I’ve tried for the better part of a year to write a review for this book and every single attempt results in nothing. I think mainly I just can’t figure out how to convey how disappointed I was while also explaining that it wasn’t a bad book. Just misleading marketing. At least misleading when I had it on my radar.

Initially I was intrigued, the premise sounded fantastic- I mean vlad the impaler? Love triangle? Dark historical fiction?- it sounded right up my alley. However the execution was hugely lacking. I couldn’t get into it from the beginning and overall I wasn’t interested in what I was reading. Not to say that this was boring or not a good book, it was actually really well written, with the back bones of an exuberant, vivid story and I’m sure had I went in with different expectations and/or was younger I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more!

Good retelling of Dracula- will definitely be recommending to others! It felt compelling and kept me reading far into the night.

Great retelling - not quite what I expected. Fun for those who like the original story line. Felt a little lost at times and it drug on a bit.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This historical fiction novel follows Vlad, a second-born prince who resents his older brother, and his best friend/cousin Andrei. Vlad knows that he loves Ilona from the moment he sets eyes on her but she is wary about her feelings for him. When she is betrothed to his brother, Vlad is infuriated. Vlad LOVES Ilona, his brother never will. He would do anything to be able to marry her.

I believe that the character Vlad is inspired by the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, and the whole story is basically seeing his descent into madness. He starts the book a bit unhinged, accidentally seriously injuring his friend Andrei. He slowly becomes more and more violent and vicious throughout the story as he wants more and more of what the other characters had. I wish that this descent had been more…psychologically “mad” and less spoiled brat “tantrum.” He had no real reason for loving Ilona, he literally just saw her and decided to obsess over her. He wasn’t really qualified to rule a kingdom, he just wanted to be viewed as better than his brother. Don’t get me wrong, seeing some of the crazy stuff he did was definitely the height of the story for me. I just wish he had a better reason to be acting in those ways.

Ilona was pretty much a blank-slate character. She didn’t seem to have that many aspirations for herself, but she was smart enough to know from the beginning that Vlad may not be in her best romantic interests. Even though she entertains his courtship from time to time, I don’t think that she ever truly let her guard down fully around him. Not like she did with Andrei. I feel like I would have liked her more if I had more time to get to know her outside of her crazy relationship with Vlad.

Andrei was definitely my favorite character but he simply did not receive enough screen time. Most of his actions were either told from the POV of Vlad who is not a reliable storyteller in this book, or Ilona. I wish I had more time to get to know him and see his true motives aside from what others thought his motives were.


Overall, this book was forgettable to me and definitely didn’t meet my expectations. I wish that this book had gone through another round of edits to tighten up the plot and make the characters more powerful. I won’t give up on this author though as this is a debut novel, and I have hope that they may be able to turn things around in the next book they release.


I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

Love seeing books inspired by real historical events! It's always so interesting to see lives play out, even if the characters involved are fictional. Really enjoyed this one!

I really enjoyed the world building and epic fantasy of this storyline. The character development was well done, but I did have difficulty with the extra details the author added to the plot line which distracted from the main story.

This book was fantastic. I read it very quickly and loved the characters. Really enjoyed it and looking forward to more from this author.

Oof okay so I was really happy that the love triangle trope had mostly retired. Especially between a jerk, a blandly nice guy, and a "not like other girls" girl...

But the real killer (ha!) is the way the story is told. Pivotal scenes happen almost entirely off-screen, whether that's battles, an assassination, or even certain key conversations between characters. Instead of showing us these moments and how the characters act, we instead get play-by-play summaries (via dialogue) after the fact. Which is both less interesting and involves less detail / interpretation on the part of the reader. It leaves us feeling totally detached from characters we don't get to see grow/change/adapt and makes us not want to root for them.

I'm kinda disappointed because I was really hoping for an interesting Vlad the impaler book, but this ain't it.

Fascinating period piece. Paints Vladimir Dracula as a person, who grows into his reputation, rather than a force from the beyond. Shoes the cart intricacies that made him who he became.
Worth the read, to a long time fane of the subject. Also worth the read for anyone who enjoys period dramas.

