The Impaler's Revenge

By Ioana Visan

In a world crawling with vampires, Romania is the safest place left on earth. Thanks to the Little Council, there hasn't been a vampire on Romanian ground in over five centuries. But one day, Liana Cantacuzino, also a member of the Little Council and a descendant of one of the old noble families, is ordered to bring one in, covertly. Enter Maximilien Hess, a thousand years old vampire determined to ruin the existing order of things.

Suddenly, Liana finds herself forced to protect Hess, instead of having the pandurs kill him. With the help from her trustful friends, Rodica Ghica and Ştefan Sturdza, and that of an innocent bystander, Dr. Jesse Carver, Liana has to find out what is going on and what the President is hiding from her. When all is revealed, Hess's secret changes everything.

The first novella in The Impaler Legacy series, a vampire saga like no other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ioana Visan
• Release date: Apr 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301868568

Ioana Visan

Award-winning writer Ioana Visan has always dreamed about reaching the stars, but since she can't, she writes about it.After fighting the apocalypse aftermath in "Human Instincts", she played with shapeshifters in “Blue Moon Café Series: Where Shifters Meet for Drinks”, she dealt with vampires in “The Impaler Legacy” series, and then she designed prosthetics in “Broken People” before tackling longer works like a fantasy trilogy and a science fiction series.Aside from publishing short stories in various Romanian magazines and anthologies, she published a Romanian short story collection “Efectul de nautil” and the Romanian edition of “Human Instincts”.She received the Encouragement Award from The European Science Fiction Society at Eurocon 2013.For more information, please visit http://www.ioanavisan.tk

Book preview

The Impaler’s Revenge

The Impaler Legacy #1

Ioana Visan

Copyright © 2013 Ioana Visan

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

THE IMPALER’S REVENGE

The Impaler Legacy #1

Copyright © 2013 Ioana Visan

All rights reserved.

Cover Photo by Alexandru Visan

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

First eBook Edition: April 2013

In a world crawling with vampires, Romania is the safest place left on earth. Thanks to the Little Council, there hasn't been a vampire on Romanian ground in over five centuries. But one day, Liana Cantacuzino, also a member of the Little Council and a descendant of one of the old noble families, is ordered to bring one in, covertly. Enter Maximilien Hess, a thousand-year-old old vampire determined to ruin the existing order of things.

Suddenly, Liana finds herself forced to protect Hess, instead of having the pandurs kill him. With the help from her trustful friends, Rodica Ghica and Ştefan Sturdza, and that of an innocent bystander, Dr. Jesse Carver, Liana has to find out what is going on and what the President is hiding from her. When all is revealed, Hess's secret changes everything.

The first novella in The Impaler Legacy series, a vampire saga like no other.

Table of Contents

1

2

3

4

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10

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20

21

22

23

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25

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Books by Ioana Visan

1

My heels clicked on the tiles covering the floor of Vienna Airport. It had been a hot day when I left Bucharest, but it felt a bit chilly here. Maybe it was just nerves. I hadn’t purposely met with a vampire in a long time. And this one happened to be late—definitely not a point in his favor.

To pass the time, I watched the people rushing by trying to catch their flights and tried to spot the vamps. I was proud, and at the same time disgusted, to realize I could still easily identify them in the large crowd; I hadn’t lost my touch. Their numbers didn’t seem to have increased during the past few years. The ratio was still 5:1 in the humans’ favor, from what I could tell. That was a relief, barely. When they ran out of blood supplies, they would gang up on us, and then we would have to fight. But, hopefully, that wouldn’t happen in my lifetime. I wasn’t looking forward to such a confrontation.

One step behind me, Spânu and Trotuş, my personal guards, were scanning the crowd too, ready to defend me from any attacks. Now and then, people would turn their heads to stare at them, intrigued by the presence of the yatagans as their suit jackets failed to completely hide the curved blades, but no one dared to say anything. Our pandurs were well-known throughout the entire world, famous especially among the fanged population. The airport security watched them with wary eyes, aware they had no chance to interfere if my guys decided to strike. I smiled to myself and wished for everyone to relax. We had the best vampire fighters in the whole world; we made them like this, and I feared nothing when they were with me. And they were always with me.

