The Bathory Curse

by Renee Lake

It is said that Vlad the Impaler's first wife jumped to her death rather than be with such a monster, however…

Princess Cneajna of Transylvania didn’t expect to be brought back from death’s door by an ancient Pagan Goddess. She certainly never asked to be made into an immortal witch. All she wanted was to live out her life the wife of Vlad the Impaler and mother of his two sons. However, now she has a new life, and with it comes the impossible task of breaking a centuries old curse placed on the women of her family. A curse that drives each one insane. To make matters even more complicated this is a family she didn’t even know she was related to: The Bathory’s.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal

Paperback

First published November 8, 2015

About the author

Renee Lake is a 39-year-old Puerto Rican from Utah.
Renee has four children.
She is married to a fellow book lover and their house has more bookshelves than anything else.

Renee loves bats halloween, dinosaurs and is passionate about women's reproductive rights and equality.

As a small child, she wanted to be a vampire more than a princess and filled notebooks and old floppy disks with stories. She prefers to lend a dark tinge to her writing.

Her stupid super-hero power is the ability to hear a song once and be able to sing it back.

When she's not taming crazy kids or working full time she is writing. You can also find her exploring the wilds of Thedas or shopping at the Citadel.

She has several novels for sale through Smashwords and amazon.com. Some under her maiden name: Renee Travis

Her newest novel The Infested will be released Oct 2023 from Hansen House

You can see more of her flash fiction soon at Spider Road Press and Nightingale and Sparrow.

Reviews

[Valerie Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was kindly given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Where to start with this one? I have to admit I didn’t really like it, which is unfortunate because usually I’m a total sucker for fantasy of any kind. Let’s begin with the story, since that was the strongest element. The main character, Nea Bathory, is made into a Strega (witch) by the goddess Bendis, and told via some clunky exposition (more on that later) that she must break the Bathory curse. The curse seems to be a form of insanity that manifests in different ways, but only in women. This novel follows Nea through the centuries as she seeks a way to break the curse and finally discovers that Bendis was the one who cursed her family and she must kill the goddess to end it.

One of the most readily apparent issues is the proofreading errors. Just about every page had an error of some kind, typically a splice or the use of a comma instead of proper punctuation. Viz:

"This is all true,” Mihail smiled.

I could go on a long rant about how no one can ‘smile’ their words, but hopefully that’s unnecessary.

Mihail took a step back, he didn’t know what to do.
“You’ll help me, be the Godmother?”

The grammar and punctuation issues really took me out of this one; I kept looking for a red pen or wishing I could hire a proofreader to clean it up for the author. Another huge issue was the constant violation of the old ‘show don’t tell’ maxim. Some examples:

With those words she was just gone and Nea shivered in the hallway.

I would love a bit of explanation about how she disappeared here. Cloud of smoke? Suddenly became invisible? Unfortunately, this is all we get.

The two grew into the best of friends, even after a rocky start. Nea learned to understand Sabine’s bizarre way of talking, even figured out how to use a few of her phrases correctly.

The above is on chapter three. When I first encountered it, I had to look back and check if I’d missed a few chapters; it sounds like a summary that belongs more in a Cliffsnotes copy than an actual book. As a reader, I would like to see the two of them become best friends, not simply hear that they suddenly are (especially given the fact that Sabine is a major character).

Next point, the writing seemed a little clunky to me. There were multiple uses of passive voice instead of active voice, instances of awkward phrasing, and exposition inserted unrealistically into conversations. I get that the world needs to be described and I applaud the attempt to avoid paragraph after paragraph of exposition, but unfortunately it fell flat to me.

“Nah. Hecate is a powerful Goddess, she is seen all over the word. The Holy Roman Empire calls her Trivia, while Egyptians praise her in the name of Hequet. In my country and in Greece she is called Hecate,” Sabine explained, “She has three forms, the crone, the maiden and the mother, which you have just seen and that’s lesson two.”

