Fantastic book! Loved the parallel ending(s). Was very slow reading for me though; I get that way with multiple speakers alternating chapters.

posted Jun 12, 2012 at 2:56PM

I found this to be a very good 300 page book hiding in 700 pages. The book wanders off course frequently, is often redundant, and is much too self important. This author show tremendous promise, but she deserves a much better editor.

posted Nov 5, 2010 at 2:43PM

A thoughtful and suspenseful page-turner, The Historian is a wonderfully crafted story about the search for a book and a vampire that readers of Perez-Reverte’s "The Club Dumas" and Pearl’s "The Dante Club" will enjoy. For readers who like a good vampire story, this isn’t a blood-sucking book, but it is a brilliant addition to Dracula lore.

posted Jun 18, 2008 at 1:03PM

Did you think you weren't "into" vampire tales? This elegantly written first novel may change your mind. Did Bram Stoker base his Count Dracula on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, the cruel 15th Century prince of Wallachia? A father and then his daughter search for clues across time and borders in dusty Ivy League libraries and ancient monasteries. What does that dark legend have to do with modern times, and does that evil still exist?

posted Apr 18, 2008 at 11:40AM

This is a thriller with much more than just thrills. Like Da Vinci Code this a page-turner full of arcane "history" and ancient artifacts. The writing is classier--think Club Dumas instead of Da Vinci--and it is fast-paced and readable in spite of numerous subplots and digressions into Balkan history. The readers of the audio version--one man, one woman--move through the long, complex tale full of characters and dialects with barely a glitch, and keep you listening to the last plot twist.

posted Mar 22, 2008 at 11:50AM

I thoght this story was unnecessarily bloated. I found myself jumping ahead four or five chapters at a time and not missing a thing! One positve, Kostova knows how to write. But thats the problem, she writes too much. I highly recommend checking out the DVD Lost Worlds volume 4. It has a great documantary on Vlad Dracol that is more interesting than the book.

posted Apr 29, 2007 at 1:09PM

I really enjoyed this book. It definitely is a thinker and requires commitment- in addition to a willinginess to struggle through difficult Slavic names/words, but ultimately is worth it. I was a little disappointed by the ending - but the journey/chase leading up to it was brilliant!

posted Nov 17, 2006 at 11:29AM

If you enjoy the lore of Dracula both the vampire and the ruler of Transylvania, you'll enjoy this book. It's a hefty page turner but I found the ride thouroughly enjoyable.

posted May 30, 2006 at 12:47PM

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