I checked the time and resisted the impulse to stomp my foot against the floor. I didn’t want to be here, not in this position anyway. This whole mission went against everything I had been taught since childhood. I was breaking God knew how many laws, and I could easily be accused of high treason. But when the President himself sent you, there wasn’t a polite way to say no.

A new group of passengers walked through the gates, and I finally saw him: tall, dark hair, dark eyes, and a pale complexion, though not strikingly pale. In a way, the paleness seemed to suit him; it made his eyes brighter. His expensive blue-gray Armani suit and navy necktie looked even better. I noticed he carried one suitcase, and I had to admit, I was impressed by his efficiency.

Making sure I wasn’t sporting a murderous look on my face, I walked forward to greet him. He stopped when we came face to face, but he didn’t insult me by showing his teeth to identify himself as a vampire the way general customs required.

Mr. Hess? I asked, even though I already knew who he was. He looked exactly like the photos I had studied in the plane on my way here. I held out my hand and silently congratulated myself for the absence of any visible sign of hesitation. It wasn’t the first time that I had to deal with vampires.

Miss Cantacuzino, he spoke quietly as he shook my hand. His hand was soft, dry, and barely warmer than the hem of my skirt. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

I was glad I had decided to wear high heels today. I wasn’t short, but this way, I was almost at his eye level, allowing me to see that he was watching me with something akin to amused curiosity.

I trust your flight went well? I could make small talk too. I even forced a smile—that didn’t come out so well.

It was long, he said. I already knew he had come from the States. But we made a stop in London, so it wasn’t too bad. Awful weather, though.

Too bad no lightning struck the plane and sunk it in the Channel, I thought. Another forced smile. Well, there will be plenty of heat in Bucharest.

I expect so, he mused, and we both knew he wasn’t talking about the weather.

Somewhere, somehow, a storm was coming, strong enough to make President Stănescu bring in a vampire. I hadn’t been given the details, but there had to be something terribly wrong. I couldn’t imagine anything else.

Is that all? I pointed with my chin towards his suitcase.

Yes, I like to travel light. He smiled, and it made him look almost human.

Good. Shall we go then? I gestured towards the other end of the hall. The jet is ready.

Hess eyed my guards, and then nodded his head in agreement. At least he wasn’t scared of them. I gave him props for that.

2

Do you want anything to eat, drink, or … a snack? I asked as we settled into our seats, facing each other.

Thank you, but I’m fine, he replied, and I shrugged.

Fine. I had offered, he had declined, and that was that. I retrieved my briefcase from the seat next to me and pulled out my laptop. The flight was going to take a little over an hour, and I had no intention of wasting my time entertaining Mr. Hess. I planned to do some work. Opening the file with the last proposal received by the Monument Restoration Committee, I began to read. I was going to save that building.

It was spoiled brat behavior and I was fully aware of it, but if President Stănescu felt fit to order me around like I was a fifth grader who didn’t know any better, then I would play the part. Besides, I was convinced that Hess would report everything back to him. That should teach him, I thought, though I felt a little torn about the issue. Up until he’d ordered me to bring Hess in, I had considered Stănescu a decent man. I would have voted for him if I had been allowed to do so, but Little Council members were not supposed to take political sides. We had enough work to do where vampires were concerned. Vampires, right.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Hess sitting relaxed in his seat. He had his legs crossed in the wide space between us and his arms propped on the armrests of his chair. No matter how focused I was on my reading material, I couldn’t ignore his presence. There was a vampire inside the jet, and that made me very much aware of the stake strapped to my forearm, concealed by the long sleeve. I had no doubts the pandurs felt the same.

He took another look at the six other pandurs who had been waiting in the jet and cleared his throat. Miss Cantacuzino… he began, and I noticed he’d made an effort to pronounce my name correctly. He spoke perfect English with a faint German accent, and English was the language we were using for conversation.

I raised my eyes from the screen. Yes?

I know this is highly unusual for you—

"Not so unusual, Mr. Hess. I do have many contacts abroad, and some of them happen to be vampires." I just didn’t get to see them in the flesh that often.

Still, I want to assure you I pose no danger to you, nor anyone else. I’m sure this— he gestured towards both of us —isn’t convenient for you, just like it isn’t for me, but I’m here on business, and I take that very seriously. I mean you no harm.

I followed his line of sight to the pandurs seated behind him as he partially turned his head. Oh, no… I laughed, finally getting what he meant and brushing it off. Those are yours. These are mine. I pointed back with my thumb at my own pair of guards sitting in the back. Reflected in the laptop’s screen, I saw Trotuş’s and Spânu’s feral grins. Down, boys.

Hess’s eyebrows arched up slightly. "Mine?"

I hid a smug smile. Not many people could brag about surprising a thousand-year-old vampire.

Mr. Hess, let me remind you that you’re already on Romanian ground. I gestured at the floor. We had taken off, so that was technically true. And you know what our first rule is…

No vampires.

Exactly. And I’m sure you also know about our special forces…?

Your pandurs.

"Yes. All of

Reviews for The Impaler's Revenge

[robynelee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is amazing how many different avenues can be created to discuss vampires. Not as light as Charlene Harris, or romantic as Twilight, this is probably the most credible version. In this book, Vampires make up about 20% of the world's population, but without too many massacres. Romania is one place where they are completely banned. The story centers on one woman who works for the governing body and her intrigues with risky situations. The suspenseful tale is well paced, and the characters interesting, though not fully fleshed out. This is a series of stories and novellas, so more details are probably revealed in those. This is probably a 3.5, but it was enjoyable and riveting. A copy was received in exchange for an honest review.

[stacey68-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found this book intriguing. I liked the different take on Vlad Tepes. The characters were good. The plot was easy to follow and humorous at times. A little disappointed with the ending though. I did get the rest of the books.I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

[misspider-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In this book, Romania remains the only 'fang-free' place in a world with vampires. But when a vampire is brought into the country for some secret political reasons, things start getting ugly...While I appreciated the author's effort to spin a fresh tale of vampire lore and bring in several new ideas, I felt lost more than once. Especially at the beginning I had a hard time figuring out what the Little Council was all about and how Romania came to be the only vampire-free country - unfortunately, the book contains little to none background information, and only by bits and pieces was I able to make sense of what was going on.Also, I could not understand what the great fuss was about when a vampire was brought into the country. Had the author explained the background of her vampire universe, the Little Council and Liana's (the girl who is to handle him) history with more detail, everything would have made better sense. Furthermore, Liana's whining and complaining tone got on my nerves. Dialogues seemed unoriginal most of the time and several twists felt constructed or thrown in at random.I would definitely have gotten more out of this book if the author had taken her time building a solid background for her vampire universe and characters.(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

[rcw-5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The plot was interesting and this was, in general, a relatively good book. This book had some zombie undertones (though not actual zombies; rather, in the sense of the evolution of a more animalistic species). It was definitely an interesting story and it definitely makes the reader want to read the next one just to see where it goes.Note: received in Member Giveaway in exchange for an honest review

[lorihopkins · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was given the opportunity to read this for free in exchange for an honest review from librarything.com.I really liked this story, and the concept behind it. Very entertaining, and written very well. I cannot wait until I can read the rest of the series.

[amclarney316 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this short story and haven't read any others by Ioana Visan. This is more about politics than vampires in Romania. Having lived in Bucharest for 4 years it was fun to imagine being there again in this fantasy. An old group of aristocracy which handles only vampire issues is forced into the forefront after being relegated to only administrative works. A very small cadre Liana, Stefan, Rodica, and Radu all part of the Council become instrumental in making sweeping political changes very necessary to the survival of Romania. There's a worldwide threat of "super vampires" coming to destroy mankind and "tame" vampires. Max a thousand year old vampire comes to Bucharest to assess the possibility of recruitment for the survival of the world against this new threat. All well that ends well is a good ending to this part of a saga which has many possibilities. I look forward to more like this.

[cathygeha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a recipient of this book from the author I read carefully wanting to give an honest review. I have to say that I came away quite pleasantly surprised that the action took place in a country foreign to me, the vampire was a guest in a country eradicated of vampires and the female lead was strong, independent and not in love with the vampire at all. The book was well written, story line interesting and the book was different from what I expected. Iona Visan is a new author to me and one I would gladly read a story written by in the future.

[shirley55-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was very intriguing book about vampires aand how they were dealt with.it could have a little more actions scence from the the vampire.

