Reviewed by Francine:
Set in 15th century Wallachia (Romania) we are presented
with the life of Vlad The Impaler son of Vlad Dracul. Thus Vlad Dracula’s life drifts
from present to past with independent chapters. That in itself allows for no confusion
between father and son, and Vlad’s earlier life.
Initially first-person narrative of the woman who becomes his
wife, the Lady Ilona, portrays the man she falls in love with. Throughout her chapters
we are in her and Vlad’s life together from her perspective. But Vlad’s early
life and harrowing experience in the Ottoman Court, where he and his brother Radu
were held captive, is depicted in third-person narrative, as are all earlier
episodes and events in the build up to an equally page-turning denouement. It’s
a fascinating fictional biography, dare I say a page-turning read with no holds
barred on the gruesome elements alongside the salacious aspects of human nature
and a warrior hell-bent on revenge. Vlad has every reason to enact revenge,
aside from which he’s a reader, a thinker, a man who believes there is more to
life than that of which we can see: much as philosophers have pondered life, the
universe, and unearthly experiences through the ages.
Whilst superstition and soothsayers were commonplace in Vlad’s
lifetime, is there an element of truth in the myth of Dracula, and if so, what
is it? For readers who love to explore thoughts of a supernatural existence and
other dimensions–call them what you will–this is a well-written account of Vlad’s life with fictional input
which renders his story that of an excellent read. All told this is the strong story of man
tainted with a reputation for cruel measures against his enemies, but where may
he have learned the skills that led to his reputation? It is said Vlad Dracula
was the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula” (1897). Perhaps it was,
and yet, John William Polidori’s published “Vampyre” (1816)–reputedly acclaimed as the original
work of Lord Byron–preceded Stoker’s novel. So what is the connection between
Vlad of his time and Vlad of the Dracula myth?
