{"id":5918,"date":"2021-12-07T08:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/?p=5918"},"modified":"2025-06-18T18:23:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T22:23:20","slug":"review-heart-impaler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/review-heart-impaler\/","title":{"rendered":"Review – Heart of the Impaler"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Heart of the Impaler<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

by Alexander Delacroix<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Heart<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Genres:<\/strong> Historical, Young Adult
Release Date:<\/strong> December 7, 2021
Pages:<\/strong> 347
Purchase from:<\/strong> Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Barnes & Noble<\/a>\u00a0| Google Play<\/a> |\u00a0Kobo<\/a> |\u00a0iBooks<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Rating:<\/b> \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606<\/p>

View ratings overview<\/i><\/div>\r\n

\u2606\u2606\u2606\u2606\u2606 – Did not finish
\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606\u2606 – Hated it
\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606 – Disliked it
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606 – Okay
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606 – Liked it
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 – Loved it
Read the full explanation<\/a> of my book rating system.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Alexander Delacroix\u2019s darkly romantic debut Heart of the Impaler is perfect for fans of Kiersten White\u2019s And I Darken.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vlad Dracula has long lived in the shadows cast by his bloodthirsty father, the voivode, and his older brother, Mircea. Despite their cruelty, Vlad has yearned to prove himself worthy of the throne his whole life. In the cold halls of the voivode\u2019s palace, Vlad can only rely on his cousin and closest friend, Andrei Musat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Vlad and Andrei meet Ilona Cs\u00e1ki, the daughter of an influential boyar, they each find themselves inextricably drawn to her. But then Ilona is betrothed to Mircea as part of a political alliance, and Vlad\u2019s resentfulness of his brother begins to seethe into something far darker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilona has no desire to marry the voivode\u2019s eldest son, but love and marriage are the least of her worries. The royal family\u2019s enemies have already tried to put an arrow through her back\u2014and if anyone discovers her blossoming feelings for Andrei and Vlad, she may just wish they\u2019d succeeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beneath the shadow of impending war, the only battle that will be deadlier than the one for Ilona\u2019s life will be the one for her heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Review<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Heart of the Impaler<\/em> (HotI<\/em>) has a bit of a slow start, but once it picks up, it’s full of drama and intrigue. It’s fairly well-written and enjoyable. Although I found several errors, there is a note at the beginning about the version I received being “an uncorrected proof,” so I assume any mistakes have been found and corrected before publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was rather surprised, given the title, that Vlad \u2014 the Impaler \u2014 was made into an unlikeable character. I certainly wasn’t rooting for him, and I’m hoping he has an unhappy ending in the seemingly guaranteed follow-up novel(s). I’m sure there will at least be a sequel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I kind of expected a more “common” romance \u2014 not exactly erotica given the age range, but maybe some stolen moments of making out. I really shouldn’t have, given the historical era. A noble woman of that time wouldn’t have dared risk her reputation in such a way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I appreciate the note at the end about the real history, what the author changed, and suggested reading material. Even with history I know well, but especially with history I don’t, it’s useful to have a “change log” from the author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re interested in the era and don’t mind drama and intrigue, I think you’ll enjoy HotI<\/em>. If, however, you’re an Impaler fanatic, or looking for a steamy romance, this one isn’t for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Giveaway!<\/h3>\n\n\n\na Rafflecopter giveaway<\/a>\n