emmaapple 's review for:

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova

3.0

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Elizabeth Kostova is an exceptional storyteller. Her first novel The Historian is one of my favourite books, & whilst this was good, it doesn't quite reach the same level for me. This book narrates some of the atrocities of the forced labour camps that existed in the Soviet era of Bulgaria (side note: this has shown a gap in my historical knowledge that I wish to repair). But does so in such a way that you don't realise where the sorry is going until halfway through the book. The main character felt a bit wet for me, & the wild goose chase backwards & forwards, was on occasion, too much. What got my full attention again, was the depth to Stoyan, & the horrors he had witnessed/lived through. The ending felt abrupt, but also fit well with the story. The magic of Bulgaria is described so beautifully, that it has made me want to visit. If this were 2 seperate books, the backstory would get 5 stars. The contemporary story? Barely a 2.