There were other, small things: one or two cases of head-hopping, the whole trip to China, pausing the story while Bendis asks if Nea is okay with lesbianism (mind you, this is supposedly back in 1462).

I always hate leaving bad reviews (and anyone who follows me knows I almost never do), but sometimes it just can’t quite be avoided. To be honest, I’m not sure I would recommend this novel.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

AUTHOR REVIEW

UPDATE 3/9/2016
Please note as of 3/27/16 the version of The Bathory Curse available for purchase will be a revised copy.
While the first copy went through myself and three additional beta readers (one a newspaper editor) I did do some revisions, including adding a few new scenes and deleting an entire chapter that you can now see on my blog:
http://liberalcurvygoddess.blogspot.c...
There will also be a new giveaway for paperback versions!

(also if you are looking at a bloody heart please note the cover has since changed, check out the ebook to see it! )

This is coming out November 4th in paper back and ebook formats.

It is my first adult novel and is a historical fantasy. I did a TON of research on Dracula, the Bathorys, and Romania for this piece and then blurred the edges to fit in with the story I wanted to tell. This book is more magic then vampires. I hope you enjoy.

[Sarah Doebereiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying that I received a reviewer copy of this book for free, but was no way compensated for my commentary.

I was a little worried when I first picked up this story because I didn’t have much background on the time period and subject matter (the Bathory family and Vlad), but I was pleased that did not hinder my read at all.

Nea is risen from death by a goddess of the old world. Initially, she fears she has become a monster, yet she does her best to maintain her dignity and humanity as her mother example set for her. Her mission is clear early on: a terrible curse has afflicted her lineage for generations, and it’s up to her to parse out a cure or the women will suffer in eternity. Nea is very sympathetic towards the women in her family from the start, despite their horrific histories (I would have liked to see more internal conflict early on). (There are trigger warnings for: violence, abuse, necrophilia, incest, self-harm, and some others, but these subjects are handled with brevity and delicacy.) Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that it turns out to be a lot more complicated than she thought when she started her adventure.

My favorite part of the story was the dynamic between Nea and Sabine. The two women are both pulled out of their existence and become Stregas. Sabine is the ‘elder’ of the two and acts as a kind of ground and knowledge resource for Nea. Her modern attitude kept the atmosphere fresh and engaging so that it wasn’t bogged down with antiquated language and ideology.

There are always logistical issues with immortal characters moving through the years, but Sabine helped to transition and show time passing. Nea embraced modern technology, dress, and mentality and that would not have been possible without Sabine’s vivacious, guiding presence. The details of how they became friends was a bit glossed over “Sabine stayed with Nea for years, teaching her how to use her magic, showing her how to feed on emotions and how to make Strigoi.” Still, the dynamic between them was compelling, and I found myself drawn into their messy, supernatural friendship.

My least favorite thing about the story was that the plot necessitated so many different characters. It was a lot to keep straight, and I would have liked a family tree that I could go back and reference as the story progressed: not only of the family itself, but the Strega and the Strigoi that they created. By the time they enter limbo and actually see the family members ‘in the flesh’, I had to struggle to recall each detail and physical appearance.

I would recommend this story to people who enjoy more character-driven, journey of life, type stories. The story builds slowly and the action doesn’t really start to get gripping until chapter eight and onward in my opinion. Hang in there though because the interactions with the brides and other historical characters are definitely a high point as well.

[Veronica Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't finished the story yet but I can say it's original to the type of fantasy stories I've usually read.

I love the intricate historical elements and mysteriousness this book gives. Also seeing the weakness and developed strength of the main character. Among the supernatural elements there is some real human pain and suffering, along with moments of joy.

Sure there may be some grammar errors but, for me, that made it feel more real.

The author has done a good job so far in drawing me into Nea's new world and the work she has to carry out as a Strega.

