Wow. OK, so, this book opened up a dark door in history for me, one that I will most definitely return to out of sheer morbid curiosity. I think this is what the author was going for, and she accomplished it!

Countess Erszebet Bathory is the subject, though the narration of this book is done by a friend, Amara, who seems desperate to cling to old ideas about her sociopathic gal pal. The thing is, as much as this book piqued my interest about the Countess, I was far more invested in Amara. I liked this character and had no problem sticking with her for over 500 pages. This is no easy task, as this is the e-age and my attention span is waning. I love books, but tend toward those under 350, that I can read in two or three days time.

The care and precision that went into the scenic details of this book deserve applause, and I was completely immersed in the word. I will say that I felt a little cheated in areas, a few scenes were mentioned that could've been drawn out (look at me, wanting even more pages--a rarity!).

I heartily recommend this book! And I will be reading the sequel.