Besieger

Altars #1

by Kalina Mitova

A Vampire Coven is thrown into chaos after its maker and master is found dead under mysterious circumstances. With the assassin hiding among them, the Vampire Council must choose a new Coven Master, and who better than the man who wants the throne the least. A deserter from the First Crusade, Silvio is saved by Dulior, a vampire determined to turn and bind him at the altar. In the midst of a cycle of arranged marriages to mortals, Dulior uses Silvio as her escape from her domineering maker, and a promise, finally, of a true love match. Although granted immortality, Silvio sees no value in eternity if he cannot share it with Emerick, the man he has sworn to protect. Husband to a woman he despises, bound to a man he wants to drown in pleasure, Silvio will have to become a pawn in the Coven’s schemes if it helps him break free from his wife and mistress.

"Besieger" is a Gothic romance with elements of historical fiction, perfect for fans of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber", S.T. Gibson "Dowry of Blood", and Kat Dunn "Hungerstone".

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Queer, Adult, Vampires, Horror, Gothic

550 pages, ebook

First published April 4, 2026

About the author

Kalina Mitova is the author of vampire gothic fantasy "Besieger". In her free time, Kalina likes to read classical literature and put her English degree to good use - yapping about books online. Otherwise you can find her putting vampires and lycanthropes through situations in her drafts. All of Kalina's writing is co-authored by her tabby cat Djura, who is always there to sit on the surface that needs him the least.

Reviews

[Kalina Mitova · Rating 5 out of 5]

It me, the author! "Besieger" is a gothic romance/historical fiction, and like any gothic and vampire novel, it has themes and depictions that might be unpleasant to some readers. The content warnings are included in the beginning of all versions of the book (and on my website), but I've added them here as well + some tropes and funnies.

**Content Warnings** Vampirism, Lycanthropy, Toxic marriage of convenience, Domestic abuse, Grooming, Blood and gore, Body horror, Graphic sex, Blood play, Cannibalism, Mind control, Kidnapping and torture, Suicide, Religious fanaticism, Murder of children and animals, The Crusades, Nazi Germany

🦇 vampires, demons, lycans
🕯️ gothic romance
🥀 corruption arc
🪞 slowly spiraling into madness
🩸 memories rewritten
⛓️ toxic marriage of convenience
🖤 all queer cast minus that one guy
🇫🇷 the French
⚰️ everyone is sleeping with the Marquis but his wife
☕ werewolf run cafe
🇧🇬 all roads lead to Bulgaria
🍞 nothing good ever happens in Berlin
✨ spicy

Envoy!

[калинка]

i'm so normal about these manipulative vampires 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This may thematically echo Dowry of Blood or Interview With the Vampire, but the prose is nowhere near that level. (And I say that as someone who isn’t an Anne Rice fan. I may not love her books, but her prose is better than this.) Heavy-handed, info-dumpy in the extreme, phrasing constantly just slightly awkward, slightly 'off', in the way that makes it impossible for my prose-picky self to actually sink into the story. Gave up trying very quickly.

(I continue to fall for any cover waarickart illustrates, so commissioning them is clearly a great investment.)

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampire fiction at its best! I love this story, and I love how deep this book delves into each of the characters. Silvio and Dulior were my favorites.