[Ana Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love this type of book. Fantasy mixed with history shrouded in mystery. It was a new and unique look at the Vlad the Impaler storyline mixing in lore with history to draw the reader in. Vampire stories have gotten soooo predictable and formulaic but this one steps outside the box to give us something new. I would highly recommend for the vampire fans out there and those who enjoy some fantasy mixed with history.


*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

[The Literary Chimera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curses, Mystery, Vampires, Magic, and a Little Spice.

The Bathory Curse is an interesting journey that runs parallel to the story of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The main character, Nea, undergoes a lot of growth throughout the book. The spice level is minimal, but there are a few brief scenes. Definitely check the trigger warnings. Also, keep in mind that this book was before Renee Lake had editors, so it does have some mistakes. Those issues do not take away from the story, though. The pacing is a little slow for my taste, but I enjoyed the story. It runs over hundreds of years, and Renee does a beautiful job keeping track of time. I especially enjoyed that people from different times were all living and working together. I love Dracula, so having his story intertwined was a treat for me. I do wish Elizabeth Bathory would have been featured more. If you enjoy paranormal creatures, especially Dracula, magic, curses, a bit of mystery, and have an open mind, then you will enjoy this book.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting historical fantasy, and I love the idea of there being a curse that drives all the women in the Bathory family mad. I won't give any spoilers, but Cneajna is a great MC, and I loved Sabine too. I will say I wish some parts had been more fleshed out, but overall the story is interesting and moves along fairly smoothly. If you're looking for a fantasy that gives a new twist on vampires, witches, and the afterlife, you're going to want to check this one out!

[Utena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually have had this book on my Nook for some time. I had planned to read it earlier this year but my Nook died and I had to wait til the holidays when I picked up a new Nook.

The concept of the story really seemed to be interesting and I have always loved some retellings of famous stories but this one was not one of them.

Once the wife of Vlad the Impaler, Ceajna or Nea (as she is known for most part) is murdered. She is then resurrected by a goddess and becomes an immortal witch given the task to balance the power between good and evil. Unfortunately for Nea, her bloodline is a bit cursed by the Bathory Curse. Now Nea has to find a way break this curse upon her family.

I think what turned me off completely was the grammar issues, typos, awkward structuring. I did try several times to come back to the book before finally giving up and just leaving it as it was. Again the concept was interesting but the execution was just too flat for my tastes. Maybe I will find a better copy of this book later this year and pick it up and see if there are changes to it.

[James Sillwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Nea is murdered by her brother in law she is offered the chance to become a Strega, a type of immortal witch. As a Strega she must find and nurture Strigoi, spirits of the damned who come back to earth. Sabine, another Strega, is sent to help Nea and the two become close friends.
There are several different threads to this story. Nea is from the Bathory family whose women have been cursed for centuries. The Goddess, Bendis, shows Nea portraits of these women and describes their evil deeds. The spirits of these ancestors are imprisoned in a house in Limbo. The house is dark and menacing; full of shadows and mad Bathory women, wailing and screaming, behaving as they did in life. There is some excellent writing here, so imaginative. Nea goes to the house to visit her mother, Jenica, who looks after Mariska, the first Bathory to be affected by the curse. Only Jenica can speak to Mariska for there will be consequences if anyone else does. Nea decides to break the Bathory curse and set the women free, but she has to discover how she can set about this.
One of Nea's ancestors is Elizabeth Bathory, who murdered young women and bathed in their blood. The depiction of Elizabeth is both creepy and menacing. She ends up in the house in Limbo, surrounded by her other mad relatives.
I was intrigued by the reference to the publication of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula. Nea's husband is Vlad Dracul the Impaler. For me, the story really comes to life when Nea and Sabine are in Whitby, England. I thought it was clever to include the Bram Stoker characters; Jonathan Harker, Lucy, Mina and Van Helsing. The author cleverly interweaves them into the plot. She also captures perfectly the efforts made by Nea and Sabine to uphold their demeanour of Victorian ladies. The scene at the castle in Romania with Nea, Vlad and Van Helsing, stood out for me as well. These scenes where Van Helsing attempts to deal with the three brides of Vlad, each with their own distinctive personality, are wonderfully atmospheric.
I liked the episode in Greece where Nea and Sabine come face to face with Phrike, a force to be reckoned with, who protects the mountain of Tremo.
Another intriguing character is Costica (a modern day stalker) who is determined to destroy Vlad in order to satisfy his obsession with Nea. He's a dangerous character, not an easy one for Nea and Sabine to deal with.
This book is many things; a thriller, a love story between Nea and Vlad, with themes of magic and mystery. The plot is very involved and there are many characters. While the author manages to tie everything together, there were times when I had to read back to work out the various relationships. Some of the minor characters I feel are unnecessary and tend to complicate the story line. For example, the trip to China I feel doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story.
The ending is full of suspense: Will Nea be able to break the curse? This question left me guessing until the final page.
Clearly, a great deal of research has gone into this book and it shows. A highly original and imaginative read which will take you on a journey through time and place.

