Okay, but flawed
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This book started well, setting the scene and developing the characters. However, Strahd's downfall felt rushed and the narrative workmanlike thereafter. This might have been a deliberate attempt to show his state of mind, but I found it unengaging and, ultimately, disappointing.
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Good, but not perfect
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This book is the first of 2 that were printed and follow the life of Strahd von Zarovich, vampire and dark lord of Barovia in Ravenloft. PN Elrod does a grand job of the writing and presents Strahd's life well in this book. Since this book is told by The Devil Strahd himself, it cannot be taken as canon Ravenloft, but an excellent sourse for Barovian Propaganda in games. Even if yo udo not play Ravenloft, this book is an excellent piece on its own, but may leave some confusion, a tiny level of familiarity with Ravenloft will help the reader some ;)
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The best dark fantasy I have ever read!
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Honestly it's a bit difficult for me to write a review about this book, because I bet I won't find
anything bad about it. It's just perfect as it is!
The story is framed by an excellent prologue and epilogue, that creates a fantastic atmosphere for this haunting tale: Rudolph Van Richten, the old
vampire hunter sneaks into the castle of Strahd Von Zarovich, the Lord of Barovia and reads his diary, revealing the tragedy and fate of the mighty vampire. Strahd sacrified his life to acquire more and more power and honour, but forgot about the most important: love. He falls in love with Tatyana, the beloved of his brother, but the girl doesn't love Him. The essence of dark fantasy enters the story at this point: Strahd offers the life of his brother to the Evil to get her love... The secret of the Ba'al Verzi assassin, the fate of Tatyana and revenge - some events of the excellent storyline, that are awaiting for the reader to reveal. An excellent book. I admit, that I have read it three times and I like it more and more. Thank You for reading my praises, I hope this review helped you a bit...
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