I wanted to like this so much more then I did!!! It has so much potential! The setting, the characters, the story…. But the execution fell short. The characters didn’t connect well with what was happening. It felt like it just went along with whatever the author decided- whether it made sense or not. I didn’t care for Vlad and Andrei preening their feathers for Ilona. Especially when it was glaringly obvious that it’s not a contest.

I was so excited to read Heart of the Impaler, but it honestly fell short for me. The idea of the love triangle was originally intriguing but just did not live up to the expectations that I had going into this book. Honestly, I rate this two stars out of five.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was too late to read this on netgalley but I did pick up a copy and I really tried to like it, but I just couldn't get into it. The story was not for me, sadly.

This is a book that anyone could probably read in one sitting. The historical aspect of it was very interesting. Although I am a person who is a fan of love triangles, I seem to have had a hard time connecting and rooting for anyone in particular. I feel that this book needed to be developed more- especially the characters. As someone who loves a character-driven story, when I can't connect with the characters I seem to have a hard time. The setting and vibes are really cool and well-done, I just needed a little more.

This was an interesting read. Not exactly what I'd hoped for, but still very.good. great world building, characters that I liked, and a story that held my attention!

great book and had me on my seat. I enjoyed the characters and all that happened in the book. I enjoyed being in this world and seeing the growth of the characters. I enjoyed the drama of the story and I can't wait to read others books by this author.

Based on my feelings alone, I would just give it 3 stars. I just liked this one. I didn't get a lot of feels in this. But there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. It was written well, it had a good plot, the characters were well rounded. I was happy about the ending but I think I expected it to be a fantasy and it was a historical fiction. Which is completely fine! I just wasn't blown away. HOWEVER I would actually highly recommend this to high schoolers! I think it's a really good introduction to the history of Dracula. I found myself doing some quick reading on the history!

I'm not sure if I liked this. I really love love-triangles but I didn't like either of the characters much to get invested. I like the title of the book plus the concept but the direction this novel took me on wasn't it for me.

I enjoyed the multiple POV'S and the love triangle in Heart of the Impaler. I liked the characters and the historical fiction. It was a cute romance but I do wish it had been explored more. Overall it was a quick read and if you like retellings this is a book for you. (Genre: YA Fantasy)

I did receive a free e-ARC from netgally in exchange for an honest review.

Steeped in 15th-century blood, Delacroix has brought Transylvanian and Wallachian history vividly to life. The fact that one central character is a young Vlad Dracul III (aka Dracula) makes the novel even more enticing. Vlad Dracul II was a ruthless and unpopular voivode (although, as “Impaler,” his son eventually upstaged his father’s many efforts at brutality!) and the boyars (warlords) frequently staged uprisings against him. A dangerous time to be anywhere near court.

Based around historical figures of the time, the nub of the story is the friendly threesome between Vlad, his fictional cousin Andrei Musat, and Ilona Csáki, forcibly betrothed by Vlad II to Mircea, young Vlad’s loathsome older brother, as part of a bargain to elevate and subjugate her boyar father. Ilona’s affections waver between Vlad’s boorish and possessive advances as he romanticises the idea of her becoming his queen (after he has murdered Mircea), and Andrei’s gentle, compassionate nature. When circumstances force Andrei and Ilona together, sheltering at the home of a boyar ally, they find much in common through her love of artistry and science.

The novel is equal part mystery and adventure, and the denouement leaves the door ajar for a sequel in which Andrei and Ilona may be sorely tested. Filled with murder, mayhem and treachery, the narrative moves at the speed of the galloping horses the boys ride to vie for Ilona’s affections. Vlad is rather wooden and a stereotypical bully, unsurprisingly, and his sense of entitlement furthers more dislike. There’s plenty of action and derring-do which will appeal to young adult readers, but for readers seeking romance this might not do the trick. The appendix of Hungarian and Romanian words is informative, and the history is positively moreish, even though Delacroix admits to certain poetic license.