Blood Countess follows Anna as she enters the employ and household of the infamous Countess Elizabeth Báthory, the real life inspiration for parts of the Dracula mythos.

This is the first book I've read from Popović, but I remember being intrigued by her debut Wicked Like a Wildfire. I really liked the writing style here, it's elegant but really readable. Having read Blood Countess, I'm definitely putting Popović's other books on my TBR.

As for Blood Countess itself, I really liked this story. Anna was a great character who I really emphasised with. It was fascinating to watch as she became more and more sucked into Elizabeth's world and rationalised their actions.

There's a lot of violence and bloodshed in this book -- not surprisingly -- and some of it was really uncomfortable to read. But I kind of felt like the it didn't go quite far enough in the later part of the story. Yes, the things Elizabeth was doing were truly awful, but it didn't feel like there was enough of a escalation to build the tension as we ended into the ending. Similarity, I felt that the ending, and the solutions to Anna's problems, all came together too easily. It disappoints me when a villain is just a bit too obliging and walks into their own destruction. This might have been because we're told how clever the plan "Anna the Cunning" comes up with is, rather than actually being convinced of it.

That said, I really enjoyed Blood Countess. I flew through it in just a couple of sittings and was really eager to read another and another chapter: it kept me up past my bedtime to finish!

Blood Countess is gorgeously, Gothic grotesque in a beautiful, eerie and twisted sort of way. There's some wonderful considerations about women places in the world -- both rich and poor -- and doing what you think you have to in order to survive. It also looks at toxic relationships, forgiveness and culpability.

I wish the ending had been stronger -- more satisfying -- but I still think it's an great book. A must for fans of horror, history and serial killers.

This is a brief telling of the crimes committed by Elisabeth, Countess Bathory, in Hungary, as narrated by a young and naive woman who falls in love with the Countess and is manipulated by her. I don't understand why this book was written or who the intended audience is. Bathory is a notorious figure in history, and it's not as if there are any justifications for her actions and there is obviously no way a fictional narrator could change history. As it is, the history presented in the book is wildly erroneous and counterfactual. Are readers supposed to understand how Bathory manipulated people? Or are we supposed to identify with the narrator, who is utterly without any redeeming qualities? What is this book trying to be, and why on earth would someone publish it as it is?

I really, really enjoyed my time reading Blood Countess & it delivered everything I was hoping it would. Popovic's writing style is reminiscent of those dark original fairytales in this novel, and I think this type of historical fiction really suits her writing style. Blood Countess is gothic, unsettling & atmospheric and I loved every minute of it.
I really liked Anna as a main character - while she was naive at times she was also self-assured, strong & kind. I was absolutely enthralled by Elizabeth and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the different layers of her character come to life as Anna discovered them. I also really loved the dynamic & relationship between Anna and Elizabeth, and enjoyed the LGBT rep.
Overall, Blood Countess is definitely my favourite Lana Popovic novel so far. It was a book I can see myself rereading in the future and I would definitely recommend to anyone who's interested in picking it up.

I was given a copy of Blood Countess by Lana Popovic in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw a new alternate history novel revolving around Elizabeth Bathory, I was really intrigued. I was fascinated by her in my childhood. I also really enjoyed the And I Darken Series by Kiersten White, which revolved around a Vlad the Impaler retelling. I went into the novel expecting to find no history and all entertainment. The novel did deliver this at times.

The novel begins with Anna, the daughter of a midwife. She is smart, a touch magical and tired of living in her abusive household. She also finds the era she lives in restraining and wants more. After rejecting a proposal from her childhood best friend (which in hindsight would have been the best thing for her family) she is offered a chance to work for the beautiful Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Once there she becomes involved with Elizabeth. They begin an affair and Anna quickly comes to realize that Elizabeth is notorious in history for a reason. Well, eventually she does.

I liked Anna at first. She did feel a bit naive when it came to what she wanted in life. She really didn’t have realistic expectations of what a peasant or really a woman aspire to in this time period. But her naivety when it came to Elizabeth bordered on the absurd. The longer she was in the relationship the more I grew to hate Anna. She constantly excused Elizabeth’s behavior as being “her husband's fault” or that she “couldn't possibly be doing the things rumors said”. Then it got to a point where it was clear that Elizabeth was the problem and yet Anna still played the victim. She acted like she was a “healer” and she helped the women that Elizabeth targeted. But really Anna is just as culpable in the actions. She is caught in a difficult position. I get that. The favor of Elizabeth is keeping her family fed. But her inner monologues constantly justifying that she was a good person ran thin very quickly. I’d rather read about a bloodthirsty crazy person who will keep themselves and theirs safe than Anna who came across as both weak and whiny. Also she killed Elizabeth’s husband in a fit of jealousy. The second that she saw the “crazy” of the married couple and how it bonded them, she immediately killed the husband. Maybe all of this is done on purpose. But I just ended up annoyed at Anna for large portions of this story.

Anna also feels that Elizabeth’s obsession with youth and beauty is shallow and fleeting. I really thought the book would talk about how it would be Elizabeth’s one power that she has over men. That her looks helped her have a sense of power in a world where she is unsatisfied. Considering the feminist discussion earlier, I thought the book would treat Elizabeth’s motives with more complexity. Now, Bathory is a sadist. Of course what she does is wrong. But she’s crazy and in her craziness… that's how she justifies it. Also, Anna feels trapped but she doesn’t leave, doesn’t kill her. If she truly wanted to be the noble good person she keeps convincing herself she is...she’d have killed Bathory. We know she’s capable of murder.

The ending was a giant disappointment. I didn’t feel like it seemed realistic at all. Elizabeth beaten so easily. How did Elizabeth not murder Anna’s sister immediately once she realized Anna betrayed her. Gabor marrying Anna’s sister and Bathory leaving them her money… What. This book had such potential. I really enjoyed the first 60% or so. But for me it just fell apart and became formulaic and cliche. I won’t be continuing.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Too long, I have clung to the notion that her love for her son- and her passion for me- somehow tips her balance towards good, even if only slightly. But I can no longer deny what she is. A blade is a blade, cold and ruthless, forged only to draw blood. No matter how enticing it’s gleam in a certain light.”

When Anna is forced to become a maid in the house of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, she expects a full work load and good pay she can send her family. What she doesn’t expect is murder, manipulation and a love that she’d soon regret.

Anna was an interesting main character. She’s naive and kind, quick to heal rather than maim. Making her the complete opposite of Elizabeth, whose true colours show throughout the novel. While I liked her, I did find her to be slightly hypocritical. Her inner monologues tended to drag on and on about healing and how she prefers to save a life, but she wasn’t quick to be the hero. Even after she truly sees who Elizabeth is.

Anna was clearly thorn between the Elizabeth she loved.

“Everywhere she touches bursts into stippled goose bumps until my skin feels as though it surges from within, lit by the heat of my own blood.”

And the monster Elizabeth truly is…

“My hands clenched into fists, nails biting into palms, because here she is again, resurfaced. Dark Elizabeth, the shadow twin fuelled by a furnace of choler. The other face that I have come to fear so well.”

“Now that blood has been drawn, her aspect has shifted fully, from fury into something almost transcendently inhuman.”

However, this did make the book more fascinating as we see Anna pushed to the brink by Elizabeth’s manipulations. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what both girls would do and who would come out victorious.

Alas the ending was a bit of a disappointment. I don’t mind how exactly it ended, I just wish we had more of a build-up and conclusion than we got. It was out of character and little rushed.

Overall, Blood Countess was definitely an interesting read that had a slower pace than expected and an ending I didn’t really love. However, I do still recommend for lovers of horror, especially Sapphic horror, and readers who want to read more (even fiction) about the original Dracula, Elizabeth Báthory!

“And if I was not deranged before, I have since succumbed.”

** Trigger warning for violence against women, including physical abuse, sexual assault, and murder. **

But I see it. Just as I see Lord Nádasdy’s hand close around her wrist, the skin paling with the force of his grip. I can see how it hurts her, in the way her smile slides off her face.

For all the gold and silver in her coffers, in some ways the countess is just like me.

A woman, with a man’s cruel hand around her wrist.

***

And is it truly Ferenc’s abuse, I begin to wonder, watching the corded muscles in Elizabeth’s neck, the wild elation flooding her face with every fall of the switch, that casts her to these abject depths? Or might there be some black vein of malice riving through her, too, nothing at all to do with him?

