Reviewed on Richard & Judy on 9th August 2006.
This is very special, a history mystery-cum-love story that delves into the vampire myth. Ranging across continents and ages, incidents and emotions, it catches you by surprise and leaves you breathless. If you are prepared to accept one or two unusual facts, then it all becomes frighteningly feasible. Well written and sumptuous, it is a perfect gem. You’ve got to read it as it is one of the best books of the month.
Comparison: Lev Grossman, Adrian Mathew.
Similar this month: None but try Michael Cordy or John Connolly.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters addressed ominously to 'My dear and unfortunate successor'. Her discovery plunges her into a world she never dreamed of - a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an evil hidden in the depths of history.
In those few quiet moments, she unwittingly assumes a quest she will discover is her birthright - a hunt for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the Dracula myth. Deciphering obscure signs and hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions, and evading terrifying adversaries, one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past and a confrontation with the very definition of evil.
Elizabeth Kostova's debut novel is an adventure of monumental proportions - a captivating tale that blends fact and fantasy, history and the present with an assurance that is almost unbearably suspenseful - and utterly unforgettable.
The Historian features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, eBooks of the Month, General Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations
The Historian is available in , Paperback
The Historian was written by Elizabeth Kostova and published by Time Warner Books
The Historian has 704 pages
£13.49
