With my first move into the Ravenloft books, I chose to read “I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire”. Being a former D&D player, I was familiar with the world and its surroundings. However this book actually helped to build out the foundations of how Vampirism occurred there, what created some of the more magical items, etc.

It centers, obviously, around Strahd, a powerful leader who has been tramping through the country, and making his eventual way back to the castle. The realistic depictions of the way life is in the setting is outstanding, and the magic is only slightly interwoven so that even someone who was not into the genre would be able to accept it with little complaint. An assassination attempt occurs, bringing in the Vampire theme (though not in the classical manner you would think), and Strahd begins his eternal life. Through a series of events, and eventually a rather large tragedy, Strahd embraces becoming a vampire and begins his work of revenge.

The writing is fantastic. It’s heavy without being overwhelming. The slight introduction of magic in the beginning surely paves the way for the greater use of magic in the book (and books beyond this one). For a memoir on a vampire, you would expect it to jump right in to the fangs and death, but it takes its time ramping up as appropriate. The love story aspect is a little forced, and personally I think it should have been played out across a greater time, but overall it’s a great read. I would recommend this to anyone who is familiar with the Ravenloft series, and even those who aren’t.