Book Review: I, Strahd

P.N. Elrod, I, Strahd: the Memoirs of a Vampire. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.ISBN: 1560766700.

Genre: horror, Gothic

Subgenre: role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, vampires

Series: Ravenloft (Book 7)

Format: Hardcover

Source: I own this one

 

This book is part of the Ravenloft gothic horror series from TSR (which went on to become Wizards of the Coast). My edition is an autographed first edition I bought second hand some years ago before secondary markets began seriously price gouging (but I digress). Back in the day, I did enjoy the series, so it was nice to revisit. I may have read this years ago, but since I did not quite recall I decided to read it now. 

This is the story of Strahd Von Zarovich, the vampire ruler of Barovia, the setting for the Ravenloft tales that is very much like somewhere in Eastern Europe. The story has a small frame. In the frame, Van Richten, an elderly vampire hunter, has found his way into the count's castle and study. He finds the count's journal and reads it. What he reads is Strahd's story. 

The story goes from Strahd's mortal days as a soldier when he conquers Barovia. He takes over, establishes himself as lord of the land, and begins to settle in as a ruler. These early days feature court intrigues and politics. We also get obsessive love as Strahd, a practitioner of the dark arts, falls in love with his brother's bride. He uses his dark arts to woo her, but it backfires. On the brother's wedding day, a noble plotting against Strahd launches a coup, kills most every member of Strahd's house, including Tatyana the bride. Strahd in the meantime, through his magic, had made a deal with darkness to get the bride. This deal also changes him into a vampire. The rest of the novel is Strahd coming to terms with his new powers and vampire nature, working to get his revenge on the traitor. 

This is a tale of gothic horror. Strahd is a traditional vampire: sun is bad, sleeping in a coffin (though not required), can shift forms, drinks blood, and is affected by holy objects (as long as they are blessed with true faith). The setting is very much late medieval. The plot to be honest can be a bit slow at times. This is not an action adventure tale. It does have some action moments, but there is much more plotting, intrigues, and Strahd learning to be a vampire. Fans of vampires who find how vampires are made interesting may appreciate those details. Otherwise this is a somewhat slow revenge tale. Strahd's traitor does prove a challenge, but one he can overcome. As other gothic figures, Strahd deals with lost love and a hope of seeing her again. The novel is a very easy read but slow paced. 

Overall, I liked the book, but it is no big deal. It is a very traditional and old school vampire tale. That is part of the charm of the book. If you like more traditional vampires, you will probably like this as well. It is good, but it lacks depth. It is a light and easy read, but it is not terribly memorable. Fans of the Ravenloft series may want to read it to learn about Strahd. 

3 out of 5 stars. 

This book qualifies for the following 2023 Reading Challenge: