The Historian is mysterious and alluring, like a darkly glinting jewel. It is a tale that follows historians who, seemingly by chance, happen upon an ancient leather-bound book with the striking symbol of a dragon on a cover. Through strange circumstances, they are plunged headlong into the sordid and ghastly history of Vlad the Impaler, becoming increasingly obsessed, as if under a spell. Academia would appear to be a rather tame vocational avenue, so why is it that the curious minds that delve deeper into Vlad’s lurid past have a tendency to experience alarming misfortune?
The Historian was a brilliant, enigmatic and altogether refreshing change of pace in my 2023 reading journey. I was bracing myself for something rather slow-paced and dense, with perhaps too much emphasis on history, but ended up loving it! I appreciated the author’s clever research prowess which really shone through. And I was equally enraptured by the sinister shroud of foreboding that permeated the novel.
There were more than a few occasions throughout where I was genuinely frightened while reading late at night and my imagination began to play tricks on me. I was similarly dazzled by the glamorous and vibrant descriptions of the various travel destinations. The reader is treated to wondrous accounts of Austria, Istanbul, Budapest and more, which delight and inspire. Kostova weaves an entrancing story, and it is all too easy to become invested in the richly drawn characters, cryptic plot and mystifying ambience.
I first became acquainted with The Historian via audiobook, which is astoundingly well-done. I highly recommend going this route if you want to dip your feet in before committing to this sprawling, 700-paged tome. However, due to the sometimes snail-like tempo of audiobooks, I ditched it for the e-book a few chapters in, eager and impatient to discover what happened next. If you enjoy gothic, cerebral stories like Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Kiersten White’s The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, The Historian will probably be a home run read for you. For mood readers, this one is ideally experienced in late October, with its opulent and eerie dark academia vibes.
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
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