Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Historian

Wowowowow. The Historian, in its very academic search for Dracula, is a combination of a Robert Langdon book and Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour. It is told primarily through letters and other documents, is incredibly descriptive-almost Romantic (as in 1790s era Romantic)-and is an absolute epic of a book.

I cannot recommend this widely. It is very slow and probably boring to those who don’t enjoy the academic process of research. I read this at a time where it was really hard to engage with the text and had to put it down for a few weeks until I was ready to sit with this story, but holy shit if you like long-winded, academic-y, travelogue stories about vampires you will LOVE THIS. The ending is so satisfying after so much build-up and I kept wishing a tv show existed so I could experience this story again in all its colourful glory.

Absolutely fantastic. A true mastery of a book.

Content Warnings

internationalreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark informative tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

bookbelle5_17's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Review of The Historian
By: Elizabeth Kostova
Our unnamed narrator is following in her father’s, Paul, footsteps by becoming a historian. She discovers a book with a dragon on it and a note from her father’s old mentor, Bartholomew Rossi, who believed he had a come across knowledge that Dracula is still alive. After Rossi disappeared, Paul goes in search of him with help from a daughter Rossi never knew existed, Helen. In the present, Paul is telling our narrator that story and when he leaves to look for her mother, our narrator goes in search of him.
This novel mixes, the Dracula mythology and history of Vlad Dracul creating a nice blend of creepiness, suspense, and deep dives into the histories of Eastern Europe. I loved the exploration into the cultures and the superstitious beliefs of these countries. We have a lot of scenes with the characters go to libraries as they try to find answers, which is fun to read, and I liked the two other professors Paul meets. The scenes where they are doing research and going to these other countries is my favorite part. Helen Rossi is a fun and feisty female character and her emotional journey is engaging to read. She is the daughter of Rossi and she thinks he abandoned her mother. I liked our leads Paul and our narrator, who are likable and relatable. The vampire aspects aren’t as prominent, but you feel Dracula and his minions are the shadow looming in the background. It is a more literary version of a Dan Brown novel. The writing is cozy and comforting to read despite the dark story.

Content Warnings

laurenw's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

Wonderfully atmospheric, with beautiful descriptions of the travels within. It did, however, ramble on a tad too much. The layers of story within the story were intriguing, and the research element was enjoyable to read, but there were a few stories that could have perhaps been culled. Ultimately, a good read, especially if you already harboured an interest in Dracula and his ilk.

Content Warnings