Delilah Dawson rarely ever fails when she works on a fantasy or sci fi tale. While not quite as entertaining as Vox Machina, Ravensloft is a fun fantasy book with a lot of comradeship and banter one expects from a decent party in Dungeons and Dragons. When the party splits, however, things take a slightly down hill turn and the story becomes less engaging. Over all, I think with a cruel and heartless villain, lots of battles and characters that are well fleshed out with none of them being perfect and all having their own abilities to add to the narrative and quests, it’s a good fantasy read with a lot to offer.

Delilah Dawson takes readers to Barovia in a stunning new novel based on one of Dungeons & Dragons most iconic adventures.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to review the brand new Dungeons & Dragons novel Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd. As the title implies, this novel is based on the legendary Curse of Strahd adventure that introduced players to the foreboding world of Barovia and the looming Castle Ravenloft inhabited by the menacing vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich.

The story follows five strangers who suddenly find themselves thrown together into Barovia, seemingly at random. Unable to leave, the group find themselves the reluctant “guests” of Strahd, and discover—quite quickly—that very little in this strange realm is what it appears to be. And if they’re not careful, no one is getting out of Barovia alive.

What helps this story stay fresh throughout, is how each chapter focuses on a different characters perspective, much in the same way as the Game of Thrones novels do. Instead of listening to an omniscient narrator describe the adventure of the group, each chapter leaves you feeling as if you’re peeking over the character’s shoulder, getting a sneak peek into their mind and slowly piecing together the larger story. And make no mistake, there is a larger story at work and Delilah Dawson puts forth a masterful effort in assembling the different pieces as it progresses. Having different narrators can also make the story fun because while the group may experience the same event, like meeting Count Strahd for instance, each member may recall that meeting very differently.

The characters themselves are all equally memorable. No one feels like a “throw away” character and it’s very satisfying to follow each character on their journey as they come to understand what Barovia is and what they might do to get out of there alive. To avoid spoilers I won’t go into too much more detail on the individual characters beyond that, except to say that these characters have more in common than you might think.

One of the best parts of this novel is how the author draws the reader in to the foreboding world of Barovia. From the moment of its introduction, it’s made clear that there is something “wrong” about this realm, and no amount of positive thinking can alter that fact. Once the story makes it to Castle Ravenloft itself, the sense of wrongness is pushed to an even further level. The way the author describes the castle, from the grand yet crumbling staircases, to tables full of rotting food, each scene seems to deliberately provoke the senses, to make you feel as if you’re there in this most cursed of castles.

I must also praise Delilah Dawson for writing the story in such a way that you don’t need to have played Curse of Strahd to enjoy this novel. Longtime Dungeons and Dragons players will of course recognize many details in this story from the famous adventure. There are callbacks to a number of story elements including the tarokka deck and the various items that players can collect if they attempt to defeat Strahd. But for those who have never played before, the story is explained in such a way that you can still follow along and not feel lost.

As much as I’ve loved this book, there is one sticking point. There’s one scene in particular where the author skips over the bulk of what happens and the reader only witnesses the aftermath. As a lifelong reader, I felt like this really impacted the flow of the story and I wish the author had chosen a different option.

That being said, there is so much to love in Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd. It brings Barovia to life in stunning (and terrifying) detail and the story will keep you guessing until the very end.

Delilah S. Dawson always writes a strong storyline and had that horror element that I was looking for from Ravenloft. The concept had that charm that I was looking for from the Dungeons and Dragons universe, and how the characters felt like they were supposed to be in this world. I was engaged from the first page and enjoyed this campaign. I was glad it had that horror atmosphere that I was expecting in this type of book and enjoyed getting into the world of Ravenloft.

When I was younger, I read a lot of tie-in fiction. I became a huge Star Trek fan in the late 80s, and once I was all caught up on TOS and TNG, I turned to the novels. I read all the ones that had existed at that point and then bought them when they got released. That is how I found authors like Diane Duane and Peter David. I also loved the Dragonlance books. When they started coming out with D&D novels in other campaign settings, I bought the spelljammer and Ravenloft books too. So I was very excited when I saw that there was a new D&D tie in novel available on NetGalley. I got an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much fun! It really had the feel of a modern adventuring party that did not optimize themselves for anything besides fun. There was a cleric, a Paladin, a wizard, an artificer, and a barbarian. They all got captured by the mists and ended up in Barovia where they get invited to Castle Ravenloft to meet Count Strahd.

Reading through this book and seeing some of the classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters and spells really gave me a warm feeling inside. The characters in this book are quite interesting; although some of them seem flat at first, they all have hidden secrets. Sometimes I thought the manner in which the secrets were revealed was a little heavy-handed, but that is a minor complaint. I really enjoyed this book, including a late shift in location that was unexpected but delightful. The final twist was something I bounced off of initially, but after sitting and thinking about it for a few days, I think I’m OK with it. This was a fun read!

