Oct 2026 Book Recommendation: Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd by Delilah S. Dawson

Intro

Ravenloft has been one of the most popular settings in the Dungeons and Dragons TTRPG for decades. It’s a gothic horror/dark fantasy realm full of vampires, werewolves, and all manner of undead nasties. Which, of course, makes it the perfect place for a Spooky Season adventure.

And Delilah S. Dawson’s Heir of Strahd lives up to those expectations perfectly, blending the horror of Ravenloft with the thrilling action and adventure that one would expect of a Dungeons and Dragons novel. It’s fast-paced, action-packed, mysterious, funny, creepy—and, naturally, a little gross. (Make no mistake, it is horror. Not extreme horror, but definitely horror.) But, despite the horror and gore, there were also parts that I found weirdly heart-warming—So I guess you could say it’s got a bit of everything. Which could be a reason why it’s probably my favorite of the newer generation Dungeons and Dragons novels.

Like all of the other Dungeons and Dragons novels, you really don’t have to be at all familiar with the game or its various worlds to follow and enjoy the story. So don’t worry about being confused if you don’t know anything about the game; I’m confident that the book is great regardless.

Speaking of which, let’s get into details, shall we?

Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd by Delilah S. Dawson Overview

Genre(s): Fantasy (Dark), Horror (Gothic)

Series: N/A (Standalone)

POV/Tense: Third-person past

Length: 352 pages

Barovia—one of many pocket-dimensions that make up Ravenloft—is a realm rife with gloom and danger, where monstrous undead roam freely and mortals are prone to succumbing to madness. So, when five complete strangers—Rotrog the orc wizard, Alishai the tiefling paladin, Chivarion the dark elf barbarian, Kah the kenku cleric, and Fielle the human tinker—wake up there with no clue how they arrived, their mission is simple: escape, ideally with their lives and minds intact.

Of course, achieving that goal is going to be anything but simple—and it only gets harder when Strahd von Zarovich, the vampire lord who rules Barovia, expresses a keen interest in them and invites them to his castle. Although he plays the part of a gracious host, it quickly becomes apparent that he has motivations far more sinister than offering shelter to lost souls. When bright and bubbly Fielle goes missing, and Strahd refuses to offer an explanation, the others are left with no choice but to flee the castle, lest they share the same fate.

But, despite the horrors that live within Strahd’s castle and the lack of friendship between them, they have every intention of going back to save Fielle, the only member of their tentative party who doesn’t seem to be hardened by battle and hardship. They know that they are her only hope of getting out of Ravenloft alive.

To save her from Strahd, however, they’re going to have to learn to work together and trust each other. It’s a task that will prove to be much easier said than done, as every one of them harbors a dark secret from their time before they woke up in Ravenloft that they fear may turn the others against them. Will they learn to forgive the darkness within each other and become the team they need to be to best Strahd, or will they forever be doomed to wander the mists of Ravenloft?

Personal Thoughts

My personal favorite thing about this book was the team dynamics. While most of the Dungeons and Dragons novels I’ve read have had awesome teams with all sorts of good interactions, this one definitely ranks among the best. Every character has a very distinct personality that contrasts nicely with the other members of the team, which gives plenty of opportunities for humor and tension. Their progression from grudging allies of convenience to best friends was quite possibly the best version of that sort of story I’ve ever seen; not only do they bond over their shared experiences in Ravenloft, but through the whole forgiving each other’s dark secrets thing that I mentioned earlier. By having them accept each other despite their mistakes and seek redemption together, Dawson set a very strong foundation for the deep bonds between them, which I really loved. For a dark fantasy/gothic horror book, it was unexpectedly sweet. (Though those dark secrets are no joke, I tell you, so don’t go thinking it’s all sunshine and rainbows. They all messed up real bad…)

The characters are great individually too. Because they all share the spotlight of the story, rather than there being a single main character, they all carry their own weight using their distinctive personalities, dramatic backstories, and considerable flaws. Rotrog is your stereotypical boastful wizard, but secretly has severe confidence issues. Alishai is a serious and crabby paladin who fears she’s betrayed her holy oath. Chivarion, like any classic barbarian, isn’t big on brains, but he’s a major flirt and is always quick with a sarcastic remark. Kah, the team cleric, is shy and skittish, though she’s also probably the team’s one brain cell. Fielle is outwardly sweet and kind, but hides a deep darkness within her. So, yeah, with characters like that, you can rest assured that there will never be a dull moment. (Chivarion, in particular, was hilarious.)

Aside from the characters, I also loved the pacing and overall tone of this book. This was one of those books that I literally had to force myself to put down, because there was always something exciting going on. (I think I blazed through the first half of the book in just a single sitting.) The tone was a perfect blend of eerie and witty, doing the darkness of the story justice while also adding a nice bit of levity that kept things from feeling too grim. I remember being impressed by Dawson’s ability to write something in a setting as dark and gloomy as Ravenloft, giving it all the horrors and darkness that one would expect, while also managing to make it feel fun. And she did it all without anything feeling weird or out of place, which is something that a lot of authors struggle with. I still don’t know how exactly she did it, but I certainly appreciate it.

Outro

That’s all for this month’s reading recommendation. I hope I’ve convinced you to give this book a shot. Or, if you’ve already read it and are looking for something else like it, feel free to look into the similar Dungeons and Dragons novels I’ve listed below. As always, thanks for reading!