But that cannot be, it cannot. I could not love someone evil, and yet I love her so dearly, shudder with yearning for her touch.

***

Anna Darvulia is just thirteen the first time she meets the Countess Elizabeth Báthory. She unwittingly chases her kitten Zsuzsi, freshly rescued from a pack of bloodthirsty boys, in front of her Lady’s wedding procession – and, miraculously, lives to see another day.

Several years will pass before Elizabeth summons Anna to her side – or rather, to the bedside of her secret, illegitimate son Gabor, in the throes of a mysterious illness. Anna, the daughter of the village midwife and a skilled healer in her own right (“witch,” whisper some), diagnoses it as an infected bug bite and delivers Gabor from the jaws of death.

Elizabeth rewards Anna with employment, and enough coin to feed her struggling family – first in the scullery, then as a chambermaid to the Lady herself. Despite the rumors about Elizabeth’s cruel streak, Anna finds herself drawn to Elizabeth – so lovely, captivating, and mischievous. So like Anna herself, tied to an abusive man by the ropes of the patriarchy.

As Anna becomes more entwined with Elizabeth, she begins to see that the woman she loves is indeed the sociopath that everyone speaks about in hushed whispers in shadowy corners. She gets a front-row seat to Elizabeth’s cruelty – like, a literal front seat – yet Anna stubbornly clings to the fantasy that she can fix Elizabeth, pull her back from the edge of depravity; or, failing that, temper her abuse, if only a little. But when Anna realizes that she is as expendable as the rest, she takes drastic action to end Elizabeth’s reign of terror.

Very loosely based on the historical “Countess Dracula,” BLOOD COUNTESS is not exactly what I expected. For one, the honest-to-goodness, vampiric bloodletting comes pretty late in the story. (In some ways, this almost feels like Elizabeth’s origin story.) The journey there is as much a psychological thriller as a slash-’em-up horror story.

Anna is a fascinating character, and her reactions to Elizabeth – her knee-jerk disbelief of the rumors, coupled with her justifications when she witnesses Elizabeth’s rage for herself – feels a lot like contemporary excuses we make for men who do bad things: “Well, he’s never hurt me personally, so he must be a good guy.” or “He was provoked.” or “But what about all the good he’s done for women.” Like, it was painful at times to witness Anna’s journey to the truth; onto her, I projected the faces of Ghislaine Maxwell, or the women seated at Harvey Weinstein’s table when he was so bravely called out by Kelly Bachman, Zoe Stuckless, and Amber Rollo. Handmaids of the patriarchy, if you will.

If anything, BLOOD COUNTESS is an amazing case study of how abusers get away with it for so long. Elizabeth’s gender and her (perceived) connections with Anna make it all the more complex and meaty – doubly so with all the red herrings Popović throws down about men behaving badly. Did Ferenc and Mr. Darvulia deserve to die? Probably. But sometimes women (especially rich white women) are terrible too. Elizabeth’s masterful gaslighting of Anna was the icing on the cake.

Popović’s prose is gorgeous and lush and dark and sexy. Horrible yet exquisite. It’s like a rich piece of red velvet cake (decidedly not vegan), topped with not-fake blood icing. Your favorite Halloween candy, with razor blades hidden inside (just like mom warned you about!). Deliciously dreadful.

Come for the historical horror, stay for the doomed F/F, would-be/could-be THELMA & LOUISE-esque romance.

This book was perfectly adequate. It touched on dark themes and horror, but never fully delivered. The second half of the book was replete with repeated sentences/sequences and became stymied by the abrupt slowing of pace.

I did, however, like Anna. She was earnest and so very human, and serves as a FOIL to Countess Bathory. She is virtuous, naive, kind - the opposite Countess kills who kills where Anna heals.

It's a fine read. However, I'm not sure I'd recommend anyone buy this book. Rent it from the library, perhaps.

Fed up with her violent father and lack of prospects, Anna seeks a new kind of freedom, under the employ of Countess Elizabeth Báthory. The two young women will soon make a mark in history.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anna is following in the footsteps of her midwife mother, learning all she can about healing and medicine. But Anna has a further gift, and has to ignore the taunts of "witch" behind her back.
Her father is the village drink, and has a foul temper, beating and starving the women in his home, whilst encouraging his sons to be just as vile.
Anna can already see the future she is expected to follow, to become the wife and property of one of the village men, to push out babies and disappear into the shadows. Anna is independent and has never been attracted to any man, so this is an awful fate.
She jumps at the chance to escape, when she is offered a decent wage working for the beautiful and enigmatic Countess.

I enjoyed the story, how it explores unhealthy relationships, and the lengths people will go to, not to recognise what everyone else sees.
Anna is completely enamoured by Elizabeth, so much so, that she ignores all the warnings from everyone around her, of Elizabeth's cruelty. She so wants to believe in the good in her lady's heart, that she excuses the fits of anger, blaming them on the influence of her evil husband.
As Anna and Elizabeth become lovers, it is even harder to believe the dark tales. Elizabeth is passionate, but considerate and caring. It is much easier to think that the rest of the castle's occupants are just jealous that Anna is in favour.

As to be expected, with a story about Countess Dracula, there is a lot of blood and violence. There are scenes with explicit torture, and painful deaths.
I think these are done really well.

The not-so-good.
Anna isn't a very likable main character. She starts off great, and finishes well; but once she gets involved with Elizabeth it all goes askew. She lies and cheats her way into Elizabeth's service, then becomes very shallow and giggly with her new partner. She doesn't blink an eye at the punishments dished out by her lady, and does some awful things herself.
I can understand seeing Anna testing the morals and the idea of being forced to do the lesser evil; and that she is just sixteen when all of this starts; but it lost me a little, as a reader.

Despite this, I was still enjoying the story. Until the end.
The plot was wrapped up very quickly, via a device that made me snort. There was no way anything they did was going to turn the Countess into an obedient little lamb.

Overall, I enjoyed this, and I look forward to reading more of the author's work.

I recieved an e-arc copy of The Blood Countess by Lana Popovic from NetGalley free in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this historical romance about the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory. Historical books usually aren't my thing, but this one intrigued me and I was rewarded with a quick and gorey story. The nice thing about having a book written about the murders is that it plays out the story in your head and makes it that much more horrific. There's a difference between statistics of murders and envisioning most of them in detail. The story was well thought out with the minor details leading up to a wrapped up conclusion. Making Anna and Elizabeth lovers made the feel of helplessness even more pronounced from Anna. It was a satisfying ending to the book, even though, historically, it was never wrapped up in the nice little bow.
Some e-book issues I had: the format was one long book according to kindle, so if I wanted to revisit a section in the book I'd have to flip back a page at a time. Also, the heading, chapters, and parts/pictures were very very confusing. The hardcopy of the book would have probably been more enjoyable to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark grim tale about Anna and Elizabeth. It reads almost like a fairytale. I read this in two sittings only. Good pacing, interesting main characters with their own motives and great plot!
I can highly recommend this to anybody who likes Dracula and dark fairytale re-tellings. You won't regret picking this one up.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publishers for this opportunity. Beware of spoilers below!

I was only vaguely familiar with Elizabeth Báthory after watching the French film Contes immoraux (Immoral Tales) but the historical references surrounding her made Blood Countess by Lana Popovic a book that I was interested in reading.

The book follows a young woman who is a commoner and daughter of the town’s midwife. She crosses paths with the young Elizabeth Báthory who summons her as a personal chambermaid. Once Anna arrives at Elizabeth's household she hears stories about the lady’s cruelty and anger but Anna refuses to believe it. She soon gains favor with Elizabeth and becomes a witness (and an unwitting participant) in her crazed antics. Anna goes from being in love with Elizabeth, even going as far as to blaming her behavior on her husband to being terrified of her.

Most of what I enjoyed about this book was the first half and last ten percent of the novel. I thought that both Anna and Elizabeth were well developed characters and I enjoyed that initial unease about their relationship. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for the other shoe to fall when it came to Elizabeth’s true nature.

