The Blood Countess

  

The Blood Countess:Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster- Shelley Puhak

Bloomsbury Publishing

Release Day: February 17, 2026

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: There have long been whispers, coming from the castle; from the village square; from the dark woods. The great lady-a countess, from one of Europe's oldest families-is a vicious killer. Some even say she bathes in the blood of her victims. When the king's men force their way into her manor house, she has blood on her hands, caught in the act of murdering yet another of her maids. She is walled up in a tower and never seen again, except in the uppermost barred window, where she broods over the countryside, cursing all those who dared speak up against her.

Told and retold in many languages, the legend of the Blood Countess has consumed cultural imaginations around the world. But despite claims that Elizabeth Bathory tortured and killed as many as 650 girls, some have wondered if the Countess was herself a victim- of one of the most successful disinformation campaigns known to history. So, was Elizabeth Bathory a monster, a victim, or a bit of both? With the breathlessness of a whodunit, drawing upon new archival evidence and questioning old assumptions, Shelley Puhak traces the Countess's downfall, bringing to life an assertive woman leader in a world sliding into anti-scientific, reactionary darkness-a world where nothing is ever as it seems. In this exhilarating narrative, Puhak renders a vivid portrait of history's most dangerous woman and her tumultuous time, revealing just how far we will go to destroy a woman in power.

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If you go into Shelley Puhak's The Blood Countess expecting to read confirmation of the same horror stories you've heard before, imaging Elizabeth Bathory as a serial killer of innocent young women and bathing in their blood, you'll be disappointed. If, however, you want to read it for a fascinating exploration of a woman in power and how she was brought down by politics, religion, and the patriarchy—this is the book for you.

I knew nothing about Hungarian politics or how the Lutheran/Calvinist religious division manifested itself there or affected everyday people before reading this book. Puhak does a good job of breaking things down into understandable accounts, sticking to what we need to know because it's going to be important to Elizabeth's story. Puhak talks about working with translators and what previous translations of documents got wrong, which first led to accounts of cannibalism (for example) when that's not what was happening. 

The Bathorys were a powerful family in Hungary and Transylvania at a time when this was dangerous. Elizabeth was a strong woman who held a lot of land (both on her own and for her young son), she supported women healers during a time they were being pushed out by men. She made enemies by standing up for herself and other women, for insisting on justice during a time of corruption. She believed in the courts and the law, even when she saw it being made a mockery of by the Holy Roman Emperor, her supposed ruler and protector. When her neighbors came for her, she thought the laws would protect her. 

Instead, she became perhaps the greatest reminder of how much men fear women's minds, their leadership, their knowledge, and their strength, and how far men will go to erase women's power.

The Blood Countess is well researched, well written, full of fascinating information, and a great read for anyone interested in learning how politics, jealousy, and greed can create such an enduring and false legacy. 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Scarlet

 

Scarlet (Scarlet Revolution 1)- Genevieve Cogman

Ace

Release Date: May 9, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: It is 1793 and the French Revolution is in full swing. Vampires—usually rich and aristocratic—have slaked the guillotine’s thirst in large numbers. The mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel, a disguised British noble, and his League are heroically rescuing dozens of aristocrats from execution, both human and vampire. And soon they will have an ace up their sleeve: Eleanor Dalton.

Eleanor is working as a housemaid on the estate of a vampire Baroness. Her highest aspiration is to one day become a modiste. But when the Baroness hosts a mysterious noble and his wife, they tell Eleanor she is the spitting image of a French aristocrat, and they convince her to journey to France to aid them in a daring scheme. Soon, Eleanor finds herself in Paris, swept up in magic and intrigue—and chaos—beyond her wildest dreams. But there’s more to fear than ardent Revolutionaries. For Eleanor stumbles across a centuries-old war between vampires and their fiercest enemy. And they’re out for blood. . . . 

