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Ravenloft: Strahd #1
The Memoirs of a Vampire
...Some of the parchment pages were the color of cream, thick and substantial, made to last many, many lifetimes. Other pages were thin and desiccated, positively yellow from age, and crackled alarmingly as Van Richten turned them over. There were no ornate illuminations, no fussy borders, only lines of plain text in hard black ink. The flowing handwriting was a bit difficult to follow at first; the writer's style of calligraphy had not been in common use for three hundred years. No table of contents, but from the dates it looked to be some kind of history.
He turned to the first page and
I, Strahd, Lord of Barovia, well aware certain events of my reign have been desperately misunderstood by those who are better at garbling history than recording it, hereby set down an exact record of those events, that the truth may at last be known . . . .
He caught his breath. By all the good gods, a personal journal?
He turned to the first page and
I, Strahd, Lord of Barovia, well aware certain events of my reign have been desperately misunderstood by those who are better at garbling history than recording it, hereby set down an exact record of those events, that the truth may at last be known . . . .
He caught his breath. By all the good gods, a personal journal?
Hardcover
First published April 16, 1993
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About the author
P.N. Elrod
92 books591 followersPatricia Nead Elrod is an American fantasy writer specializing in novels about vampires. Her work falls into areas of fantasy and (in some cases) mystery or historical fiction, but normally not horror, since her vampires are the heroes. -Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
April 5, 2024
A very pleasant surprise.
I’ve read books before that I assumed would be a fun distraction but little more and then was astonished to learn that the writer had missed the memo about just filling in the blanks for a fun fantasy and had instead put in some extra effort to make it better than expected.
Author P.N. Elrod first published this novel as a part of the Dungeons and Dragons series and this one specifically building upon the Ravenloft genre of horror campaigns.
BTW - back in the day I was the DM for a Ravenloft campaign and so I have some history with this cool world building. In the 40 years since, Ravenloft has become a fecund breeding ground for more campaigns and home brews and Elrod makes this even more entertaining.
This is not only surprisingly well written but also intriguing as Elrod has found a way to not only tell a cool origin story for the vampire but also tell it in such a way as to accurately depict the inner thinkings of a lawful evil tyrant. We get to glimpse a first person narrative of how he became undead and a decades long exploration of his new powers.
Probably just for the AD&D crowd, but fans of vampire lit may also like this and its a fine fantasy book in its own right.
I’ve read books before that I assumed would be a fun distraction but little more and then was astonished to learn that the writer had missed the memo about just filling in the blanks for a fun fantasy and had instead put in some extra effort to make it better than expected.
Author P.N. Elrod first published this novel as a part of the Dungeons and Dragons series and this one specifically building upon the Ravenloft genre of horror campaigns.
BTW - back in the day I was the DM for a Ravenloft campaign and so I have some history with this cool world building. In the 40 years since, Ravenloft has become a fecund breeding ground for more campaigns and home brews and Elrod makes this even more entertaining.
This is not only surprisingly well written but also intriguing as Elrod has found a way to not only tell a cool origin story for the vampire but also tell it in such a way as to accurately depict the inner thinkings of a lawful evil tyrant. We get to glimpse a first person narrative of how he became undead and a decades long exploration of his new powers.
Probably just for the AD&D crowd, but fans of vampire lit may also like this and its a fine fantasy book in its own right.
October 27, 2008
This book should be called, What if Dracula won and was a Total Badass!
What I learned from this book? If you really want to be left alone, you should buy a castle and employ cut throat, Romanian Gypsy guards.
What I learned from this book? If you really want to be left alone, you should buy a castle and employ cut throat, Romanian Gypsy guards.
October 1, 2007
This was an oddly enjoyable book! I played the Ravenloft D&D modules in high school, and I like P. N. Elrod's writing, so I figured I'd indulge in nostalgia and read this. The plot covers Strahd's background, his choice to become a vampire, and his path from that choice to his weird existence surrounded by zombies in a trashed castle. Overall, the first half was excellent, with a powerful feel of realism (maybe more so because I was reading it on a quiet, thundery day), but when it got to the part with Tatyana, it started to lose believability for me. Without giving away anything that isn't on the back cover, I just thought his feelings about Tatyana came out of the blue, and were uncharacteristic -- required by the story rather than naturally evolving. I liked who Strahd was for the first half of the book, and ended up being disappointed to see his character change like that. Still, it was well written and worth reading for fun.
August 7, 2017
I have a great nostalgia for some of the D&D based novels. During my teenage years I practically thrived on them. The Dragonlance series was my personal favorite, and the one that I still occasionally go back to as some of the stories hold up surprisingly well. I personally never got into the Forgotten Realms, but I always kept a look out for the Ravenloft novels.