It's okay! I should have known better because I don't love Strahd as a campaign and I feel like this format (a random group of people dropped off in the mist) is hard to feel anything for when they barely know each other, but I don't mind reading these.

A really fun novel that melds classic D&D and the Ravenloft setting as the characters are forced to confront the literal monsters there while also facing their own figurative demons as the story races to its unexpected conclusion.

Thanks to Random House Worlds and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

This is a well-written enjoyable story that focuses on the setting of Ravenloft as some sort of purgatory. Facing its horrors, the main characters dare to face their past cruel or selfish tendencies and attempted actions, and learn to trust each other, changing in the end. This makes the novel resonate with the hero's journey arc structure.
The book is fast-paced and entertaining, and alternates between characters, exploring their points of view. It focuses on how victimization can sow the seeds of future villainy by unaddressed resentment and validation gaps, and thus works as a psychological journey as well. These themes are most pertinent from the perspective of Ravenloft, which I think is well portrayed.
The larger realm of Barovia beyond Castle Ravenloft is not really examined much, and I think it would have been interesting to look at the perspectives and diversity of its inhabitants to make the story richer. The characters do end up traveling temporarily to a different domain of dread, though.
The cover image suggests that the tone of the story is lighter than it actually is. Perhaps written as a young adult novel, readers of other ages will enjoy reading it.
Finally, I think that it is worth mentioning that I especially liked how the author handled action scenes, in a way that blended with the overall theme and style of the book: they never dragged for too long, which would distract from the inner turmoil exploration. Rather, it went to the point, skipping in clever ways to cut to the decisive aspects of the combat or danger scenes. This might sound paradoxical from a fantasy adventure storytelling perspective, but I found this to be quite refreshing and keep the reader's attention while having exciting scenes at the same time.

Alas, this one wasn't for me. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Dungeons & Dragons's Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd by Delilah S. Dawson in exchange for an honest review. This was a wonderful mishmash of old monster stories mixed in with Dungeons and Dragons characters. I loved how Dawson combined old stories with new names and a new spin.

Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd by Delilah S. Dawson is a darkly enchanting journey into the gothic world of Barovia, rich with dread, magic, and moral complexity At the center of the tale is Strahd von Zarovich, the infamous vampire lord whose origin story is reimagined with a surprising amount of thoughtfulness. Dawson peels back the layers of Strahd’s tragic past revealing a man consumed by love lost as he spirals into darkness With excellent world building and a charming cast of characters, Dawson draws readers into a world where every shadow hides a secret and every choice has a price. Whether you're a longtime fan of D&D or new to its faceted lands, Dawson delivers a compelling character study wrapped in a chilling fantasy adventure.

As someone who cut their fantasy teeth on the original Dragonlance novels, and who fell in love with the whole Ravenloft setting back in the 80s, I was excited about Delilah S. Dawson drawing us through the mists again for another encounter with the legendary Darklord, Strahd von Zarovich.

The first half of Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd was everything I could have hoped for. Dawson does a fantastic job of setting the scene, creating the atmosphere, and grounding us in Barovia. The characters are a fun group of adventurers, a mad assortment of strangers from other D&D realms who must band together against zombies, wolves, and more. There's action, violence, banter, and even some moments of genuine heroism. I was interested in this party, excited to get to know them and learn their backstories, and curious about how their encounter with Strahd would challenge and change them.

As for Strahd, he was played a bit too thin for my tastes, evil and cruel from the get-go, with none of the seduction into darkness that I remember from the original stories. For all that, I did like his brand of evil, and enjoyed the way he played on the fears and dreams of the party, but then he disappears for half the book and my interest waned without him.

The second half of the book, I'm afraid to say, was a bitter disappointment. The party is split up, with a side quest outside of Barovia that really added nothing to the story, and what little we do see of Strahd is tied to character changes that don't ring true. To make matters worse, when the story finally brings us back to where it all started, we're dropped into the middle of the climax, with most of the epic-final-battle-against-the-villain already over. Seriously? How was that a creative decision that slipped past editorial?

Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd had potential, but then it abandons what's working to pad the page count, only to come back and abbreviate the battle where additional page count was needed.

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

I had a wonderful time with this book. Curse of Strahd is the only DnD module I've played in full so far, so it was fun exploring a somewhat familiar setting once again.

The core cast of characters all have a really entertaining back and forth, which makes it a fun read. Despite some of their quirky exteriors, they all have a level of depth to them that makes it a worthwhile adventure for any fan of gothic horror OR D&D shenanigans.

Murder the flying hairless cat is like an all timer animal companion, and I'm definitely stealing him for my next campaign. I too brought a cat into Barovia but it didn't end well for mine.