However, a little bit after the 53% mark the book takes a dark turn. I understand that Elizabeth was a serial killer but it becomes very bleak, very soon. Elizabeth starts to gaslight Anna heavily and there was even a point when Anna thought of killing Elizabeth in her sleep to stop all of this but she doesn’t. Elizabeth’s descent into full blown viciousness is unsettling. It was hard to feel for Anna though because she did not wake up once after Elizabeth starts killing off dozens of maids. Elizabeth becomes more withdrawn but the only time Anna steps in is when her family is threatened. I think the ending is satisfying though!

All in all, I enjoyed it and I give it a 3.5 but I’m rounding up because I know it will sit with me for a while. This is not for the faint of heart.

I received an ARC for an honest review.
This book is a Dark historical YA fiction of the infamous Countess Dracula aka Elizabeth Bàthory.
We also follow Anna a young woman who meets the alluring Elizabeth and becomes her chambermaid, friend, and companion. Which in turn blossoms in to something more. But will that be enough for Anna to turn a blind eye to the cruel and dark things Elizabeth does?
This book captured me from beginning to end. The story was dark and twisted that you had to keep reading. I loved the gothic vibes to it, but the f/f relationship was what hooked me. The chemistry between the two characters was tantalizing and electric. Overall I recommend to anyone who loves dark, alluring reads.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amulet Books for the e-arc to review!

Blood Countess is a historical horror novel set in 17th century Hungary. It is based on the real story of Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer in history. Our story starts with young Anna Darvulia, the daughter of a midwife and a gifted healer herself. She is a poor peasant girl, but catches the eye of the striking and beautiful Countess Bathory one day as she rides through Anna's village. Soon, Elizabeth sends for Anna, and Anna is whisked into her world. Rising from scullery maid to chambermaid, Anna finds herself closer to the Countess than anyone else. Swept up in her awe and fascination for the Countess, Anna refuses to believe the horror stories she's heard about the monstrous things Elizabeth has done. Anna's generous wages are saving her poor family from starvation, and Anna is loving her life as favored companion to the Countess. But as time goes by, Anna starts to realize the darkness lurking in Elizabeth can't be ignored, and the true horror of who Elizabeth is can no longer be excused. Anna begins to realize she's not a friend or even a servant to Elizabeth- she's a prisoner. Anna knows it's only a matter of time before the Blood Countess turns on her too.

This book was pretty good! I wouldn't really call it a horror novel though. It's definitely dark, and there's certainly a lot of murder. But it won't give you nightmares or stop you from sleeping. At least in my opinion. I liked it. It drew me in quickly, and I found myself trying to predict what would happen next. There's some f/f romance, but no sex scenes or anything more than some PG kisses and the like. It also wraps up well and leaves no loose ends. I think this could have been a 5 star if there was more action. It was good, but I was left wanting a bit more from it. It starts a bit slow, but that gets us knowing Anna and her life. I think there could have been a little less of that and more about the Countess and Anna's time in her service, and maybe more exploration into the stories Anna hears about what Elizabeth has done before Anna meets her. Things really pick up in the middle and stay fast almost until the end. But the ending falls a little flat too. It would be a spoiler to really say why, but I felt like justice came a bit too easily. I wanted more drama and maybe have it drag out a bit more. But overall, if you're interested in the story of Elizabeth Bathory and want an interesting YA take on it, I'd say pick this one up! I feel like it would be really good on audiobook too!

Very interesting read! I dont think I've read anything quite like it. I thought the story had a real feel to it and echoes real life situations on domestic violence, manipulation and physical and mental abuse. A real eye opener for me and I'd gladly read more of this author. Thank you for the opportunity.

I was so excited to see a book about Elizabeth Bathory. She was a person that I couldn’t read enough about back when I was around 15. However, I wasn’t a big fan of this book.

It started off great but what made this such a drag for me was the execution of everything. I never liked Elizabeth at any point in this book. I know that she’s a villain and a bad person, but she had nothing to make her seem extraordinary and that’s what I was looking for. Anna was okay, but she was super naive. So many times I wanted to shake her and yell “Anna open your eyes!”. Throw in a romance that was undeveloped and not really needed, and there you have these two.

What also made this story underwhelming was the pacing and the ending. It started off slow, picked up and then became slow again. Once I got to about 65%, I was so ready for this book to end. So much time is spent reading about these two falling in love and their everyday life. I wanted and expected more of her crimes. Also, the ending was way too easy! Everything wrapped up with a pretty bow on top and it irked me.

