thanks Saint George's Press and netgalley for arc.

Good dracula book, very twisty turny. I liked the past mixed in with present.

The only two criticisms I have of this book are that 1) there are a ton of characters, so many that it was sometimes hard to keep up with who is related to whom and what role they have/had in the story. 2) some of the conversations are pretty trite.

Other than that, the action is great. The politics are intricate, as one would expect in 1499 AD and 1999 AD when dealing with vampires. I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the book, especially the male/female roles in 1499. The interweaving of Dracula and Yasamin throughout the book in every major event in history is great.

This would be a good read for people who enjoy urban fantasy, vampire books with a good historical background, and thrillers.

really loved this book. I love anything to do with vampires, especially Dracula. This book reminded me a little of the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I can't wait for the next book in the series. It was very fast paced. I liked the back and forth between the different eras.

[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

The first thing you really need to know about this first book in the Daughters of Shadow and Blood series is that it's told in three different points of view. We have the point of view of Yasamin from when she was human, the present day with Adam Mire and the past with Adam Mire as he tried to unravel the mystery that is Dracula and his brides. I personally loved Yasamin's point of view the most because I love history but Adam's point of view was really just as good in a lot of aspects (particularly during his banter with Yasamin).

The thing that really stood out to me in this book is that Saunders is a master of plot pacing as well as suspense. Sometimes the point of view shifts can be a little disjointed or disconcerting (in some cases quite disconcerting) but in each little chapter there's that undercurrent of tension as we move closer and closer to the end of the story and the end of Adam's time talking to Yasamin. Will she decide to let him live if she enjoys his tale enough or will she kill him anyway because he knows too much? Not only that, we want to know what happens within each story: how Yasamin came to know the man known as Dracula and how Adam Mire stumbled across the truth about Dracula and found Yasamin. And of course, what does Dracula himself think of all this? I don't want to give too much away but let's just say he's not missing from the face of the earth like everyone seems to think he is.

Both main characters were fascinating for different reasons. Yasamin is fascinating not only because of her association with Dracula but because she was a remarkable young woman when she was still human. She grew up in the provinces and so never really was prepared for the secluded nature of the royal harem when she marries the oldest son of Buda's governor. When she realizes she isn't really attracted to her husband and that she'd really rather have his little brother, things definitely get interesting. Yasamin stays true to herself without and when she develops a dangerous attraction to the mysterious Iskander, things start to spiral out of control. Adam Mire is fascinating because he's an historian with a pretty exciting past. After his best friend died he tries to search out clues hidden in his friend's books and other documents to see what he was looking for and what he died for. In the process, Adam encounters more than he'd bargained for but he's not as unprepared as Yasamin would like to think.

Of course when you have fantasy colliding with history there are going to be some liberties taken with the facts but Saunders does a really good job of mixing the two together to create a great story. I loved how he meticulously researched the Ottoman Empire and gave little details of everyday life to make Yasamin's story all the more authentic. And he mixes in parts of the Dracula legend everyone will recognize while adding in some other parts to make it more of his own. (I particularly liked the Michael the Brave and Iskander connection.) If you're a fan of the Dracula legend or just vampires in general I think Daughters of Shadow and Blood: Yasamin is at least worth checking out. Who knows? Maybe by the time you finish the book you'll be as eager as I am for the sequel.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

Daughters of Shadow and Blood began with an engrossing concept and used fast-paced action that will keep readers engaged. The changing perspective and timeline may turn off some readers- but ultimately add to the suspense and character development in a way I found pleasing. I am eager to read a sequel to this book, as I feel the story arc of some characters was cut short at the end.

What a gripping story! I love how the tension continues from cover to cover, how easy the plot is to follow even as we jump through time and characters, how many lingering threads are left untied even after we've learned all about Yasamin. This book was a fun read that was hard to put down.

A proper good old fashioned Vampire story with lots of twists and turns. Fangtastic!!

First in a trilogy, this novel deals with the meeting of an American professor and a raven haired woman who he believes is one of the original 'Brides' of Dracula. This fabulous historical/ modern thriller intertwines the life of Vlad the Impaler, Bram Stoker's Dracula, the turbulent history of the Ottoman Empire and the savage civil war which caused the breakup of Yugoslavia.

By cleverly mixing the American's story with that of Yasmine we discover why the American is willing to risk his life to meet with this fabled woman. This is a highly entertaining thriller which sweeps across the everchanging landscape of Europe.

It reminded me of Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian.

Good read enjoyed the story