Heart of the Impaler

The fearsome legacy of Dracula is brought to vivid life in debut author Delacroix’s well-researched and uniquely terrifying romance. When her father seeks land and a title from Vlad Dracula II, the powerful Wallachian voivode, nearly 16-year-old Transylvanian Ilona Csáki travels to Wallachia—only to find the favor granted in exchange for her betrothal to the voivode’s eldest son, 18-year-old Mircea. Isolated at court, which is filled with backstabbing and treachery, she soon encounters the voivode’s younger son, outgoing Vlad Dracula III, and his thoughtful cousin Andrei, both of whom immediately fall for her. Whereas Vlad is lost in brooding Mircea’s shadow, Andrei finds himself in turn obscured by confident, temperamental Vlad. Betrayal, court intrigue, and one young woman’s journey to find herself amid political upheaval follow. Though the white characters can feel one-dimensional, Delacroix adroitly immerses readers in a delicious blend of romance and 15th-century politics that leans more historical than mythic, while exploring the power of love to change history’s tides. Ages 13–up. (Dec.)