HF Virtual Book Tours: A Prince to be Feared by Mary Lancaster

Title: A Prince to be Feared
Author: Mary Lancaster
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: April 2013
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a historical fiction fan.
• You like love stories.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Europe’s most fearsome prisoner, Vlad Dracula, gifted military commander and one time Prince of Wallachia, the notorious Lord Impaler himself, is about to be released after twelve long years, in order to hold back the tide of Ottoman aggression. The price of his new alliance with his Hungarian captors is the king’s cousin Ilona.

Ilona does not wish to be married. In particular, she doesn’t wish to marry Vlad. Gentle, faded and impossibly vague, Ilona is hardly fit for court life, let alone for dealing with so difficult a husband.

But Ilona’s wishes have nothing to do with Vlad’s reputation and everything to do with a lifelong love affair that finally broke her. Ilona’s family blame Vlad; Vlad vows to discover the truth and sets out by unconventional means to bring back the woman who once enchanted him. Among court intrigues, international manoeuvrings and political deceptions, Vlad reveals himself more victim than villain. But he’s still more than capable of reclaiming his lost rights to both Wallachia and Ilona; and Ilona, when it counts, has enough strength for them both."

My Two Cents:

"A Prince to be Feared" is the story of the infamous Vlad Dracula after he is captured by the Hungarian rulers. Vlad Dracula is a really fascinating figure to me. I have never read anything about his life as a prisoner so it was very interesting to read this book. As with so many ruling families during this time, Vlad's captors were seeking to strengthen their power. They want to marry Ilona, their cousin, to Vlad even though they have imprisoned him and even though his reputation is anything but glowing.

I enjoyed this story. The bones of the story were very good. I always enjoy getting to see famous historical figures in a different light, which you definitely get to see here. The core story in this book is the love story between Vlad and Ilona. I really enjoyed seeing how the characters fell for each other and learning the secrets behind Vlad and Ilona's intricate relationship.

The writing was pretty good. Lancaster is definitely promising as a storyteller. There were a couple sections in the book that could have used some editing. Also, there were several sections in the book where the dialogue felt a little too present day rather than something that would have been said during the time of Vlad Dracula. This kind of took me out of the story a little bit but overall, the story was engaging and interesting. It definitely kept me reading!

Overall, this story shows Vlad Dracula in a new light and will appeal to those who like a little romance along with their historical fiction. 

Follow the Rest of the Tour:


Monday, May 13
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary
Tuesday, May 14
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Review & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, May 15
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!
Thursday, May 16
Review at A Bookish Affair
Guest Post & Giveaway at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!
Friday, May 17
Feature & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair