Book Review - The Impaler's Revenge by Ioana Visan

The Impaler's Revenge (The Impaler Legacy, #1)
by Ioana Visan
Published 2013
107 Pages

I really loved this book! The author is a master at setting the stage for an alternate reality in which vampires and humans largely coexist. It had the perfect amount of intrigue! I was invested in the characters, and anticipated what was going to happen throughout the story, and around every corner! 

The Impaler's Revenge offered up a new twist to the vampire genre, and provided just enough information about the apparently civilized main vampire, Maximilien (not Max!) Hess. My interest was definitely piqued, and it left me wanting more. I know there is much more to Maximilien, hiding under his civilized demeanor, and I am sure we will discover many surprises in future installments! I also loved the female lead, Liana Cantacuzino. She is no simpering female. She is at the top of her Romanian social class: smart, strong, and anything but helpless. She has little time for relationships, which is a nice change of pace from other leads, where the female is often in distress or immediately head over heals for the male. 

Liana is part of the Little Council in Romania responsible for vampire control in her country--a small, elite group of descendants, whose primary goal is to keep vampires out of Romania. Yes, that's right, vampires may roam the world freely, but not in Romania! Instead, the country is protected by tight borders, and a kill-on-sight law. Liana's newest assignment, that has been handed down to her directly from the council president, involves the secret guarding and transporting of a thousand-year-old vampire called Maximilien… a job Liana finds both shocking and distasteful. But when strange events begin to occur around Romania, with vampire attacks, missing doctors, and stolen blood, the plot thickens, leaving Liana with growing suspicions and fears over a sinister plot from within. She is determined to solve the mystery, and to protect her country. 

Definitely worth the read! Although not steamy at this point, I feel it simmering, and we get hints of attraction building between characters. I appreciated the refreshing balance of power between Liana and Maximilien. This looks like a series with potential to build, and I imagine it will only get better! I look forward to reading the next book! 

Reviewed by Kelli
★★★★
4.25 STARS