Thank you for the book! It was a slow start to the book, but I enjoyed it! The twists and turns were great! The pacing in the beginning was slow but got better after a third of the way through. Thanks again!

I was enthralled by the twist on this chilling account about Erzsébet Báthory, the so-called Blood Countess of Hungary, accused of heinous, murderous crimes against hundreds of innocent girls and women under her care.

In The Nightingale’s Castle, Sonia Velton fictitiously puts her spin on the mystery behind the horrifying accusations against Countess Báthory and her four accomplices that took place within the walls of Čachtice Castle.

A tale of intrigue unfolds as a young woman, Boróka, raised in obscurity, is thrust into Countess Erzsébet Báthory’s tumultuous world. Dark secrets surface and dangerous alliances are formed. Boróka is caught between loyalty to the Countess and survival as she navigates the workings behind the treacherous castle walls and the looming threat of the king's power.

This is a riveting account of power and betrayal; where loyalties are tested and alliances are formed as the fate of Boróka, the Countess, and other’s lives hang in the balance.

Be prepared to be captivated by this dark medieval tale that will send shivers down your spine.

I found the Author’s Note at the end intriguing as she shares further insight into her research.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers, for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 30 Jul 2024

CONTENT⚠️
💋 Sexual content: Recounting of a baby out of wedlock, and an account of a closed door scene. No explicit detail.
🤬 Foul language: A handful of minor swear words.
💪🏻 Violence: Severe physical abuses against children, including starvation and threats of torture. Recounts graphic torture of women and children.

I went into this book knowing nothing of Erszebet Bathory, but the idea of a female Dracula intrigued me. I’m so glad I gave it a try! This gothic historical fiction novel is absolutely amazing. I was completely immersed in the time period, the writing is beautifully descriptive without being flowery, and I was captivated by the story. It interested me enough to do further research on Erszebet. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read. I’ll be recommending this book on publication day!

This book explores the infamous tale of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, often referred to as the female Dracula or the first female serial killer. It presents her as a proto-feminist, a strong woman ahead of her time, who faces opposition from those threatened by her intelligence and power. The story unfolds in a battle for survival at her castle, where the Countess is transformed into the monster history remembers her as. With a large cast of characters, it can be challenging to keep track of them all. The inclusion of a glossary or pronunciation guide for the Hungarian words would have been helpful. Overall, the book is decent but not outstanding, with an ambitious plot that falls short in execution. It is recommended for fans of alternative histories, feminist history, and slightly spooky tales. A copy of the book was provided by NetGalley for this review.

I love a good historical retelling and was excited to get the arc for this one! Everyone knows some facet of Elizabeth Bathory’s story as the bloody countess but what if the story was largely a fabrication by her enemies? The book is well researched with some appropriately spooky scenes. Some of the characters/characterizations didn’t quite hit for me, but overall it was a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC.

I will say I knew next to nothing about Erszebet Bathory, other than the hundreds of women she killed probably being a myth. This novel was immersive enough to help me get a feel for Hungarian history of the 16th-17th centuries. The story itself was overall fairly serviceable. It presents Countess Bathory as perhaps an antihero, protofeminist, etc. through the lens of the many people she surrounded herself with and who worked for her. The different perspectives were entertaining but at times made the pacing feel a bit slow.

I also don't know that I loved the cop-out of using magic as a narrative device/deus ex machina. I suppose it worked to some extent, but it didn't feel "right" that one of the main characters just happens to conveniently piece together everything about her past because a magical book told her. And the time it took to reach these conclusions again felt a bit sluggish. But overall, this novel is a perfectly good interpretation of the Blood Countess' life before and a little after her persecution.

Normally I'd start this with a brief synopsis of the book but I don't really think that's needed this case. Most people have heard of Elizabeth Bathory, she's almost a household name, so much so that my phone actually autocorrected her last name there when I mistyped it. Which doubly proves my point because I've never really been into the Bathory story. And while this book didn't make me anymore interesting I found it was an original take on a story that's been rewritten almost as many times as her supposed distant relative Vlad's has been.

In the Nightingale's Castle Velton argues that Bathory's four real life "accomplices" accomplices are actually to be blamed for the slew of young women dead while in the Countess's care. Dorka and Ilona especially are painted as truly cruel and utterly depraved murderesses who take advantage of the trust that Bathory places in them to torture and murder the servants of Bathory's estate almost completely unchecked. While I find this to be an interesting twist I find it be contradictory to the woman Bathory is portrayed to be both in this book and in really life. I find it very hard to believe that a woman whose financial acumen and political power is so great she causes the great men of Hungary to plot her downfall to not just be unaware of but to allow these murders to go unchecked. At some point a character states that Bathory puts up with her sadistic staff members because she is afraid of them but again not buying that. There is also a chapter that does point to Bathory herself being incredibly cruel and using torture as punishiments for the smaller of transgressions amongst her staff. In my mind it would actually have made a bit more sense to have painted this as what it most likely was: a witch hunt.

Boroka is an interesting character, except when she's just not making any damn sense. She is definitely supposed to be the positive force in the book and for the most part I appreciate her dedication to Bathory and her pragmatic outlook on everything, she is often the voice of reason. But her almost lack of reaction, especially to situations that called for way more emotion than she showed was just really awkward. She confronts Suzanna (who is really the person who drove home the final nail in Bathory's coffin in both the book and real life) and its just very anticlimactic. She just kind of shrugs her shoulders and says "Welp arguing with this woman is a waste of my breath" which while accurate seems like an almost inhuman response considering the circumstances.

That all being said this was actually a damn good book. You've got a really amazing story about a couple of seriously sick individuals on a power trip torturing women they felt were beneath them because they *could*. Not only that they take advantage of a young boy they know has been brutally abused and turn him into nothing short of a monster making him an accomplice in unspeakable acts. Because this follows the last year or so before Bathory is walled up there's a timeline that must be kept and every chapter reveals some new horror. It's genuinely like knowing the train on the track next to you is going to get into a head on collision with another train shortly and not only can you not turn away from it you are urging it to go just a little faster while simultaneously hoping it'll never get there.

What I liked the most about this though is I don't feel like the book was actually about Bathory. I mean yes it was but it was more about Boroka than anything, which regardless of her faults was an excellent character. She actually cares what happens to Bathory in a very real way. She also finds herself swept up into something that is so much larger than herself and not only keeps her cool but doesn't waver in her dedication to a person she believes to be innocent.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel, regardless of whether or not you get into Bathory legend.

As always thanks to Harper Perennial Paperbacks and NetGalley for the eArc!

I’m sure we’re all familiar with Elizabeth Báthory, sometimes called the female Dracula or maybe the first female serial killer. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I knew I had to check out a historical fiction novel based on this infamous tale.

Here, I found a chorus of voices telling a twisted tale of a proto-feminist who’s too much of a strong woman for her era. Countess Báthory could easily be called a “nasty woman” with all the political implications of that label. She knows she’s as smart and powerful as any man. The problem is, she’s not the most powerful. When others are threatened by her, the situation at her castle turns into an every person for themself battle where the Countess, through rumors and lies, is transformed into the monster that history and legend remembers her as.

This novel has a huge cast of characters, way more than I could keep up with. I kept forgetting who was the washerwoman or the cook or a maid and kind of kept going instead of going back to figure out how I’m supposed to know this person. Additionally, I would have appreciated a glossary or pronunciation guide because there are many Romanian words sprinkled in and I’m the kind of reader who will realize that I’m pronouncing a character’s name wrong way too late in the book.

I give this book three stars overall. It’s good, not great. It’s ambitious and the story has a lot of moving parts that aren’t executed in the best way, but it’s worth a read if you’re into alternative histories, feminist history, or slightly spooky stories.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for this review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

The Nightingale’s Castle is about the blood countess. I had never heard of her before reading this book, so this was a very exciting introduction. This was a very interesting story with great characters. I definitely want to read more from Velton in the future.

loved this book! A more realistic (I feel) telling of the Countess. A great point of view and very hard to put down.

Interesting story about the Blood Countess. I've watched documentaries about her but this gives a whole new look at her life.
The story is told through a servant girl Boroka's eyes. Boroka is an orphan that was raised by the towns doctor. She becomes a favorite of the Countess. She even stands in for her while a painter paints the Countesses portrait.
I've definitely changed my mind about who they call a serial killer. So many new ideas are thrown out there. A well researched book.

Being a horror movie fan in my teens, the first encounter I had with “The Blood Countess” was in Hostel 2. I watched in horrified fascination as she sliced open a young woman dangling above her and bathe in her blood.
I did not hear more about Erzsébet Báthory until I started listening to serial killer podcasts. I remember stumbling across one that offered an alternative theory than the one most accepted by history: the countess was innocent and framed for all the murders. Her rivals wished to see her disgraced and take what was hers for themselves.

