Heart of the Impaler

A darkly romantic tale of love, betrayal, and the birth of a legend
In the shadow of his cruel father and elder brother Mircea, Vlad Dracula yearns to prove himself worthy of the throne. His only solace is his friendship with his cousin Andrei Musat. But when Vlad and Andrei both fall for Ilona Csáki, the daughter of an influential boyar, their bond is tested. Ilona's betrothal to Mircea as a political alliance sets Vlad on a dark path of resentment.
Ilona dreams of love but must navigate a treacherous court where enemies lurk in every shadow. Her growing feelings for Andrei and Vlad place her in even greater peril. As war looms on the horizon, the battle for Ilona's life and heart may prove the deadliest of all.
In his debut novel, Heart of the Impaler, Alexander Delacroix weaves a mesmerizing tale of passion and intrigue in 15th-century Romania. Vlad's metamorphosis from an innocent youth to the infamous Vlad the Impaler unfolds in a lush narrative pulsing with romance and dark magic.
"Highly recommended... Pulls readers into fifteenth-century Romania—and into the heart of Vlad the Impaler." —Booklist