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The Historian

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The Historian

By: Elizabeth Kostova
Narrated by: Justine Eyre, Paul Michael
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About this listen

THE SUMPTUOUS INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER IN FULL UNABRIDGED AUDIO.

Breathtakingly suspenseful and beautifully written, The Historian is the story of a young woman plunged into a labyrinth where the secrets of her family's past connect to an inconceivable evil: the dark fifteenth-century reign of Vlad the Impaler and a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive through the ages. The search for the truth becomes an adventure of monumental proportions, taking us from monasteries and dusty libraries to the capitals of Eastern Europe-in a feat of storytelling so rich, so hypnotic, so exciting that it has enthralled readers around the world.

©2005 Elizabeth Kostova (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK Action & Adventure Fantasy Historical Fiction Medieval Fiction Middle Ages Paranormal Scary

Critic Reviews

"Quite extraordinary...Kostova is a natural storyteller.... She has refashioned the vampire myth into a compelling contemporary novel, a late-night page-turner." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Filled with fascinating details of archaic vampire lore, the splendours of the Ottoman Empire and the beauty of the Romanian countryside." (Times Literary Supplement)
All stars
Most relevant
I read this novel in paperback years ago, and I loved it so much I had to read again here. The narration was wonderful, and the story is such a believable version of Dracula's legend that it should appeal to anyone who is a fan.

I love this book!!

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I have read and reread this book many times. Listening to this book has added another dimension to it and made really come alive. I will definitely be listening to it again. Beautifully narrated.

One of my favourite books

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The history was richly detailed and interesting, but the story wasn't a good fit for any particular category, not a mystery, not horror, not suspense. The book is many things, but none of them are great.

All Over the Board

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So incredibly boring, I found myself constantly losing interest. I’m not sure if it was the narration or the slow story or both.

Incredibly boring

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i cannot understand how anyone could accuse this book / audio book of being dull! i consumed it within 3 days and made excuses to give me time to listen because i was so captured. the amount of research and careful thought that went into the unveiling of this fascinating narrative is extraordinary

brilliantly researched - terrific historical fiction

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for bibliophiles, vampire story lovers and history buffs - an absolute treat that draws you in..

superb story

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This has been one of my favourite books for a long time. I must have read it at least 5 or 6 times. I really enjoyed this audio version and felt like I absorbed certain parts of the story more by listening. Great narration, I loved the two different voice actors.

Very enjoyable

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Relentless build of the central storyline despite the length broad range, geographically and in time, of the story

Historical relevance

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It was a long, in depth book and having got to the end was disappointed with the ending. It was too simple.

I did enjoy this book. The narrators were fabulous.

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This book is about a girl who is learning more and more about her father's past and seeming run in with Dracula.

The book would be so much better if the girl didn't exist and the book was just the father living his adventures in real time. rather than retelling them.

the male reader is really captivating but the female narrator is jarring. I'm going to see if a refund is possible.

it's not very good

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