Ravenloft was D&D’s foray into the realm of the gothic. Horror based tales, but still with the adventurous spirit of your standard D&D novels. While they never quite reached Dragonlance’s status for me, I always enjoyed the ones I could find (NOTE: at the time of this review, the only Ravenloft novel I currently have rated is this one. The reason for this being that I don’t know which all of the others I have read, and after reading this one, even if I did know, I’d be hesitant to rate without a reread)… and it was a challenge to find them. For some reason, my local bookstores didn’t keep Ravenloft except when a new book came out. Whereas it was easy to find the backlog of Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, to find the earlier Ravenloft novels one had to search through used bookstores and just happen to get lucky.
One of those books that I could never find was this one. I had always heard of I, Strahd as being one of the better books in the series, and I checked used bookstores throughout my teens trying to find it with no luck. Apparently they reprinted it along with several other books in the series in 2006, but by that point I had long moved on to other things, though had I known I would have probably bought a new copy. As things stand, I instead found it at a used bookstore (how fitting!), there it was, an almost new copy of the reprint! Nostalgia kicked in and I had to finally read it.
Some childhood mysteries are worth exploring. Sometimes you find that nostalgic read that takes you back to being a kid, and you smile from start to finish… this was not one of them. I sat there throughout the novel thinking “I liked this as a kid?” with more than a touch of embarrassment. I remember these being so much better, and here laid the holy grail of the series, the one spoken of in whispered awe as the best that I had missed out on, and instead of joy I was only filled with wonder at how it had made it through the publishing process.
The novel is clumsily written, filled with poor word choices and laughable lines. In fact, I can pretty much sum up the writing with one line:
“How-?” I asked, hoping he would explain himself.
Really? The intended goal by asking how, was that he would explain himself? The insight offered to that word is truly astounding and well worth expanding upon. I would never have possibly guessed that the word how could be asking someone to explain themselves! This changes everything!
I apologize for the snarky nature of my review… but the only plus I can give the book is that it has a snarky narrator, so let us just say I’m imitating him.
The structure of the book is extremely episodic, which isn’t truly a problem, but at 277 pages, it seems odd that Strahd, whose intended goal is setting the record straight about himself, has time gaps of 200 years. Sure he’s setting the record straight about all the horrible things he’s done to the people, but those 200 years… *Shrug* not much must have happened. He must have been taking some time off.
I’m genuinely shocked by most of the reviews being extremely positive on here. I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly well written, and even Strahd, who was recurring character throughout the series, seems rather bland except for the occasional witty line. The writing is poor and there are large chunks of the book which are just dull. To be completely honest, I see little to no redeeming qualities to the book at all.
Solidly not recommended to anyone. Nostalgia hunters beware.
Ravenloft was D&D’s foray into the realm of the gothic. Horror based tales, but still with the adventurous spirit of your standard D&D novels. While they never quite reached Dragonlance’s status for me, I always enjoyed the ones I could find (NOTE: at the time of this review, the only Ravenloft novel I currently have rated is this one. The reason for this being that I don’t know which all of the others I have read, and after reading this one, even if I did know, I’d be hesitant to rate without a reread)… and it was a challenge to find them. For some reason, my local bookstores didn’t keep Ravenloft except when a new book came out. Whereas it was easy to find the backlog of Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, to find the earlier Ravenloft novels one had to search through used bookstores and just happen to get lucky.
One of those books that I could never find was this one. I had always heard of I, Strahd as being one of the better books in the series, and I checked used bookstores throughout my teens trying to find it with no luck. Apparently they reprinted it along with several other books in the series in 2006, but by that point I had long moved on to other things, though had I known I would have probably bought a new copy. As things stand, I instead found it at a used bookstore (how fitting!), there it was, an almost new copy of the reprint! Nostalgia kicked in and I had to finally read it.
Some childhood mysteries are worth exploring. Sometimes you find that nostalgic read that takes you back to being a kid, and you smile from start to finish… this was not one of them. I sat there throughout the novel thinking “I liked this as a kid?” with more than a touch of embarrassment. I remember these being so much better, and here laid the holy grail of the series, the one spoken of in whispered awe as the best that I had missed out on, and instead of joy I was only filled with wonder at how it had made it through the publishing process.
The novel is clumsily written, filled with poor word choices and laughable lines. In fact, I can pretty much sum up the writing with one line:
“How-?” I asked, hoping he would explain himself.
Really? The intended goal by asking how, was that he would explain himself? The insight offered to that word is truly astounding and well worth expanding upon. I would never have possibly guessed that the word how could be asking someone to explain themselves! This changes everything!
