Welcome to the final post in my Debut Novel a Month Challenge, where I read and review a debut novel released that month every month for the year of 2021. When I started this challenge, I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to find a debut novel released in every month of the year-- and some months definitely had fewer releases than others. But I'm glad I was able to find a good new book every month, so on to December's! This month's debut release is HEART OF THE IMPALER by Alexander Delacroix.
Rather aptly titled, HEART OF THE IMPALER is the story of a love triangle involving the man that would go on to become Vlad the Impaler. It follows Vlad, his foster brother/cousin Andrei, and the girl they both develop feelings for, Ilona. The relationships between the trio are a core point of the novel, and there's something so fascinating about watching Vlad slowly go down a darker and darker path, while history has shown readers where he'll end up.
This book has been pitched as for fans of AND I DARKEN, Kiersten White's genderbent story of the same Vlad the Impaler. Before I read HEART I thought that might be a bit too close of a comparison, but after reading, I understand. Both AND I DARKEN and HEART use the historical Vlad as their inspiration, but the events they depict are years apart. (Technically speaking, the main action of AND I DARKEN starts with events that take place right at the end of HEART, so there's little overlap chronologically.) I actually found it fascinating to read HEART having read AND I DARKEN and seeing which parts each author took straight from history, which parts each author took creative license with, and which parts are the authors' different takes on the same history. A reader of both will recognize names and locations but each author has made their own spin on Vlad and his world so thoroughly that reading both won't feel repetitive.
So if you're in need of a new December release to read by the fire, check out HEART OF THE IMPALER.
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