Brilliant, allusive and riveting!

Vividly descriptive narrative flows across the pages of Kostava's work at once both musical and poetical. The opening pages draw you in. A veneer of haunting melody continues to engage.
Alexandra Boyd has come to Bulgaria as a form of penance and a hope for renewal after her beloved brother Jack's death. Bulgaria was the place he'd always wanted to visit. A place from their childhood dreams and games.
An accidental meeting at a taxi ramp in Sofia leads Alexandra to a riveting chase and search across Bulgaria, all the time dogged by her personal loss, whilst uncovering the story of the people she seeks. Finding an funeral urn misplaced with her luggage, shockingly affects Alexandra coming alongside as it does the memory of her own loss. This fuels the impetus for her decision to find the urn's owners. The quest becomes paramount to all else.
This quest has Alexandra on a journey crisscrossing not only the geographical Bulgaria, but the memories of the past under communist rule and the fate of the urn's occupant, Stoyan Lazarov, a talented musician, and that of his family.
Through Stoyan's eyes in the past and his family in the present we see the enforced labor camps under Communist rule and their inhumane overseeing. We see the indomitable human spirit struggle for life when circumstances become too much for the body and soul to hold. The dark days of Stoyan's experiences are lightened by the memory methods he develops to engage a different reality, a separating from the concrete, and the awesome discipline of being somewhere other in the midst of hardship as he fights for survival.
The past is set against the present as Alexandra's journey encounters its own dangers--and joys. Alexandra 'could hear music, where there was no music.' A novel of hope!

A NetGalley ARC
(April 2017)

The Shadow Land is Elizabeth Kostova's newest novel. It is set in modern-day Bulgaria but does focus quite a bit on historic events during and right after the World War II. The premise is quite interesting. A young American English teacher arrives in Sofia, Bulgaria, where she has accepted a teaching position, and on her first day there, ends up inadvertently keeping someone else’s bag. When she looks inside, she discovers an ornate wooden box containing someone’s ashes. What follows is a whirlwind of events as she travels to different parts of the country trying to find the deceased man’s relatives, and in the process learns much about his life and Bulgaria’s troubled history.

Elizabeth Kostova’s writing is very suspenseful. It follows almost a wave-like pattern. An attention-grabbing event is followed by a stretch of beautiful descriptions and the main character’s introspective musings. But just as the reader is about to get bored, he/she is jerked awake by some dramatic turn of events in the narrative. Kostova is thus able to hold the reader’s attention and make them want to continue with the story.

I really loved Kostova’s descriptions of Bulgaria. When I read her prose, I see pictures rather than words – she is that good at writing. Since I was reading the novel in an e-book format, I did not realize at first how long it actually is. I think it is 496 pages in print, so please prepare yourself for a long albeit very enjoyable ride. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Shadow Land left me filled with wonder but also a profound sadness. This is a beautifully written tribute to a country that does not get enough attention from the world and to the horrors its citizens faced during the reign of the Soviet Union.

This story follows Alexandra Boyd, an American writer who is plagued with the death of her brother and the grief and guilt associated with a loss at such an age. Her memories of him lead her to a job teaching English in Sofia, Bulgaria. Upon her arrival in Bulgaria, Alex mistakes someones luggage for her own which turn out to be the ashes of a Bulagarian violinist, Stoyan Lazarov. The story continues as Alex searches for a way to return the urn with the help of her friend Bobby (pronounce Bobi) and uncovers the truth about Stoyan's painful past.

From the first page Kostova transports us to Sofia through her words. Having just visited Plovdiv for a wedding, I felt I could vividly envision every tree, every bench, every smell. I know a lot of reviewers said this book dragged because of the details-but that is where the magic is! Bare with me. I loved The Historian. Kostova's descriptions of Romania and Hungary drove me onto a 7 hour long plane ride so that I could experience the Carpathian mountains and the beautiful sights on the Danube for myself. She spends time not only describing the surroundings in great detail but also the feeling you would get seeing the sun rise over the mountains. I can rant and rave about the setting but the plot was just as beautiful.