[inishowen_cailin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a nice short introduction to the series. It is abrupt in its ending but I am sufficiently interested enough in finding out what happens next. However I have to add that the practice of many authors today of writing and publishing a story with a half developed ending and then months later publishing extra material and labelling 1.5 in the series is a bit p...sing annoying.

[melissa.firpo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was lucky enough to win this from the author Ioana Visan on LibraryThing.com. This novel was a different take on the vampire popularity in today's books. I was left with a lot of questions and think it needs some work but, I really enjoyed it. I was a bit heartbroken when I found out there are more books and had to stop reading, for it was really starting to get interesting. Instead of vampires being widely accepted, they are banned from Romania and is the safest place left for humans to live. That is until Maximilien Hess must enter Romania on a secret mission being protected by Liana Cantacuzino. We all know this is not going to go as smoothly as planned.Max is a thousand year old vampire. We don't know too much about him other than his strength and speed. I feel there was a lack of information about the vampires. In most books there is reading thoughts or hypnotizing things like this that vampires can do. What others abilities or benefits are there to being a vampire? Also for Max being a thousand years old, he did not come across as one so old. Why would he not know any history about what vampires went through when caught by the Little Council?Liana tries to be a tough girl. Yes she throws up her guard and we don't learn anything about her "PTSD" until the end of the book. That information should have been brought out a bit earlier I think. She needs some type of personality. Jessie had it right when he said she has nothing perminent, no true friends or a real relationship. I think she needs some work.Jessie is the hot doctor to Liana's rescue and she is too blind to see it. His character is the only one that does not need a touch up. He's Hot, an MD, and his attitude towards Max and the situation changes during the duration of the mission. You see the sensitive side in him and how tender he is with Liana. He is also very straight forward.I really did like the concept of the book. Does it need some work, yes. Am I going to continue the series, of course! I really glad I won this novel.

[lnrcta · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

That's a new nice point of view about vampires. Surely an original one.Liana is a bit of a clichè, Max only a little bit, Dr. Carver ist the character that feels "truer" . The plot is a good new one. The reading was flowing and clear, makes the story more enjoyable.I'd like the story to be more detailed, but for a short story I found it well developped. Surely worth the reading.

[lydia_perversius · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Have you ever had the pleasure of finding a book you thought would be awesome – with not only the blurb but also the general reviews pointing to that opinion? Good, I’m so happy for you!Because such was the case with this book.Now, have you ever found such a book, started reading it, and just when you finally found some kind of interest in the story so far, had the writer take it all away from you? Like being hungry, then someone allowing you to have a sniff of a warm meal, only for them to snatch it back right before you can take big, juicy bite. (damn, now I know how Tantalus must have felt!)What do you know, this, again, was the case with this book!!!Yup, you heard me right. It really is possible for a book to frustrate me that much. That will teach me to challenge fate to bring me a story that can actually slap me with only its ending as a sign of force…Liana Cantacuzino is a member of the Little Counsil – a group that is more or less Romanian royalty – so, being something like a vampire’s personal babysitter, is the kind of duty she can do without, thank you very much. Still, the order to guard Maximilien Hess came from the President himself, so she has to comply – even if Romania is the safest place on Earth exactlybecause there haven’t been any vampires on its soil for more than five centuries. But Max’s arrival brings more than just discomfort for Liana – secrets that were buried for so long finally come to the surface, and Liana’s friends and foes are not the ones she thought them to be.With this kind of plot, one can only imagine the intrigue and the political twists the story will have. Oh, I imagined. And imagined… and imagined… and imagined…Sadly, imagination was the only thing that was left in the end…I will leave aside the fact there was a part where the writer repeated herself – frankly, I don’t think it’s the right thing to blame when it comes to The Impaler’s Revenge - and go straight to the problem. Which was the way the book was planned out. An amateur would not have done that kind of mistake, and if it was intentional, then I’m even more enraged, damn it. At first, I found it fascinating. How true to her hatred for vampires Liana was, how Max didn’t act arrogant but was still reasonable about his needs as a vampire – in a hilarious, Chandler-Bing-like kind of acceptance – , and how awesome it was to see anoher side of the vampiric literature – one that was playing an active part on the world’s politics. Only a few of the reasons why I was so excited as the pages went by, no matter how dull the story was – because, let’s face it, had it not been for the scathing dialogues and banters, it would have been a disaster. But we all know that a writer needs time to develop their story, so I sucked it up and kept reading.Well, guess what? The writer must have lost the notes to the rest of the story, because what she left us with was NOT satisfactory! You don’t give so many pages of boring everyday, political problems that the heroine has to put up with, peppering it with some info about her sexual life, constant thoughts of hatred and murder towards her charge and half-told past events, only to stop the story right when it FINALLY picked up in action and interest! This was not a cliffhanger – I should know, I love writing with cliffhangers, too! – it was a hiatus! Like you either don’t know how to end the book or don’t care at all!“Hmm, what should the ending be? Oh, I know! I will start real slow. Then I will abruptly pick up the pace, and end it just at that precise moment when everything begins to make sense and Liana actually does something useful! And oh, silly me, why not rush through it all and leave it like a neutral news report while I’m at it? It will be brilliant, and it will make readers want to see the rest of the story in the next books!”Sorry to burst that bubble of positive thinking, but this is not how it works. And this is the “cliffhanfer-loving” side speaking, in case you were wondering. You want to end the story and leave the reader hanging and wishing for more? Then don’t rush the damn ending after having dragged us through meaningless blah-blahs! Give a little more! I can’t possibly consider this a cliffy when it was so abrupt, I thought there was something wrong with my reading device and I had lost the rest of the book. After thorough research, I discovered that no, Liana’s – totally misplaced and out-of-the-blue – comment on her dating a doctor WAS actually the last line of the first book. And that’s when it hit me. There was no more to the first part. Nothing. Nada. Zero!If it was accidental, I say the writer needs to work on her planning. If it was not… Well, pardon me while I make something clear in my usual, bitchy way: I don’t find this method of selling the next books in a series moral – or appropriate to a true writer’s ethics and behavior. When you want people to keep reading your stories, you use your writing voice and your art to convince them. You don’t dangle what COULD BE a story, full of gaps and unanswered question marks, in front of their face and then stop narrating because it’s a convenient way to keep them going. I understand that marketing plans are important in this kind of work, too, but they’re nor everything. In the end, what speaks for you is the story itself. If you’ve done your job right, it will eventually be known and loved, even if it takes some time.I don’t know the reason why Ms. Visan stopped The Impaler’s Revenge at that particular point. And I regret to inform you that I won’t be reading the rest of her books, because she’s got the basics. But in the end, what counts is the result, and in this case, there was nothing that could be named as such…***I was given a review copy from a LibraryThing Member Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

[dokfintong · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book through librarything.com.Rumanian writer Iaona Visan has added to her English language portfolio with "The Impaler's Revenge" a novella about vampire killers.Liana Cantacuzino is a member of the "Little Council" that is tasked with keeping Rumania vampire free. But what is this? The country's leadership has asked, no commanded, Liana to babysit a visiting vampire!The novella is well constructed and avoids vamp clichés. It resolves itself nicely while leaving the door open for follow-on stories.Unfortunately, I think the Ms Visan has already telegraphed the future plot twist that powers the series. Even if she has, I am looking forward to reading more of these skillfully written stories.

[sheila1957 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is illegal for vampires to be in Romania so when President Stanescu asks Liana Cantacuzino to meet one and bring him to Romania she is less than hospitable to him. She does not know why he is coming to Romania. She does what she must to protect him but does not like it. When it is discovered there is a new, stronger vampire being developed she finally finds out why Maximilien Hess was brought to Romania in Ioana Visan’s The Impaler’s Revenge, book 1 of The Impaler’s Legacy. Ioana Visan builds a world of vampires living amongst humans, except in Romania. She gives us the information about her world on a need to know basis. As Liana gives the history of the Little Council and vampires in Romania to Maximilien we learn along with him. I also learned why Liana has the feelings she does. This is good world building. I know enough to understand this world but I have not gone through big, long explanations.I like Liana. She is not haughty nor is she a kick-ass broad. She is somewhere in between and that makes her likable. She is also aware of the power and prestige of her position on the Little Council. She can do much. I also liked Maximilien (do not call him Max.) He knows what is at stake but will not tell Liana until he realizes that they do not have much time if they are to avert a world-wide crisis. When they team up, it gets interesting. That is also where book 1 ended. I am anxious to see what happens next. I know what I want to see happen but I do not know if it will.