Prince of Darkness. Monster. Villain. Damned by love.Fuelled by vengeance.For centuries, my loss and hunger have consumed me.One soul, one flickering human light, and my obsession with what I lost is once more unleashed.There are those who want to take from me what is rightfully mine, but I’m no longer bound by time. She’ll always be my one and only, and anyone who interferes will find no mercy … interferes will find no mercy here.
*This book contains trigger warnings for its dark content. It is intended for a mature audience of 18+
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This takes the story of Dracula to new levels!
When I first started reading this book I was a bit disappointed because it seemed to me that it was a retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula but a lot too close to the original to be much of a retelling. I was actually quite bored at the beginning even though it has been many years since I read Bram Stoker. However the more I read, the better this book got.
Many of the players are the same. There is Vlad and his brother Radu who were sons of the King of Romania. They were given to the cruel King of Turkey as children along with many other children of Romania in exchange for the promise that Turkey would not invade. Vlad was returned to Romania when he reached adulthood but Radu had become a favorite of the King and was never returned.
Vlad becomes king, meets and marries the love of his life, Elizabeth who becomes pregnant. Vladimir goes to War with Turkey because he refuses to send any more of Romania’s children to the King of Turkey. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you have read Dracula or even seen the movie, you know that Elizabeth dies and Vlad becomes Dracula. This all happened circa 1450.
This book follow a similar path as Stoker’s in that Dracula finds himself in London around the 1800’s where he comes across Mina, who’s is the spitting image of his love Elizabeth, along with her friend Lucy. Mina is engaged to Jonathan Harker. Vlad also meets Lucy’s father and a Dr. Van Helsing who are looking to form a society that will hunt supernatural creatures of the night.
One of the glaring differences in this retelling is that while in London, Dracula hangs out at the Hellfire club with the likes of Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Gray. This retelling is also told from Vlad’s viewpoint and it is quite steamy. Though you have to realize it is Dracula, he is the father of all vampires and the worst of them all. He is your ultimate bad boy with a killer instinct.
The book gets better as it goes, it strays further from Stokers original story. I always like it when a story is told all or in part from the male protagonists point of view. It is especially good when it is a steamy storyline. His love for Elizabeth is something to behold. How it doesn’t lessen at all throughout the years.
That is something I can’t even imagine.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Heart of Darkness is a different version of the classic tale that we all know, Dracula. I’ve read a few different books in the past that give their own version of how Dracula came to be. But Claire Marta’s version of the classic tale? Wow! There aren’t enough words to describe how twisted and seductive that this story is.
The blurb and cover alone were more than enough to have me intrigued to see how Claire managed to add her own spin on Vladimir. This story hooks you in front the first page, it certainly did for me. It’s dark, it’s twisted it’s seductive in every way.
The story of Vladimir and his love for his wife that stays with him as the story progresses through the years. From his origin in Transylvania to a Victorian Era in London, to the present day London. It is dark, it is depraved and that’s what I love reading when it comes to Claire Marta’s writing.
Even Vladimir deserves his chance at love and this book gives him that, but not always in the way that you expect. Overall a thrilling, dark, twisted and captivating read. I really do hope that there is going to be more from all of these characters in the future.
I don’t even know where to start with this amazing piece of work. I found the trials of Vlad to be both heartbreaking and fascinating. I reveled in his joy and I mourned his losses. It was a real page turner that I could not put down!
Wow, oh wow, oh wow! This crazy, dark, vampire novel had me biting my nails!
Plenty of triggers abound! Blood, yes. Steamy, yes.
Different story? Absolutely.
Vlad was an amazing character.
Ms. Marta is a new author for me, and I will most definitely be checking out her other works!
I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my honest and voluntary review.
soul. First was Elizabeth, then Mina, and finally comes Emma. All the same person through time. The only person to hold sway over Vlad. Their love is literally timeless.
This is a story about love. Lost and found through the times of man. This book is their love story, with the darkness that they find along the way. I finished it in mere hours. I was sucked in from the start. You’ll fall in love with the story of Dracula all over again.
I was wanting an expansion of Vlad and Elizabeth/Mina/Emma’s story and I guess ask and you shall receive! Vlad has loved Emma across many, many lifetimes. Their love is literally eternal and timeless. When he was human Vlad’s love was Elizabeth but she dies and her soul is put into two more bodies and finally settling in Emma. He struggles to make her his with each reincarnation all the while Vlad has to stay ahead of the hunters that are trying to bring him down. Will he finally prevail and make Emma his?
Not just any vampire read, this is about Dracula…. of course this has been done in many different ways throughout the years, and to be honest it took me a while to get into it, as at first it just seems like a retelling of the story, but give it chance and the story changes and becomes something else!!
I’m a big vampire and Dracula fan, and this book started like the Bram Stoker Dracula film, so close in fact I could just picture the film as I was reading it. But as you read further the book and tone changes as you get the author’s idea for this new world of Immortals of the Damned she is creating. The background to the series is being laid down and the origins are being told.
It starts with Vlad’s beginnings, him and his brother Radu given over to the Turks as children in exchange for them not to invade Romania, over the years Radu becomes the King’s favourite and is kept whilst Vlad is release back to his homeland and in turn becomes King. Vlad meets the love of his life, Elizabeth, they marry and she gets pregnant. Vlad goes to war with the Turks as he refuses to give any more of Romania’s children over to them. Vlad returns to find his wife has been murdered and he then becomes Dracula. I enjoyed this part in the book a lot, the actual recounting of what happened and how he became what he did.
We then move on to the 1800’s in London, the Bram Stoker part of the story unfurls, where many of the characters are the same – Mina, Van Helsing, Lucy, Jonathan Harker. Whilst in London Vlad visits the Hellfire Club, where the likes of Dorian Gray, Dr. Frankenstein and the likes hang out also, further books within this series fodder here!
