Do you like romances? Traveling? Adventure? Mysterious horror stories? If you answered yes to ANY of those questions, The Historian is for you.


This book tells the story of a girl and her father and how they are drawn into a search for the greatest villain of all time -- the vampire Count Dracula. But don't be fooled, this isn't Dracula from the movies, but a powerful warlord that is more than a match for the many hunters who have tried to destroy him.


While the story is ostensibly about Dracula, he is surprisingly absent from most of the plot. It centers instead around the story of a teenage girl as she reads her father's letters and discovers his romance with the mother she never knew. Her parents' travels through Europe looking for information on Dracula make room for beautiful descriptions of exotic places, from tiny villages in Romania to the thriving city of Istanbul in Turkey.


Elizabeth Kostova has obviously done her homework on every aspect of this book; and, using flashbacks, letters, and stories told by the characters, tells a story that spans over fifty years. In places the narrative may start to seem dry or weighty, but the viewpoint changes often enough to make sure the book is never boring, and the cliffhanger chapter endings keep the pages turning.


The Historian is a great read for not only any Dracula lover or vampire enthusiast, but anyone who likes romance, history, travel, or just a good solid story.