The Blood Confession by Alisa M. Libby

All Things Weird & Wonderful Saturday!


Each Saturday Royal Reviews will be posting a review about a book that is both Weird & Wonderful. A book that has that extra special quality that makes you want to tell random people about its Weird and Wonderful ways. So please join us as we take a look at All Things Weird & Wonderful!

This weeks Weird & Wonderful book is Blood Confession by Alisa M. Libby

Title: The Blood Confession
Author: Alisa M. Libby
ISBN: 9780525477327
Publisher: Dutton Books
Format: Hardback
$18.99
How I read it: Hardback from the author:
Rating: 4.5 Crowns

Erzebet Bizecka lives in a remote castle in the Carpathian mountains, the only child of the Count and Countess Bizecka. Born under the omen of a falling star, Erzebet is a child of prophecy: the predictions of a scryer tell of a child whose days will end quickly, or whose days will have no end. As a teenager, Erzebet strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young village girl, Marianna, but even her dearest friend can not understand her overwhelming fears of growing older and losing her beauty. The only one who does understand her is Sinestra, the beautiful, mysterious stranger who visits Erzebet and assures her that there are ways to determine her own destiny. With the Biblical passage “The life of the flesh is in the blood” he successfully lures her into a dark world of blood rituals in order to preserve her youth and beauty for eternity. But will the blood treatments—exacted from willing servant girls—be enough to keep her safe forever? How far will Erzebet be willing to go to sever her life from the predestined path God has chosen for her?
(from the author’s website)

Read an excerpt from The Blood Confession. My Review:

Taking place in 16th century Hungary, The Blood Confession tells the story of a young noblewoman, Erzebet Bizecka. She has everything that a young woman could want. Although the one thing she cannot change is the fact that she is was born under a falling star, an omen that will haunt her until the day she dies. Not to mention that she has mother who is certifiable and father who would rather chase the chambermaids than pay attention to his wife or daughter.

Feeling alone she makes friends with a local village girl, Marianna. This is where is madness begins, we see that Erzebet is jealous of the beauty Marianna possess and begins to look for spells to maintain her own. Prompted by Sinestra, after the death of her father, Erzebet makes a startling realization that blood is the key to staying young. Thus she embarks upon a bloody quest to achieve eternal youth which involves draining her pretty young servants dry of their lifeblood.

Although things begin to go awry when the local villagers discovers that their daughters are never seen again once placed in the care of the Countess.

My thoughts:

I have had this book for a while sitting in my tbr pile. The author had sent it to me after reviewing The King’s Rose and I was waiting for the right mood to strike to read it. Then my Mother came over talking about the most fabulous book she just read. When I asked her what is was, she pulled The Blood Confessions out of her handbag. So, immediately I was intrigued and had to read the book.

The Blood Confession is a fictional account inspired by the Countess Bathory, who bathed in the blood of her young servants believing that would allow her to stay young. While I knew that this book was inspired by actual events, I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that someone was actually deranged enough to commit the acts that she committed.

For some this book may be a bit disturbing, although it is a YA read, so I would caution readers that the content is a bit graphic in some parts. With that being said, I enjoyed reading this book, it was highly intriguing to see the catalyst that drove her to murder. The plot was fast paced which allows the reader to continuously turn the page.

I will say one thing, I would definitely not want to go to her castle for tea.


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