Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft – Heir of Strahd | Review

Delilah Dawson takes readers to Barovia in a stunning new novel based on one of Dungeons & Dragons most iconic adventures.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to review the brand new Dungeons & Dragons novel Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd. As the title implies, this novel is based on the legendary Curse of Strahd adventure that introduced players to the foreboding world of Barovia and the looming Castle Ravenloft inhabited by the menacing vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich.

The story follows five strangers who suddenly find themselves thrown together into Barovia, seemingly at random. Unable to leave, the group find themselves the reluctant “guests” of Strahd, and discover—quite quickly—that very little in this strange realm is what it appears to be. And if they’re not careful, no one is getting out of Barovia alive.

What helps this story stay fresh throughout, is how each chapter focuses on a different characters perspective, much in the same way as the Game of Thrones novels do. Instead of listening to an omniscient narrator describe the adventure of the group, each chapter leaves you feeling as if you’re peeking over the character’s shoulder, getting a sneak peek into their mind and slowly piecing together the larger story. And make no mistake, there is a larger story at work and Delilah Dawson puts forth a masterful effort in assembling the different pieces as it progresses. Having different narrators can also make the story fun because while the group may experience the same event, like meeting Count Strahd for instance, each member may recall that meeting very differently.

The characters themselves are all equally memorable. No one feels like a “throw away” character and it’s very satisfying to follow each character on their journey as they come to understand what Barovia is and what they might do to get out of there alive. To avoid spoilers I won’t go into too much more detail on the individual characters beyond that, except to say that these characters have more in common than you might think.

One of the best parts of this novel is how the author draws the reader in to the foreboding world of Barovia. From the moment of its introduction, it’s made clear that there is something “wrong” about this realm, and no amount of positive thinking can alter that fact. Once the story makes it to Castle Ravenloft itself, the sense of wrongness is pushed to an even further level. The way the author describes the castle, from the grand yet crumbling staircases, to tables full of rotting food, each scene seems to deliberately provoke the senses, to make you feel as if you’re there in this most cursed of castles.

I must also praise Delilah Dawson for writing the story in such a way that you don’t need to have played Curse of Strahd to enjoy this novel. Longtime Dungeons and Dragons players will of course recognize many details in this story from the famous adventure. There are callbacks to a number of story elements including the tarokka deck and the various items that players can collect if they attempt to defeat Strahd. But for those who have never played before, the story is explained in such a way that you can still follow along and not feel lost.

As much as I’ve loved this book, there is one sticking point. There’s one scene in particular where the author skips over the bulk of what happens and the reader only witnesses the aftermath. As a lifelong reader, I felt like this really impacted the flow of the story and I wish the author had chosen a different option.

That being said, there is so much to love in Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd. It brings Barovia to life in stunning (and terrifying) detail and the story will keep you guessing until the very end.