I will start off saying that this is not my usual genre. In light of that I found myself entranced by the story itself and where it was constantly going. It had a fun sense of mystery entwined with darkness and mind twisting characters.

The characters were challenging. They made me think "would I do that?" and "if I thought I loved someone would I be blind to their misgivings?" And I'm honestly not sure. I like to think I'd try to put a stop to the constant bloodshed around me. But there are so many what ifs and oh my gosh moments while reading this book I really had to sit down and think... what would I do?

I thought it would be bloodier, the cover itself and the first page to each chapter is covered in blood. I think this would have been better as the illusive new adult genre, but the publishing houses are still trying to keep that genre from us no matter how much we beg. Don't get me wrong, it was dark, gritty and had some bloody scenes, but you could tell the author was holding back.

I think this book was well done, but I disliked the pacing at times. The beginning was slow, the middle was steady and then the end was rushed. At times we were being told things we'd already been told multiple times and I just wanted the plot to move forward. By the end I was wanting it to slow down. Besides the pacing and the fact that I think this book would had done better as a new adult fiction, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it much more than I thought, knowing going in it wasn't my preferred genre.

That being said, if you like dark, twisted, historical fictions... this one might be the one for you.

I’m not exactly sure what I read here. To the author, the publisher, and NG I send my thanks for the copy of this book for my review, but seriously, what was this? I think I probably should have not requested this book , or maybe I didn’t read the synopsis closely? It was in no way historically correct, instead true fabrication beginning to end. My preference-NOT THIS. I hate being negative in a NG review.honestly I really don’t like that, but this was just bizarre to me and I definitely am not interested in reading anything else in this series.

Love the Slavic representation from both within the book and the Serbian author (I am Serbian too). The writing was beautifully wicked and dark, and I know many YA readers will love this. Unfortunately it didn't feel as original as I had hoped it would be, and I wish it was darker.

I started this book and honestly it was a DNF for me. I just couldn’t get into. I feel like it was just too slow for me right now. I will eventually give it a try again but for now it was a no go.

It started out interesting. However, I did not like that the main character has a romantic relationship with a serial killer. That was very creepy.

Blood Countess by Lana Popović is the first book in the young adult historical horror fantasy Lady Slayers series. This novel is based off the real life Countess Elizabeth Baathory who was the inspiration for Countess Dracula told from the point of view of her maid. While this is a horror fantasy series each of the books are about different characters in history so it seems that they could be read as standalones if choosing to do so but I’ve only read the first book so I can’t say for sure.

Anna Darvulia was training to be a midwife and healer but then tragedy strikes her family that forces Anna to give up her healing. Anna takes a job as a scullery maid instead working for the Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Before long Anna earns her way in the countess’ trust and moves up rank to her chambermaid where she finds herself falling under the spell of Countess Elizabeth and becoming her confidant.

Blood Countess for me was the type of book that started off strong but didn’t quite hold that all the way through. I wondered if perhaps the pace seemed to slow down for me after a while because this one wasn’t quite as bloody and horrific as it sounded like it would be and seemed to focus more on the relationship and also got a little repetitive in the middle. I ended up landing on three and a half stars for this opener of the series, I enjoyed it more than I thought but wish the pace had kept up as well as the beginning felt all throughout the book.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I am all in on the spooky vibes this season, so I decided to listen to the audiobook of Blood Countess by Lana Popović. This is a gothic historical fiction book, similar to And I Darken by Kiersten White. It’s based on the real Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Báthory, who may have inspired Dracula. The exact number of women and girls she killed is unknown but suspected close to 600. I went into this expecting vampires, but because of how horrific it ended up being I didn’t even miss that aspect. My favorite part of this book was the murderous and manipulative relationship between the heroine Anna and the Countess. There is some great tension between these two women. Popović really shines when exploring how these two women express their thoughts towards their own sexualities. Anna is consumed by her feelings for Elizabeth until she sees the full depth of Elizabeth’s madness and dark nature. I couldn’t put this down and felt like I was pulled right into this dark web of deceit. If you’re looking for a bloody good read, check this one out!

This book was a really fantastic read! And it's a series, so I can't wait to see where it goes from here! I was really excited to read this book, the concept was dark and creepy, and to have a series named Lady Slayers, with at least one historical lady bad guy, well, I was thrilled to read it!

From the synopsis, we know that Elizabeth isn't a really good person, but she has Anna fooled. At least for a little while. So it was hard to watch Anna defend Elizabeth, even in her thoughts, even for a little while, knowing that it's going to go downhill from there.

