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Order of the Dragon: Book One
Order of the Dragon – Book One takes place in 15th century Europe, terrorized by brutal warfare, cursed with superstition, and divided by religion. Prince Vlad struggles to master his destiny and govern the fate of his homeland in such times. As a younger son raised in royal courts, Vlad lingers in the shadow of others. Until, at the side of the capricious Luxembourg king of Hungary, Sigismund, Vlad gains a knighthood and a new sobriquet—Dracul, meaning the dragon or the devil. His family, friends, lovers, and enemies know him as both.
In a journey from the land of his birth to the decadent and dangerous royal court at Buda Castle, across Europe's oldest medieval cities and fields of carnage, Vlad Dracul must survive the path to power. A bloody road mired in warfare and savagery, littered with more than the corpses of his Turkish enemies. Strange creatures haunt his imagination and his battlefield encounters. Deceit and betrayal dictate the course of old friendships and holy alliances. Discover the sacrifices Vlad Dracul makes in pursuit of his goal; the preservation of his family and Christendom's borders. Read Order of the Dragon – Book One, the first in a series of novels about the real Dracula family, the House of Basarab.
In a journey from the land of his birth to the decadent and dangerous royal court at Buda Castle, across Europe's oldest medieval cities and fields of carnage, Vlad Dracul must survive the path to power. A bloody road mired in warfare and savagery, littered with more than the corpses of his Turkish enemies. Strange creatures haunt his imagination and his battlefield encounters. Deceit and betrayal dictate the course of old friendships and holy alliances. Discover the sacrifices Vlad Dracul makes in pursuit of his goal; the preservation of his family and Christendom's borders. Read Order of the Dragon – Book One, the first in a series of novels about the real Dracula family, the House of Basarab.
657 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2022
2 people want to read
About the author
Lisa J. Yarde
21 books65 followersLisa J. Yarde writes fiction inspired by the Middle Ages in Europe. She is the author of a six-part series set in Moorish Spain, Sultana, Sultana’s Legacy, Sultana: Two Sisters, Sultana: The Bride Price, Sultana: The Pomegranate Tree, and Sultana: The White Mountains, where rivalries and ambitions threaten the fragile bonds between members of the last Muslim dynasty to rule in Europe. The first title in the series is available in multiple languages. She has also written The Order of the Dragon – Book One, and The Order of the Dragon - Book Two, novels in a series of stories about the family of the real Dracula.
Lisa has also published two historical novels set in medieval England and Normandy, On Falcon’s Wings, featuring a star-crossed romance between Norman and Saxon lovers before the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and The Burning Candle, based on the life of the first Countess of Leicester and Surrey, Isabel de Vermandois, progenitor of modern royal and non-noble families. Lisa’s short stories include The Legend Rises, in the HerStory anthology, which chronicles the Welsh princess Gwenllian of Gwynedd’s fight against twelfth-century English invaders, and The Heretic, in the anthology We All Fall Down, wherein the Hispano-Muslim doctor Ibn al-Khatib struggles to survive the Black Death.
Born in Barbados, Lisa lived abroad for 33 years until a recent permanent return to her island home. For more than a decade, she has been affiliated with the Historical Novel Society, presented at its 2015 Denver conference, and served as the co-chair of the Historical Novel Society – New York City chapter (2015-2017), social media manager (2017-2022), and program chair (2023-2025). An avid techie, she has presented to varied audiences on the topics of historical fiction, self-publishing, and website and social media management. She has moderated and contributed to Unusual Historicals, Great Historicals, and History & Women, and previously reviewed historical fiction for the History & Women blog, Washington Independent Review of Books, and through NetGalley. Her personal blog is The Bajan Scribbler.
Learn more about Lisa and her writing at the website www.lisajyarde.com.
Lisa has also published two historical novels set in medieval England and Normandy, On Falcon’s Wings, featuring a star-crossed romance between Norman and Saxon lovers before the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and The Burning Candle, based on the life of the first Countess of Leicester and Surrey, Isabel de Vermandois, progenitor of modern royal and non-noble families. Lisa’s short stories include The Legend Rises, in the HerStory anthology, which chronicles the Welsh princess Gwenllian of Gwynedd’s fight against twelfth-century English invaders, and The Heretic, in the anthology We All Fall Down, wherein the Hispano-Muslim doctor Ibn al-Khatib struggles to survive the Black Death.
Born in Barbados, Lisa lived abroad for 33 years until a recent permanent return to her island home. For more than a decade, she has been affiliated with the Historical Novel Society, presented at its 2015 Denver conference, and served as the co-chair of the Historical Novel Society – New York City chapter (2015-2017), social media manager (2017-2022), and program chair (2023-2025). An avid techie, she has presented to varied audiences on the topics of historical fiction, self-publishing, and website and social media management. She has moderated and contributed to Unusual Historicals, Great Historicals, and History & Women, and previously reviewed historical fiction for the History & Women blog, Washington Independent Review of Books, and through NetGalley. Her personal blog is The Bajan Scribbler.
Learn more about Lisa and her writing at the website www.lisajyarde.com.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 26, 2023
Order of the Dragon : Book One is the fictionalised biography and character portrayal of Dracula's father, Vlad II Dracul, also known as Vlad the Dragon. Grand and colourful, this historical novel spans the years 1408 to 1432, from Vlad the Dragon's youth to his early years as a father. Those curious about the real Dracula or Vlad the Impaler might be tempted to skip this book and wait until the other book instalments, but this would be a mistake. The life and times of Vlad the Dragon are so richly fascinating that readers would miss out on a journey of epic scale.
This novel is beautifully written and what lingers most for me is the depth of language and insights. There are many quotes that moved me, like,
“What was life and a man’s existence, except a test of his faith and resolve?”
Because this is after all a novel about a historical male figure, I want to stress that I really enjoyed the accent on Vlad’s character study. A thoughtful quote from an antiquity philosopher introduces each chapter, hinting to the passage’s themes and the life lessons that are to be learned, presumably by Vlad. Our main character begins his arc as a discontented and impulsive youth who has yet to acquire patience, gratitude, and strategic acumen. Throughout many years he will nurse political ambitions over his brothers, deep resentment toward the Turks, and later pay heed to a prophecy announcing his betrayal. He will be wary, not only of his lifelong enemy but also of his best friend. This last trait imbues one of the final scenes with a power I rarely felt in any novel. The passage is extremely well-written in its suspense and the complex emotions it stirs. It was a well-executed climax, drawing together all Vlad had experienced, and rendering his reactions highly plausible. Be ready for a surprise.
Never perfect, but of admirable character is our Vlad. The book’s in-depth study has the quality of reinforcing our curiosity about the son. For what could cause a boy raised by a decent father to eventually become a monster, as hinted by a name like Vlad the Impaler? It is hard not be curious about how events will unfold in subsequent books, if only to answer this question.
But onto the story. It takes place in a period wrought with war between Christendom and the Ottomans and this same tension is palpable in Vlad's intense hatred for the Turks who wage regular attacks into his homeland of Wallachia.
When we first meet Vlad, he is attempting a daring escape from home with his beloved twin sister, Arina. There are many things Vlad reproaches his father, the Voivode of Wallachia, not least that Prince Mircea has sold Arina as a betrothed to secure an alliance with the Turks. Arina's fate will haunt Vlad for many years to come.
Vlad is sent to Buda Castle in Hungary where begins his lifelong servitude to King Zsigmond. Through training, battles, tournaments, banquets and more adventures, he befriends an incredible cast of historical characters and through his eyes, we live through key dramatic events in Eastern European history.
During his service to King Zsigmond, the wicked queen Cillei Borbála will taunt Vlad and cause him great harm. Yet I found this woman captivating for several reasons, one being that Vlad soon learns of the Order of the Dragon, a secret confederacy of knights at the service of King Zsigmond which according to rumours was jointly formed by the queen. In all, I grew to respect Borbála and hope to read more of her in the next book in the series.
Romance-wise the story delves wonderfully into Vlad’s conflicted relationship with two fascinating women, one of which is no other than Cneajna of Moldavia who is gifted with strange prophetic powers and fated to become Dracula’s mother. Yet what touched me most was the novel’s reverence toward friendship. Each of Vlad’s friends – the awe-inspiring Polish black knight, Zawisza Czarny, the love-thwarted and later canonized Queen Jadwiga of Poland, the warm and mystical Milena Olivera (Mileva Olivera Lazarević) an ex-consort to an ottoman sultan, and the Bulgarian noble, Fruzhin - are each worth their own novel. They were a treat to discover because Lisa J. Yarde is adept at painting well-rounded peripheral characters.
Those who enjoy culture and travel through literature will find pleasure in Order of the Dragon. It begins in today’s Romania, moves onto Hungary, today’s Slovakia, spends a while in Konstanz in Germany, later in Bohemia or today’s Czech Republic, followed by Poland, depicts a major battle in Serbia, travels to what is now Nuremberg in Germany to finally end in the birth town of Dracula, Sighișoara in Transylvania.
A novel of this breadth and depth is never easily undertaken and this speaks volumes about the author’s talent and historical research skills. When the journey draws to a close, one feels both enriched and curious to know more about the period. Thank goodness, there will be other books in the series.
This review is also published on my blog, Teranga and Sun.
This novel is beautifully written and what lingers most for me is the depth of language and insights. There are many quotes that moved me, like,
“What was life and a man’s existence, except a test of his faith and resolve?”
Because this is after all a novel about a historical male figure, I want to stress that I really enjoyed the accent on Vlad’s character study. A thoughtful quote from an antiquity philosopher introduces each chapter, hinting to the passage’s themes and the life lessons that are to be learned, presumably by Vlad. Our main character begins his arc as a discontented and impulsive youth who has yet to acquire patience, gratitude, and strategic acumen. Throughout many years he will nurse political ambitions over his brothers, deep resentment toward the Turks, and later pay heed to a prophecy announcing his betrayal. He will be wary, not only of his lifelong enemy but also of his best friend. This last trait imbues one of the final scenes with a power I rarely felt in any novel. The passage is extremely well-written in its suspense and the complex emotions it stirs. It was a well-executed climax, drawing together all Vlad had experienced, and rendering his reactions highly plausible. Be ready for a surprise.
Never perfect, but of admirable character is our Vlad. The book’s in-depth study has the quality of reinforcing our curiosity about the son. For what could cause a boy raised by a decent father to eventually become a monster, as hinted by a name like Vlad the Impaler? It is hard not be curious about how events will unfold in subsequent books, if only to answer this question.
But onto the story. It takes place in a period wrought with war between Christendom and the Ottomans and this same tension is palpable in Vlad's intense hatred for the Turks who wage regular attacks into his homeland of Wallachia.
When we first meet Vlad, he is attempting a daring escape from home with his beloved twin sister, Arina. There are many things Vlad reproaches his father, the Voivode of Wallachia, not least that Prince Mircea has sold Arina as a betrothed to secure an alliance with the Turks. Arina's fate will haunt Vlad for many years to come.
Vlad is sent to Buda Castle in Hungary where begins his lifelong servitude to King Zsigmond. Through training, battles, tournaments, banquets and more adventures, he befriends an incredible cast of historical characters and through his eyes, we live through key dramatic events in Eastern European history.
During his service to King Zsigmond, the wicked queen Cillei Borbála will taunt Vlad and cause him great harm. Yet I found this woman captivating for several reasons, one being that Vlad soon learns of the Order of the Dragon, a secret confederacy of knights at the service of King Zsigmond which according to rumours was jointly formed by the queen. In all, I grew to respect Borbála and hope to read more of her in the next book in the series.