As a big fan of the 5e module, this was a fun, indulgent read. Barovia really is a place that “feels like all good things have died” and the author did a great job capturing it

Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd by Delilah S. Dawson
I'm loving this dark fantasy world of Ravenloft.
It was extremely creepy which I totally enjoyed.
Really enjoyed this and although the writing didn’t hold my attention the whole time, the flawed-yet-heroic characters and surprisingly emotional story sure did.

Delilah S. Dawson is the co-writer of one of my favorite series, The Tales of Pell. I had to read Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd. Even if you have never played Dungeons and Dragons, everyone on knows about the core monsters of horror, Dr. Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman. Putting a D & D twist on these was the Ravenloft book for the fifth edition. Dawson turns the tales of Ravenloft into the story of a band of misfits pulled into the realm of Strahd the mysterious lord of a twisted world hidden in the mists.

Fielle the tavern maid, Chivarion the drow mercenary, Rotrog an orc wizard, Kah a Kenke cleric and Alishai a paladin all made choices that went against their nature. Choices that if they followed through would have put them onto a dark and twisted path. The next this they knew they were on the ground asleep in a strange forest full of mist. Woken by the call of a crow, the group try to find shelter and someone that can tell them where they are. Instead they are trapped in a demented butcher shop and nearly all killed. Full of twists and turns this delicious nightmare will creep you out and keep you reading until dawn!

Can the group of five strangers learn to become a party and survive the horrors waiting for them at the castle of Strahd?

I liked this, and it was fun to once again immerse myself in a fantasy world that I read about so much as a teenager. However, the descriptions were often odd and had me scratching my head. I won’t quote anything, but I guarantee you’ll know what I’m talking about when you come across an example of this. Also, this book was probably about a hundred pages too long, and it should’ve ended far before it finally did.

That ending though! I really did not expect that, and it’s perfect. I would read about these characters again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

3.5, rounded up to 4.

The only reason this took me so long to read was dealing with finals for school. In between that this book was a relaxing and refreshing break from the academic life. As always jumping into the Ravenloft setting is creepy and having run through a Strahd campaign myself I felt like I was back there in a game of D&D. I treated this like enjoying a story of a watching a campaign unfold in front of. Very well written. Enjoyable characters.

It’s been a long time since I read or played D&D (table top or video game) but as soon as I started reading Delilah S. Dawson’s Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd I was transported back to my youth. As I said, I haven’t played in what feels like forever so I don’t know if this was ever a campaign module or not, (it felt somewhat familiar so it might have been based on one.) Starting out with a band of adventures waking up, unfamiliar with each other, unsure of where they are, how they came to be there, or how they’ll get home. It had me ready to start digging into the boxes in my closet to look for my dice, lol. (I’m only half kidding.) Dawson did a really good job with this adventure, crafting a well paced story with an interesting cast of characters, a compelling quest, atmospheric locale filled with horrors, and a decent amount of action. Definitely made me remember why I enjoyed D&D so much when I was younger. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Random House Worlds, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Heir of Strahd.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R31P0QX6MXIMCP/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I have never read a dungeons and dragons book. When I requested the book I just read the description and knew the author. I didn't realize it was the 22nd book in a series. I really enjoyed it and I didn't need to read the other books to be able to understand this one. I thought the book had plenty of action and a few moments here and there to slow down and get to know the characters a bit more. I loved the humor. I would recommend to anyone who likes quest fantasy that maybe doesn't take itself to seriously .

Delilah S. Dawson's "Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd" is an absolute triumph that captures the dark, brooding essence of Ravenloft while breathing new life into its legendary lore. From the very first page, Dawson’s vivid storytelling and atmospheric prose envelop readers, pulling them deep into the shadow-cloaked world of Barovia.

The character development is exceptional, with Count Strahd von Zarovich portrayed with chilling depth and nuance, making him both fearsome and tragically compelling. The supporting cast is equally engaging, each character adding a unique thread to the intricate tapestry of intrigue, horror, and dark romance that defines the novel.

What truly sets "Heir of Strahd" apart is Dawson’s ability to balance the gothic elements of Ravenloft with fast-paced, thrilling action sequences. The narrative is rich with the lore that long-time D&D fans will appreciate, while remaining accessible to newcomers unfamiliar with the setting.

The atmospheric descriptions are hauntingly beautiful, evoking the misty forests, crumbling castles, and eerie villages of Barovia with such clarity that you feel as though you’re walking its cursed paths alongside the characters.

In conclusion, "Heir of Strahd" is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy, D&D enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates masterful storytelling. Delilah S. Dawson has crafted a tale worthy of the legendary Strahd, filled with suspense, emotion, and dark enchantment. I couldn’t put it down and am eagerly looking forward to what Dawson brings to the D&D literary universe next!