Reign of the Blood Witch [Volume I Complete! Slow Burn Gothic Horror]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The villagers of Ecsed have long whispered that the eternal youth of Countess Elizabeth Bathory flows from the blood of the many women who have vanished under her patronage.

Yet, the woman now awaiting execution is not the infamous Countess, but Edda—the imposter who, for a decade, has stood in her place.

Ignorant of the dark undercurrents that led to her downfall, when Edda is given the gift—or the punishment—of reawakening ten years in the past, she must prevent history from repeating itself. To do so will mean not only uncovering the Countess’s secrets and confronting the nightmares that prowl the halls of her castle, but also overcoming the person at the center of it all—herself.

Volume I is complete. On break writing Volume II. Progress updates on myPatreon.

What to expect

⸭Slow-burn gothic horror and mystery: a blend of eerie atmosphere, psychological dread, and supernatural elements with a gradually unfolding mystery

⸭Psychological and emotional tension: the narrative is centered around the main character's thoughts; shaped by fear, doubt, and the weight of her past

⸭Traumatized to traumatizing: a gradual, inevitable, and somewhat disturbing journey out of victimhood into something...unsettling

⸭Minimal action, maximum atmosphere: no swordfights and battles here; just flickering candles and the feeling of something waiting for you in the dark

⸭The supernatural creeps in slowly: inspired by Eastern European folklore around witches, vampires, and ghosts

⸭Dense, descriptive, and dramatic prose:best to sink into on a stormy night, with a cup of tea, and maybe a rosary

Notes:

⸭ If you are reading this anywhere other than Royal Road or my Patreon, it has been stolen. Please support this story by heading over to https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/91799/reign-of-the-blood-witch-slow-burn-gothic-horror and reading there. Thank you!

⸭ cover art and any chapter art generated with Midjourney and edited in Canva or Photoshop

⸭ words are ALL mine (with the rare exception of anything suggested by my human proofreader)

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: Zamora de Leon

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.9/ 5.0
Followers: 201
Views: 43,559