For the horror fan out there, this was gory! I was wincing and also reading with one eye open because I wanted to see how far it would go. Seriously, the gore was the best part of this book. You got to see how far off the hinges Elizabeth really was. She blossomed in the pain and death that she inflicted on people.

Overall, it didn’t live up to my expectations. Maybe others will love it but, I can’t say that I will be recommending it or picking it up again.

This book was so good. So well written so beautiful for about 2/3 of it. And then it was like it was written by another author. I don't know when the flip happened, but somewhere in the second half the story slowed, the writing became repetitive and I lost interest. I finished it, and would read this author again, this one just didn't work for me.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to read this book as I have always been somewhat fascinated by Elizabeth Bathory. It started out pretty good, but as the book went on it fell short of my expectations. This book is very dark and twisted, and very graphic with murder and violence, which I did not mind at all. Although it did fall short of my expectations, it was worth the read.

I received a free galley of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

WARNING: This book is very graphic. It contains extreme violence and murder. This book is NOT for the faint of heart.

A while ago I read a fictional book about Elizabeth Bàthory and upon discovering she was a real person and not just a fictional monster I became fascinated with the Countess, so when I saw this book available on Netgalley I requested it immediately.

Anna Darvulia suddenly becomes responsible for keeping her family financially stable during the winter after the sudden death of her father. In order to provide for her family, Anna starts working as a scullery maid for Elizabeth Bàthory. Eager to gain the Countess' favor and gain a better position with better pay, Anna does whatever she has to secure herself. She finds herself getting attached to Elizabeth and believes her feelings are reciprocated. Elizabeth takes Anna and treats her as her equal, making sure she has beautiful gowns, dines with her and even shares her bed with her. At first Anna believes the two of them share a special connection, one no one else understands. She soon learns that Elizabeth isn't who Anna thought she was. After witnessing extreme acts of violence and murder Anna tries to find a way out before Elizabeth decides she's next.

I enjoyed the majority of this book so much. The writing was so detailed and capturing. The violent scenes were extremely graphic and hard to read, which is perfect for an Elizabeth Bàthory story. The plot line was so well done. The flow of the book was great. The characters were interesting to read about. They successfully expressed string emotions of fear, hatred, lust and naivety. It all fit together perfectly and before long I was caught in its grasp with no desire to put it down.

I was completely wrapped up in this story... Until the ending. For me, the ending seemed like it could of been from another book. Nothing about it fit the story. The characters personalities and actions didn't fit with the characters from the first 95% of the book. It was abrupt and felt like the author just made the two main characters do a full 180 turn just so the story could be wrapped up and finished. It didn't work for me at all and ruined it for me. It was really disappointing because of how good the rest of the book was.

This book definitely gave me nightmares, so I think achievement...unlocked?

As soon as I read that this book was inspired by the tale of Elizabeth Báthory, the Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer, I knew I was in. This premise was just begging to be retold in a YA novel, and I think that Popovic is successful in creating a truly horrifying and dreadful atmosphere for the characters to live in. Popovic imagines intricate personal lives for many real life characters, which only added to the richness of the story. The pacing is perfect for the slow descent/reveal into total madness that takes place. The feelings of the characters jump off the page in a very compelling way.

The only real bump in the road for me was the final climax of the book. The exchange between our main character, Anna, and Elizabeth and their bargain seemed a tiny bit far fetched to me - I don't know if I really bought this particular ending, but it worked okay. Overall, a suspenseful and horrifying read of historical fiction that would be great for readers who don't mind a bit of gore.

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time"
The Maya Angelou quote sprung to mind quite soon after starting Blood Countess. You can avoid what you don’t like about a person and refuse to see it, but it is what it is. The reality is there. Anna refused to see Elizabeth for who she was until it was almost far too late.