I apologize for the snarky nature of my review… but the only plus I can give the book is that it has a snarky narrator, so let us just say I’m imitating him.
The structure of the book is extremely episodic, which isn’t truly a problem, but at 277 pages, it seems odd that Strahd, whose intended goal is setting the record straight about himself, has time gaps of 200 years. Sure he’s setting the record straight about all the horrible things he’s done to the people, but those 200 years… *Shrug* not much must have happened. He must have been taking some time off.
I’m genuinely shocked by most of the reviews being extremely positive on here. I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly well written, and even Strahd, who was recurring character throughout the series, seems rather bland except for the occasional witty line. The writing is poor and there are large chunks of the book which are just dull. To be completely honest, I see little to no redeeming qualities to the book at all.
Solidly not recommended to anyone. Nostalgia hunters beware.
November 8, 2008
Great Vampire Memoir. PN Elrod really knows how to capture the desolate life a vampire. It pulls you back and forth not knowing whether to sympathize with him or to laugh at him for the stupid mistakes he made.
March 22, 2014
I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I found it rather interesting how in the Ravenloft series each book is written by a different author. In this addition Strahd Von Zarovich has lead his men through the war and now they are on their way to claim his land and property. When he arrives at his newly acquired castle his younger brother is there to greet him along with some of the locals. The two brothers eventually fall in love with the same young girl and because Strahd is so much older she chooses, falls in love, and plans to marry Strahd's younger brother. He is heartbroken and in a desperate hour tries to evoke black magic. This is when he is approached by what he considers "death itself", and is promised that he will have all of his hearts desires for a price; in his weekend state he accepts. Strahd is forever changed and lives an endless life in search of his one true love until.....
All in all a pretty good, non sappy vampire story that is a definite throw back to the old, scary kinds of the undead. Paul Boehmer does a great job with the narration. I was not aware until I was finished listening that he also narrates the Nicholas Flamel Series.
All in all a pretty good, non sappy vampire story that is a definite throw back to the old, scary kinds of the undead. Paul Boehmer does a great job with the narration. I was not aware until I was finished listening that he also narrates the Nicholas Flamel Series.
February 24, 2016
In celebration of the Wizards of the Coast releasing a re-vamp of the Ravenloft classic for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Ed. (mine is already on pre-order), decided to read some Strahd fiction. I have always like Strahd's character since his introduction in the original Ravenloft adventure (which me and my party of adventures failed at our attempt to vanquish this foe- I still have my grudge) and have read other novels featuring the vampire. I enjoy the classic Bram Stoker-ish vampire over the the techno clubbing, Twilight, Lost Boys style vampires that are predominant in mainstream culture today. This book didn't disappoint. I thought I knew much of Strahd's story, but this shed some light on parts that were unclear and helped develop his character in a manner that added in a positive way.
October 30, 2009
This has to be one of the better vampire mythologies that I have read in a long time. It is darker than the current genre of vampire novels and even though it was written by a lady author seems to have a very masculine point of view. There is a lot of emphasis placed on the battles and triumphs of lord Strahd, as well as his ill fated romance as the story progresses. I would read this one again.
Read
February 28, 2025honestly don't know for how long I had it on my ebook, but the beginning was way too slow, so no wonder it took me years to finish this
May 7, 2010
I have to say, I had really low expectations going into this book but I was pleasantly surprised. This book was reminiscent of the “old school” vampires. No sparkling in the sunshine, just the good stuff like bats, and wolfs.. and sleeping in coffins.
This is the memoirs of Count Stradh who has spent most of his life as a solider, fine tuned to the act of bloodshed and betrayal. The beginning is mostly about his struggles, keeping his new lands and people of Barovia in line with his regime. Then Sergei his younger brother comes to visit whom he has not seen in over 20 years. This stirs up all the feelings of his passing youth and mortality. And when Sergei finally brings home his intended bride Tatyana, Stradh is thrown into such despair that he will do anything to gain her affections. This is where all the trouble begins. Once again, it is a beautiful woman that brings about all the strife.
"I felt my heart swoop and soar at the sheer joy of looking at her. This raised a blush on her cheek, and I instantly knew I must put her at ease. I took one of her hands, and she straightened how like a tall flower she was, and with a bow, lightly kissed her fingertips.
