"Dracula. First light" is the book we've all been waiting for since 1897. Since Bram Stocker's vampire novel, no historical novel has told the story of the real Dracula with such accuracy and charm. Written right in the city of King Dracula, Targoviste, by a Romanian historian, “Dracula. First light� is a book as good as “The Three Musketeers� or the recent “Lord Of The Rings� or “The Hobbit�. The author, Vasile Lupasc, is also a first-hand researcher of Vlad Dracula's period. He recently brought from the Vatican Library a manuscript about Darcula that will be translated for the world premiere and integrated into the novel “Dracula. First light� as a historical source. The first-hand historical documents used in the book - many written by Vlad Dracula himself - make the adventure even more fascinating, revealing a much more captivating Dracula King than the famous Vampire who "stole" his name. At the end of the reading I woke up surprised that I am on the porch of my house and not in the Wallachian mountains, fighting for my king - Dracula! “Dracula. First light� is a 3D novel that transports you instantly to other times and that makes you live the adventure of the knights yourself! It was a great pleasure to read this novel and an honor to write its preface! David Scott
The story starts of with Vlad escaping from being a hostage from the Turks. In an in located at Wallachia follower of Vlad Tepesh conspire to route a preteder to the throne named Dan. These friend are actually Vlad's loyal knight they travel with him to Hungary to get troops and support from Hunyadi, a Wallachian power broker now in the Hungarian military. They fight the Turks in Constantinople but the objective is not to defend Constantinople but rather to observe the Turks.
In the land of Wallachia there are many troubles. The noble who were appointed by previous voivodes are not loyal to the country of crown bu rather to their own self interest. Then you have the german merchants in Brasov who continually defy Vlad. Then you have the overall problem of the Ottoman Empire. They demand tribute, soldiers and grain. When Vlad ultimately defies them it is war. In Wallachia Vlad does not have to just contend with the Turks he also has internal divisions. Those that know the history know tha Vlad handled them with exceptional brutality which is what the traitors deserved.
Every bit of historical fiction about Vlad portrays things in different lights. Some of them portray Vlad and Mehmet as practically brother while growing up in the Sultan's castle. This portrayal has Vlad being rebellious and always against the Ottoman Empire. Events leading up to Vlad dealing with the merchants and nobility are also portrayed differently. In this work both groups do some treachery which provokes a response from vlad. Now the book does not end with his death but rather it ends with a betrayal, something common in that part of the back in the day.
Great piece of historical fiction. Showcases his military capabilities and how he used his wit to defeat his oppressors. Great beginnin novel for those jus getting thei feet wet with Dracula history. Lately some good historical fiction has been coming out about Vlad Tepesh and it is not about vampires rather it is about a messianic figure who is destined to save his nation and lead them out of oppression