of background, but eventually it became apparent that there's a first novel in this chronicle. Goodreads, fortunately, enlighted me to its name - Born in Blood. Now I have to go hunting, I guess. Like Van Helsing
As I've perhaps mentioned before, the first instance I recall of a writer telling the Dracula tale from the good Count's point of view was Saberhagen's The Dracula Tape, which I've reviewed before. At this late date, seeing the vampire as a sympathetic character is pretty common, so it's no surprise when Impaler follows the tale of Wallachia's infamous ruler in first person. Having survived torture and abuse by the son of a Turkish Sultan when placed in that household as a hostage to his father's good behavior, Draculea nurses a deep hatred for the Turks who have overrun much of Eurasia. He also was cursed while in durance vile with the need to consume fresh blood, which conversely gives him strength and speed far in excess of most mortal men. Rather poetically, the curse rebounds upon those who cast it, as Draculea takes the fight to them in their strongholds in Wallachia and beyond.
Aside from the Dracula schtick, this novel really isn't in the fantasy or even horror genre, but more of a historical (if you accept a supernatural Dracula's historicity) novel. Yes yes yes we all know Vlad the Impaler existed, it's his undead nature that creates the mythos.
Draculea seems also to be cursed in an incidental manner in that those whom he cares for die off for various reasons. At the start of this novel, his father and brothers are gone, and his first wife dead, and at about the midpoint, his second wife and his unborn child die by miscarriage and hemorrhage. However, some mystical signs occur at her funeral, and his subjects decide that Vlad is guided by angels, ensuring their deeper loyalties, so it's not a total loss. Vlad is also forced to make hard decisions about how to spend his forces and the lives of his people in pursuing his vendetta, which creates a serious conflict with his eldest surviving son, Mehnea, who is still a touch naive about the ways of power.
A good tale, though quite brutal, which is to be expected in a tale about "the Impaler", kept my interest, and I'll definitely have to pick up some more of Paulk's fiction.
As I've perhaps mentioned before, the first instance I recall of a writer telling the Dracula tale from the good Count's point of view was Saberhagen's The Dracula Tape, which I've reviewed before. At this late date, seeing the vampire as a sympathetic character is pretty common, so it's no surprise when Impaler follows the tale of Wallachia's infamous ruler in first person. Having survived torture and abuse by the son of a Turkish Sultan when placed in that household as a hostage to his father's good behavior, Draculea nurses a deep hatred for the Turks who have overrun much of Eurasia. He also was cursed while in durance vile with the need to consume fresh blood, which conversely gives him strength and speed far in excess of most mortal men. Rather poetically, the curse rebounds upon those who cast it, as Draculea takes the fight to them in their strongholds in Wallachia and beyond.
Aside from the Dracula schtick, this novel really isn't in the fantasy or even horror genre, but more of a historical (if you accept a supernatural Dracula's historicity) novel. Yes yes yes we all know Vlad the Impaler existed, it's his undead nature that creates the mythos.
Draculea seems also to be cursed in an incidental manner in that those whom he cares for die off for various reasons. At the start of this novel, his father and brothers are gone, and his first wife dead, and at about the midpoint, his second wife and his unborn child die by miscarriage and hemorrhage. However, some mystical signs occur at her funeral, and his subjects decide that Vlad is guided by angels, ensuring their deeper loyalties, so it's not a total loss. Vlad is also forced to make hard decisions about how to spend his forces and the lives of his people in pursuing his vendetta, which creates a serious conflict with his eldest surviving son, Mehnea, who is still a touch naive about the ways of power.
A good tale, though quite brutal, which is to be expected in a tale about "the Impaler", kept my interest, and I'll definitely have to pick up some more of Paulk's fiction.
July 31, 2017
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program. I wish I'd done my research just a LITTLE bit better though, because there is a prequel, 'Born in Blood' which I am going to add to my reading queue next.
VERY nicely done cover art, attributed to Laura Givens.
Like everyone else, I first knew the Impaler as a horrible creature who indiscriminately tortured and murdered both subjects and enemies. However, there was a tiny crack in the facade sometime during the 1980s. As the power of the Soviet Bloc started to slip during the Reagan presidency, Eastern European heroes emerged. Lech Walesa, Pope John Paul II, and...Vlad Tepes. Prominent or not, the alternative narrative of a patriot standing against a powerful oppressive foreign government emerged. Today, the Wikipedia article notes that much of the Dracula the Impaler stories came out of countries he had never touched, and at a much later date.
So: maybe this is the true story. Why not?
Things I particularly liked: Vlad castigates himself throughout for the things he has done, and steadfastly refuses to accept supernatural signs of God's favor on his mission, until it becomes impossible to do so. He also refuses to permit the targets of Turkish pedophilia from being rejected by their rescuers. And finally, the villains are atrociously villainous. I like a good story where the bad guys get stomped.
I look forward to reading the prequel!
VERY nicely done cover art, attributed to Laura Givens.
Like everyone else, I first knew the Impaler as a horrible creature who indiscriminately tortured and murdered both subjects and enemies. However, there was a tiny crack in the facade sometime during the 1980s. As the power of the Soviet Bloc started to slip during the Reagan presidency, Eastern European heroes emerged. Lech Walesa, Pope John Paul II, and...Vlad Tepes. Prominent or not, the alternative narrative of a patriot standing against a powerful oppressive foreign government emerged. Today, the Wikipedia article notes that much of the Dracula the Impaler stories came out of countries he had never touched, and at a much later date.
So: maybe this is the true story. Why not?
Things I particularly liked: Vlad castigates himself throughout for the things he has done, and steadfastly refuses to accept supernatural signs of God's favor on his mission, until it becomes impossible to do so. He also refuses to permit the targets of Turkish pedophilia from being rejected by their rescuers. And finally, the villains are atrociously villainous. I like a good story where the bad guys get stomped.
I look forward to reading the prequel!
September 1, 2013
Impaler is a well written alternate history, marred with some unfortunate anachronistic insertions of modern sensibilities. I would also add that it is not for the faint of heart; fight sequences are brutal and gory, torture is a regular occurrence, and pederasty forms a foundational portion of the story.
Paulk effectively captures the feeling of the time period for the most part, both its religiousness as well as its savagery. She makes Vlad an understandable character, while not shying away from the reality of of the violence of the times and what was necessary for the man who would be king.
The primary criticisms I have of this book is that while it for the most part aims to be a gritty, historically based tale, it has a few elements that break the willing suspension of disbelief. First, Vlad forbids the rape and pillaging that regular accompanies a conquering army. This is almost believable, and I would have given it a pass, had not other issues come into play. Towards the end of the book, some of the child victims of pederasty engage in homosexual behavior. Not only does Vlad give them a free pass, but he actively argues both an Orthodox priest and a Catholic priest into submission. This is so absurd it is beyond description. Further, he references in his arguments with the priests his well read nature in the Scriptures as well as having compared translation notes. It is unlikely that most priests were even so conversant in the Scriptures at that time, let alone the nobles (who were in turn taught by the priests). A well educated noble would have been able to read and perhaps do his own accounts, but not engage in Scriptural debates. Similarly, a little later, he also reveals he is conversant in Jewish treatises as well. Simply put, this is laughable for the time.
Those criticisms not withstanding, Impaler was an interesting read and cleverly written. I would not recommend it for the tender hearted due to the violent content, but fans of historical fiction and alternate histories will likely enjoy it.
Paulk effectively captures the feeling of the time period for the most part, both its religiousness as well as its savagery. She makes Vlad an understandable character, while not shying away from the reality of of the violence of the times and what was necessary for the man who would be king.
The primary criticisms I have of this book is that while it for the most part aims to be a gritty, historically based tale, it has a few elements that break the willing suspension of disbelief. First, Vlad forbids the rape and pillaging that regular accompanies a conquering army. This is almost believable, and I would have given it a pass, had not other issues come into play. Towards the end of the book, some of the child victims of pederasty engage in homosexual behavior. Not only does Vlad give them a free pass, but he actively argues both an Orthodox priest and a Catholic priest into submission. This is so absurd it is beyond description. Further, he references in his arguments with the priests his well read nature in the Scriptures as well as having compared translation notes. It is unlikely that most priests were even so conversant in the Scriptures at that time, let alone the nobles (who were in turn taught by the priests). A well educated noble would have been able to read and perhaps do his own accounts, but not engage in Scriptural debates. Similarly, a little later, he also reveals he is conversant in Jewish treatises as well. Simply put, this is laughable for the time.
Those criticisms not withstanding, Impaler was an interesting read and cleverly written. I would not recommend it for the tender hearted due to the violent content, but fans of historical fiction and alternate histories will likely enjoy it.
September 29, 2015
A 4 star book on my scale is one that I would want to read again. 3.5 stars is probably a more accurate assessment of my experience with this book.
Impaler by Kate Paulk takes the primary character from the Bram Stoker's Dracula and re-imagines him as a hero defending his land from the invading Turks. Kate Paulk has re-inserted what little is known about the real-life Vlad Tepes and his family into the story.
If you want your vampires to rise at sunset and to drink blood until a village mob drives a stake through his heart and removes his head, then read something else.
I found the cast of characters to be interesting. The sole plot perspective on Vlad was a bit tiring. While there were opportunities to examine other characters, those opportunities when unexploited. A little variety in perspective and this would have made this a solid 4 star book.
The book included a modest amount of military strategy as well as some commentary regarding politics of eastern Europe as the Turkish empire was expanding. Both were modestly interesting aspects that certainly added to the flavor of the book.
Impaler by Kate Paulk takes the primary character from the Bram Stoker's Dracula and re-imagines him as a hero defending his land from the invading Turks. Kate Paulk has re-inserted what little is known about the real-life Vlad Tepes and his family into the story.
If you want your vampires to rise at sunset and to drink blood until a village mob drives a stake through his heart and removes his head, then read something else.
I found the cast of characters to be interesting. The sole plot perspective on Vlad was a bit tiring. While there were opportunities to examine other characters, those opportunities when unexploited. A little variety in perspective and this would have made this a solid 4 star book.
The book included a modest amount of military strategy as well as some commentary regarding politics of eastern Europe as the Turkish empire was expanding. Both were modestly interesting aspects that certainly added to the flavor of the book.
April 13, 2012
This is an alternate history, it does included the idea that Vlad is really a vampire but that is not the main point of the story. The story focuses on the relationship on going war between the Ottoman Empire and the various Christian bulkan states. I like balance this brought to the book, that this book didn't feel the need to follow a preset "vampire book" pattern. The book had a strong plot, vivid and believable characters, and writing that makes you belive it's real.
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