[Alexander Engel-Hodgkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit surprised with this one, for better and for worse.

The concept of retelling historical events and Bram Stoker's classic novel from a much different perspective with a heavily fantastical slant alone was fascinating enough to keep me reading to the end. Sometimes, it was even clever the way these elements were merged together to form the centuries-spanning storyline of Ceajna (or just 'Nea' for most of the book) struggling to find a way to break the curse on her family with the help of her fellow magical companions and the goddess that brought them all together through resurrections and deals and such.

Nea, after being murdered, is brought back as a 'Strega,' an immortal being who can create servants (called Strigoi), feed on emotions, and do so much more. With this new power, she discovers a whole other world that she never knew existed, but with it comes the Bathory Curse, which has plagued her family for generations and will continue to do so for endless more until she finds a way to stop it--IF she ever does.

This would get four stars if the editing and writing were tidied up. I don't mind a few typos and errors here and there, but sometimes the quality dipped to distracting levels. Sometimes sentences wouldn't make sense due to typos, occasional bad grammar, awkward structuring, or all three at once. And often, there's a ton of awkward exposition here and there--especially at the beginning of chapters that take place after a time skip. It's also massively overcrowded. We're introduced to a cast of about fifty or more characters, most of whom are in Nea's family from either in the past or the future, and it often gets pretty difficult to keep track of them all and what they've done. I didn't like how a lot of things were skipped over and simply summed up in paragraphs of exposition while other, much less important scenes went on for a few pages, either.

Those are all my problems in one paragraph. The Bathory Curse held my interest, though, and I liked most of its fantasy elements, dark characters, and the fact that the story never lingers for too long (even if it feels rushed at times). I liked Nea as a character because she was quite the flawed individual without becoming unworthy of praise or respect. She seemed to be the most human of the bunch, which I think makes her a successfully relatable protagonist.

Most of the sequences are good. Some are great. A few are bad. Despite its drawbacks, I enjoyed it, and I finished it with the satisfaction that I often look for with these kinds of books. With a better eye for editing and improved prioritization between the important bits and the not-so-important bits, I can see Ms. Lake taking her literature several levels higher than even she thinks her potential as an indie author reaches.

All in all, The Bathory Curse is a flawed, but satisfying read.

[Angelina Kerner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Bathory Curse

Author: Renee Lake

Publisher: CreateSpace

Publication Date: November 8, 2015

Source: Swapped



Before reading The Bathory Curse, I don’t think that I’ve read books that had the ‘real’ Dracula in them. It’s always been about hot young vampires pursuing young mortal girls or young mortal girls fighting against vampires. Renee Lake has the king of the vampires pursue his first wife who became a Strega after she was brought back to life thanks Bendis, Goddess of the Night, Magick, and the Hunt.