As a Russian and a millennial, I don't often reflect on the horrific treatment the citizens of the USSR faced. As a first-generation American, I was read the same fairy tales as the ones Alex heard, the same superstitions (don't sit on cold stone or you will freeze your kidneys/never have children. I am not kidding) and told to finish all my food because in the USSR you were lucky if there was meat. At the same time I also heard that no one was homeless and everyone had a job - although no one was paid well. This narrative of life under communist rule fascinated me but while reading this book I realized that it also masked the the atrocities citizens of the Soviet Bloc faced. Although Stoyan Lazarov is a fictional character, the labor camps were not. Inspired by the remains of real labor camps under the communist party, Kostova illustrates the gut-wrenching treatment citizens of Bulgaria were witness to through fiction. Stoyan's storyline or confessions broke my heart. I couldn't help but cry when Neven was recounting his father's final moments.

The Shadow Land did what every great novel is supposed to do. It had mystery and a dash of romance. It made you think and the ending was cathartic. If you loved The Historian or The Swan Thieves , you will not be disappointed.

Elizabeth Kostova has a way with words that takes you inside the story as the descriptions of the surroundings and places become alive.
The plot is a bit complicated but marvelous written.

So expansive and descriptive of Bulgaria and Kostova, better than anyone can describe in such an evocative way.

Beautiful, and heartfelt.

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova was hard to put down. It was one of those books that kept me up until 4:00 a.m., two nights in a row, because I just had to know what was happening next. Like her book, The Historian, the author wraps the reader into the pages and leaves us wanting more.

In The Shadow Land the author melds the past and the present into one story and tells the tale of a dark time in Bulgaria's past. A past (in the not so distant time) when a person could be taken from their family, with no warning or trial, and sent to labor camps until someone decided to let you out. Chilling and masterfully related to the reader by relating the experience of concert violinist Stoyan Lazarov.

Alexandra is a young woman who has come to Sofia to teach when she accidentally picks up the box holding the ashes of Stoyan Lazarov. In her quest to return the remains to Mr. Lazarov's family, Alexandra is aptly aided by Bobby, the Bulgarian taxt driver with many secrets of his own. When they are followed to where the family is supposed to be, they discover that not only is the family in peril, but so are Alexandra and Bobby and they people they meet along the trip.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I honestly loved this book and highly recommend it to other readers. I also recommend The Historian, which is on my top ten list.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel.
Elizabeth Kostova's writing is wonderfully imaginative and appeasing. Her flow of words asks for the reader to dive in. This novel adds to her repertoire of great novels of our time.
I really enjoyed the layout of this one. We start in modern time. We then flashback to the narrator's past. Then we go back to another character's past. The author made it understandable and not like anything I have ever read.
The author also made this one so atmospheric. The natural surrounds in the present felt real, the past felt real. I really enjoyed this. Not a lot of novels are based in Bulgaria and as the reader, I didn't know anything about the state of things there. It was all explained to me as I was reading and was refreshing.
The plot was interesting. I questioned some of motives and actions of he main character, but knowing now where the story went, it makes sense.
I really am looking forward to reading more by Elizabeth Kostova.

I love Elizabeth Kostova's previous work but this story wasn't interesting to me. I much prefer her stories with darker undertones. I didn't connect with these characters right away so it was difficult to finish.

This book was a glorious surprise to read. I never gave much thought to Bulgaria, but have now added it to my ever-growing travel wish list. This is the first book I've read by Ms. Kostova, but I suspect it won't be the last. Her writing draws you in and holds you, as I can ruefully attest to by more than one night of too little sleep. The story is good, and sheds light on a subject I was not knowledgeable about previously, and the descriptions of the small towns are enough to transport you there. Well done indeed.

This is an honest review in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley.

I am saddened that I could not like this book more. I do not like giving low stars for any book for I feel that does a complete disservice to the author and publisher.

I loved this book. I know others have said they thought it started very slowly but I didn't have that experience. In trying to tell someone about the book I realized how complex the plot is. I thought the tension built appropriately through the book--it was a slow, steady build. I loved the characters of Bobby and Alexandra and then others they met along the way including Stoycha.

The history of the Bulgarian work camps was a new revelation to me. Lazarov's brilliant career made for an interesting contrast. I wanted to drink wine and listen to Vivaldi as I read this book.

Great twists and turns as the plot unfolds for the final reveal. Again, I loved it!

As soon as our main character, and American, sets foot in Sofia, Bulgaria, her mystery begins. In this strange but beautiful country for a teaching position, Alexandra is expecting to do some sight-seeing before she begins her teaching assignment. But when she helps a young man and two elderly people who are struggling with their bas, her life changes forever. After settling the threesome in cab, Alexandra realizes that she still has one of their bags. Upon searching the bag for some id, she discovers it contains a beautiful urn filled with ashes, human ashes. Her hunt for the bag’s owners begins, revealing an unimaginable and complex mystery and leading to new and lasting friendships as well as unforgettable experiences.

This historical fiction is very well-written and peopled with realistic and memorable characters. The mystery slowly reveals itself, as the story unfurls, leading the reader into Alexandra’s past, present, and future. Although this story is a bit overly-long and drawn out in places, it is excellent.

Beautifully written, I absolutely loved this book and was sad when it ended. The lush details and descriptions warranted reading very carefully and rereading some passages. After finishing the book, I feel as if i have visited Bulgaria The characters were beautiful and mysterious and sad. The faint whispers of the supernatural were so well placed. I am so happy to have been introduced to this author. I immediately went to see what other novels she has written. I hope they are as enjoyable and wonderful as The Shadow Land.

Well, I'm not sure where to start this review, so I'm going to start with my pre-reading expectations. When I realized that Elizabeth Kostova had a new book coming out, I was beyond thrilled. I'm sure a lot of reviews for The Shadow Land are going to mention what is arguably Kostova's most highly regarded work, The Historian, which I truly loved. I was so excited to see what Kostova would bring to the table with this promising new book, but after reading The Shadow Land, I'm fairly disappointed. I've seen so many four- and five-star reviews for this book that I just feel like I'm missing something or not quite getting it.

The story centers around Alexandra, a young woman who takes a job at a Bulgarian university in which she will teach English. Once she arrives in Bulgaria, however, she accidentally mixes up some luggage with some people she comes across and ends up with a container full of the cremated remains of an unknown person. The entire rest of the story is basically her journey to find the relatives of the man who has died. It's a somewhat hard to believe scenario, but hey, this is fiction-land, so it could happen, right?

The biggest issues I had with this book were the paper-thin plot and the characters, which are two pretty important parts of a book. The plot was ended up being so hard to suspend my belief for, and I tried to justify this with the fact that this book is much more character-driven and seemed to be more about their journey and development, but not even the characters were enough to convince me. There was also a lot of description, and while I'm cool with some in-depth, descriptive writing, this just became too clunky.

Alexandra Boyd, our protagonist, was frankly quite dull to me. She had some strong moments, but for the most part I just found her incredible naive and really quite inept in her many interactions with people. The positive aspect of Alexandra's character was her development, as I felt that she underwent some strong emotional journeys within this book as she came to terms with some of the familial issues of her past. (And as a side note: The amount of times people commented that her name was Russian frustrated me to no end.)

Bobby, a taxi driver that Alexandra meets and becomes close friends with, was a much more interesting character for me. I was much more intrigued by his ever-present mysteriousness and ease at handling a variety of situations, both dangerous and otherwise. In contrast, I felt that he was portrayed as far more mysterious than he actually was.

The last notable character I'd like to mention is Stoyan Lazarov himself, the man whose remains are found by Alexandra. I was very intrigued by his tragic tale, and though I did feel it dragged on a bit too long at times, it still deeply fulfilling and full of wonderfully written character development.

An aspect of this book that I loved was the setting of Bulgaria. Kostova really seems to capture the beauty and atmosphere of Bulgaria without trying to cover up any aspect of the country. This book made me want to visit Bulgaria and learn more about it, and this interest and newfound knowledge of Bulgaria is something that will certainly stay with me.

Overall, I've given The Shadow Land three stars. On the one hand, this was a moving, deeply emotional story. On the other, it dragged and was unrealistic. If you enjoy a slow-paced, intricately told story with character-focused storylines, then I do recommend you check this out. If you're expecting something similar to The Historian, you should put those expectations aside and read this as its own book.

