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Vlad Dracula: The Dragon Prince
Most of the vast audience attracted to the subject of Dracula know him only in his fictional, one-dimensional vampire! Yet the truth behind the historical character--voevode, warlord--of 15th C. Romania is at least as equally fascinating as any contrived account of his supernatural persona.
Vlad Dracula faithfully follows his life story as hostage, fugitive, prince, and prisoner. His principality of Wallachia was caught between two voracious the kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman empire. They tried to break Dracula with overwhelming force and terror. But Dracula turned their own tactics against them, and against criminals and factions in his own land, earning the name Tepes-The Impaler-in the process.
He was a strange mix of husband, father, soldier, statesman, and berserker. He annihilated 50,000 people--one-tenth of his own population. Cursed by his native Orthodox Christian Church, he indeed evolved into a legend. But even today he is Romania's Robin Hood.
Vlad Dracula faithfully follows his life story as hostage, fugitive, prince, and prisoner. His principality of Wallachia was caught between two voracious the kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman empire. They tried to break Dracula with overwhelming force and terror. But Dracula turned their own tactics against them, and against criminals and factions in his own land, earning the name Tepes-The Impaler-in the process.
He was a strange mix of husband, father, soldier, statesman, and berserker. He annihilated 50,000 people--one-tenth of his own population. Cursed by his native Orthodox Christian Church, he indeed evolved into a legend. But even today he is Romania's Robin Hood.
286 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
17 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 12, 2023
I had no idea what to expect—and this book is surprisingly good.
I’ve been a Dracula fan since I was little, so I was familiar with the myths as well as the basic facts. But I learned a ton in this book. There's so much political intrigue. The scenes with the sultan are surprising to say the least, especially when they involve Vlad’s brother!
The historical perspective is illuminating; it's interesting to note that Vlad was hardly the first impaler, and not even the most vicious one. It also sheds light on why he is still a hero in the land today.
The story does a great job of humanizing Vlad and capturing his emotions and motivations.
The ending is pretty damn cool.
I’ve been a Dracula fan since I was little, so I was familiar with the myths as well as the basic facts. But I learned a ton in this book. There's so much political intrigue. The scenes with the sultan are surprising to say the least, especially when they involve Vlad’s brother!
The historical perspective is illuminating; it's interesting to note that Vlad was hardly the first impaler, and not even the most vicious one. It also sheds light on why he is still a hero in the land today.
The story does a great job of humanizing Vlad and capturing his emotions and motivations.
The ending is pretty damn cool.
October 20, 2017
Actually,this book is 4 and half stars.I very much enjoyed this fascinating account of Vlad Dracula.Who was Vlad Dracula,really?Vampire,warlord,prince,soilder,husband,father,monster,legend in his own time?He was definitely some of these but not all.This book claims to follow Vlad's real story and I have to admit I was totally absorbed in reading this and some nights I didn't want to put it down.I absolutely loved the battle scenes and Vlad's tricky tactics and strategies and I would have been very interested to see maps of his battles but unfortunately the book didn't include any.Ocassionally, the writing could have been better and their were quite a few character's to keep up with but I found overall there were a number of things I had never heard of before.I also liked that the author included background info on his wife and brothers.This book definitely has encouraged me to read further into his story and I'm hoping to see more from this author.Perhaps,one about Vlad's early life?
March 9, 2015
Enjoyed this book very much. Reads in a very plausible way, as good historic fiction should. Put's Dracula's struggle to rein and control his lands in perspective with his blood thirsty violence. He was a product of his times, but particularly harsh and unforgiving perhaps because being a prince in those times was a very dangerous job, not to mention the constant Ottoman threat. A brilliant war tactician, and Sultan Mehmed nemesis,he was an incredible warrior and leader who has certainly left his mark in history.
May 5, 2015
The Dragon Prince
Since the release of the movie "Dracula :Untold" the real story about Vladimir the Impaler has been slowly getting out. Yet this story like others does have him turning into a vampire at the end. Taking place circa 1450-the 1470's when Dracula's three reign s occurred in Wallachia, not Transylvania , as teh legend would have you believe. The story stick pretty close to the truth of what was going down historically.
The Ottoman Empire, Hungary and the smaller states are set in war against each other with the little states choosing sides in greater battle while trying to maintain their independence as best they can. With in this greater conflict are several micro conflicts . The Orthodox church is vying for it's interest in Wallachia as are the aristocratic boyars, the kings and the Church. Dracula's rule is constantly being undermined and that is something that he will have to deal with. Not only is there a clash of religions but there is also a clash within religion. Islam vs Christianity, Orthodox Church versus the Roman Catholic Church. Different European powers competing against each other with some signing separate treaties with the Turks.
Dracula was the second sone of Dracul. Growing up as a hostage in the Sultan Murad's court, Dracula finally returns to take his rightful crown. In a bloody seige against Tirgavoste, Dracula retakes his throne with the help of Turkish military. Upon conquest the Turks rape pillage and plunder the cityu much against Dracula's will but he cannot do anything about it. His hold over the kingdom does not last long. Joining up with relatives in Moldavia he fights on their side building up alliances and skill. He takes his kingdom back a second time.His second time is the most famous reign. It is when he cleans up the kingdom from vagabonds, greedy boyars and other internal enemies of state. THe second reign was when he stood up to the Turks and took the battle to them. Dracula ultimately failed and his brother took teh throne to run it for the turks. The third eeign was short live. Undone by treachery of allies more so then Turkish military might. Dracula is captured in the end and destine for his ultimate demise.
Since the release of the movie "Dracula :Untold" the real story about Vladimir the Impaler has been slowly getting out. Yet this story like others does have him turning into a vampire at the end. Taking place circa 1450-the 1470's when Dracula's three reign s occurred in Wallachia, not Transylvania , as teh legend would have you believe. The story stick pretty close to the truth of what was going down historically.
The Ottoman Empire, Hungary and the smaller states are set in war against each other with the little states choosing sides in greater battle while trying to maintain their independence as best they can. With in this greater conflict are several micro conflicts . The Orthodox church is vying for it's interest in Wallachia as are the aristocratic boyars, the kings and the Church. Dracula's rule is constantly being undermined and that is something that he will have to deal with. Not only is there a clash of religions but there is also a clash within religion. Islam vs Christianity, Orthodox Church versus the Roman Catholic Church. Different European powers competing against each other with some signing separate treaties with the Turks.
Dracula was the second sone of Dracul. Growing up as a hostage in the Sultan Murad's court, Dracula finally returns to take his rightful crown. In a bloody seige against Tirgavoste, Dracula retakes his throne with the help of Turkish military. Upon conquest the Turks rape pillage and plunder the cityu much against Dracula's will but he cannot do anything about it. His hold over the kingdom does not last long. Joining up with relatives in Moldavia he fights on their side building up alliances and skill. He takes his kingdom back a second time.His second time is the most famous reign. It is when he cleans up the kingdom from vagabonds, greedy boyars and other internal enemies of state. THe second reign was when he stood up to the Turks and took the battle to them. Dracula ultimately failed and his brother took teh throne to run it for the turks. The third eeign was short live. Undone by treachery of allies more so then Turkish military might. Dracula is captured in the end and destine for his ultimate demise.
May 24, 2016
All'inizio l'ho trovato noiosissimo. Non lo reggevo proprio, ma mi sono fatta coraggio e ho proseguito la lettura. Alcune parti sono rimaste comunque noiose, troppi discorsi militari e politici, decisamente non nelle mie corde. Ma quando ha trovato moglie e in generale verso 3/4 del libro si è un po' ripreso.
E' stato interessante capire un po' di più di questa figura storica al di là della leggenda del vampiro.
Alcune cose però, e non le parti macabre, mi hanno fatto storcere il naso.
E la fine, quando viene sepolto al monastero e ricompare come nebbia, quindi come il Dracula che conosciamo vampiro, rimane senza senso. Capisco che abbia voluto ricollegarsi alla leggenda, ma così, senza spiegazioni del perchè e di come sia diventato vampiro, rimane una cosa buttata lì.
Ho trovato adorabile la sua seconda moglie però!
E ho cercato di non pensare continuamente a Luke Evans e a Dracula Untold durante la lettura, ma non è stato facile.
E' stato interessante capire un po' di più di questa figura storica al di là della leggenda del vampiro.
Alcune cose però, e non le parti macabre, mi hanno fatto storcere il naso.
E la fine, quando viene sepolto al monastero e ricompare come nebbia, quindi come il Dracula che conosciamo vampiro, rimane senza senso. Capisco che abbia voluto ricollegarsi alla leggenda, ma così, senza spiegazioni del perchè e di come sia diventato vampiro, rimane una cosa buttata lì.
