The Blood Countess by Shelley Puhak
 

First line: In the foothills of the Little Carpathian mountains lie many threats: yellow-eyed wolves prowling the dark woods, brigands waiting in copses of birch.

Summary: Have you heard the legend of the Countess Bathory? The woman who tortured and killed hundreds of young women and bathed in their blood. For centuries, the story of the notorious serial killer spread around the world, even making it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

However, none of these legends are true. Using the surviving original sources, historian Shelley Puhak looks at this notorious woman and the legend surrounding her. What really happened in seventeenth century Hungary that led to the creation of the myth of the Blood Countess?

My Thoughts: Before reading Puhak’s new book I had a vague idea of Elizabeth Bathory from podcasts and the supposed links to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. While I assumed much of the legend was a fabrication, I did not realize how much until reading this book.

Rather than giving the reader a basic biography of a noblewoman, the author instead expanded her narrative to include the history and politics of Hungary in the early 1600s. This may put many readers off the topic but I actually found it interesting. So much of the history we learn about this period centers on Western Europe. In sticking with this standard, we are missing so much. As readers, we are taken into the halls of hilltop castles and the political intrigue of the Transylvanian throne. Through this, we learn how the mighty Bathory family held sway and garnered resentment in the region, leading other nobles to try to discredit a wealthy widow.

Using the records held in the Hungarian archives the author is able to piece together the actual evidence gathered to charge the countess with such a horrendous crime. As you read you will see how things such as hearsay, gossip and greed were the only things holding the case together. It was fascinating to learn how this all led to the legend we still hear today. Through this research, we are finally able to see the real woman behind the myth.

Blood Countess by Lana Popovic
 

First line: The day our Lord Nadasdy weds the countess, the sky above us is the color of bleached bone.

Summary: Anna Darvulia has secured a position in the household of the Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Working as a scullery maid is not ideal but then she catches the eye of the countess and her circumstances change. In her new role as a chambermaid, she becomes a confidant of the lady. While this position comes with higher pay and better conditions, the insight into the cruelties her mistress inflicts on those around her makes her question the payoff. With each new atrocity she witnesses it makes her wonder when the countess will finally turn on her.

My Thoughts: Having just finished the new biography by Shelley Puhak, I thought it was a good time to read a fictionalized account of this notorious woman. With that being said, I think I would have liked this more if I had read it before reading the true story. This novel dives into all the horrid tales spread about the Countess Bathory. Very little of this is based on facts. I try to look past the inaccuracies when reading historical fiction but this one I found hard to do. Small things were changed or left out that completely changed the history. It was definitely written for shock rather than learning.

However, if you are looking for a historical horror novel then you may enjoy this. An old castle under the control of a murderous woman who is only interested in keeping herself young. In a story like this, it is easy to see why some believe her to be a female Dracula. She is manipulative and unrepentant of her deeds. Elizabeth is able to make Anna do things she never thought herself able to. The story is full of blood and torture. The perfect horror playbook. If you are only familiar with the legend then this will fulfill your expectations.