Stradh did a few really horrific things, that never seemed to be mentioned again, but I can only think that being a warrior most of his life that he was able to block the guilt that he should have felt. I am not saying that his life after his change was not filled with loneliness and despair, just that I wish some of his extreme evil deeds had been addressed. Umm....no not really! I didn't give a shit, I found him domineering, confident and oh so sexy. All said and done he made an interesting vampire just like Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows. *sigh*
This is the memoirs of Count Stradh who has spent most of his life as a solider, fine tuned to the act of bloodshed and betrayal. The beginning is mostly about his struggles, keeping his new lands and people of Barovia in line with his regime. Then Sergei his younger brother comes to visit whom he has not seen in over 20 years. This stirs up all the feelings of his passing youth and mortality. And when Sergei finally brings home his intended bride Tatyana, Stradh is thrown into such despair that he will do anything to gain her affections. This is where all the trouble begins. Once again, it is a beautiful woman that brings about all the strife.
"I felt my heart swoop and soar at the sheer joy of looking at her. This raised a blush on her cheek, and I instantly knew I must put her at ease. I took one of her hands, and she straightened how like a tall flower she was, and with a bow, lightly kissed her fingertips.
Stradh did a few really horrific things, that never seemed to be mentioned again, but I can only think that being a warrior most of his life that he was able to block the guilt that he should have felt. I am not saying that his life after his change was not filled with loneliness and despair, just that I wish some of his extreme evil deeds had been addressed. Umm....no not really! I didn't give a shit, I found him domineering, confident and oh so sexy. All said and done he made an interesting vampire just like Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows. *sigh*
January 12, 2016
A five star Dungeons and Dragons book? Yes, this is it. Everything clicked with this instalment - the narrative, the characterisations, the pacing, everything. Elrod's erudite and understated style is a welcome change from the usual quasi-fanfic renditions some of these D&D novels are - hi Ed Greenwood!
Elrod makes Strahd incredibly three dimensional. He was a cipher in the previous books in this series where he featured - a bad Hollywood Dracula - but here? It's incredible to watch his descent from determined and honourable soldier to self-serving and self-absorbed vampire. You almost sympathise with his plight - almost.
I, Strahd is a cautionary tale like no other, and if the remainder of the Ravenloft franchise I haven't read is half as good as this, then I'll be happy to read them.
Elrod makes Strahd incredibly three dimensional. He was a cipher in the previous books in this series where he featured - a bad Hollywood Dracula - but here? It's incredible to watch his descent from determined and honourable soldier to self-serving and self-absorbed vampire. You almost sympathise with his plight - almost.
I, Strahd is a cautionary tale like no other, and if the remainder of the Ravenloft franchise I haven't read is half as good as this, then I'll be happy to read them.
May 2, 2021
A great narrative that is multiple journal entries being read by a vampire hunter who entered the Count's castle during the daytime. The story follows the medieval warrior Count who becomes a vampire. There's creative and colorful writing with well-developed characters. I truly enjoyed this story and I'll probably end up reading it again. Thanks.
February 22, 2025
A fascinating insight on Strahd for Dungeon Masters hosting Curse of Strahd, players who want to dive into the lore after the campaign, or simply someone who loves a good gothic tale where the narrator IS the Vampire.
November 9, 2025
I played Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) for years, Dungeon Mastered a long running campaign, and read quite a few novels in the various campaign settings. I never played Ravenloft, the game’s gothic horror/dark fantasy setting, and only the last few years even read any of the novels (all of which I have enjoyed). I had certainly heard of the ruler of Barovia in the lands overall called Ravenloft, Strahd Von Zarovich, the most famous vampire in AD&D and indeed one of the most famous named individual monsters as well. The adventure module set in his castle (also called Ravenloft) was infamous, rumored to be extremely difficult to even survive let alone win, and in my mind I had elevated Strahd to the level of Dracula as far as Big Bads in gothic horror and one of the most famous vampires in fiction.
As a Halloween read I picked this book, an autobiography of Strahd, framed by an opening chapter and an epilogue from the point of view of the setting’s main hero and especially vampire hunter, Dr. Rudolph Van Richten, having found and read Strahd’s journal while exploring Ravenloft during the day.
Maybe I didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t this. It’s an autobiography of Strahd, starting well before he becomes a vampire, showing him as a warrior, how he comes into possession of Castle Ravenloft, details his friends and families before becoming a vampire. That I expected. One of the few personal details about Strahd I knew of was his pining for his lost love, the human woman Tatyana, and she certainly figures into the story. What I didn’t expect was how much the book humanized Strahd. You read about Strahd actually showing loyalty to those loyal to them when he was human; not being friends or visiting them to socialize, but not bringing harm to them and even kind of watching over them. You read how he continued to rule Barovia without being seen directly, and while tough, he was fair and not actually a bad ruler minus the occasional missing peasant (certainly a good ruler for the setting). He has power over bats and wolves, and multiple times shows them genuine affection. He even shows real care for his horses and when he has to make use of an unwitting human pawn, frequently let them live and go about their business. He even said something out loud funny at one point in the book, a passage intended to be humorous.