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

CreatorMyranthelRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I just finished reading the first chapter and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. The atmosphere is incredibly well crafted. The sensory details — the sounds, the physical discomfort, the cold, the smell, the oppressive environment — made the scene feel very vivid and immersive. It’s the kind of writing that really pulls the reader into the moment.
I also appreciated how strongly the emotional tension builds throughout the chapter. The slow unfolding of the situation and the perspective of the character create a very intense and memorable opening.
Your prose flows very well, and I really like your writing style. It feels deliberate and atmospheric without losing clarity.
I’ll definitely continue reading. Looking forward to seeing where the story goes. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Crow TruesdaleRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I had an amazing time reading this! The writing is really evocative and the descriptions made it so easy for me to imagine each scene in my mind, with this dark, grim mood that just kept me hooked since the start. Even though right now it's still just the beginning of the story (Most of the mysteries are still yet to be resolved) I'm very excited to continue reading and will definitely come back to read more each week. Keep it up Zamora!
ElectrikBlueRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
After months of following this story, and reading whenever I found the time, I'm finally all caught up to the latest chapter.
Where to even begin? I think this story initially captured me in its ability to evoke imageries so efficiently. Then I stayed for all the promises that were made. Today I can safely say this is one of the better stories I've read out here, so carefully crafter and thought of.
Style: Gothic at its finest. There's something about the way the author writes certain scenes, certain feels, where you can perfectly picture yourself living through it. For better or worse, and mostly worse because as you can tell this is not a light story. It's rare to stumble upon a fiction that can capture horror like this...
Story: The story takes its time, it's a given. The author will warn you about it multiple times, and you'll quickly realise it. But I assure you that this serve more than one purpose. For one, you'll sometimes find yourself letting yourself carried by the flow, almost relaxing. Letting your guard down. This is where the story gets you, because suddenly the rhythm changes. The atmosphere shifts. And you're f***ing terrified.
Then, I also think RotBW is meant to be enjoyed, not like a book you read in one night skipping every page with bated breath. I think it's the story you leave by the side of your bed, and to which you come back to once in a while. Because you always do eventually. And right there and then you get trapped again.
I won't spoil much about the content per se, but for a reincarnation story no detail is left behind. Every piece of lore that's dropped in all those chapters, and every emotion Edda goes through, everything is rewarded. Because everything matters.
Of course, it could probably be trimmed here and there, but should it? I'm not sure.
Grammar: Nothing to Note on this part.
Character: Well, Edda is definitely a complex and fleshed out character. You want to see her succeed of course but at the same time, you're not sure how
Lune-puffRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Behold Reign of the blood witch, a beautiful and skillfully crafted novelty that I have been aching for since ages! through luck I stumbled upon this gem, first few chapters in and I was very well immersed, the scent, the sounds, the dread, the environment in general is extremely descriptive. A story which stays true to its essence!
With plenty of descriptions comes along the most important of all, the flow. Needless to say our dear author Zamora has written it in a way that is neither jarring or sudden, it transitions smoothly.
the plot surrounding this story remains mysterious and present, nothing feels out of place as bits and pieces slowly fall into the puzzle piece.
now moving on to the characters! Our main character is resolute on escaping her inevitable fate, she acts, expresses, feels. It allows no space for doubt that she doesn't humane. Other characters in the story are also fleshed out, though it may take time to truly see how they are!
overall it is a great story to read during midnight to get those chills up ur spine, I recommend this story with all my heart!
OverXelousRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm really impressed with this story! Zamora does a great job with their prose, and the chapters feel very polished! The first chapter was a little dark, but I think it really sold the entire situation. I've added the story to my follow list! Give it a read (the author was right; it really is perfect for the spooky season!).
Queenie IVRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Grammar Score
No issues with the grammar, if anything it is perfect!
Character Score
The characters are so well thought out. Edda is a relatable and interesting MC to follow. The slow pace allows room for the readers to connect with the characters and I appreciate that. And I love the supporting character (Marta)
Style Score
Now let me start glazing the absolutely beautiful prose in this story. The descriptions, way of words, imagination ugh 😩, it's beautiful. And I'm not even joking, the descriptions and style is so beautiful. The author put in a lot of efforts and it definitely shines through.
Story Score
The story starts off strong and with vivid story telling. We follow Edda as she navigates her second chance but it doesn't follow the usual regression route and this story is not predictable (to me). It leaves you wanting more despite the slow pace and I am eager to see how the plot unfolds. We spend a lot of time in Edda's head but other characters still shine in their own right.
Overall, I love this dark historical story alot. If you are looking for a story with dark elements, good character building and excellent prose. Then this story is for you.
TheHorrorFrightRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Genius.
That’s the word I have for this story. Only a couple chapters in and it blew my high expectations out of the water. I’ve read a couple of others reviews on this story and when they say it’s dark, it’s fucking dark.
It’s like Zamora crept into the reader’s room and just dragged them into a a perfectly haunted, gothic world. As a lover of the gothic myself, I can’t help but appreciate that. Edda is the perfect main character for a story such as this.
For me, one of, if not the best elements of gothic horror is its tragedy and this joy of a stories perfectly captures what makes the ones that came before that were like it so great.
This poor girl, having to go through such expressions that will undoubtedly leave mental scars in her mind for years to come. She may have it rough, but she’s already looking to be one of the strongest gothic characters I’ve seen in a long time and I mean that. You just want to follow her, go with her on her journey and just hope the girl makes it out okay. You just want the best to come from her because she’s spent so much time getting the worst. This author really knows how to make you care about their MC.
The writing style is also unbelievable, and I mean that in the best of ways. It’s absolutely beautiful and does the story even more justice. The grammar is also perfect. All of it just leaves you glued to the story.
Despite the grim and grittiness that’s taking place it’s a world you really have a hard time wanting to get out of because it’s so fun and engaging.
You want a good gothic story that reminds you why you love the genre so much? This story right here is for you.
_503Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I've read all of the avaliable chapters without a Royal Road account and this is the story that has hooked me.
Fans of the gothic genre will feel immediately at home reading this. The prose is perfect--it's rich, deeply layered, all while never overstaying its welcome. I have greedily devoured all the chapters so far and I am waiting for more.
jbgeeksRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The first chapter thrusts you right into the fire, literally. It's dark and gritty, and you're right there terrified with Edda.
After that, the burn is slow, but following along in Edda's very clearly traumatized mind is all you need to keep you going, especially when you know shit is going to go down hard in the future.
Worth the read!
vorlefanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
"From the gaps in the walls, from the branches in the trees, the witches watch and curse. Blood Hell"
Overall: What I like most about Reign of the Blood Witch is the tone and the dare to be unique. The author isn't afraid of certain topics, nor to express the darkest closet in the mind of people. It is a masterclass in slow-burn gothic horror, weaving psychological disintegration with existentialism, and I would say nihilism too. The settings, the characters, and the lore—everything is well done, especially the mysticism and supernatural; it feels believable, and that's amazing.
Style: The prose is really well crafted. I can say that the author put as much thought as possible when writing because each sentence and word makes sense, and it feels right to be there, not much, not little. It has a unique charm to it, like a feverish introspection and sharp irony, that's to say. If you're going to read it, you're going to feel it.
Grammar: I don't have spotted anything that takes off my reading experience, and it was meticulously controlled, using sentence fragments for variation in the structures and even rhythmic motifs to evoke tension.
Characters: Here is where the story shines. From the main character to the side characters, the cast is amazing! First, we have Edda; she was written in a way that it felt alive. We can understand her, see her fears, agony, and questions, and with that, we as readers start to ask for things, to pay attention to details, and to the other characters, because Edda does. And that brings us to the side characters, like Marta; her loyalty and personality—one thing worthy of mentioning is that every character has their own voice and personality; you can remember them and easily visualize their mannerisms.
Story: So far, so amazing. We have the mysticism around witchery. What the side characters think about it and what Edda thinks and experiences about it. It's well explored and an underlying tension that anything can happen at any given time.