The concept was intriguing and thought of a supernatural thriller in the mold of the Da Vinci code was hard to resist. Unfortunately "The Historian" never quite delivers. Kostova's research for the book is excellent, but at times it feels she has the rules of her world forced upon her by Bram Stoker and she is merely writing to fit that outline. Her language is sumptuous, but again I felt it was forced instead of lyrical and descriptive. "The Historian" ends up being a lovely travel guide and text book with a story about vampires around the edges. A good first novel, but nothing that I reccomend. Anyone looking for a tense thriller will be somewhat dissapointed. If you are curious about the life of Vlad Tepes and his connection with the vampire myth, than this is a wonderful library book to pick up.