With its frequent use of magic spells, symbols, spellbooks, and magic items, it is definitely dark fantasy, not pure horror, and with magical battles definitely reminds the reader this is an AD&D story. I liked one battle especially that showed the power of holy symbols.
The story is both episodic, skipping large stretches of time after he becomes a vampire, but also, not, as central themes revisited are dealing with disloyalty to Strahd by those who betrayed him and murdered those in his service and among his family and Tatyana is a central thread too till the end.
Writing was decent, almost verging on YA but never bad. I do think two of the characters, most notably Strahd’s brother Sergei, could be a little one-dimensional and it was hard to differentiate between the various warriors in Strahd’s employ early in the book. Him becoming a vampire is surprisingly quick and vague. For all the lore that Strahd is incredibly evil, he really didn’t do a lot of evil in the book, as pretty much if you suffered in the book you were either with the murderers, got in the way of him and Tatyana, or were coming to kill Strahd because he was a vampire. I can’t say I blame Strahd for any of that. What we got was less “Strahd the Monster” and more “Strahd the Tragic Figure” which in the end, yeah, I guess perfect for a gothic setting.
As a Halloween read I picked this book, an autobiography of Strahd, framed by an opening chapter and an epilogue from the point of view of the setting’s main hero and especially vampire hunter, Dr. Rudolph Van Richten, having found and read Strahd’s journal while exploring Ravenloft during the day.
Maybe I didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t this. It’s an autobiography of Strahd, starting well before he becomes a vampire, showing him as a warrior, how he comes into possession of Castle Ravenloft, details his friends and families before becoming a vampire. That I expected. One of the few personal details about Strahd I knew of was his pining for his lost love, the human woman Tatyana, and she certainly figures into the story. What I didn’t expect was how much the book humanized Strahd. You read about Strahd actually showing loyalty to those loyal to them when he was human; not being friends or visiting them to socialize, but not bringing harm to them and even kind of watching over them. You read how he continued to rule Barovia without being seen directly, and while tough, he was fair and not actually a bad ruler minus the occasional missing peasant (certainly a good ruler for the setting). He has power over bats and wolves, and multiple times shows them genuine affection. He even shows real care for his horses and when he has to make use of an unwitting human pawn, frequently let them live and go about their business. He even said something out loud funny at one point in the book, a passage intended to be humorous.
With its frequent use of magic spells, symbols, spellbooks, and magic items, it is definitely dark fantasy, not pure horror, and with magical battles definitely reminds the reader this is an AD&D story. I liked one battle especially that showed the power of holy symbols.
The story is both episodic, skipping large stretches of time after he becomes a vampire, but also, not, as central themes revisited are dealing with disloyalty to Strahd by those who betrayed him and murdered those in his service and among his family and Tatyana is a central thread too till the end.
Writing was decent, almost verging on YA but never bad. I do think two of the characters, most notably Strahd’s brother Sergei, could be a little one-dimensional and it was hard to differentiate between the various warriors in Strahd’s employ early in the book. Him becoming a vampire is surprisingly quick and vague. For all the lore that Strahd is incredibly evil, he really didn’t do a lot of evil in the book, as pretty much if you suffered in the book you were either with the murderers, got in the way of him and Tatyana, or were coming to kill Strahd because he was a vampire. I can’t say I blame Strahd for any of that. What we got was less “Strahd the Monster” and more “Strahd the Tragic Figure” which in the end, yeah, I guess perfect for a gothic setting.
June 26, 2016
Excellent! So Good! Read this book!
That's my expert review!
As you can tell by my writing prowess, I didn't get that English degree for nothing!
Okay, here's my "review."
I have never been enamored with vampires or supernatural stuff. I read the occasional vampire themed book when it spills over into my normal reading. I LOVED Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Sometimes vampires show up in the Dresden Files, which I read, and I also read (and enjoyed) a Sookie Stackhouse book once upon a time. As a youngster I read Bram Stoker's Dracula. I don't go looking for vampire books like some of these obsessive zealots. But I don't cower in fear from them either, like your garden variety pious person. That's not to say I don't try to be pious.
What am I talking about again?
Oh yeah, the book.
I love D&D. I won't deny that fact. I love Fantasy. It's my favorite genre. I know that Ravenloft is connected with the Forgotten Realms. Yet I had strayed from the Ravenloft books for years because I imagined them to be something different. I don't know what that I thought they were, but I didn't think they would be this.
So what IS this?
