New Look on an Old Legend - The Impaler's Revenge by Ioana Visan

In this story, vampires are a known part of society, “living” amongst humans and going about their own business everywhere except … Romania (Points for the setting!) which closed their borders to the undead over five centuries previously. However, the country’s elected President has ordered a secret (and highly treasonous) operation allowing one 1,000 year old vampire, Maximilien Hess, into Bucharest. The operation is secret even to the vampire’s minder, Liana Cantacuzino, and her cadre of pandurs (trained vampire killers.) Liana is a descendant of one of the oldest noble families and is a member of the Little Council – the power behind the president. Liana and her pandurs have been trained from birth to despise and eradicate vampires from their country. She obeys the order but is not happy about it. The Impaler’s Revenge is the debut of her story told in the series, The Impaler Legacy, and it is a good one. Back stories slowly and naturally unfold to fill in the details of the characters’ lives. I thought the plot was a fresh take on the “vampires among us” theme, interesting and entertaining. The author brings out a different telling of the history of Vlad Tepes. I found myself liking the main characters and at the conclusion of this story I wanted to know more about them and what was going to happen to them. This sent me looking for the next installment in the series: Sweet Seduction (The Impaler Legacy #1.5). Then, too, is the great setting – Romania – and from an author that is familiar with the location. My only hope is that the stories are some day combined into one longer novel. I would so read it all again.