A young lady discovers an antique book and a stockpile of yellowing letters written ominously to 'My dear and unfortunate successor' late one night while browsing her father's library. Her revelation transports her to a world she never imagined existed - a labyrinth where the mysteries of her father's past and her mother's tragic fate are linked to an evil concealed in the depths of history. 

 

During those few calm moments, she unintentionally embarks on a mission that she will find is her birthright: a search for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval king whose barbaric reign inspired the Dracula legend. Deciphering cryptic clues and buried passages, deciphering codes woven into the fabric of ancient monastery traditions, and escaping deadly foes, one lady gets closer to the truth about her own history and a confrontation with the very meaning of evil. 

 

This book is different from the usual assortment of novels I read, and the very notion that it is different terrified me into picking it up. Going into this, all I hoped for was that it would be rich with history, since as someone who loves history and researches, I enjoy seeing those in books— and it did not disappoint. 

 

The Historian has such lovely prose that if I were reading it as an owned copy, I would have underlined a lot of it. The manner the narrative was conveyed was also really interesting—though some portions felt a little protracted. This novel could have been a hundred pages shorter—and the fact that the finale wasn't really satisfying—killed my mood as I enjoyed the book for the first three quarters.