This is a very well-written, compelling story of how Strahd became what he is. If you are a fan of D&D or other RPGs, you may have played a Ravenloft module. Strahd is the antagonist/protagonist of the Ravenloft stories and modules. He is the protagonist in this one, and it is a winner. An episodic story covering a total of 350 years in Strahd's life, this book has it all. His life before his "change," his loyalties and inner thoughts about those close to him, his running his territory, his loves, desires, motivations, and habits.
All of which add up to something that is compulsively readable. This is the kind of story you hope to read when you pick up a Forgotten Realms-style story or single book in a long series.
I can hardly see a Forgotten Realms or Pathfinder Tales book without strongly desiring to read it, the ideal situation being a dog-eared used paperback. Well, add Ravenloft to that as well. In fact, the stellar reviews and glowing recommendations from those fellow Goodreaders are what encouraged me to start reading Ravenloft. I picked the books up at the store numerous times and always ended up putting them back and buying a Drizzt book instead or something similar. This seriously scratched an itch for a different style of D&D adventure.
The Verdict: This is the best Vampire book I have ever read. Yeah. That's right. As good as Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter but takes itself more seriously. If the other entries in the series are anything like this, I'm going to be indisposed for a bit. 5 Stars.
That's my expert review!
As you can tell by my writing prowess, I didn't get that English degree for nothing!
Okay, here's my "review."
I have never been enamored with vampires or supernatural stuff. I read the occasional vampire themed book when it spills over into my normal reading. I LOVED Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Sometimes vampires show up in the Dresden Files, which I read, and I also read (and enjoyed) a Sookie Stackhouse book once upon a time. As a youngster I read Bram Stoker's Dracula. I don't go looking for vampire books like some of these obsessive zealots. But I don't cower in fear from them either, like your garden variety pious person. That's not to say I don't try to be pious.
What am I talking about again?
Oh yeah, the book.
I love D&D. I won't deny that fact. I love Fantasy. It's my favorite genre. I know that Ravenloft is connected with the Forgotten Realms. Yet I had strayed from the Ravenloft books for years because I imagined them to be something different. I don't know what that I thought they were, but I didn't think they would be this.
So what IS this?
This is a very well-written, compelling story of how Strahd became what he is. If you are a fan of D&D or other RPGs, you may have played a Ravenloft module. Strahd is the antagonist/protagonist of the Ravenloft stories and modules. He is the protagonist in this one, and it is a winner. An episodic story covering a total of 350 years in Strahd's life, this book has it all. His life before his "change," his loyalties and inner thoughts about those close to him, his running his territory, his loves, desires, motivations, and habits.
All of which add up to something that is compulsively readable. This is the kind of story you hope to read when you pick up a Forgotten Realms-style story or single book in a long series.
I can hardly see a Forgotten Realms or Pathfinder Tales book without strongly desiring to read it, the ideal situation being a dog-eared used paperback. Well, add Ravenloft to that as well. In fact, the stellar reviews and glowing recommendations from those fellow Goodreaders are what encouraged me to start reading Ravenloft. I picked the books up at the store numerous times and always ended up putting them back and buying a Drizzt book instead or something similar. This seriously scratched an itch for a different style of D&D adventure.
The Verdict: This is the best Vampire book I have ever read. Yeah. That's right. As good as Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter but takes itself more seriously. If the other entries in the series are anything like this, I'm going to be indisposed for a bit. 5 Stars.
May 12, 2016
I was originally going to give this 3 stars out of 5. It was a serviceable book in simply telling Strahd’s personal story of becoming a vampire. At times, it was even interesting for a “gamer book.” It had potential. The mood and the world are awesome. Definitely gothic. I really enjoyed that. So, I thought, meh, 3 stars.
But then I thought about it and finally had to slip this down to 2 stars.
Why? Let me summarize my points.
• Strahd himself. What a jerk. He is a jerk before he becomes a vampire and he’s basically just the same old jerk afterwards. Well, except he now has super powers and needs to suck your blood. I didn’t really care what happened to him. The author tries to imbue him with some honorable characteristics, like he’ll fight for those that are under his protection, and an occasionally dry sense of humor. It’s just not enough for me though. His character is basically the same throughout the whole book, no development.
• Tatiana. So Strahd fell in love with her because of….what? The story picked up once she finally appeared about a quarter of the way through the book, but she was gone so quickly. Poorly developed character. Sweet young thing. It’s clearly a lust match on his part. I never totally understood what she felt for him. I must have blinked at some point. I thought she loved Sergei…at least, I think she did….didn’t she…?
• Sergei and Alek. The brother and best friend who are terribly wronged by Strahd. Pretty one-dimensional, but they were decent and loyal to Strahd. By the time they are dead, it seems like the author herself forgot about them. Oh well!
• The villain. I won’t give it away, but the villain (for whatever the term is worth) is pretty bland.
• Too episodic. This didn’t feel like a true story. It just seems like a bunch of episodes strung together. Stuff happened, but….meh.
• No tension. None for me. So while I wanted to see what the author came up with, I didn’t really care because I suspected the outcome.
Unfair of me to subject this to such scrutiny? I’ll sum it up with one word that describes the book….meh.
But then I thought about it and finally had to slip this down to 2 stars.
Why? Let me summarize my points.
• Strahd himself. What a jerk. He is a jerk before he becomes a vampire and he’s basically just the same old jerk afterwards. Well, except he now has super powers and needs to suck your blood. I didn’t really care what happened to him. The author tries to imbue him with some honorable characteristics, like he’ll fight for those that are under his protection, and an occasionally dry sense of humor. It’s just not enough for me though. His character is basically the same throughout the whole book, no development.
• Tatiana. So Strahd fell in love with her because of….what? The story picked up once she finally appeared about a quarter of the way through the book, but she was gone so quickly. Poorly developed character. Sweet young thing. It’s clearly a lust match on his part. I never totally understood what she felt for him. I must have blinked at some point. I thought she loved Sergei…at least, I think she did….didn’t she…?
• Sergei and Alek. The brother and best friend who are terribly wronged by Strahd. Pretty one-dimensional, but they were decent and loyal to Strahd. By the time they are dead, it seems like the author herself forgot about them. Oh well!
• The villain. I won’t give it away, but the villain (for whatever the term is worth) is pretty bland.
• Too episodic. This didn’t feel like a true story. It just seems like a bunch of episodes strung together. Stuff happened, but….meh.
• No tension. None for me. So while I wanted to see what the author came up with, I didn’t really care because I suspected the outcome.
Unfair of me to subject this to such scrutiny? I’ll sum it up with one word that describes the book….meh.
October 5, 2008
A little bit dark, but so true to the old beliefs of vampires that it was refreshing. He wasn't someone to be envied with eternal good looks & forever to be in love, this vampire was a man who had made a pact with the devil & was paying for his mistakes each & every day of his eternal life. You kind of pity him &, at the same time, think he really got what was coming to him. It was beautifully descriptive & extrememly well-written. I would definitely read on in the series.
November 13, 2016
This is Dracula retold, but Elron does it from the vampire's perspective and puts in enough twists and turns to make the story her own. An enjoyable read with Strahd coming off as a far darker and more ruthless monster than Bram Stoker's original. An added point of enjoyment is the use of the Serbian word for "fear" (strah) to devise a fitting name for the titular character.
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June 6, 2016The biggest evangelist for this book in my life was a non-gamer, which speaks for it. I always am interested in the intersection of genre & game, & with the update of Castle Ravenloft, this has been on my mind a bit, lately. --MK
April 9, 2024
After playing “Curse of Strahd” I was certainly intrigued. Having finished, I still don’t know whether I’m heartbroken for Strahd or disgusted by him, but I was definitely entertained from start to finish.
May 20, 2025
My D&D players follow me on here so I can’t say anything heheheh
March 14, 2024
I enjoyed this book immensely for the most part. It opens with third person narration from the perspective of Rudolph Van Richten, who at this point, is kind of just a regular dude. Then it transitions into first person as Strahd's journal. I do not like first person, but I actually found this to be tolerable. I don't know if it really felt like a fictional memoir though, it was really just an excuse for the author to write in first person. The back half of the book I also found myself enjoying a lot more. At first, Strahd is just this strict military guy who took over a country. Which is fine I guess. But I feel like too much of the book is devoted to that. We don't even see Tatyana until probably halfway through, and it's even longer before the change. And when he changes into a vampire it's kind of abrupt, especially after the slow paced build up. I would have liked to have a lot more about the 350 or so years that Strahd spent as a vampire, and more about each incarnation of Tatyana over that span. But I do acknowledge the canon of the world it's set in and the actual Curse of Strahd game modules kind of restricted what could be told. A lot of it is left open for game masters and players to continue or fill in the story with their own Strahd campaigns, which I do appreciate as someone who ran Strahd briefly and found it to be absolutely captivating. The book does use some of the old language that has since been phased out of the newer editions of the game module (gypsis being the biggest one). Overall though, my issues with this were pretty minor. The vampire content we did get was fantastic, the warped mind of Strahd becomes very apparent when he finally meets the first reincarnation of Tatyana which I loved, and it did follow the lore that I know from reading the game module fairly accurately. That scene near the end where Strahd was turning Tatyana into a vampire though was freaking nuts.
