The Scholar's Tale is a richly textured and meticulously researched novel that follows the life of Bellorious, an accomplished young scholar, who finds himself entangled in the court of Vlad in Transylvania during the 17th century. The narrative is set in a vast, desolate, and lawless Europe of the 1570s, filled with bandits, wolves, and evil supernatural beings. The story unfolds in diary form, chronicling Bellorious' adventures with his companions through dangerous territories, leading them to Castle Dracula where they become immersed in the cutthroat politics of Xantho's Machiavellian court.
Reggie Oliver's writing style is described as elegantly crafted, thought-provoking, and shudder-inducing, reminiscent of M. R. James' historical pastiche. The book expertly combines elements of horror, comedy, action, magic, mystery, and mayhem, with scholarly asides and scathing humor sprinkled throughout. Despite being the first volume in a trilogy, The Scholar's Tale stands as a completely satisfying novel on its own, offering a retelling of the origins of Dracula set in the 16th century.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers include violence, historical warfare, themes of sexual slavery, and brutality, which are prevalent throughout the narrative.
Has Romance?
Romantic elements are present but intertwined with themes of sacrifice and unrequited love, contributing to the depth of character relationships.
From The Publisher:
Bram Stoker's immortal Dracula told us about Count Dracula as an undead vampire. But how did this come to be? Who was Dracula in real life? There has always been speculation, but The Dracula Papers now offers the ultimate answer. It takes us back to the year 1576, to the wild land of Transylvania and to the early life of Prince Vladimir who came to be the horror known as Dracula. The result is a story as remarkable and extraordinary as the Bram Stoker classic. Battles, intrigues, sorcery, sexual passion, hauntings, a mechanical tortoise and a burning rhinoceros all have their part to play in a thrilling narrative that nevertheless plunges deep into the mystery of Evil. With The Dracula Papers Reggie Oliver presents a grand tour of the sixteenth century, and of every variety of occult lore surrounding the vampire myth, that is rollicking, wise, macabre, but always unexpected. The Scholar's Tale is the first volume of a scholarly and picaresque Gothick Extravaganza.
What can you read after
Scholar's Tale?
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