Ho trovato adorabile la sua seconda moglie però!
E ho cercato di non pensare continuamente a Luke Evans e a Dracula Untold durante la lettura, ma non è stato facile.
September 9, 2018
Meet the man behind the legend: Gripping and fast-paced, this historical novel takes the reader to 15th century Romania, telling the true story of Vlad Dracula - most famous as inspiration for one of literature's best-known vampires - from his first bid to reclaim Wallachia until his death. While it doesn't quite live up to the excellent Vlad: The Last Confession by C.C. Humphreys, this was nevertheless a great read that I finished in one go. Not a big fan of the ending, though.
October 30, 2009
This is one of the best books I have read about Vlad, and I have read quite a few!
While I felt that certain well known facts about things he did were thrown in just to say that he did them, I enjoyed the way this was written and the way he was portrayed.
Historical facts are there, some myths and folk tales also included, the only thing I felt it lacked was a more indepth reasoning for the things he did but of course that's down to the reader to analyse!
While I felt that certain well known facts about things he did were thrown in just to say that he did them, I enjoyed the way this was written and the way he was portrayed.
Historical facts are there, some myths and folk tales also included, the only thing I felt it lacked was a more indepth reasoning for the things he did but of course that's down to the reader to analyse!
June 30, 2020
I purchased this book several years ago and it has been on my reading list for quite a while. I found the historical novel approach to be quite interesting. Of course, the dialog between the characters is completely conjecture, but it really made for a good story. Actually, it reminded me of real-life Game of Thrones with the intrigue, treachery, alliances and brutal leadership. To think that Vlad Tepes was real and having his story told in the manner was truly a delight.
December 31, 2014
I generally only read historical non-fiction and practical psychology books, but this one was worth the break from my typical read. The dialogue (the fiction aspect of it) was not fantastic, but it wasn't bad either. The book is steeped in historical fact and does an impressive job exposing the facts and cotext of the time period and the infamous events that surround the legend of Vlad Tepes.
February 8, 2011
Romanzo storico che ammicca alla leggenda - Un buon mix di storia e leggenda. Una narrazione veloce, che rende bene le battaglie ed i giochi di potere senza annoiare. Una discreta ricerca storica con il giusto grado di invenzione romanzata, senza cadere nella stereotipazione dei personaggi. Ci voleva proprio un Dracula "serio" dopo l'invasione delle nuove leve vampiriche adolescenziali.
November 7, 2023
Terribly written. I gave up before it even got to the deepest plot due to blatant writing flaws - the biggest of which was using modern comparisons to illustrate historical elements, without even attempting to disguise it. I could have overlooked my other complaints, but that was the final straw.
January 7, 2011
Historical fiction done very well. And this book offers great insight and background to today's Dracula stories.
August 12, 2023
Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...
I liked this book. I liked it mostly for its "flaws" actually. I didn't found the characters that much fleshed out and some scenes were perveived on a rather modern sight and weren't that much convining. I don't think this book is as much analytic, detailed or deep as you would expect from a historical novel. But while I didn't get crazy about the book, this is why I still liked it a lot. There are no pages after pages describing to death each character's history and background, there are no pages after pages with over the top love stories or over the top melodrama.
Furthrmore, in a place and era where many things happened at the same time, diplomatic and real wars and other stuff that might happen in a specific area but might impact another area, the author had to decide what to keep and what to drop from his book and what to mention shortly or include in detail. For a quite short book, the author made a good job, avoiding leaving huge gaps in the narration. I think this novel is a decent choice if you are in a mood to avoid the usual looong huge historical novel books/bricks that try to include the smaller details, and you prefer something more compact and shorter.
That said, I didn't like at all the end of the book. The scene featuring the death of Vlad Dracula was a let down while I didn't like at all the final chapter of the book. It was contrary to the spirit of all the previous book, there was absolutely no need for a sudden turn towards the paranormal element!
Anyway, I generally enjoyed reading this book. Not extraordinary, but very decent!