4 stars for too much military dribble at the start.
4 stars for too much military dribble at the start.
December 28, 2024
A solid read on its own, but I’d say this is even required reading for anyone looking to run Curse of Strahd
November 18, 2020
A pulp fiction Dracula-esque adventure story from the 1990’s. Not bad for what it is. Recommended for people that enjoy comics.
October 16, 2017
I have a friend who loves Strahd/Ravenloft and did the entire Curse of Strahd campaign. When I discovered this book existed, I grabbed a copy and it has been sitting on my shelf for a while. Now, because it is Halloween, I decided to say 'eh, let's read this instead of Dracula'.
So I did.
I think the problem I have with this book is how basic it is. There is no depth, no background, no 'history'. I can't tell if it is because there simply isn't a history written about him or if the author was told not to go into detail about that because it was technically not her character to do so. Whatever the reason, it just felt like the book was way too fast and I couldn't really get into Strahd's motivations or personality. Sure, I got that he was an older man who was saddled with being first child, sent off to war, no time for luxury and or relaxation.
There was a character I really enjoyed (who appeared in the campaign we played) that died incredibly fast. I really hoped they would have remained as a second through the entire book but alas, no. I wanted backstory on them, too.
I just felt like all the people mentioned in the book as supporting characters/people that Strahd killed, etc, were people I didn't know and didn't understand/connect with.
I enjoyed the book but I wanted more?
So I did.
I think the problem I have with this book is how basic it is. There is no depth, no background, no 'history'. I can't tell if it is because there simply isn't a history written about him or if the author was told not to go into detail about that because it was technically not her character to do so. Whatever the reason, it just felt like the book was way too fast and I couldn't really get into Strahd's motivations or personality. Sure, I got that he was an older man who was saddled with being first child, sent off to war, no time for luxury and or relaxation.
There was a character I really enjoyed (who appeared in the campaign we played) that died incredibly fast. I really hoped they would have remained as a second through the entire book but alas, no. I wanted backstory on them, too.
I just felt like all the people mentioned in the book as supporting characters/people that Strahd killed, etc, were people I didn't know and didn't understand/connect with.
I enjoyed the book but I wanted more?
October 13, 2017
I've listened to this audio book more times than I can count. I love love love Strahd and Borovia.
A dark gothic delight.
A hunter breaks into Lord Strahd's castle, thinking he's in a deep sleep and finds the vampire'e memoirs. We are then plunged back to around year 300, into his life after just fighting and winning a war and just before he becomes a vampire.
Assassins, murder, betrayal, love, reincarnation, war, tragedy, dark magic. A Vampire very much in the style of Dracula, with the wolves, bats, and mist. I have to go buy the other books now because it's not over.
Also, this is book one about Strahd.
A dark gothic delight.
A hunter breaks into Lord Strahd's castle, thinking he's in a deep sleep and finds the vampire'e memoirs. We are then plunged back to around year 300, into his life after just fighting and winning a war and just before he becomes a vampire.
Assassins, murder, betrayal, love, reincarnation, war, tragedy, dark magic. A Vampire very much in the style of Dracula, with the wolves, bats, and mist. I have to go buy the other books now because it's not over.
Also, this is book one about Strahd.
March 30, 2014
This book was a lot better than expected. Being in the middle of the series, I was worried that it wouldn't work as a stand alone, but it did for me at any rate.
The warlord Stradh ends up falling in love with his younger brother's chosen woman. This leads him to invoke terrible magic, whith unintended and unexpected results. Stradh is not exactly a sympathetic character, but this being written from his point of view, it is easier to understand his harsh reign.
A well written and entertaining gothic novel with not a sparkly vampire in sight.
The warlord Stradh ends up falling in love with his younger brother's chosen woman. This leads him to invoke terrible magic, whith unintended and unexpected results. Stradh is not exactly a sympathetic character, but this being written from his point of view, it is easier to understand his harsh reign.
A well written and entertaining gothic novel with not a sparkly vampire in sight.
January 16, 2015
This is one of the better D&D based books I've read. It's pretty much a classic Vampire story, with it's Gothic tragic style. It barrows heavily from the vampire movies that came out in the 1990's. So for me it had a lot of nostalgia value as well.
I don't know if the modern kids would like it though, since the Vampires don't sparkle.
I don't know if the modern kids would like it though, since the Vampires don't sparkle.
September 17, 2021
Personally, I find that its only flaw is that it ends. It even made me care for Tatyana and Strahd's relationship which is something I far from anticipated.
May 4, 2025
I enjoyed this one! It was an easy read and I loved the atmosphere. A nice old school vampiric read. Gotta love an unreliable narrator
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