I expected this book to be a bloody novel about a notorious female serial killer and I was instead surprised to be presented with a thoughtful tale regarding the Countess Erzsébet Báthory
and how events could have unfolded. The tale is set in the year 1573 and follows different servants and they go about their daily life in the castle. There are elements of mystery, suspense, and a bit of violence. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for this ARC.

“Tales of numerous murdered virgins attract people like raw meat attracts dogs, and the courthouse is heaving.”

A gruesome historical figure, the Blood Countess was apparently a pioneering and prolific serial killer of 16th century Hungary. And yet, history often treats women with power, money and independence with cruelty as their contemporaries do. “It frightens me what lengths men will go to once a woman becomes… inconvenient.”

This completely engrossing historical fiction unfolds artfully, with complex characters who are constrained but not defined by their stations and circumstances. Great book, I’d lightly recommend.

I was on edge in a good way reading this vibey, lyrical novel.

Countess Erzsébet Báthory, a 16th century Hungarian noble, was notorious for hiring young girls and doing terrible things to them. In this novel, a girl whom we are led to be believe is a secret relation is hired to work at the castle.

With a premise like this, you know stuff is going to go down. We will never really know what happened inside that castle, but the version of this author puts forth is among the most likely ones. Did the blood countess actually bathe in the blood of young girls? Or was she villainized by the powerful men who were indebted to her? Like Circe, Medea, and other retellings, The Nightingale reveals the real woman behind the story.

It’s told with an omniscient POV, which is an ambitious undertaking that pays off. It was fascinating to get into the heads of the various people who lived in the castle and were caught up in this nightmarish story. It reads like a fairytale, an ominous one.

I was most engaged with the first half, and when the torture and punishments came to the forefront of the story, involving characters I wasn’t attached to, it did drag a bit, but I remained immersed in the world and zipped through to the end.

I recently finished reading The Nightingale's Castle by Sonia Velton, and I must say it was a captivating read. The story is set in 1573 and follows the life of Boróka, a young woman who was raised by a peasant family in the Carpathian Mountains. She is later sent to live with Countess Erzsébet Báthory, who has a reputation for being a murderous and cruel woman.

Boróka struggles to find her place in the Countess's household, surrounded by women who are just as cruel as the Countess herself. However, when the plague hits the castle, a bond forms between the two women, and Boróka begins to see the Countess in a different light.

What I loved about this book was the way the author managed to weave in historical facts with fiction. It made the story feel authentic, and I found myself completely immersed in the world she had created. The characters were well-developed, and I found myself rooting for Boróka and the Countess throughout the story.

The book also explores the theme of loyalty and trust, and it was interesting to see how Boróka's loyalties were tested as the story progressed. Overall, I highly recommend The Nightingale's Castle to anyone looking for a well-written historical fiction novel with a touch of suspense

I loved this beautiful historical fiction. It’s based on an actual historical figure . There is mystery, fantasy type elements & suspense. I was enthralled by this book & enjoyed it sooo much ! Thank you for this Arc

This is a beautiful book on Elizabeth Bathory. If you don't know who she is, history says she is one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Supposedly she bathed in the blood of young maidens to keep her youth. But all of that is based on rumor and conjecture. The allegations of bathing in blood didn't even happen until 200 years later during the height of Dracula fame.

I went in expecting a bloody, vampiric novel. What I got wasn't any of that. But it was still really good! Sonia Velton tells the story of the countess leading up to her arrest from the viewpoint of a peasant girl sent to work at the castle. I enjoyed the other perspective of Elizabeth Bathory and the witch-hunt started by powerful men who wanted her land and money. Definitely a must read for historical fiction fans.

What an interesting fictional retelling of the Countess of Bloods story. I was expecting the traditional story of her torture and murder of young girls . So this was definitely surprising and a throughly enjoyable story.
Definitely a must read for fans of historical fiction mixed with a bit of magic.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An imaging of the life, crimes, and punishment of Elizabeth Báthory, later nicknamed the Blood Countess, a Hungarian noblewoman who was convicted of murdering hundreds of young girls. This was a totally engrossing read for me, I devoured it. The development of the characters within the story was captivating, with them falling everywhere on the spectrum of good and evil. Velton writes with a panache that reminds me of Lauren Groff and Maggie O'Farrell.

At this point every knows why I read this, the cover was gorgeous like wow😚. The description gave me very big expectations on how this would make me feel an it definitely hit the mark.