4.59 avg rating — 44 ratings

"A powerful, honest story that pulls you right into 1463 Transylvania, without any mooimakerij.
Kate Webber, a Saxon healer once taught under Vlad Dracula, stands firm at the centre: capable, steady, and always aware that one wrong step can cost her dearly in a man-made world.
The novel turns on the quiet risks she takes and the secrets everyone carries, not for drama but for survival. Moise, the Jewish apprentice, brings a sharp tension between knowledge and danger that fits hand-in-glove with Kate’s own struggles.
Kronstadt, the location, is drawn so real you can almost smell the cold stone, with Vlad’s shadow lying over the city like an old verhaal people don’t dare say aloud. And when accusations rise, the story shows just how fragile a woman’s freedom was back then.
A dark, moving, beautifully grounded read that stays with you long after you close the book. Mooi."