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cazxxx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
laurenslovelylittlelife's review
dark
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
emeliaisreading_'s review
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Nightingale's Castle
Historical Fiction
Expected Pub Date: July 30, 2024
I would like to preface this by saying I hadn't heard of the Blood Countess therefore I was definitely expecting something more along the lines of historical fantasy (possibly vampires 🩸) than historical fiction. That being said, I still quite enjoyed the story, once I figured out what was going on.
We read from the POV of basically all the main characters (like 7 characters) and it can become somewhat confusing at the beginning. I found the authors note at the end very interesting, I almost wish I'd read it first just so I'd have known better what the story was about. I appreciate the authors efforts to include facts from the actual story throughout, while still taking artistic liberties to make it unique.
This was a quick read for me, and I enjoyed her writing style. If I'm in the mood for a historical fiction again, I'll happily read her work.
⭐ 4/5
Historical Fiction
Expected Pub Date: July 30, 2024
I would like to preface this by saying I hadn't heard of the Blood Countess therefore I was definitely expecting something more along the lines of historical fantasy (possibly vampires 🩸) than historical fiction. That being said, I still quite enjoyed the story, once I figured out what was going on.
We read from the POV of basically all the main characters (like 7 characters) and it can become somewhat confusing at the beginning. I found the authors note at the end very interesting, I almost wish I'd read it first just so I'd have known better what the story was about. I appreciate the authors efforts to include facts from the actual story throughout, while still taking artistic liberties to make it unique.
This was a quick read for me, and I enjoyed her writing style. If I'm in the mood for a historical fiction again, I'll happily read her work.
⭐ 4/5
halleyaisling's review
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wildbookishrose's review
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
samschub214's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shannonsthilaire's review
4.0
I was on edge in a good way reading this vibey, lyrical novel.
Countess Erzsébet Báthory, a 16th century Hungarian noble, was notorious for hiring young girls and doing terrible things to them. In this novel, a girl whom we are led to be believe is a secret relation is hired to work at the castle.
With a premise like this, you know stuff is going to go down. We will never really know what happened inside that castle, but the version of this author puts forth is among the most likely ones. Did the blood countess actually bathe in the blood of young girls? Or was she villainized by the powerful men who were indebted to her? Like Circe, Medea, and other retellings, The Nightingale's Castle reveals the real woman behind the story.
It’s told with an omniscient POV, which is an ambitious undertaking that pays off. It was fascinating to get into the heads of the various people who lived in the castle and were caught up in this nightmarish story. It reads like a fairytale, an ominous one.
I was most engaged with the first half, and when the torture and punishments came to the forefront of the story, involving characters I wasn’t attached to, it did drag a bit, but I remained immersed in the world and zipped through to the end.
Countess Erzsébet Báthory, a 16th century Hungarian noble, was notorious for hiring young girls and doing terrible things to them. In this novel, a girl whom we are led to be believe is a secret relation is hired to work at the castle.
With a premise like this, you know stuff is going to go down. We will never really know what happened inside that castle, but the version of this author puts forth is among the most likely ones. Did the blood countess actually bathe in the blood of young girls? Or was she villainized by the powerful men who were indebted to her? Like Circe, Medea, and other retellings, The Nightingale's Castle reveals the real woman behind the story.
It’s told with an omniscient POV, which is an ambitious undertaking that pays off. It was fascinating to get into the heads of the various people who lived in the castle and were caught up in this nightmarish story. It reads like a fairytale, an ominous one.
I was most engaged with the first half, and when the torture and punishments came to the forefront of the story, involving characters I wasn’t attached to, it did drag a bit, but I remained immersed in the world and zipped through to the end.
nrskelley's review
5.0
What an interesting fictional retelling of the Countess of Bloods story. I was expecting the traditional story of her torture and murder of young girls . So this was definitely surprising and a throughly enjoyable story.
Definitely a must read for fans of historical fiction mixed with a bit of magic.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Definitely a must read for fans of historical fiction mixed with a bit of magic.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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