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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780786941230
Format: Large Print
ISBN number: 0786941235
Label: Wizards of the Coast
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 277
Printing Date: November 07, 2006
Publishing house: Wizards of the Coast
Release Date: November 07, 2006
Sale Popularity Level: 567042
Studio: Wizards of the Coast
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
A re-release of a haunting vampire tale from best-selling author P.N. Elrod.
This striking new re-release of I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire, a novel by well-known vampire author P.N. Elrod, features all new cover art and a new trade paperback size. This re-release is intended to introduce new readers to the author and showcase one of her early titles to her avid fans.
P.N. 'Pat' Elrod got her start in professional writing began at TSR doing gaming modules. A lifelong fan of vampire stories, gangster films, and pulp magazines, she combined all three into The Vampire Files, featuring the undead detective Jack Fleming. She also wrote the Jonathan Barrett: Gentleman Vampire series, edited Time of the Vampires with Martin H. Greenberg, and has contributed to several other anthologies. She collaborated with actor Nigel Bennett (LaCroix of TV's Forever Knight) on a series of vampire novels, beginning with Keeper of the King.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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This is absolutely thee most talked about and priased campaign novel by defunct TSR, and my very first D & D product I've purchased since TSR was bought out by Wizards of the Coast. This here novel I Strahd is on a level with Anne Rice as it adds just the right amount of trailer trash to a romanticized dark and brooding gothic atmosphere. Count Strahd Von Zarovich is the lord of D & D's Ravenlost campaign. There's a lot more to get out of Ravenloft than ghost busting and vampire hunting. It's for people who whimped or junkied out on Dragonlance. I give the book 3 stars for Wizards of the Coast's endeavor at making it a legitimate paperback epic vampire novel, and not just another throwaway D & D product. I picked Ravenlost as my paladin's campaign because of the cliched gothic elements, and not just more gods and monsters like Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance. I liked it. Peace.
Rated by buyers 
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I, Strahd is clearly inspired by other great vampire novels such as the classic Dracula, but is isn't false about this. The feeling of Gothic Horror is well presented. This is a classic story of a good man who turns to evil through a cascade of missteps. It is also the beginning and defining story in the Ravenloft world. P.N. Elrod does a fantastic job and the story is well written with good pace.
Rated by buyers 
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First and foremost, I would like to state that at one point in my life, I was a D&D dork. I think that was nearly 15 years ago, when I was much younger and did not fully understand the importance of getting in chicks' pants. I remember when the orignal Ravenloft module came out, and I recall being amazed at the potential that this one adventure alone had. Shortly after, I believe TSR started pumping out different stories in regards to this "Dark Realm". I picked up very few and enjoyed them then.
Lets fast-forward in time to, well, last week. I'm currently in Baghdad, and a soldier needs to do some things to keep the mind healthy. I don't know how I found it, but I stumbled across a hardcover edition of this book. I remembered the tale of the Devil Strahd from my youthful gaming, and decided to pick this book up to see if it had any appeal to me now.
Regardless of what other reviewers might think, for each are entitled to an opinion, I do believe that this is a great piece of fantasy horror. Here we have a tale of a middle-aged mega-warrior...he has seen a great deal of battle and is well-known for his ability. He and his followers, or those that are "currently" loyal to him (hint-hint...something might happen there) win a paricularly long war, where upon it's completion he receives his foe's land as spoils of war.
Lets hit that fast forward button again....in brief, he becomes a dormant king, his younger brother whom he never met comes to stay with him, and shortly after his arrival...things start to change. His brother meets some broad in the town below the castle and brings her to him. Guess what happens when he meets her? We have the oh-so enjoyable folly of Strahd falling in love with his brother's chick. This was a slight suprise to me, cause Strahd is the epitome of career soldier...battle lust, both personal and professional (or reputation) progression, and a lack of intrest or emotion towards all things that do not involve war.