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I'm a huge fan of Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series, so as soon as I heard she had another book coming out, I was signing up for it. Basic description: French Revolution, with vampires? I'm in! But remember, this is Genevieve Cogman, so be prepared for so much more!

Eleanor is a maid working on the estate of the Baroness Sophie, a vampire, safe in England where they read about the atrocities of the French Revolution but know it isn't something that would ever touch them. She dreams of becoming a lady's maid, and maybe one day a modiste, never imagining a wider world than that. But the Baroness knows Eleanor is the mirror image of Marie Antionette, and happens to know the English aristocrats working to save French aristocrats from the Terror, led by the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel. She loans Eleanor to them, they convince Eleanor to help them try and rescue the French Queen and her children. How hard could it be? 

The world building (as you would expect from Cogman) is excellent. Especially once we get to France, the reader really feels immersed in Eleanor's experiences. Not just the dust and dirt of the journey, but the fear in Paris itself was a palpable thing. The baying of a mob, the terror of seeing soldiers, just walking down a street to market became dangerous- not just an action but an emotional and physical feeling. I've read histories on the French Revolution and tried to imagine what the average person might have felt, Genevieve Cogman captures what I believe those daily emotions must have been. 

Watching Eleanor have her horizons expanded over the course of the book is an absolute joy. She grows in confidence, she realizes she's capable of thoughts and actions she couldn't have imagined before, and that she can question those above her. Eleanor's station means we get a unique, and frequently ironic, view of both the English aristocrats trying to help (specific) French and of the causes and goals of the Revolution itself. Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité might be a great rallying cry, but as a servant, Eleanor questions what aristocrats might accept. It's a brilliant call on Cogman's part.

Another good decision Cogman made is to give us tantalizing clues about the magic that used to live in the world, about the hidden history of vampires and their great enemies, and to have Eleanor experience enough to begin questioning what she has always known about vampires being "just like everyone else", but not to give us too much. It leaves us with lots of questions but we already know there are more books in this series coming. The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but certainly leaves us wanting to know more!

You don't need to have read the original Scarlet Pimpernel or seen the movies to enjoy this book (I haven't) but I'm curious about any crossover so I'm planning to read it while waiting for Book 2!  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and AceBooks in exchange for an honest review

Archangel's Prophecy

Archangel's Prophecy- Nalini Singh
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: October 30, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill. 

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.
 
This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.

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Elena Deveraux.  Vampire Hunter. Hunter born.  Bad-ass fighter. Archangel's Consort.  The first mortal to become angel-made.  Elena has grown into her role as all of these things over the course of the Guild Hunters series.  But now she is regressing into a mortal and no-one, angel or vampire, can figure out why.  With the world still shaken from the effects of the Cascade and the madness of Lijuan fresh in everyone's memory, everyone is jumping at the smallest strangeness.  Sudden lava pits, a strange set of murders, and ghost owls only Elena can see take things to a whole new level of Cascade-Weirdness.  Elena and Raphael must try to change destiny and protect their friends and their world or an ancient prophecy will come true- and Elena may not survive it.

Like most of the Guild Hunters series, (Archangel's Viper) Archangel's Prophecy does a good job of walking the fine line between personal problems and relationships and world-shattering change and clashes of archangels.  And Elena is, as always, the heart of the series.  Her view guides readers through the harsh world of immortals while at the same time reminding many immortals of their own capacity for kindness and wonder.  And she does her best to always remember (and remind others) that what is most important in the world, whether you are human or immortal, is love, friendship, and family.  So it is really no surprise that even when her own world seems to be crashing down around her, what she focuses on is a sudden threat to her sister and niece.  And it is a testament to Raphael's love and understanding that he doesn't try to wrap Elena up and hide her safely somewhere, but supports her hunt for a murderer even when she is at her weakest.  Elena and Raphael remind me a lot of Eve and Roarke in J.D. Robb's In Death series.  They may view the world very differently at times, and have come to the same place in very different ways, but despite the occasional fight, they are a perfect partnership.  Supportive, wildly in love when they thought it wasn't possible, they compliment and anchor each other perfectly. 

It's hard to talk too much about Prophecy without giving away too many spoilers.  But it is another example of Nalini Singh's wonderful writing genius: emotional, compelling, fast-paced, edge of your seat action, with just the right amount of humor and softer moments mixed throughout.  Readers new to the series would probably do best to read some of the earlier books first to get the most out of Prophecy and long-time series readers won't be able to put it down!  Just be aware that it ends with the biggest cliff-hanger Singh has ever given us and will leave you begging for the next book to find out what happens!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Dracul

Dracul- Dacre Stoker & JD Barker
G.P. Punam's Sons/ Penguin Group
Release Date: October 2, 2018

Rating:
📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead

Synopsis: It is 1868, and a twenty-one-year-old Bram Stoker waits in a desolate tower to face an indescribable evil. Armed only with crucifixes, holy water, and a rifle, he prays to survive a single night, the longest of his life. Desperate to record what he has witnessed, Bram scribbles down the events that led him here...

A sickly child, Bram spent his early days bedridden in his parents' Dublin home, tended to by his caretaker, a young woman named Ellen Crone. When a string of strange deaths occur in a nearby town, Bram and his sister Matilda detect a pattern of bizarre behavior by Ellen—a mystery that deepens chillingly until Ellen vanishes suddenly from their lives. Years later, Matilda returns from studying in Paris to tell Bram the news that she has seen Ellen—and that the nightmare they've thought long ended is only beginning.

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A young and sickly child, Bram Stoker is cared for by his sister Matilda and nurse, a young woman named Ellen Crone.  While Bram and Matilda love "Nanna Ellen" they are not blind to certain oddities about her- they never see her eat, she disappears for days at a time, and is the one who miraculously cures Bram when family doctors and modern medicine fail.  Once grown, Bram tries to forget the mysterious Ellen and the terrifying things he and Matilda saw, but when Matilda sees Ellen- looking exactly as she did twenty years ago- they know they won't be allowed to forget.  

The narrative of Dracul, like its' inspiration, Bram Stoker's Dracula, is told through multiple viewpoints. Through the journals of Bram and his brother Thornley, through Matilda's letters, we see events unfold.  These are interspersed with short "now' moments: Bram trapped in a tower, with something evil trapped on the other side of a door.  It takes until there are about 100 pages left in the book before the "past" catches up to "now" and we find out why Bram is in the tower and what is going on. 

The first two-thirds of Dracul focused on trying to building up suspense. While is shorter bursts this works, I have to admit that more than 300 pages of it seriously lowered my feelings of suspense, instead making me feel like I was being dragged through the book.  Is it Ellen who's threatening the Stoker family, or the mysterious, tall, dark stranger? What exactly are they being threatened with?  Who's on the other side of the door in Bram's tower? While the writing is clever enough to keep us guessing, I would have found the build up of suspense more satisfying if these questions had been answered earlier.  Instead it felt like an interminable build up that I was getting more bored by than anything else.  I also found the "now" writing- a present tense "he is doing this and seeing that" style- to be one I particularly detest (though that may be solely my own problem and not one that bothers other readers).

The last 100 or so pages of Dracul do make up for the crawling pace of the rest of the book.  Once we are finally in the "now" time and all the pieces are put together for us by Ellen, things start racing.  Hoping to outrace the evil Dracul, the Stokers and their convenient ally who just happens to know all about vampires travel to Germany.  Now suspense pays off and I found myself interested to know what would happen next.  By the very last page you are left with the rather creepy and confused questions of how much was fiction and how much fact in this version of Bram Stoker's life- a clever ploy by the authors to leave you thinking about Dracul long after you've finished the book.

