I, Strahd : The Memoirs of a Vampire (Ravenloft Books) (Library Binding)

by P. N. Elrod (Author) "There is a traitor in the camp, you know," Alek Gwilym said, not looking at me, but at the bottle of wine standing tall on..." (more)
Key Phrases: protective sign, Lady Ilona, Ba'al Verzi, Von Zarovich (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The third entry in TSR/Ravenloft's "open-ended series of Gothic horror tales," this is a chilling, dark fantasy again featuring powerful vampire Count Strahd Von Zarovich. Strahd relates how he conquered the realm of Barovia, and how he became a vampire to win the love of his brother's wife, Tatyana. He tells of fratricide, suicide, treachery and a horrible curse connected to his beloved Tatyana. While this volume follows Vampire of the Mists (by Christie Golden) and Knight of the Black Rose (by James Lowder), the narrative's events seem to pre-date those of Golden's story. Although certain events and characters are depicted differently in all three novels, this is not a failing, necessarily, if readers keep in mind that this book is part of TSR's Dungeons & Dragons gaming world, in which each session at the gameboard produces varying scenarios. Elrod's strong prose and excellent pacing are not diminished by being confined to the boundaries of a pre-established universe. Though this novel lacks the baroque sensuality of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire or the streetwise humor of the author's own The Vampire Files , it is an exciting and original vampire tale.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Sergei, the young brother of Strahd Von Zarovich, battles with his older sibling for the love of Tatyana, and then wins her by entering into a pact with the Devil. 75,000 first printing.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 309 pages
• Publisher: TSR, Inc.; 1st edition (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560766700
• ISBN-13: 978-1560766704
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,327,571 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ravenloft at it's best - fantastic read., January 1, 2007

By	Andrew Gray "Beezer Review" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire: The Ravenloft Covenant (Paperback)

I Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire by P.N. Elrod is the third book in the recently re-released Ravenloft series. Wizards of the Coast is calling this the Ravenloft Covenant and going back and re-releasing the books that many of us loved. The Ravenloft line was discontinued several years ago, but with the rise in Dark Fantasy novels WotC appears to be giving it another shot, and I for one, am very glad they are. The two books to be released prior to this one are; Death of a Darklord and Vampire of the Mist.

This book is written in somewhat of a first person perspective and follows Strahd Von Zarovich as he begins his rule over Barovia. Ms. Elrod does a very good job of allowing the reader to begin to understand Strahd. No longer is he the heartless, evil, devil that we read about in Vampire of the Mist (and other Ravenloft books). Now, he has substance and meaning behind some of the choices he made in his life. It all culminates with a pact he makes, for better or worse, and how that pact changes his life forever. In some fantasy books, character development takes a back seat to hack-n-slash kill the monster type scenes. Yet, in this book Ms. Elrod devotes a great deal of time to Strahd the character and how he became who he is.

The plot of this book is wonderfully constructed. If you have read Vampire of the Mist you know how this book will end. Yet, that does nothing to diminish the journey of this book. The Pact with Death that Strahd makes is the pinnacle of this book, but by no means is it the only event of importance within the pages. Elrod does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to not only see inside the life of Strahd before his pact, but to allow the reader to, at times, root for Strahd. This book is basically comprised of events in Strahd's life that made him who he is. He is a very calculating person, but the pact he made was impulsive and made for love and beauty. I don't want to say too much and spoiler this for anyone, if you have even a remote interest in this book, do yourself a favor and read it. You won't be disappointed.

This is a very easy book to read, and goes by insanely fast. It quickly became hard for me to put down. Ms. Elrod has a knack for telling you just enough information that you can make your own conclusions about some events. Later in the book she allows you to really feel the angst that Strahd is going through. I would without a doubt recommend this book to many many people. If you are a fan of fantasy books and have yet to read any Ravenloft this book and Vampire of the Mist should be read right away. If you are not a fan of fantasy, but are considering reading this vampire book, give it a shot. It is a very fun and enjoyable read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I, Strahd - a wickedly good yarn, April 3, 1998

By	[e-mail] (New York/China/England) - See all my reviews

With any vampire novel the great danger is that of imitation: no matter what the protagonist, when the era, where the setting is, there will always be a question of how well it stands up next to the 'classics'.

Well, move over Bram Stoker! Dracula, with all its nineteenth-century patriotism, stake-wielding self-righteousness, and gun-slinging 'technology' is gone: Strahd von Zarovich has arrived. Although not the very first of its kind, 'I, Strahd' is easily one of the best see-it-through-the-Vampire's-eyes gothic novels I have ever read. P N Elrod's style is fast without being rushed, passionate without being sentimental, and her anti-hero Count Strahd is immediately memorable to any reader.

His story, too, is similar to that of the Transylvanian Count, but the first-hand view of Strahd's life (unlife?) and the atrocities he is driven to commit strikes a rapport with the reader. Here is a vampire who is evil, who kills without remorse, who has no feelings for life except his own (imperfect) facsimile...sometimes. Yet he is repentant, pining for a lost love, and loyal to his people's safety, willing to give his life to their protection and unification...sometimes.

It is this double-nature of the protagonist which makes 'I, Strahd' a compelling read and stands comparison with 'Dracula' and 'Interview with the Vampire'. Enter if you dare...you will be smitten!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shows Strahd in a different way, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (Ravenloft) (Mass Market Paperback)

"I, Strahd" shows the infamous vampire lord of Barovia in a much different manner then "Vampire of the Mists". He is still a tragic figure but still unreedmable with his demonic pact with "Death" and of the severing of Barovia, but his humanity is revealed in this book. Elrod shows us that Strahd was a man without purpose and only through his evil pact did he regain himself...at a horrible price that will endure through all of eternity. Make no mistake about it, Strahd is evil to the core with no hope of redeemption whatsoever. The famed scholar of the supernatural, Rudolph VanRichten, makes an appearence as one of the few mortals to enter Castle Ravenloft and go through Strahd's personal journal. All in all, an excellent book on the nature of one of the most famous denizens of Ravenloft.