I will review no further, but as you can tell from the title, there's a Vampire involved somewhere and somehow. Wonder who that could be? So, I pretty much just gave you the half-time game summary of what's going on in this book.
From a reader's standpoint, taking into account creativity and it's overall sense of interest, I give this four stars. I read this book in two days, and it honestly held my interest in it's undead hands. There are a few other interesting plots thoughout this novel, and these plots only add to the story instead of creating confussion. I didn't give it the five because everyone knows the story of Dracula, and it's obvious that the writer of the book or creater of this character did as well.
From a writing standpoint, considering how the novel flows, I also give it four stars. As stated by other reviewers, this book follows each event very well and does not create confusion to the reader. Of course, the writer could have used more description in some circumstances throughout the story. However, there are some scenes in this book where the action that is happening is delivered very, very well.
Overall, it's a good book. It bares characteristics of many other famous Vampire novels throughout the world....but which ones don't? If you can find it for around $5, I think it's a good deal.
Rated by buyers -
I liked I, Strahd for what it was. A solid piece of fiction based on a D&D adventure. The book was what my mother used to call a "beach read" - a book you can take anywhere and read, because it requires no thought. Calling it one of the best pieces of fiction is an insult to beach reads everywhere. This was an excelent, short little book, and great for putting you into the mindset of the Vampire Lord for your subsequent Ravenloft game. But it is hardly a new take on Dracula. One might even call this a prequal to Dracula (as The Historian, an infinately better book, could be it's sequal). Anyone with half a whit of sense in their head knows that the character Strahd is a direct theft of Brahm Stoker's classic vampire lord.
Go ahead and rent the book from your local library, or buy it if you feel the need to collect Ravenloft books. It was worth my time to read it, I just felt that the book doesnt deserve all these 5-star reviews.
Rated by buyers -
I Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire by P.N. Elrod is the third book in the recently re-released Ravenloft series. Wizards of the Coast is calling this the Ravenloft Covenant and going back and re-releasing the books that many of us loved. The Ravenloft line was discontinued several years ago, but with the rise in Dark Fantasy novels WotC appears to be giving it another shot, and I for one, am very glad they are. The two books to be released prior to this one are; Death of a Darklord and Vampire of the Mist.
This book is written in somewhat of a very first person perspective and follows Strahd Von Zarovich as he begins his rule over Barovia. Ms. Elrod does a very good job of allowing the reader to begin to understand Strahd. No longer is he the heartless, evil, devil that we read about in Vampire of the Mist (and other Ravenloft books). Now, he has substance and meaning behind some of the choices he made in his life. It all culminates with a pact he makes, for better or worse, and how that pact changes his life forever. In some fantasy books, character development takes a back seat to hack-n-slash kill the monster type scenes. Yet, in this book Ms. Elrod devotes a great deal of time to Strahd the character and how he became who he is.
The plot of this book is wonderfully constructed. If you have read Vampire of the Mist you know how this book will end. Yet, that does nothing to diminish the journey of this book. The Pact with Death that Strahd makes is the pinnacle of this book, but by no means is it the only event of importance within the pages. Elrod does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to not only see inside the life of Strahd before his pact, but to allow the reader to, at times, root for Strahd. This book is basically comprised of events in Strahd's life that made him who he is. He is a very calculating person, but the pact he made was impulsive and made for love and beauty. I don't want to say too much and spoiler this for anyone, if you have even a remote interest in this book, do yourself a favor and read it. You won't be disappointed.
This is a very easy book to read, and goes by insanely fast. It quickly became hard for me to put down. Ms. Elrod has a knack for telling you just enough information that you can make your own conclusions about some events. Later in the book she allows you to really feel the angst that Strahd is going through. I would without a doubt recommend this book to many many people. If you are a fan of fantasy books and have yet to read any Ravenloft this book and Vampire of the Mist should be read right away. If you are not a fan of fantasy, but are considering reading this vampire book, give it a shot. It is a very fun and enjoyable read.
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