However, the short synopsis on Amazon intrigued me. It took me three evenings to finish the novel. The story was well told, though it has missing punctuation, typos, and no family tree. I counted over thirty-three characters which appeared and reappeared through the twenty-four chapter novel. A family tree would certainly help the reader not get lost who is who… especially the women who spent centuries in limbo. Note: The missing punctuation and typos did not stop me from enjoying the story.

It is a story about Dracula’s first wife, Nea who will forever look to be twenty-five years old woman. After she is saved by Bendis, she has to break the curse that has haunted her family for years. Over the years, she gains allies in her strogi, her vampire husband, other Strega, and mortals. So I would say the premise and the plot are very good.

The story is actually quite complex and I would give 5 stars alone for the fact that the author got this story finished and published. I can tell that the research portion of writing this novel took a long time and it was a pleasure reading. My favorite characters are Sabine and Nea. They are great friends.

However, I think that there are areas that can be improved. We see a vampire for the first time in chapter 5, I was waiting to read about a vampire and thought he or should would show up in chapter two or three. In chapter 9, we learn that the Bathory women are part of different lines. I believe that information would have been good to know a little bit earlier because it came as a surprise. Also, I would have liked to see more scenes with Costica. It seemed that there would have been more of him. However, one of my favorite scenes was when Nea, along with her friends, went looking for the flower. It would have been interesting to see what Sabine’s ‘nightmare’ was.


Overall, it was pleasure to read this book. I would recommend to anyone to read it who is okay with adult scenes, dark characteristics, and fantasy aspects about the gods.



My Rating : 4 Stars

[Tabitha Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this novel in return for an honest review

I was instantly hooked into this story for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I married a Transylvanian and I’ve spent many a years in the Transylvanian region of Romania, along with being surrounded by the culture and the Vlad Dracul legends. I commend the author for the research put in to deliver an accurate and mystical picture of the region, the culture, and the legend. Secondly, this genre can often be overridden with details, so it was really refreshing that almost immediately, we are pulled into lots of dialogue between the main character, Nea, and the goddess, Bendis.

While the book itself is rooted in fantasy, it also somehow feels like a bit of a historical fiction piece as well and again, I was absolutely delighted at how the author truly got it right. The premise is intriguing without being complicated to follow: Nea is a Bathory princess who was married to the infamous Vlad Draul until she supposedly jumps to her death. Nea wakes up from the jump to discover the goddess Bendis has a whole other plan for her, which includes turning Nea into an immortal witch and giving her the charge of breaking an ancient Bathory family curse, along with helping to keep the balance between good and evil in the world. Putting two notorious names in history together in a story is extremely creative and entertaining to me.
I read in other reviews that people didn’t particularly care for Bendis, but I actually really liked the goddess. She was magical, yet with a certain bite to her that made her charming and albeit witty, even. I wasn’t a fan of how there were so many characters to keep up with, but if I read the book a second time, I would definitely have a better grasp on everyone. I also didn’t love the Chinese visit, but I did like Vlad. Wish there would have been even more of him. As for the magic itself in the novel, there was a lot of it, and sometimes it offers a convenience within certain plot lines that I didn’t care for.

There were very minor editing errors that were pretty easily read over and didn’t interrupt the story flow.

The story starts with a punch, slows down a little to build, and then picks up again. There’s tons of magic, but overall I think it was balanced all right with the historical aspects.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review



Our MC is a princess of Transylvania, or was at least, once married to Vlad the Impaler but now a type of immortal witch tasked by a goddess to maintain the balance between good and evil. However, while that is the main purpose of the goddess Bendis for creating Strega (the immortal witches) it is not for our MC, Nea. Nea is related to the Bathorys whose women are under a curse that make them go crazy (ever hear of Elizabeth Bathory, commonly referred to as the “blood countess”? Yeah, that kind of crazy) and HER job is to break the curse.

This was a historical fiction with LOTS of magic. One of the best parts was all the magic. The fact that the author found a way to relate the Bathorys and Vlad the Impaler was pretty nifty. And there was a fun/scary/intriguing bit with the story of Dracula thrown in as well. The dates were pretty accurate (I checked a few, lol) and it was a rather cool progression through the times.

Things I liked: the magic, as I said. Magic in creating the Strega, magic in creating Strigoi (read and find out, trying not to give TOO much away, lol), the goddess’ magic. As creepy as it is, the Bathory women who die end up in a house in limbo and not allowed to leave this house until the curse is broken. Plus, they look how they died and all they are all still crazy so they live the exact same way they did as alive. So super creepy and some parts kind of gross but still super awesome – like chills and shudders of a horror movie awesome. I loved Nea and her best friend/tutor in being a Strega Sabine. I even liked the way Elizabeth Bathory was portrayed. Oh and I liked that some of the servants were from the future (Bendis can time-travel)

Things I didn’t like: I really, REALLY didn’t like Bendis… But I don’t think you were supposed to. I didn’t like that Vlad/Dracula was an arrogant jerk but the sex scenes were good. I wasn’t a big fan of the Chinese visit. It’s not that it was bad; it was definitely interesting but didn’t seem very important to the plot.

So obviously, liked more than I didn’t. This was really well written. You could tell a lot of work was put into it.

[Anthony Stancomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book you are very aware that an extremely creative mind is at work, as we are whisked through time changes, countries and perilous situations. Highly imaginative, the twists of the narrative take us into the bizarrest set-ups – escapes, killings, incest, sex scenes, and cannibalism. Even the introduction is a great piece of intelligent excitement.
Nea , the heroine, is projected through the most terrifying series of events. I won’t spoil the story by saying what happens, but we follow her as she strives to put back the clock and redeem her cursed family. This is the substance of true thrillers – the downfall- the fight to get even- the steady ascent despite numerous pitfalls (and associations with ‘dark’ husbands and other undesirables along the way).
Quite cleverly, because it’s set in Romania, the author manages to slip Vlad the Impaler (aho actually wasn’t such a bad chap), and Dracula which makes it all sound a bit over the top, but it isn’t, and although at times the plot becomes a little bit convoluted, the author somehow gets it all fitting together satisfactorily. Considering the breadth of time, place and characters in the story, this ixactly’ and s quite an achievement - and we find ourselves cheering Nea on at the end.
My only reservation is that very modern expressions such as ‘Not exactly’, ‘What the hell was going on’ and ‘A style very in for evening dresses’ slightly jar, and I’m not sure that buying clothes in the 21st century doesn’t seem out of place. Perhaps the author should have stopped the clock in 1899?
That apart, it was a breathtakingly exciting read.

[Mike Siedschlag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usual disclaimer: Author Renee Lake gave me an e-version of The Bathory Curse in exchange for a review.

The Bathory Curse is one of those books that as soon as I started to read I knew was going to be good. Guess what? I was right! While reading I often thought; How did she come up with this? It kind of turns the horror genre sideways. Being a reviewer of almost exclusively indie authors, I'm not surprised when a book is very different from the main stream. Author Renee Lake firmly established her position well up on the shore from the mainstream.

I am somewhat familiar with the story of Elizabeth Bathory from those tv shows about evil historic figures. Lake has taken this bit of history and spun a fun (yes fun) story about goddesses, strega & strigoi (never heard of them before), vampires and other scary creatures. The story spans several centuries in the lives, afterlives, and non-lives of the female side of the Bathory family.

Along the way, Vlad Dracul and his gang are woven into the story as well. A different take on Dracula to be sure. Not really a "vampire" story in the traditional sense. With all of these "evil" characters to contend with you may expect a very dark and eerie book. Yes, there are those aspects to be sure, but I would not categorize this as a "dark horror" story. It is at its core, a story of love and redemption, but yeah it does take place in the context of a horror setting (go figure).Bad guys enough to make the good guys lives miserable at times.

All in all, The Bathory Curse by Renee Lake is a satisfying read that takes a turn through history, mythology, and literature, that you won't quite expect. Enjoy!


Mike

[Kelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5, is more accurate.

I honestly want to know, in this day and age, how a published book can be riddled with spelling/grammar errors. How can an editor completely miss lines like "[...] he didn't say a work until he was four years old." or, "Like the portrait gallery, those woman are all bad, accept Grandma Jenica, I can tell you.". Not to mention all the other tiny little ones. (Like using the wrong tenses in speaking terms or all. the. comma. splices.)

Unfortunately I'm one of those people who's reading enjoyment is marred by spelling/grammar errors that are so easy to fix. I think there's fanfic on ao3 that have better beta's than this.

It's not even the editing that turned me completely off this book. I really liked the idea of it, but I think the execution fell flat. I had a hard time keeping up with all the names, who was who and who was related to who. I thought the jumping forward in times was a little rough around the edge, especially when we're told, Sabine, (Nea's best friend, who she didn't along with at first!) are best friends now. I would have liked to actually seen them becoming friends, not just them suddenly being bestie pals 100 years and a page later. And just other random scenes in the book that seemed mundane and like they should have been axed or replaced with something else to farther the plot/character development.

It's disappointing, honestly, this book is right up my ally and I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't do it for me.

[L.N. Denison · Rating 3 out of 5]

In essence, I enjoyed the storyline to the Bathory Curse, and I hate to say it, but I found the book to be a bit long. Had it been condensed a bit, and all the slow, heavy material discarded, I would've enjoyed reading it a bit more, but I found myself putting it down more times than not.

The premise for the book is a good one, it follows Nea, who is unwittingly made a Strega by the goddess, Bendis after her suspicious demise, and yes, I did google what it meant, and it means Italian witch. Nea is now immortal and with the help of Sabine, another Strega, she has to try and stop a curse from progressing any further. The Bathory women are the ones who have been cursed, of which Nea was one, until her untimely death. Through the centuries, she has been trying to steer the women away from the curse, but everything she did only exacerbated the situation.

The many myths and legends surrounding Vlad Dracul, or Dracula as he was later known, who just so happens to be Nea's husband, also play a part in the story. There is a good mixture of myth and legend, along with the Elizabeth Bathory back story, which has been chronicled over the years in documents and in film format, i.e. Countess Dracula, and in recent years, Bathory...and we know more than there is to know about the Dracula legend.

In summery, had the book been a little shorter, I would've enjoyed it more.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Stefany Rattles · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is based on the story and characters because that's what readers really want to know about. Minor grammatical mistakes are not a big deal and they're easy to look over.

To start with I have to say that I was a little shocked and had to re-read several things just to make sure that I read it correctly. Mainly I'm talking about the graphic scenes that I wasn't ready for. I have to admit that it took me a little while to get through the book but only because i'm not used to reading detailed scenes like that. However, the author did a good job with the descriptions and was thorough with the details. I know that I wouldn't have been able to write it so I give major points for that.
I also was surprised to go through so many centuries and get to read about Vlad and Elizabeth especially. It was creative at how they were written into the story. I liked seeing how the main character Nea and supporting characters evolved over time and that's how you got attached to them. Of course the conclusion to the story is also great.
Overall, this was a dark read for me but like I said based on the story, characters and how creative the author was with it, I give it 4 stars and recommend it to fans of the genre.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am giving this book only 3 stars, because although it is such an intriguing concept, the book has a problem. It is a decent story, but a bit of a painful read; it needs a serious proof-read with an emphasis on sentence structure and flow, but after that a little polish will put it right.

I enjoyed watching the story unfold and can honestly say I have read few books with such a unique underlying concept.

Unlike many books, I never got the feeling of being bogged down by too much "blah, blah" (if you don't know what I mean by that, you are a lucky reader.) but I did feel the characters were a little... light? They were good characters, but very much like real life, I got the feeling that I was really only seeing the shallow end of the pool in most of them. (a.k.a. "barely scratching the surface")

I hope Renee Travis Lake will continue to write. We need more authors who can think up such interesting ideas, and as she grows and strengthens her writing , she will be a woman worth watching.

I've already offered to loan this book (which I will re-note, I won in a Goodreads giveaway) to a couple of friends.

[Lucy English]

The Bathory Curse is an imaginative story about a special kind of witch--Nea. Nea was killed by her husband's brother and restored into a new kind of living, as this immortal witch, by a dark goddess. Nea is given the challenge of ending a curse that has plagued the women of her family for many hundreds of years. There is a large cast of characters, as Nea tries to tend the women born into the family line over hundreds of years. There are many disturbing twists as a result of the curse, which has terrible effects on these women.

One issue I often have with books in the supernatural genre is that authors are so entirely unleashed by the removal of the rules of the world as we know it, that the stories can become confusing. Sometimes the rules of authors' new worlds seem inconsistent. For the most part, I thought Ms. Lake avoided this kind of problem, although there were a couple of moments when I wasn't clear why Nea couldn't use her magic to get out of a situation when it seemed powers she'd use previously would solve it.

Nits aside, this is an intriguing and imaginative story. I will be interested to see what Renee Lake writes next.

[J.A. Kalis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an original idea to put such two terrifying characters as Elisabeth Bathory and Vlad Dracula in one novel. What’s more they are not the only blood-thirsty creatures filling the pages of this dark fantasy novel. There are also immortal vampires and witches who have supernatural powers and travel to different countries. However, I found the story lacked atmosphere and it didn’t draw me in. There are very few descriptions of the setting or action scenes. The characters are superficially drawn and not credible. The plot was hard to follow. At times it seemed non-existent. The main drawback was the language. I found the choice of words sometimes upsetting and unsuitable. For example: ‘Mr. Stoker had screwed up most of the places….’ The story spans hundreds of years, yet the characters speak always in the same manner: as present day young people, using modern expressions. The dialogues sound for most part wrong, unconvincing. There are also quite a few grammar and punctuation errors. The book really needs an edit.

[Barry West · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bathory Curse is a lot of things. Part romance, part thriller, part fantasy, but despite being an amalgam of so many genres it is an extremely cohesive tale set in the same world as Bram Stoker's Dracula. Though here the main characters are Strega (witches), and their goals are as dark as the lands they inhabit.

While I really enjoyed the prose in this novel, as well as the characters themselves, I was particularly impressed with the plot itself. There were a number of characters running throughout the tale (Nea, Sabine, Jenica, Mariska, and all the Stoker's cast) but their storylines and motivations are somehow kept clear and distinct. This is no small feet. With so many threads being woven at once you'd think a stitch would get dropped here or there, but not so. Ms. Lake's writing may have tremendous depths, but there's all easy to fathom. Well done!

[H.K. Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 out of 5 starsThe Bathory curse is a gripping story rooted in traditional legend.
By H. K. Thompson on 11 Mar. 2016
Format: Paperback
The Bathory Curse is a gripping story, rooted in traditional legend which the author weaves into a legend of her own. The characters are well rounded, driven by their unique motivations, some that are not revealed until the very end. This is a story of love, friendship, family, loyalty and betrayal. If you're looking for a tale that will keep you turning the pages then you may just find it here!

[Robert Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken Follet meets Bram Stoker on an epic scale, spanning generations and continents. Lots of vampires, dragon-fairies, witches, magic, and hot sex scenes to keep the imagination piqued and interest stoked.

A pleasure to read and I am happy to recommend it.

[Isabela Espíndola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intrigante, com um enredo bem completo e personagens diversos. A passagem do tempo é rápida, e os personagens tem que se adaptar a isso. O livro apresenta um ponto de vista bem diferente sobre a imortalidade, ao passo que a personagem sofre com a perda de pessoas próximas a ela.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sounds great! I hope to win, read it and enjoy the story ... If I win, the review will be updated once I finish the book :)