Elizabeth Kostova has been a favorite author of mine for almost fifteen years, despite a relatively low output in that amount of time. Her first novel, The Historian, ranks among my top-five all-time favorite books -- of any genre. She followed up that supremely atmospheric, gothic supernatural debut with something a little different; her sophomore work The Art Thieves was a total departure in tone, plot, and character. With The Shadow Land, her third published novel to date, Kostova once again employs the narrative structure of dual, connected storylines in different eras, though she tackles new themes and ideas her historical look at Bulgaria.

Descriptive, layered, and detailed, Kostova's style is storytelling is given to be rather verbose. Her brand of storytelling relies heavily on using the setting and research to help foster the plot; this is an author that can recreate a vivid time and place. The plot of The Shadow Land is narrowly focused and centered on an American teacher Alexandra Boyd ("Bird"), a mysterious figure named Stoyan Lazarov, and the history of Bulgaria as experienced by those two characters in their differing times. The beginning of the novel is rather slow and takes time to create any real tension or suspense for Alex or her stalwart cab driver Bobby ("Bo-bi"!). Still, it's easy to fall into Kostova's recreated Sofia thanks to the author's obvious due diligence when it came to research.

I did like this novel, but have to admit it is my least favorite Kostova. I am sad to say that for all its merits, and while technically proficient and impressive, it lacks an emotional connection. Even though Kostova is given using emotionally-distant narrators and main characters, it was hard to engage with Alex's inner monologue. For the first half of the book her main emotion is tiredness and general helplessness; hoping someone else will find the solution to her problem. I missed the agency and decisiveness of past protagonists from this author; I also missed the chemistry between love interests. Though Bird and Bobby are great friends, theirs is a bond that's purely platonic and it lacks the oomph. Simply put: this book lacked the ability to create emotional investment. I was more drawn into the story for the writing itself than for the outcome of Alex/Stoyan's stories.

The Shadow Land is a novel that showcases the power of the past, combined with this author's usual descriptive style to create a good historical fiction in an often-overlooked country.

Wow. I liked this one even more than the Historian. Ya know how you have those moments in your life where you seem to hear about something and then that's all you can hear about? That's how Stalin and his infamy and the spread of the evil have been for me...including this book.

But the best thing about her books, without question, is the endings. And I don't just mean where they leave you in the story. I mean, the whole last fourth or fifth of the book is so packed with revelations and twists and surprises that I cannot wait to finish! Of course, at the same time I am devastated when they end because they are so good!

Going to immediately find Swan Thieves, as I didn't know about it before!

I thoroughly enjoyed the almost 500 pages of The Shadow Land. At first it seemed like a very weak premise, the finding of the real keeper of the urn. (That whole storyline came together very well at the end). Then I realized that the actual purpose for writing this saga was Ms. Kostova’s love of Bulgaria.

Her research was extraordinary. She was able to go into detail about many subjects – Bulgaria itself and its history, the atrocities it suffered in the camps, Vivaldi, and so much more – without my every feeling I was reading a textbook. Well done.

The only thing I was not crazy about was the many references to Alexandra’s brother, Jack, who went missing twelve years ago. I thought her grief for him was depicted as a little too fresh. I found this not credible.

Overall, I thought it was a very good read, and I thank NetGalley for allowing me to review it.

I thought that this book would be really interesting from the description that was posted on NetGalley, however, I had a very hard time getting through the book. I couldn't get attached or emotionally involved with any of the characters - the beginning was just a bit too cryptic for me switching from Alexandra's childhood and her lost brother to the man in the urn.

It wasn't an enjoyable read for me.

When Alexandra accidentally keeps a bag that doesn't belong to her, she embarks on a cross country trek through Bulgaria to return the valuable contents. The story alternates from Alexandra's story in present day and Stoyan Lazarov's story in the 1950's, I was fully invested in both and how they were woven together. I truly enjoyed this novel and the characters that Elizabeth Kostova created. It opened up history that I had no idea about.

I always love Elizabeth Kostova's writing-it's beautiful and her imagery is outstanding. I felt like I could really see the different areas in Bulgaria that she was describing. I liked the main characters and the story was compelling. I really didn't know anything about Bulgaria's past and some of it was definitely frightening. The story jumps back and forth between two POVs-Alexandra -a present day American writer/teacher and Stoyan -the man who's ashes Alexandra gets stuck with by accident and is trying to return. I found some of the POV changes a little awkward but both the past and present stories were interesting. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC in return for my unbiased review.