[ 490 ]

[katara]

The Court of the Undead by F.M. Aden

Series:
Trueborn #1

Genre:
Paranormal, Fantasy, Netgalley, Vampires, Dark, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Supernatural


Publication Date:
December 1, 2023

Pages Numbers:
342

Read Date:
June 14th, 2023

Date Finished:
June 14th, 2023

Rating:
4/5

Blurb:

A stunningly dark fantasy novel set during the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Castlevania and From Blood and Ash.

From a young age, Yara and her sister Aylin grew up on tales of the vampir whispered to them in the dark by their superstitious nursemaid. It isn’t until the fateful day, Yara is kidnapped and brought to the fortress of the Undying King that she realizes that she is far from the safety of the Ottoman court. Tucked into the high mountains of Wallachia, the court of the undead is home to the trueborn vampir, their sired vampir flock, and their miserable hoard of blood slaves.



While Aylin joins a group of trained hunters to bring her sister back home. Yara finds herself trapped between a set of beautiful and manipulative twin brothers who intend to use her for their own amusement and deceptions. Caught between the free-spirited and obsessive Volkan and the power-hungry and villainous Eldar, Yara must betray them both if she ever hopes to make it back home alive.



As tension builds at the vampir court and the hunters start their march, Yara must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.

Review:

Although the premise of the book captivated me and the story quite unique in its structure, the vampire lore, the rich historical prospect of the Ottoman Empire, and the politics in between both. It had everything a reader could want, but the character development and romance seemed to be lacking.

The sisters, Aylin and Yara, have been living comfortably in the Ottoman Empire, growing up on tales of the vampire, and always told to beware of what lurks within the shadows. When Yara is kidnapped and taken to Wallachia and the Court of the Undead King, she becomes the obsession of two brothers - Vokan and Eldar Demirci. Drawn into the Vampir Court and its politics, Yara has to not only stay alive but learn how to be just as cunning as the Court itself. Her sister, on the other hand, is determined to find her and bring her home. With Iiyas in tow, Alyin sets out to find her all the while coming across the vampir hunters who know how to kill them.

If I am correct, this book is going to be a series and it still has room to grow. Most first books in a series are bare bones and characters are coming into their own. Although is some speculation that many should already have growth, you need to understand that it does take a bit more time to do so. Stories and world-building are just getting started.

I do understand that authors tend to heavily-laden their imagery and although this is good, it also slows the progress of the story. Again, since this book is the author's first novel, it may be too heavy for the first book. One just needs to establish the mood of both the book and its characters.

Given time and much more fleshing out of the series, I think this series has quite a chance and I really hope the author does take this chance to make any necessary changes and not be discouraged.


*Disclaimer: Thank you to the author, her publishers, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions of this review are mine and mine alone.