100 Pages A Day...Stephanie's Book Reviews

The year 1442, the land of Wallachia is situated in an advantageous place for the upcoming capture of Constantinople by the Ottamans.  Wallachia is ruled by Dracul and might seem like an impenetrable stronghold.  Dracul believes himself and his middle son, Vlad to be cursed by the malady of the stirigoi causing them to have periods of sickness and then increased strength along with restless nights.  Upon visiting the court of Murad II, the Ottaman Sultan, Dracul is forced to leave his Vlad and his youngest son, Radu as hostages under the watchful and vehement, vengeful eye of Murad's son, Mehmet.  While under Mehmet's roof, Vlad becomes stronger in janissary training, but his affliction becomes more apparent; to some this makes Vlad appear weaker, however to others this makes him more powerful and to be feared.  While Mehmet dreams of conquering Constantiople to Vienna, his dreams are seen differently by his father's soothsayer and one man stands in Mehmet's way. 

Everyone knows the story surrounding Vlad Dracula, however the real history of how he came to be so revered and feared at the same time is just as interesting.  I had no idea of Wallachia or his childhood going into the story, so this part of the history was very interesting to me as Vlad really was kept as a vassal of the Ottoman empire.  The characters of Dracul, Vlad and Radu can be seen as very real characters going through very difficult circumstances.  Of course, Vlad was brought to life the most for me as well as his adversary, Mehmet. Through these two men, the internal and external struggles of good vs. evil are highlighted throughout the story.  The myth of the strigoi combined with the tale of Zalmoxis was very intriguing to me and I loved how it intertwined through the story from a fear that the farmers of Wallachia seem to have, to a possible medical condition carried through the Dracul line, or a curse placed upon the family; the reality of the condition is kept in the dark, but places the possibility of the supernatural just enough to keep you wondering.  Overall, a wonderful story combining historical fiction of the conquest of Istabul and the rise of Count Dracula.