There aren’t many Romanian horror writers. There never have been. It’s not like there wasn’t a fertile field there; because the local folklore tells a different story. But lately, the social and political realities haven’t give it much opportunity.
And then, there is Oliviu Craznic. A young writer who took it upon himself to change the face of Romanian horror forever.
His first novel, “… and at the end there still was the Nightmare”, a genuine gothic macabre, takes place in a late medieval France with an adventure having roots and then ending in Transylvania. Heavily researched, it’s all based on medieval chronicles, on half told truths, hidden dark secrets and superstitious interpretations. Inquisition, gallant knights, crooked nobles, lascivious and ambitious princesses, poison and curses, torture, creatures of the dark, myths coming to life, humanity lost and found in the deepest despair.
And if that would be all…
This is one of those rare horror books where the tension builds up and never lets you out of its grasp, and the creepiness and the sense of dread once biting into your flesh never cease to chill your soul until the very end… where the story finishes, but the nightmare goes on.
Craznic’s secret is that he writes his story very much like H.P. Lovecraft wrote, across all five senses, really transporting his readers into the dreadful realities of his stories. Lovecraft’s techniques with modern storytelling. And this very impressive novel is his debut. Imagine what his career will be like. To say that eagerly wait to read his next novel or series is an understatement.
Oliviu Craznic is a name you won’t forget and one that you’ll see often in the future on the bestsellers lists.
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About Costi Gurgu:
Costi Gurgu was born in the ancient city of Tomis (now called Constanta), on the Black Sea. He later moved to Bucuresti (Romania), then London (UK) and finally Toronto (Canada). Costi has won 26 awards for his writing and has published over 50 stories in different magazines and anthologies across two continents. His story collection entitled Ciuma de sticla (The Glass Plague) was sold to ProLogos in 1999. The Glass Plague won the Vladimir Colin Award and the Alexandru Odobescu 
Award for debut book in 2000, the annual award given by the Writers Union for best literary fiction. His debut book was soon followed by several anthologies and shared-world novels coordinated by him. Costi wrote his first novel, Retetarium (Recipearium), in 1994 and was awarded the Nemira Award. It was published in 2006, by Tritonic Publishing Group. It gathered two more awards after publication, the Vladimir Colin Award and Kult Award. Recipearium will be published in North America in 2015 through White Cat Publications. In his day job, Costi is an Art Director/Graphic Designer/Illustrator. He has been the Art Director of publications like Playboy Magazine, Madame Figaro (French fashion magazine), and Tabu (life style women magazine) and has co-created the graphic concepts for several other brands, such as Canadian Investment Guide Magazine and ETF Guide Magazine. He also designs and illustrates magazine and book covers, being twice finalist for the Aurora Awards.