Slave to Blood

by John Watson

In 1610, Elizabeth Bathory was confined to a castle in Hungary, where she remained for the final years of her life under the watchful gaze of guards.Elizabeth Bathory is regarded as the most prolific female serial killer of all time. The tales of torture and death that surround her are the stuff of legend, but are they true?The history books tell us very little about her years in exile, but what if Bathory herself could talk to us now? What would she say?

79 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2021

About the author

As well as robots, clowns, and living statues, John Watson has an extensive list of things that terrify him. He is of the belief that writing about these horrors will make him immune to their evils, but it is still a work in progress. Mr. Watson spends most of his time hiding out in the closet space beneath the stairs, where he is currently working on a series of scary short stories. He resides in Atlanta with his chef wife Penny and a pair of equally skittish fur babies.

Reviews

[McKenzie Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I thought I knew where this story was going, it would make a slight turn in a different direction. I'm always a fan of a book that can keep me guessing. Even the final sentence of the book revealed that perhaps the surviving characters would not find a happy ending after all.

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not wait to get my hands on this book! A bit of history that is sprinkled with darkness that Watson is known for. I love stories with a historical background. That mixed with Watson's descriptive writing makes this a fantastic page turner.

The characters were well developed. I enjoyed the mystery that surrounded Catriona throughout much of the book. Marina was rather intimidating and mysterious herself. James really stood out to me as well. His character really began to shine as the story progressed. All of them together created a compelling book.

The ending was unexpected but I loved it! If you enjoy history and some dark twists you need to read this!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enamored with this dark story and its historical leanings from the very first chapter! It held me rapt from chapter to chapter. It had such a mysterious feel. The ending was terrific and left me wanting more. This is officially my new favorite book from this author. It checked all the boxes for both the history and horror lover in me.

[Jeremy Crews · Rating 5 out of 5]

By now I’ve read quite a few of John’s work, and I have to say, this is him at his most imaginative. I also found the writing surprisingly different than other works I’ve read. It’s slower, more cerebral, darkly poetic, and damn creepy. I can sense the energy he put into this one, really wanting to do something perhaps a little different, and he achieved just that.