The Nightingale's Castle: A Novel of Erzsbet Bthory, the Blood Countess [Paperback]

In the vein of riveting historical novels such asHamnetandCircewith a touch ofDraculaa propulsive, gothic feminist reimagining of the story of Erzs?bet B?thory, the infamous sixteenth-century Hungarian aristocrat known as the Blood Countess, who was rumored to have murdered?hundreds of peasant girls and bathed in their blood.

In 1573, Countess Erzs?bet B?thory gives birth to an illegitimate child. Secretly taken to a peasant family living in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, the infant girl is?raised as their own. Years later, a young woman called Bor?kaignorant of her true historyis sent to join the Countesss household.

Terrified of the Countesss murderous reputation and the brutally cruel women who run the castle, Bor?ka struggles to find her place. Then plague breaches the castles walls, and a tentative bond unexpectedly forms between the girl and the Countess. But in a world of simmering political intrigue, powerful forces are moving against the great lady whose wealth and independence threatens the king. Can the Countess trust the women seemingly so close to her? And when the show trial begins against the infamous Blood Countess where will Bor?kas loyalties lie?

“A totally fascinating read.” -Historical Novels Review on Blackberry and Wild Rose

“Sonia Velton weaves a tale of secrets and yearning into a bittersweet but satisfying end.” -New York Journal of Books on Blackberry and Wild Rose

“A masterfully plotted tapestry; a tangle of lives carefully pitted against each other and forming an intricate and spell-binding glimpse into the rich and volatile world of eighteenth-century silk weavers. I was captive from the first page to the last.” -Natasha Boyd, USA Today bestselling author of The Indigo Girl on Blackberry and Wild Rose

“Fans of Tracy Chevalier and Jennifer Chiaverini will be captivl³Î