The Nightingale's Castle
the gripping story of Erzsébet Báthory, the infamous sixteenth-century “Blood Countess”
by Sonia Velton
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Pub Date 2 May 2024 | Archive Date 30 Apr 2024
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Description
'An absorbing work of fiction' Sunday Times
'I was blown away by this dark, enchanting story of witchcraft, power and injustice. ..nothing short of brilliant' Mary Chamberlain
Erzsébet Báthory, whose infamous place in history characterises her as the 'Blood Countess', was accused of the murder of over 600 peasant girls in Hungary, 1610. The Nightingale's Castle tells the story of a woman fighting for her survival and the complicated, often cruel, household over which she presides.
Praise for The Nightingale's Castle
'Moving, fascinating and haunting.. A mesmerising combination of gothic horror and elegant restraint' Francesca De Tores, author of Saltblood
'Gripping... a fascinating exploration of women's struggle to have their truth heard' Louise O'Neill
In 1573, Countess Erzsébet Báthory gave birth to an illegitimate child. The infant, a girl, was swiftly bundled up and handed to a local peasant family to be brought up in one of the hamlets surrounding the Castle. Many years later, 15-year-old Boróka reluctantly leaves the safety of the only home she has ever known in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Trusted members of the countess's household have been sent out to gather new serving girls, and the kindly old man who has taken care of Boróka for almost all her life knows that it is dangerous to turn them away.
Boróka struggles to find her place at Cachtice Castle: she is frightened of the countess's reputation as an alleged murderer of young girls, and the women who run the castle are terrifyingly cruel. When plague comes into the heart of the castle, a tentative bond begins to form between Boróka and the Countess Báthory. But powerful forces are moving against a woman whose wealth poses such a threat to the king: can the countess really trust the women who are so close to her? And when the show trial begins against the infamous 'Blood Countess' where will Boróka's loyalties lie?
Advance Praise
'The Nightingale's Castle is a gripping read - beautifully written, skilfully plotted, and a fascinating exploration of women's struggle to have their truth heard' Louise O'Neill, author of Idol
'Dark, unsettling and so skilfully written, The Nightingale's Castle is a novel that takes the reader by the hand and leads them to the wintry side of the human soul. Tinged with a creeping horror from the opening pages, it reads like the finest fairy tale. I loved it, and admired it greatly' Joanne Burn, author of The Hemlock Cure
'The Nightingale's Castle is a beautifully crafted story that keeps the reader constantly balanced between hope and fear, just as the characters are. A gripping tale of power, loyalty and betrayal. I loved it' Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women
'A dark and powerful tale of women fighting for their truths to be heard. Dripping with unease, it is a story filled with the bloodthirsty horror, not of monsters, but of humankind' Polly Crosby, author of Vita and the Birds
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9780349146096 |
PRICE | £18.99 (GBP) |
PAGES | 352 |
Available on NetGalley
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