Advertised as a prequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula, Dracula himself plays little part in the book and no additional questions about him are answered.  This is not his origin story but more a fictionalized origin story of how Stoker came up with the idea fo the book.  With the idea that this fictional 'biography' is the true story behind Dracula, readers will see plenty of parallels between the original book and this one.  The characters themselves, despite telling the story in their own words, are flat and one-dimensional; the writing style usually a rather over done mimicking of the classic gothic style of the original.  A much more streamlined book with stronger character development would have made it much more enjoyable for me.  While the ending bit left me liking Dracul more than I expected to (considering the slowness of most of it), I didn't find it a book I could overwhelmingly recommend to any but perhaps highly obsessive Stoker fans.    

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Immortally Yours

Immortally Yours (Argeneau Series)- Lynsay Sands
Avon Books
Release Date: September 26, 2017

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: One hundred and twenty-five years is a long time to nurse a crush. That’s how long it’s been since Beth Argenis first met Cullen “Scotty” MacDonald and he instantly became the star of her most X-rated dreams. Back then, he was rescuing her from a Rogue Immortal. Now Beth’s a Rogue Hunter—a damn good one. She doesn’t need saving anymore, despite what Scotty thinks. What she does need is the fierce, wild desire that finally erupts between them.

Scotty has hesitated to claim Beth as his own. But one explosive kiss confirms what he’s long suspected: She’s his life mate. But Beth is tough, fearless, beautiful…and in immortal danger. Unless he wants to lose her forever, he’ll have to rethink everything he once believed about love and destiny as well as confront an enemy who’s terrifyingly close.

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With most of the North American Rogue Hunters down in Venezuela dealing with trouble there (Immortal Unchained), Beth Argenis is stuck working with Cullen "Scotty" MacDonald and a group of hunters from the UK who have volunteered to help out in Canada until things get back to normal.  Scotty may star in all Beth's most interesting fantasies but in real life she's pretty sure he can't stand her. So why is he suddenly acting so protective and kind?  Scotty has known for over 100 years that Beth was his life mate but he's waited until he decided she was over past traumas before making his move. The problem is that now that he's decided she's ready, someone else has decided they want Beth dead.  Can they survive a series of violent and creative attacks, figure out who's trying to kill Beth, and manage to work through their own issues to reach a happy ending?

I absolutely loved Beth Argenis. She's had more bad luck than any person should have, dealt with incredible trauma and abuse as a mortal, been turned against her will, spent over 100 years trying to deal with issues that would break other people, and still managed to come out a strong, independent, compassionate, and kick-ass person.  After being attacked by a Rogue she not only learned how to defend herself, she trained to be a Rogue Hunter and protect others.  It took a long time, but she managed to put aside her anger at life and begin to enjoy life and to lover herself for who she is.  Although she has had a crush on Scotty for pretty much her entire immortal life, on discovering that they are possible life mates she isn't willing to drop everything and become who Scotty thinks she should be (or thinks he thinks she should be).  Walking away from him might break her heart but she would rather do that than not be true to herself.  In fact Beth has probably one of the greatest self-affirming speeches ever written where she tells Scotty all that and more.  You are heartbroken by all the suffering she reveals in her life and cheering for her as the person she is today all at the same time.

Scotty is kind of a jerk and takes much longer than he should to arrive at these same conclusions (although in the end at least he admits he's been an arrogant idiot).  He may have spent the past century trying to protect Beth and waiting for her to be ready for a life mate, but he hasn't spent that time getting to know himself or learning from other mated couples the meaning of words like "compromise" and "teamwork".  His actions and ideas may come from the desire to keep Beth safe and happy, but they fall short of the mark.  He actually wants her to have her mind wiped blank to she won't have bad memories! Scotty is slow and Beth has to beat him over the head with the truth a few times (and shoot him a few times) but he does eventually get there.

Immortally Yours gives us plenty of time to think about how we are shaped by out life experiences- both the good and the bad.  It also makes us question how each of us would live as an immortal.  Would we hold on to the terrible things that happen and let them make us bitter or drive us insane?  Would we learn to live in the moment and be proud of who we are and how we've worked to get there?  Scotty and Beth both have traumatic pasts and each had a seriously terrible parent but while Beth has worked hard to overcome her 'daddy issues', Scotty (who's more than 800 years older) hasn't ever admitted that he might have some skewed ideas because of his mother. I wanted to hit Scotty more than once about assumptions he makes when he should have the life experience to know better. Fortunately, so did some of the other characters- and they were more than willing to do it!

Although a part of Sands' Argeneau/Rogue Hunters series, you don't have to have read all the other books to enjoy Immortally Yours.  It's removed enough from other characters or series threads that it would be a good introduction for readers new to Lynsay Sands and her Immortal world, while being connected enough that long-time readers will enjoy glimpses of a few familiar faces.  Fast-paced, with lots of depth to the main characters, and written with Lynsay Sands' trademark humor, Immortally Yours is a fun and fulfilling new addition to the Argeneau canon.  

ArchAngel's Viper

Archangel's Viper (Guild Hunter Series)- Nalini Singh
Berkely
Release Date: September 26, 2017

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Rating(out of 5):
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Once a broken girl known as Sorrow, Holly Chang now prowls the shadowy gray underground of the city for the angels. But it's not her winged allies who make her a wanted woman--it's the unknown power coursing through her veins. Brutalized by an insane archangel, she was left with the bloodlust of a vampire, the ability to mesmerize her prey, and a poisonous bite.
 
Now, someone has put a bounty on her head...
 
Venom is one of the Seven, Archangel Raphael's private guard, and he's as infuriating as he is seductive. A centuries-old vampire, his fangs dispense a poison deadlier than Holly's. But even if Venom can protect Holly from those hunting her, he might not be able to save himself--because the strange, violent power inside Holly is awakening...
 
No one is safe.

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Taking place at the same time as Archangel's Heart, Archangel's Viper follows the members of Raphael's Seven who stayed in New York to hold down the fort while Raphael and Elena are away.  Specifically, it follows everyone's favorite venomous vampire as Venom, rather accidentally, finds true love. Long time readers of the Guild Hunters series may remember Holly Chang, once known as Sorrow, as the girl Elena and Raphael rescued from the insane Archangel Uram in Angel's Blood.  Holly is beginning to accept her new life as a not-quite vampire but no-longer human.  She works with Janvier, Dimitri and others to keep New York safe. She has reconnected with her family, and the nightmares of her torture by Uram aren't quite 24/7 anymore.  But, like Vemon and Nassir (Archangel's Enigma) Holly is unique.  And in this world of immortals and angels, unique is not always a safe thing.

Because of her fast reflexes and poisonous bite, Holly is assigned to Venom for training.  Where others treat her gently, Venom treats her the same as any other new recruit.  He pushes her, annoys her, and makes her test her limits. When a botched kidnapping attempt alerts them to a bounty on Holly's head, Venom is the natural partner to help her figure out who's behind it.  But things become complicated and past becomes present as Uram's shadow continues to haunt Holly and it turns out that the past may not be quite as behind them as everyone thought.

As enjoyable as Elena is, the Guild Hunter books who follow the 'secondary' characters are just as good, if not better.  Each of Raphael's elite Seven is unique in some way and we've been able to get to know the men behind the warriors in these books. Venom may be one of the ones we know the least about, so it's no surprise how eagerly anticipated Archangel's Viper is by fans!  I think everyone will agree this story was worth their wait.  Holly has grown into a strong woman who may still be working on her confidence, but is learning in leaps and bounds and carving a place for herself in the Tower.  She and Venom have a nicely antagonistic relationship from the beginning that shows a great chemistry- even though neither believes it at first.  Venom thinks she's too young for him, Holly thinks he's a jerk.  But in the best Nalini Singh tradition, the more they work together, the more they discover about each other- and themselves.  Emotions like love sneak up on both of them, which really worked here.  Neither was looking for a relationship with anyone, especially each other, so it felt like a genuine journey of discovery on both sides.  I also liked how, even though Venom thought Holly was too young for him as a woman, he treated her as an equal partner in their investigation from the beginning.  She didn't have to prove herself to him, if anything he proved to her what she was capable of.

Much of the conflict in Viper comes from Holly's past trauma and what Uram did to her, but I don't think readers who haven't already read Angels' Blood will be lost.  There's enough background given and Holly does enough flashbacks, that new readers will catch up quickly.  Holly's story is one that she herself is still discovering, and the questions readers (new and old alike) have are questions Holly is looking for answers to: what did Uram do to her? What is she now? Why does she have the abilities she has, and what is the darkness inside of her?  The answers we get by the end are both a surprise and not a surprise. Holly has to learn what Nassir and Venom, and plenty other Nalini Singh characters, have learned: you are unique, an individual, and it is your choices that make you what you are, not what others try to label you.  

A great addition to a great series- Nalini Singh fans and paranormal romance fans will love Archangel's Viper!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Runaway Vampire- Lynsay Sands

Runaway Vampire- Lynsay Sands (Argeneau series #23)
AvonBooks
Release Date: February 23, 2016

Synopsis: Dante Notte has heard it said that love hurts. He just wasn’t expecting it to run him over in an RV. Still, a punctured lung and broken ribs are nothing compared to the full-body shock he feels whenever he’s near the vehicle’s driver, Mary Winslow. He needs to keep her safe from their pursuers while he rescues his brother. Most challenging of all, he needs to claim this smart, stubborn woman as his life mate.

The naked, injured, insanely gorgeous younger man who clambered into her RV insists they belong together. If Mary wasn’t feeling their incredible connection in every inch of her being, she wouldn’t believe it. But now that the men who took Dante’s twin are after her too, trusting her gut means risking her life for an immortal who’s the very definition of a perfect stranger.

The newest Argeneau novel is a fast paced and fun story, a little lighter than some of the recent Rogue Hunter books but with hints of a new and dark threat on the Immortal horizon.  In Runaway Vampire, Dante Notte gets his own book and meets his life mate when she accidentally runs him over in an RV.  Mary (and the reader) are thrown into a race against unknown enemies who apparently know enough about immortals to have caught Dante and his twin Tomasso unawares and kidnapped them.  Now they are trying to recapture the escaped Dante, as well as anyone helping him, and plan to ship them off to Venezuela for experiments.  Are they a group being controlled by a vicious rogue or one who accidentally learned about immortals and want to learn how vampires can be real?  It looks like we'll have to wait until at least September, when Tomasso's book, Immortal Nights, is released to find out.   

Mary is a great heroine, and takes the idea of vampires a lot better than she takes the idea of dating someone who looks about half her age.  Scenes between Dante, Mary, and friends of Mary's towards the beginning of the book reminder us of some of the downsides to being immortal, and Dante's explanation of why Mary can't turn her children or interact with them anymore are tough to hear, even though long-time series readers aren't learning anything they didn't already know.  

Those who've read other books in the series will be happy to have old friends drop for cameo appearances, and new readers will hopefully be intrigued enough to go out and read the rest of the series. There are some (as always) great scenes with Lucian Argeneau where you start off thinking he's just a complete jerk and by the end are reminded why you still like him so much.  Two new characters are introduced, the first gay life mate couple I can remember meeting.  Russell and Francis are a lot of fun, and I definitely hope we see more of them in future books!  Russell has an especially great line about cell phone ring tones and salmon colored shirts that sum up perfectly what love is all about.

You don't have to have read the rest of the series to enjoy Runaway Vampire, although as a long time Lynsay Sands fan and Argeneau devotee I have to ask: why haven't you read them yet? You are missing out on a great new approach to vampires and paranormal romance, and a fun and exciting world awaits you.  You have 22 more books in the series to read before September gets here and you'll enjoy every page!