Karol Majeran Majeran itibaren Saint-Mary-le-Plain, Fransa
Being an avid fan of history, travel, and Dracula, this book enthralled me from the first page. The narrative structure is superb, with the story covering events occuring in three different time frames that are all interrelated. The author skillfully shifts between each one to heighten the drama and keep them pages flipping by, and the story is layered with elements of archaeology, art history, and medieval folk tales. Oh, and it highlights the perils of becoming a librarian. The fact that this is Kostova's first novel makes her decision to approach a subject like Dracula from a completely new, contemporary angle a brave one filled with potential pitfalls, but she accomplishes it brilliantly with a cleverly conceived plot, a host of wonderful characters and a mature, multi-faceted writing style. Definitely a book to really get your teeth into (no, I won't apologise).