In 17th century Hungary, Anna Darvulia has just begun working as a scullery maid for the young and glamorous Countess Elizabeth Báthory. When Elizabeth takes a liking to Anna, she’s vaulted to the dream role of chambermaid, a far cry from the filthy servants’ quarters below. She receives wages generous enough to provide for her family, and the Countess begins to groom Anna as her friend and confidante. It’s not long before Anna falls completely under the Countess’s spell—and the Countess takes full advantage. Isolated from her former friends, family, and fiancé, Anna realizes she’s not a friend but a prisoner of the increasingly cruel Elizabeth. Then come the murders, and Anna knows it’s only a matter of time before the Blood Countess turns on her, too. Goodreads

The reader is informed via the synopsis that this historical YA horror novel is based on the infamous real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula. I not sure if that matters other than as an inspiration for the plot. I haven’t verified that assertion, so wonder just how much of Elizabeth’s cruelty is based in fact or exaggerated for literary effect.

This story revolves around Anna who longs for a better life but lives in fear, hunger and poverty from an ill-mannered, brutish father. Only her talent as a midwife, healer saves her from what she perceives as a poor lot in her life – marriage and ownership by a man, husband. Despite in her case having a fairly modern relationship with a relatively well off suitor and friend.

Anna longs for more and this desire to spread her wings, do things differently brings her to the attention of the newly married Countess Elizabeth Báthory. Once these two develop a relationship in earnest, it descends into blood-soaked misery for others and reveals an obsessive and debauched mindset

It didn’t take long for the term ‘folie à deux‘ to spring to mind

NOUN
delusion or mental illness shared by two people in close association.

Was Elizabeth the catalyst for sadism or swayed firstly her husband then Anna? Were they complicit, in awe of Elizabeth, the bon vivant, her beauty, bonhomie and social influence.

The Ladies
Anna was a let down in that she was set up and sold to me as being smarter than the average girl in her village: articulate, knowledgeable – knowing that she could want more for herself. But ultimately, she was as clueless as any other from her social class. It took her a considerable amount of time to come to the realisation that love can not change someone. It takes more. And she was no match for Elizabeth’s intellect, beauty or schemes from the very start.

When the depravity and torture becomes too hard to ignore, Anna realises that Elizabeth has no redemptive qualities whatsoever. She is truly and utterly debased, self-centred and self knowing. She is happy being a collection of wants and met needs. Happy in herself, Elizabeth hides the worst but not all of herself, until Anna is snared in the tangled web of attraction, attention, and satiety.

Elizabeth was cunning and conniving. I enjoyed her immensely. She was real and unhinged. Adept always at hiding her many faces, she is the consummate lady and formidable strategist. Always one step ahead of those around her – delaying conception, ensnaring Anna, manipulating her peers. She utilised the talents at her disposal and made a way for herself in the world. She is hedonistic and damaged.

I found that Blood Countess, rifts on a number of themes particularly women: the duality of women, Madonna and whore and the limited opportunities offered to them. This was a tale about power, social class and ultimately the role of men and women.

The Gentlemen
Elizabeth’s husband Ferenc was one dimensional in that he was the bad guy until Elizabeth revealed him to be a man of his time – no better or worse than others in this period. The reader like Anna were fed the subterfuge that his loutish demeanor contributed, in fact drove Elizabeth’s worst instincts.

Peter, Anna’s devoted friend and would be suitor is referenced little in this book and truly I wonder what was the appeal of Anna, that he spurned all other eligible girls and was always available to be her rescuer .

Men in this book were authoritarian, driven by avarice and violent. They are nonentities in relation to the women and manipulated by Elizabeth.

Conclusion
It reveals the chilling depth that one will go for love or even obligation; how we can enable and justify bad behaviour. She is less Anna the Cunning and more Anna the overwhelmed, out of her depth. It’s only when the mounting body count becomes too much to sidestep and it becomes untenably personal, that Anna allows her conscience to come to the forefront and turn into action.

I expected sinister, suspense and creepy and didn’t get it, instead, I got seduction, excess and multiple deaths. Yet that’s no bad thing. It was likable, an acceptable read.

At times I felt it was trying to out gore or horrify me but it never managed to take me there, to the place where I lived and breathed Elizabeth and prayed for her uncertain future. Ultimately I was waiting and watching for a resolution, a voyeur rather than a participant.

In summary, I liked it for the most part and only thought towards the end it lost its way slightly by tying up the majority of loose ends and leaving a few outstanding for a sequel.

My thanks to NetGalley, ABRAMS Kids and Amulet Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a candid review.