Anna is a good person, but who is in a bad spot. And Elizabeth both takes advantage-she makes the situation worse. Elizabeth is clearly a bad guy, and we saw her escalate her cruelty in this book. There are moments where Elizabeth shows a nicer side, but they don't outweigh the pain that she caused.

This book isn't really an action book. It's more of a gothic thriller, that it plays on emotions and tensions. Like Anna trusting in Elizabeth too long, and losing the trust of her fellow servants. And it wrapped up pretty nicely, I really enjoyed how it played out!

Loved reading this book, it was such a great read, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

This book was not at all what I was expecting. It was dark, it was disturbing, and I just was not into it. The writing style was ok, but I just found myself merely going through the act of reading the words rather than absorbing them. I caught myself having to go back and reread sections way more often than I normally do. Elizabeth and Anna were compelling characters, but I found myself questioning their actions at times. I just think that I didn't know what I was getting into based on the premise, and I think that the premise should be altered to better convey the contents of the novel.

I was intrigued to find out that Lana Popovic was writing a book based on Elizabeth Bathory, AKA Countess Dracula. I knew I just had to read this story. And I was not disappointed. This fascinating fictional story is not for the faint of heart. It's a story that illustrates just how far some people will go to maintain what they have and what they will do to take what they want. And it was a refreshing tale from most Young Adult books I tend to read, as it was darker and filled with eerie prose.

It is a story that starts out slow but gradually builds up pace. The story works toward a really unique plot with strong characters and wonderful world building. Popovic trickles in clues throughout the story that help lead the reader to a terrifyingly lovely ending; I loved how everything came together. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Countess and her life and seeing Anna, our protagonist, interact with the Countess. Anna was the type of character who was good hearted and down to Earth and always wanted to see the good in people. She was the complete opposite of the Countess, and it really made their interactions interesting and added a compelling piece to the overall story.

The Countess was an interesting character. I enjoyed seeing that she was a character that went through some struggles; she was flawed and rightly so. However, she was possessive and manipulative and cruel, and that evidently led to her downfall. And Anna wanted to make sure that never happened, as she tried to see the good and humanity in the Countess. But, sometimes, we come across people that are filled with too much darkness, and the Countess was that person for Anna. Sometimes you can't save those that are already lost.

Lana Popovic's writing is beautiful and filled with such meaningful prose. Popovic is a vivid storyteller who can easily sweep readers off their feet with her gorgeous writing. I enjoyed how she brought the story to life and made the story itself more emotional for the readers. I was able to connect with the characters, and also understand and feel their emotions, especially the Countess's.

Blood Countess was, overall, a gripping and enthralling story filled with good and bad, light and darkness. It's a great story to start off the Lady Slayers series and I can't wait to see what Lana Popovic has next in store for her readers. If you're looking for a Young Adult historical story filled with sinister moments, strong characterization, and enchanting world building, I recommend reading Blood Countess.

I was so excited to see a historical YA horror novel based on Countess Elizabeth Bathory! I’ve read a few other books and have watched a couple of those ghost hunter shows investigate her castle. There is just something strangely compelling about her. The main character, Anna Darvulia, is actually based on the real life Anna Darvolya. Three of the other servants in the book also seem to be based on real life servants of the countess. I really liked that the author actually used characters based on real people that were connected to the countess. That all makes it so much more real. I’ve read that Anna Darvolya was actually considered to be the one who honed the Countess’s torture skills and instructed the other servants. However, in this novel, the author does a little reimagining. Anna is an innocently naive village girl, trained as a midwife under her mother. She has a chance meeting with Elizabeth and her entire life changes from there.

There were things about this book that I liked but also lots of things that didn’t really click with me. Right off the bat the book seemed to be a little overwritten for my taste. Every noun seemed to have a descriptive word, some words I even had to look up and when I did they didn’t quite seem to fit the context. I also didn’t like how naive Anna was portrayed. She overlooked every single terrible thing Elizabeth had done or that Anna’s fellow scullery maids told her they had heard. It also seemed strange to me how high up Elizabeth ended up putting Anna. A countess throwing a ball for a commoner… maybe it happened, but seems a little far fetched. I know a lot of people were excited about the F/F romance aspect in this book but this one was honestly too much for the story I think. I mean, I guess I could see how a young village girl who had never been anywhere or seen anything could fall hard for a Countess who is lifting her up so high but what I really didn’t like was Anna making excuses for Elizabeth when she started to see what she was truly like. No spoilers so I won’t talk about how the book ended but it felt too easy. In the end I don’t think this even works as a horror story. It felt more like a historical romance gone wrong. Overall this book was just okay for me.

I tried chewing on my thoughts to write a review that explained why this book just didn't sit with me . . . but the thing is, I can't. That's how this book went: it just kinda existed? Just happened to me? It felt very passive, which is unfortunate because somewhere, deep inside, it felt like it wanted to be something more, something grander, something to stir hearts to horror and shock and confusion.

Instead, all it gave me was confusion and an unsatisfactory feeling every time I tried to think about it.

Blood Countess is a thrilling tale about Countess Elizabeth Bathory and her murderous rampage through Hungary. Told from the view of Anna, a commoner with knowledge of midwifery, herbs, and healing, this story takes you on her journey to discovering the evil in the infamous Countess. Beautifully written and immaculately detailed, Lana Popovic's novel is a wild ride through Elizabeth's and Anna's relationship, turned sour by the Countess's bloodlust.

I was really looking forward to this one, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. The part that I read was well written, so I'll try it again at another time.

This is not what I was expecting. I spent the first half of the book wondering when the murders would happen, and the second half wondering how dumb Anna could be when dealing with a sociopathic serial killer. Either way I love reading new Eastern European stories.

I enjoyed this title so much! I thought the plot was so intriguing, and the characterization very strong! The description used by the author was so evocative I felt transported, and I kept turning until the very last page. I think the cover is very cute - I'll be sure to purchase this for my store!

2.5 stars

Anna Darvulia takes a job working for Countess Elizabeth Bathory in order to provide for her family.
At first, Anna is a scullery maid, but then Anna gets noticed by Elizabeth and becomes a chambermaid.
The two grow close and soon Anna and Elizabeth are inseparable.
Then Anna starts to see a darker side to Elizabeth, a side that scares Anna.
When the bodies begin piling up, Anna knows it isn't long before she will be next.
Can Anna escape from Elizabeth?

Blood Countess is a book that I have very mixed feelings about.
Anna was a likeable protagonist but there were times when I found her a bit annoying. I didn't always agree with her thought processes.
The setting of 16th century Hungary was interesting but we don't get to see much of it seeing as most of the novel is set in castles.
The novel is based on the real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula, which was interesting and a bit scary.
The plot was very predictable and nothing that happened surprised me. Despite this, I did enjoy the first half, but then found myself losing interest during the second half of the novel.
I found some scenes hard to read and there was more violence than I expected.
The romance felt rushed and I didn't feel the connection between the characters.
The writing style made it a quick read (I read the book in two days) but I wasn't gripped.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more as the premise intrigued me.

Overall, this was an ok read.

DNFed because I couldn't stomach the gore.

When I requested this book, I had no idea to what level of detail the torture would be described. It's comparable to watching Saw when you had a classic horror film in mind. I don't consider myself squeamish but had a hard time reading this.

I rated it 3 stars because the writing was great; the story just wasn't for me.

Trigger warnings: torture, gore, vomiting, abuse
Blood Countess is a young adult historical horror which reimagines the crimes of Elizabeth Bathory through the eyes of a midwife apprentice who becomes her chambermaid.

This book is short, but what a wild ride of lust, murder, and redemption, all in that order. Anna’s voice is wonderful. She’s brave in her compassion and proves a formidable adversary to the cruel and cunning Elizabeth. Their chemistry hums on the page, and I do appreciate the effort Popović put in making a version of 1500s Hungary where the crime wasn’t that they were two girls in a relationship, as twisted as it was.

Gothic, gory, and full of tension, definitely a must-read for readers with a villain-romance-shaped hole in their hearts.

TRIGGER WARNING: Physical/emotional/domestic abuse, torture, manipulation

Honestly, I don't think I actually knew what I was getting into when I requested this book. I mean, I thought I did but, boy, was I wrong. This book instantly pulled me in and as horrific as the following events grew to be, I couldn't actually tear my eyes from the page.

This book is based off the historical Countess Elizabeth of Bathory and, until I read the description, I didn't know she was the real life inspiration for Countess Dracula. That hooked me right then and there. What transpired next was the horrific process of Elizabeth drawing in our main character, Anna, first by offering pay beyond her wildest dreams then through a gradual process of manipulation. Only when Anna is manipulated and in way over her head, does Elizabeth reveal her true nature.

I did find this book quite gripping and it was something I could not stop myself from finishing, if only to see how in the world Anna was going to get out of the messy web Elizabeth had created. This book was quite gruesome, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to everyone but if you're curious and it sounds like something you may like, give it a try.

As a reader, it was so frustrating (in a good way) to watch Anna believe nearly everything Elizabeth said or rationalize the questionable things she said/did. Elizabeth completely disgusted me, which I realize was the point and it was done very well. Just when you think Anna is about to triumph in some way, the author rips that possibility away.

To be totally honest, while I didn't hate or love this book, if I had known how gruesome it really was I would have given it a pass.