Μου άρεσε αυτό το βιβλίο, ίσως πιο πολύ για τα "μειονεκτήματά" του. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι οι χαρακτήρες ήταν ιδιαίτερα τρισδιάστατοι ή ότι δεν είχε κάποιες φανταστικές σκηνές δοσμένες από μία αρκετά σύγχρονη ματιά που δύσκολα γίνονταν πιστευτές. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ήταν ιδιαίτερα αναλυτικό βιβλίο και τόσο εμβριθές όσο θα περίμενε κανείς από ένα ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα. Ωστόσο για αυτό μου άρεσε αρκετά χωρίς να με ξετρελάνει. Δεν είχε σελίδες επί σελίδων με την ιστορία και το υπόβαθρο κάθε ήρωα ξεχωριστά και δεν είχε σελίδες επί σελίδων με ερωτικά δράματα και τρελούς μελοδραματισμούς.
Επίσης σε μία περιοχή και περίοδο ιστορική όπου συνέβαιναν ταυτόχρονα ένα σωρό γεγονότα, διπλωματικοί και πραγματικοί πόλεμοι, γεγονότα σε μία συγκεκριμένη γεωγραφική περιοχή που είχαν αντίκτυπο σε μία άλλη, ο συγγραφέας αναγκαστικά έπρεπε να διαλέξει τι να συμπεριλάβει στο βιβλίο, τι να αφήσει και τι να διηγηθεί πιο συνοπτικά. Για ένα βιβλίο σχετικά μικρό, έκανε καλή δουλειά χωρίς να αφήσει τρελά κενά. Είναι μία καλή επιλογή αν δεν είστε σε διάθεση για ατελείωτα ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα-τούβλα που περιγράφουν τα πάντα με την παραμικρή λεπτομέρεια αλλά θέλετε κάτι πιο σύντομο και συμπυκνωμένο.
Αυτό που δεν μου άρεσε καθόλου είναι το τέλος. Και η σκηνή του θανάτου του Δράκουλα πέρασε και δεν ακούμπησε και ιδιαίτερα το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο ήταν αταίριαστο με το πνεύμα του υπόλοιπου βιβλίου και πολύ άγαρμπα γραμμένο. Δεν χρειαζόταν να το γυρίσει ξαφνικά στο υπερφυσικό...
Πάντως σε γενικές γραμμές το ευχαριστήθηκα.
I liked this book. I liked it mostly for its "flaws" actually. I didn't found the characters that much fleshed out and some scenes were perveived on a rather modern sight and weren't that much convining. I don't think this book is as much analytic, detailed or deep as you would expect from a historical novel. But while I didn't get crazy about the book, this is why I still liked it a lot. There are no pages after pages describing to death each character's history and background, there are no pages after pages with over the top love stories or over the top melodrama.
Furthrmore, in a place and era where many things happened at the same time, diplomatic and real wars and other stuff that might happen in a specific area but might impact another area, the author had to decide what to keep and what to drop from his book and what to mention shortly or include in detail. For a quite short book, the author made a good job, avoiding leaving huge gaps in the narration. I think this novel is a decent choice if you are in a mood to avoid the usual looong huge historical novel books/bricks that try to include the smaller details, and you prefer something more compact and shorter.
That said, I didn't like at all the end of the book. The scene featuring the death of Vlad Dracula was a let down while I didn't like at all the final chapter of the book. It was contrary to the spirit of all the previous book, there was absolutely no need for a sudden turn towards the paranormal element!
Anyway, I generally enjoyed reading this book. Not extraordinary, but very decent!
Μου άρεσε αυτό το βιβλίο, ίσως πιο πολύ για τα "μειονεκτήματά" του. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι οι χαρακτήρες ήταν ιδιαίτερα τρισδιάστατοι ή ότι δεν είχε κάποιες φανταστικές σκηνές δοσμένες από μία αρκετά σύγχρονη ματιά που δύσκολα γίνονταν πιστευτές. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ήταν ιδιαίτερα αναλυτικό βιβλίο και τόσο εμβριθές όσο θα περίμενε κανείς από ένα ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα. Ωστόσο για αυτό μου άρεσε αρκετά χωρίς να με ξετρελάνει. Δεν είχε σελίδες επί σελίδων με την ιστορία και το υπόβαθρο κάθε ήρωα ξεχωριστά και δεν είχε σελίδες επί σελίδων με ερωτικά δράματα και τρελούς μελοδραματισμούς.
Επίσης σε μία περιοχή και περίοδο ιστορική όπου συνέβαιναν ταυτόχρονα ένα σωρό γεγονότα, διπλωματικοί και πραγματικοί πόλεμοι, γεγονότα σε μία συγκεκριμένη γεωγραφική περιοχή που είχαν αντίκτυπο σε μία άλλη, ο συγγραφέας αναγκαστικά έπρεπε να διαλέξει τι να συμπεριλάβει στο βιβλίο, τι να αφήσει και τι να διηγηθεί πιο συνοπτικά. Για ένα βιβλίο σχετικά μικρό, έκανε καλή δουλειά χωρίς να αφήσει τρελά κενά. Είναι μία καλή επιλογή αν δεν είστε σε διάθεση για ατελείωτα ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα-τούβλα που περιγράφουν τα πάντα με την παραμικρή λεπτομέρεια αλλά θέλετε κάτι πιο σύντομο και συμπυκνωμένο.
Αυτό που δεν μου άρεσε καθόλου είναι το τέλος. Και η σκηνή του θανάτου του Δράκουλα πέρασε και δεν ακούμπησε και ιδιαίτερα το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο ήταν αταίριαστο με το πνεύμα του υπόλοιπου βιβλίου και πολύ άγαρμπα γραμμένο. Δεν χρειαζόταν να το γυρίσει ξαφνικά στο υπερφυσικό...
Πάντως σε γενικές γραμμές το ευχαριστήθηκα.
October 10, 2019
Fascinating novel on the legendary monster, who killed 10% of his own people... amazing, intriguing and gripping story of a man whom you may find horrifying, but maybe also captivating with his singleminded passion and vision?... well grounded in historical facts, would be a 5 star reading in my point of view if not for sometimes irritatingly pompously funny language and scenes... most of the time the action flows in a way which keeps you hooked and unaware of the time, however these scenes at times turned me off the book for even a few days at a time. Curiosity always won, I had to finish this book and I don’t regret the time spent on it!
April 17, 2019
Fun story. Makes me want to read actual biographies of Vlad though. Hard to see how much of the noble man of the people Vlad really was in this biographical novel. Without any real biographies, it remains a fun but fantastical and imaginative story. Perhaps that's the point. Another legend in the myth of Dracula. 3.5 stars overall.
December 5, 2023
Eai bem que o mano era todo queimado dos cornos
August 15, 2012
Avendo letto il libro in italiano, trovo corretto che la review sia scritta anche essa in italiano.
Devo ammettere che ho trovato il libro abbastanza lento all'inizio, e sembrava diventare come un libro qualsiasi di guerra. Il personaggio Dracula non aveva niente di particolare, finchè non sono andata avanti con la storia. Finalmente ad un certo punto si vede il carattere del personaggio esprimere la sua naturale propensione per la stranezza, in senso positivo perchè Vlad alla fine si rivelerà essere un personaggio anche con un'anima e un cuore. E pure se alla fine non molto si comprende veramente di chi fosse stato in realtà Dracula - non molto poi come spiega l'autore si puo acquisire non essendoci prove rilevanti, nè storicamente attendibili - si capiscono certamente molte cose su chi poteva essere stato. Il finale è sublime e devo ammettere che - come ho letto in un'altra review di questo libro - sicuramente, dopo tante "storie" da teenagers sui vampiri, questo romanzo potrebbe chiarire a tante fan di Edward Cullen cosa vuol dire essere dei veri vampiri, per quanto unico e particolare sia Vlad Dracula era sicurmente qualcosa di nuovo e fresco.
Riguardo la scrittura - non avendolo letto in lingua originale non posso dire molto - ma posso dire che è stato tradotto molto bene, e che è semplice nella sua consistenza. Non ci sono dei "vuoti" di informazioni, l'autore è riuscito a creare un ottimo romanzo storico. Io non amo molto i romanzi storici perchè vengono riempiti con informazioni - sicuramente non tutti - e si perde il filo della storia. Con Vlad Dracula invece questo non accade.
Non sarà un romanzo che spicca per qualche motivo, ma nella sua semplicità forma una storia lineare, particolare a suo modo e unisce la finzione con la realtà nella maniera piu naturale possibile. Un ottimo romanzo sicuramente.
June 10, 2013
Libro di esordio dell'americano Michael Augustyn, "Vlad Dracula" è un avvincente romanzo storico che ripercorre le gesta del leggendario principe della Transilvania, diventato celebre in tutto il mondo grazie all'opera di Bram Stoker.
Prima fuggitivo dalla propria terra, poi principe in Valacchia e infine prigioniero in Ungheria, attraverso il dettagliato resoconto storico di Augustyn, abbiamo la possibilità di conoscere i molteplici aspetti di un personaggio controverso: da una parte il Dracula sanguinario e spietato e dall'altra il valoroso condottiero che lottò fino alla morte per difendere la propria patria dall'arroganza turca.
Il libro si conclude con la "leggenda" di Dracula, dove l'autore offre la sua personale teoria sulla nascita del vampiro più famoso della letteratura.
Da leggere!
Prima fuggitivo dalla propria terra, poi principe in Valacchia e infine prigioniero in Ungheria, attraverso il dettagliato resoconto storico di Augustyn, abbiamo la possibilità di conoscere i molteplici aspetti di un personaggio controverso: da una parte il Dracula sanguinario e spietato e dall'altra il valoroso condottiero che lottò fino alla morte per difendere la propria patria dall'arroganza turca.
Il libro si conclude con la "leggenda" di Dracula, dove l'autore offre la sua personale teoria sulla nascita del vampiro più famoso della letteratura.
Da leggere!
April 21, 2016
I have to admit that this book was not what I thought it would be. I thought it would be a historical fiction based on the life of Vlad Dracul, without the aspect of vampirism. The book did include vampirism, though. That being said, I think the book was really written well, though be warned, it can be pretty graphic as far as tortures are concerned. I thought that the details were really interesting, and the book ended well. The majority of the book focuses on the part of Vlad's life before he becomes a vampire, and that is the part that I was most interested in. I listened to the Audible version, and I would actually be interested in reading the Kindle version because there are a lot of culture-related words that I'm not used hearing, and I tend to absorb the unfamiliar better with the written word. Overall, an interesting book.
July 29, 2024
This is an impressive piece of historical fiction - well researched and well told. While Vlad Dracula is certainly a famous, or infamous, historical figure, not a lot has been written about his world. Augustyn does a very good job of introducing the average history buff, such as myself, to the region and time. He describes how Vlad fought to defend his principality of Wallachia (now part of Romania) against the Ottoman Turks and the Bulgars in the 15th century. By placing Dracula in historical context, he demonstrates that his subject's bad reputation is at least partially unfair. One can understand how Dracula is still considered a national hero in Romania. The bottom line of what makes this book work is that it tells an interesting story. It reads like a fictional thriller. I do not understand why the book has not received more main stream attention.
May 23, 2016
This is some really good historical fiction based on one of my favorite historical characters. The story woven by Augustyn is excellent and the end is great! The small nod to the popular legend of Vlad's vampirism is twisted just right. So why didn't I give it 4 or 5 stars? Vlad lost at least 1 star because this is the audio edition and the narration counts a lot toward ratings. Guardabascio did on ok job but his style, for me at least, didn't compliment the author's work. You will enjoy this book if (like me) you like well researched historical fiction and are intrigued by Vlad Dracula: The Dragon Prince.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
September 10, 2010
I could not stomach this badly written book. I bought it off of Amazon, not knowing that it is a self-published work. While I am a big supporter of "Vlad as Western defender," I purchased this book with high hopes, reading the general synopsis of the work as a non-fictional portrayal of that side. Do not waste your time and read this book. This is like watching Coppola's version of "Dracula." Certainly not terror and foreboding but cringing involuntarily as one pictures Keanu Reeves saying in his back-of-throat voice:
"I'm going to be kicking back on my boat..."
Yuck.
"I'm going to be kicking back on my boat..."
Yuck.
August 3, 2011
This was a very well written book. Augustyn made me see Vlad Dracula in a whole new way. Dare I say it - I even liked Vlad. Sure, he was bloody. But take a look around. Everyone around him, Christian and Muslim, had blood on their hands. My only complaint is about the ending. In the last portion of the book the author goes in a direction he really, really didn't need to go. The story was enjoyable the way it was about a real man. Leave the vampire mythos out of it.
September 4, 2011
I loved this book! Very well written historical novel based on the life of Vlad Dracula. The author actually made me empathize with Dracula, which is no easy feat. After reading it, I was a little shaken, and glad I didn't live back then. Life was pretty brutal, and this book contains graphic details in impalement and other horrific tortures.
February 20, 2008
Great read! Historical account of Vlad Tempes (the Impaler) a.k.a. Count Dracula. Tells about the actual person and his reign as Count, and possibly how the legend of Count Dracula became.
March 21, 2008
giggle giggle roar i says...
November 13, 2012
It was very interesting to read about the the real Dracula in narrative form. The author actually turns The Impaler into a sympathetic character.
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