Romance-wise the story delves wonderfully into Vlad’s conflicted relationship with two fascinating women, one of which is no other than Cneajna of Moldavia who is gifted with strange prophetic powers and fated to become Dracula’s mother. Yet what touched me most was the novel’s reverence toward friendship. Each of Vlad’s friends – the awe-inspiring Polish black knight, Zawisza Czarny, the love-thwarted and later canonized Queen Jadwiga of Poland, the warm and mystical Milena Olivera (Mileva Olivera Lazarević) an ex-consort to an ottoman sultan, and the Bulgarian noble, Fruzhin - are each worth their own novel. They were a treat to discover because Lisa J. Yarde is adept at painting well-rounded peripheral characters.
Those who enjoy culture and travel through literature will find pleasure in Order of the Dragon. It begins in today’s Romania, moves onto Hungary, today’s Slovakia, spends a while in Konstanz in Germany, later in Bohemia or today’s Czech Republic, followed by Poland, depicts a major battle in Serbia, travels to what is now Nuremberg in Germany to finally end in the birth town of Dracula, Sighișoara in Transylvania.
A novel of this breadth and depth is never easily undertaken and this speaks volumes about the author’s talent and historical research skills. When the journey draws to a close, one feels both enriched and curious to know more about the period. Thank goodness, there will be other books in the series.
This review is also published on my blog, Teranga and Sun.
January 18, 2026
Order of the Dragon. Book One is a powerful and immersive historical novel that brings the brutal realities of 15th century Europe vividly to life. From its opening pages, the book plunges the reader into a world shaped by war, superstition, and fractured faith, where survival demands cruelty as often as courage.
Prince Vlad is portrayed with remarkable depth not as a legend yet, but as a younger son struggling beneath the weight of expectation and obscurity. Watching him earn the name Dracul under the volatile King Sigismund is one of the novel’s most compelling arcs. His knighthood feels hard won, steeped in blood and moral compromise, and it marks the moment where destiny begins to close its grip around him.
The journey through medieval Europe is richly detailed: the decadence of Buda Castle contrasts sharply with the carnage of the battlefields, and the constant presence of fear of betrayal, of damnation, of the unknown seeps into every chapter. The author skillfully blurs the line between psychological terror and the supernatural, using strange visions and battlefield horrors to mirror Vlad’s growing inner conflict.
What truly elevates this novel is its emotional weight. Friendships fracture, loyalties shift, and love is never safe from politics or faith. Every sacrifice Vlad makes feels consequential, especially as he grapples with the impossible task of protecting both his family and the borders of Christendom. By the end, the reader understands that the road to power does not create monsters it reveals them.
Order of the Dragon Book One is brutal, atmospheric, and deeply human. It’s a riveting start to a series that treats the Dracula legend not as myth, but as history forged in blood and belief. A must read for fans of dark historical fiction and morally complex heroes.
Prince Vlad is portrayed with remarkable depth not as a legend yet, but as a younger son struggling beneath the weight of expectation and obscurity. Watching him earn the name Dracul under the volatile King Sigismund is one of the novel’s most compelling arcs. His knighthood feels hard won, steeped in blood and moral compromise, and it marks the moment where destiny begins to close its grip around him.
The journey through medieval Europe is richly detailed: the decadence of Buda Castle contrasts sharply with the carnage of the battlefields, and the constant presence of fear of betrayal, of damnation, of the unknown seeps into every chapter. The author skillfully blurs the line between psychological terror and the supernatural, using strange visions and battlefield horrors to mirror Vlad’s growing inner conflict.
What truly elevates this novel is its emotional weight. Friendships fracture, loyalties shift, and love is never safe from politics or faith. Every sacrifice Vlad makes feels consequential, especially as he grapples with the impossible task of protecting both his family and the borders of Christendom. By the end, the reader understands that the road to power does not create monsters it reveals them.
Order of the Dragon Book One is brutal, atmospheric, and deeply human. It’s a riveting start to a series that treats the Dracula legend not as myth, but as history forged in blood and belief. A must read for fans of dark historical fiction and morally complex heroes.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews