I think this story just wasn't for me. History buffs might adore the look back in Bulgaria's history, but for me, the pacing was just much too slow, and the viewpoints just flip too often. It was hard for me to get invested in the characters because I had to go back and reread. I think the author is a great writer, but this book just wasn't for me.

Historical fiction is a new genre for me, alongside mystery, and so I was essentially diving in head first when I read this book. In the beginning, I got wrapped up in the suspense that shrouded the protagonist of the novel, and that made me want to read more. It took awhile to understand the shifts between chapters because at times there would be flashbacks and they weren't always flashbacks of the protagonist but instead of an entirely different character, and the shift in point of view added to my confusion. Aside from those bumps, the story was packed full of historical tales and scenic routes that were fun to immerse in since I've never actually been to Bulgaria myself, and the tales only added to the characters we met along the way. Unfortunately, the book began to drag on and there were more slow parts than fast in the end, so it felt as if the climax took forever to get to. Of course, I can put that aside, but I was disappointed in the feeling that there were a few loose ends left, and they weren't left for a cliffhanger effect. Overall, the novel was still a very interesting read and has only made me more interested in Bulgaria and historical fiction.

Very much enjoyed this book that I am reading this authors other books.

In the Shadow Land Between the Mountains…
The Shadow Land is at once hauntingly beautiful, and deeply disturbing…it was the kind of book I wanted to devour, but could not read right before bed without risking strange dreams. Elizabeth Kostova masterfully blends the worlds of modern day Appalachia, with WWII, and post-WWII era Bulgaria…making each seem so real that you could reach out and touch the rugged mountains or feel the biting cold of a communist labor camp. She writes knowledgeably about music, art, and history, making the characters, both major and minor, truly come to life on the page. This is a book that I would highly recommend, with the caveat that getting through it is a bit of an undertaking.

Image result for male violin player gifThe Shadow Land switches back and forth between the present and past, blending the story of a gifted musician named Stoyan, who finds himself unfairly sent to a forced labor camp during Bulgaria’s communist revolution, with the present-day stories of his son Neven, an American tourist named Alexandra, and a taxi cab driver named Bobby, as they all strive to discover who is targeting Stoyan’s family in an attempt to steal his remains. The blending is done very well, with my only criticism being that at times there were so many visual details provided, that it seemed almost over-done. Personally, I like to have some details left to my imagination; I found the over abundance of details to be so overwhelming at times, that it is the sole reason I did not give this book five stars.

Beyond that minor flaw, I have a deep appreciation for this book, because it really draws the reader in, and explores a lesser known, but very tragic aspect of post-WWII communist revolutions: life in the gulags, and how arbitrarily people were classified as enemies of the state. It explores how human beings process personal tragedy and heart ache, and what we do to survive in the face of bitter adversity and insurmountable odds. Because Kostova sees Bulgaria as an adoptive homeland, she does an excellent job of bringing to life the various types of people one would find there when traveling abroad, and is very sensitive to the legacy of the damages done by the communist regime. For those who love historical fiction, or who thirst for books that will prompt deep and introspective thinking, this is a book that cannot be missed. Just don’t read it before bed if you want to sleep soundly!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for proving this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Kostova's first novel, The Historian, a bookish take on Dracula. I expected The Shadow Land to be along the same lines. Was I surprised. TSL is a love letter to Bulgaria. Kostova's beautiful descriptions of the cities and small towns in themselves made the book worth reading. But it was the characters of Alexandra,Bobby and Stoyan, the mystery, and the page-turning plot that rated five stars from me.

In 2008 Bulgaria, Alexandra Boyd, newly arrived in Bulgaria to teach English for a year, helps an elderly couple and the woman's son into a taxi, and only discovers when they've left that she inadvertently took an ornate wooden box belonging to them. She quickly discerns that it contains human ashes, but by that time the Bulgarian family has driven away. With the help of her own English-speaking taxi driver, Bobby, Alexandra sets off to locate the people she has unintentionally wronged, leading to a sojourn through the small towns, mountains and seaside villages of Bulgaria, discovering a dark historical secret that moves from the 1930s to the present time of 2008. They learn the identity of Stoyan, the man whose remains are in the box, and Alexandra learns to cope with her own losses as well.

Others have summarized the story, so I will not. I will, however, strongly recommend The Shadow Land to all who love historical fiction, character studies, mysteries and/or political thrillers.

I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley.

After reading The Historian, I had high expectations going into this book. While I wasn't precisely disappointed, I can't say that The Shadow Land was better. Still, I did enjoy this book a great deal. In this work, In this work, the protagonist, an American tourist fleeing her own grief following the death of her brother, ends up with an urn containing the human remains of a stranger when she helps an elderly couple into a cab in and accidentally keeps one of their parcels. As she tries to return the urn to the rightful owners, we are taken on a exploration of the Bulgarian police state with all of its attendant horrors. But Kostova also weaves in elements of the sublime as she describes the landscape, culture and heart of Bulgaria and her people. This juxtaposition of brutality and beauty illustrates the tension created by the attempts to oppress a people who despite knowing loss, fear and evil, have found a way to endure, survive and even triumph through courage and compassion. The only flaw for me was that the ending rang false in that it was just a bit too bright. Otherwise, this was a great read that provided much insight into Bulgarian history and culture even though it is a work of fiction.

I really wanted to put this down until I was over 80% through the story. I just didn't understand what intrigue an urn could possibly have in this elusive chase, and it seemed odd and far-fetched at times having Bobby and Alexandra take this impromptu trip on a wild goose chase. After the intrigue of Alexandra's story with Jack at the beginning, it is all but forgotten and there are so very many stories woven in, with so many seemingly random characters, most of which seem to have no tangible connection to the main story line. I hate to put a book down, and I was interested to learn about Bulgaria, so I kept at this one. Now that I have finished I am glad I did read until the end. Stoyan's story really is intriguing and the details that seem so unrelated for most of the story merge at the end. I think this book is important in the sense that it relays a history that is not as well known. The writer is very skilled and I always thought, even in the parts that were dull to me, that she write fabulously. If you're struggling to keep going, give it a try! I found I was glad I did in the end.

Bulgaria I am sure is a very beautiful and a wonderful place to visit and explore.
The author was giving too much detail. I think it could have been cut by 200 pages.


My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I received this book for my honest review from Netgalley.com.
I really enjoy Kostova's writing. This was several stories converged into one going from present to past and back to present again, but I thought it easy to follow. I loved the writer's description of Bulgaria and surroundings.
Having read The Historian and enjoying it, I will continue to read this author's works.
Thank you Netgalley.com! This review is also posted at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1853947887

The language of this book is great. It reminds me of books like the Nightingale. The story is intriguing. It caught my interest from the beginning. It's fast paced and suspenseful. I had no idea what was going to happen next. I hate when books are so predictable that I know what's going to happen from the beginning. This is not one of those books. It time hops a little from Alexandra's younger life to the present. There is tons of culture and historical information throughout which is super interesting. Loved that part of the book. Descriptions are vivid and beautiful. But... oh you knew there was a but coming... the switching tenses from 1st to 3rd person drove me absolutely nuts. Why couldn't the author just pick one and stick with it? It was incredibly annoying especially in places where the switches were quick. Read 3 pages in 1st person and then all of a sudden 3rd person. Ah! I kind of think the author might have done it to separate the past from the present in an obvious way but oh my goodness not worth it. Other than that the story was amazing.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This is a blockbuster of a story! I read it over way too many days, but still it was completely absorbing and held my interest completely.
Some parts of the book do seem a bit coincidental, but the actual story is original and multifaceted with layers that slowly reveal the ending. The characters are mostly appealing and interesting, but the real gem of the book is the plot.
Bulgaria's history isn't as well known at that of Nazi Germany, yet is just as heartbreaking. The story of Stoyan Lasarov, an accomplished and passionate musician, is both inspirational and haunting. His mistreatment at the hands of the communist government is heartbreaking.
The connection of Alexandria, a young woman from North Carolina with Lazarov's son, Neven, is the starting and ending of this fascinating novel. Alexandria's past sets up some explanation for her choice of Bulgaria as a new start in her life. It also adds to the fleshing out of this complex story. Sometimes this complexity seems almost too much, but it holds together this multifaceted tale. There is magic in the romance of these two based on their chance meeting and almost spiritual connection.
Bobby was my favorite character. His role is crucial to making the story work and added yet another layer of mystery.
The mix of cruelty and secrets in the prior generation with the modern quest for power and a hint of romance, creates a tension that works well.
I think that "The Shadow Land" will appeal to a wide readership. There is something for everyone, and as such, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Gorgeous writing, gorgeous scenes, and a gorgeous romance. A memorable and delight of a read!

Loved this book
Didn't want it to end
Highly recommended

I was curious about this novel after reading both The Historian and The Swan Thieves by this author. I have grown accustomed to complex novels that still move quickly, usually discussing art or literature in some way. I was disappointed by The Shadow Land.

It is very clear that the author has fallen in love with Bulgaria (and a Bulgarian!) and wanted to write a novel that expressed it. So she created this novel as a framework. The first half of the novel contains a lot of movement from place to place, I imagine because she wanted to write about some of these places with such rich history, but some of these places have no bearing on the outcome of the story. The characters are too obviously pawns and the events are too implausible. Some opportunities were missed - the main character is there to teach English yet everyone she meets speaks good enough English, even the elderly. I'm pretty sure the timeline of her adventure overlaps with when she was expected in the classroom but this is not addressed. Her taxi driver has indicators of revolutionary activity (at least resistance) but this is pretty much dropped midway through the story (and was possibly the most interesting story line to me.) One story that seems to tie everything together is told unevenly, and contains the elements of most confusion.

Despite my complaints I did learn some things about Bulgaria in World War II, and the ancient people called the Thracians. I can see why the author is in love with this place. But I think the story she chose to tell inside of it was not a success.

I couldn't get into it. This was a very confusing storyline. However, the writing was very lovely.

Complex and layered, I really loved this book. I took a short while to get into the story, but once I did I was thoroughly engrossed in the storyline. The characters were well-portrayed, the storyline was engaging and kept me reading, long after I should have gone to bed. The settings were also well-drawn, with so much wonderful attention to detail that I felt like I was actually there. Highly recommended.

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova bring to life a part of history and a part of the world about which I have read very little - Bulgaria in 2008 and in the aftermath of World War II. The further the book progresses, the closer the past and present come until they ultimately collide. Some connections are a surprise, but the kind that make you go, "Of course, that makes sense." The book has a slow beginning but builds to a dramatic conclusion that has me turning pages late into the night to finish.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/06/the-shadow-land.html

Reviewed for NetGalley

I was excited to read the next installment from the author of The Historian. This tale is about a young woman who, quite by accident, ends up with ashes that don't belong to her, a handsome cab driver, and a story of intrigue in a land she's never been to. While the story ended up being quite good, and I loved the ending, it was somewhat slow in some spots, making it difficult to get to the main crux of each chapter. Overall, I would buy this book for a friend, but caution them to keep going! The ending is worth the wait.

It's hard to compare this book to others. This author set the bar incredibly high by writing The Historian. I have read that multiple times and it is without a doubt one of my absolute favorites. Does this book live up to that? Not exactly. Does it blow other books in the genre away? It absolutely does. This is a wonderful work of historical fiction set in Bulgaria after the revolution. Not many contemporary authors write about this topic, probably because the information available to the west has been limited. I find literature about that part of the world highly intriguing. I feel compelled to visit the places that were described in the book. I thought this was a wonderful story and it's beautifully written. If you haven't read The Historian, read this first and then absolutely read that.