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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
No one layers a story like Elizabeth Kostova. What a stunning book. Alexandra is one of the most relatable protagonists I've read in a long time, and every single character feels so real, including the dog. I stayed up entirely too late racing through the final segments of this book and wow. Another excellent book.
DNF. I think this may be a case of wrong-time, wrong-reader. I was looking for more historical with paranormal like the author's The Historian. After over 100 pages into this one, I started to doubt that would ever happen, so i went searching for reviews. Finding it is completely realistic, i have put it down, unlikely to return.
It was hard to stay interested. The story moved slowly and ended up predictable
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really struggled with how to review this novel. It's beautifully written, the characters are vivid, but I think I have to acknowledge that as a fast reader it shouldn't take me ages to read a book. I enjoyed this novel in parts but I'm not sure I can say I loved it or I would even recommend it. It felt as if I was torn between two books as I was reading it, and the author had made the decision to fit both stories into one. The novel jumps between two timelines, and I think both stories are fleshed out but they don't always transition smoothly between the two. Half of the book is about an American woman travelling through Bulgaria and becoming involved in the return of a lost urn and the other half of the book is the story of the dead man's life. Both stories deserve their due, although I did find the deceased man's story to be darker and ultimately more interesting.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Beautiful
I loved the story, her descriptive language and the characters became so real to me. Sad to say goodbye to such a wonderful novel. I did not find the jumping around jarring in the least, it had a great ebb and flow. Take a chance and get lost in this novel.
I loved the story, her descriptive language and the characters became so real to me. Sad to say goodbye to such a wonderful novel. I did not find the jumping around jarring in the least, it had a great ebb and flow. Take a chance and get lost in this novel.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was obsessed with The Historian when I was younger. Swan Thieves didn't grip me as much, and The Shadow Land sits right between them
I cared about all of the characters and I wanted them to succeed, but I had a somewhat hard time getting myself to sit down and actually read the book. Once I got to the last hundred-or-so pages, I was hooked and finished it quickly.
I love how Kostova writes about Bulgaria and I love how she wrote the relationships and their tempo in this.
I cared about all of the characters and I wanted them to succeed, but I had a somewhat hard time getting myself to sit down and actually read the book. Once I got to the last hundred-or-so pages, I was hooked and finished it quickly.
I love how Kostova writes about Bulgaria and I love how she wrote the relationships and their tempo in this.
The historical elements of communist Bulgaria were very interesting as it was an episode that I knew nothing about. The modern day story seemed convoluted and not particularly realistic. But the novel was well written and I was always keen to get back to reading it
The Shadow Land is a force of a book, mysterious and compelling on every page. Kostova blends a family saga with a political mystery, among an evocative portrait of a country and its people in the background. The story follows Alexandra, wrecked with grief and guilt of the death of her brother, to Bulgaria. A brief and completely random encounter with a family on the steps of a hotel changes her life—and theirs. Alexandra and the other characters bloom slowly and delicately across the novel’s length, while the mysteries surrounding generations of the family on the steps stopped the breath in my lungs. It’s a masterful book, one that takes the lightest touch in connecting characters to each other, in drawing images across the page. Every detail becomes important in its own time, every character belongs in the space Kostova creates for them. Beautifully, beautifully done.