The story moves on through the years until the present is reached, all the while Vlad is searching for his true love, which seems never to have waned throughout the centuries.
This is not a romantic retelling of Dracula – Vlad in this at first seems lost to his love for his murdered wife and his intent of finding her again in another lifetime, but you will see over the course of the book how evil he really is. It is violent and gory, there are hot sexy scenes of course, but there is a lot of blood!
I’m looking forward to more books in this series.
Dracula revamped
This series is compromised of re-imagined tales that include some of the histories most infamous Gothic legends.
Heart of darkness is Vlad’s story
From the beginning.
What drove him to trade his soul
Why he chose Lucy
And Mina, his Elizabeth born again
This is a fast-paced read that evokes all your senses. From the shadows that veil that most debauched of deeds to the light that offers hope and second chances
Nothing is sacred to the man who lives forever…
Except for his heart
The story is told from Vlad’s perspective which is something I enjoyed. He is the father of darkness after all and getting to see his thoughts was a delightful treat. I would not want to get on his bad side he was ruthless if needs be.
Vlad’s love for Elizabeth was why he originally targeted Mina but it was Mina who kept him. She was independent but not – I know a bit confusing but once you read it you will get it.
Lucy what a handful that about sums her up.
The beginning of this reads a bit like the historical version of Vlad but this slowly evolves into something more. The author also spends a bit of time setting up the long run story line, introducing us to some of the key players and giving us little glimpses of what is to come.
Excited to see who from the Hellfire club falls next.
Refreshing, Mandy @janise’s Jivin’ Book Blog
“What is immortality when you walk it alone? Ageless, beyond deaths touch”
The Heart of Darkness is a story we are all most familiar with, that of Dracula, Vlad Tepes. But it is written with a new flair. It took me a while to really get into the storyline. But once I did I was excited to see who the story flowed. Vlad is the master of darkness travels through life damned for all eternity only seeking the one who calmed his soul and spirit lost to him many years ago, but with each new day and rebirth, he struggles to make her his again. Can Vlad finally overcome those who plan to hurt him and his kind while trying to finally claim the woman of his heart?
Claire Marta is a completely new to me author, I like her way of telling the story of Dracula of his interactions with other characters we know from old stories and his love, she has brought a new light to his story.
Its a good book that makes you want the monster to get his happy ever & for me Vlad is that monster
If ever a monster was created by circumstance its was Vlad , kidnapped as a child , forced to fight his brother & get more brutal day by day but only finally losing his humanity completely when the things he loved most in his life was ripped away . I love Claire Marta’s Vlad , he reminds me of the vampire with the evening suit , top hat & cape , I love the fact he never gave up on love & continued to adore Elizabeth even though the universe seemed determined to keep their souls apart ,if this is the first book bring on the rest asap because i couldn’t put it down , i’m hoping & guessing the rest of the Hellfire club will be the next books in this series.
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I remember reading the short story this is expanded from and liking the idea of second chances and lovers meeting again time after time. I thought the most interesting parts were when the Van Helsing’s and Vlad/Dracula were hunting and the power play between them, lots of familiar names pop up and I thought that gave the story an interesting spin.
I was a bit off put by the gratuitous feel of the sex scenes but if you like your romance dark and depraved then this is right up your street.
Heart of Darkness is a different spin on the Dracula classic and how Vlad came into being and became the myth/legend that he is today. The book follows Vlad from meeting his first love, Elizabeth, to Mina (Dracula) and into the twenty first century with a woman who is surprisingly like Elizabeth. The story is dark, sensual and at times alarming when you’re trying to piece together this almost obsessive love that Vlad has for Elizabeth and what he will do to find her again.
The story has lots of twists and turns and we see characters like Van Helsing whose sole purpose is to rid the world of evil, even if he comes across as hypocritical. The story is predominantly about lost love and second chances in a dark and twisted realm which is the author’s mind with such vivid description that you feel like you are walking along with the characters.
Other famous characters from the Gothic period such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Dorian Gray who have banded together in a sort of immortal group, trying to evade those that would do them harm whilst living a life of luxury and excess which only immortals can.
If you like dark reads with a twist of a re-telling, then this is the book for you!
ARC received for a fair, honest and sometimes long review
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com
Dark, twisted, page turning, crazy good. This book will suck you in like a vortex. I stayed up way too late and I am going to pay for it later but, who cares. It’ll be well worth it. I love Claire’s writing and I love dark reads. This book well blow your socks off.
Are you wanting to read a good vampire book that isn’t sappy or sparkly? Heart of Darkness is just the thing you are looking for. Claire Marta brings Prince Vladimir of Romania back to life in the retelling of Dracula. With some interesting twists, Vlad is not completely alone having friends such as Dorian Gray and Dr. Jekyll by his side. With a love that spans through the sands of time, Heart of Darkness is a sexually fueled dark romance that is sure to bring the reader much joy and entertainment. 5-stars for Heart of Darkness by Claire Marta.
Vladimir has lived as a Prince in Romania and now as the Prince of Darkness. Always searching for a love that can compare to what he lost while he was still a man, Vlad roams the earth seeking for something or someone to relieve his boredom. Vlad loved his Elizabeth and by some miracle has found her again. Shy and demure Mina Murray slowly starts to remember her former life with her handsome prince and longs to be by his side. Those that do not understand the darkness that fills the heart of the immortal creatures seek to destroy them. Vlad will do whatever it takes to keep his one true love by his side and away from the clutches of men like Van Helsing who wish to eradicate them from earth.
If you like vampires you’ll want to pick this up!