www.ludmilafilipova.com

Dear Ms. Filipova,

Thank you very much for allowing me to read the English translation (PDF format) of your excellent novel, The Parchment Maze ( Bulgaria , 2009). 

I hope that your successful novel soon finds a publisher for its English version, for your carefully crafted work would be both entertaining and illuminating for English-speaking readers throughout the world, especially in the United States . 

The contribution of The Parchment Maze to the literature of the occult is quite significant.  In my professional opinion, your novel surpasses those of both Dan Brown and Elizabeth Kostova in terms of complexity and theme.

Three specific features of the novel that are noteworthy are as follows:  (1) the labyrinthine structure of the story; (2) the well-drawn relationships of Vera-Ariman, Vera-Futch, and Vera-her father; and (3) the sustained journey motif that stresses the quest for illumination/faith/paradise.

Finally, the mysterious ending of the novel leaves the reader hoping for more.  Perhaps Vera is not dead.  A sequel is certainly possible. 

I have not yet been to your country, but someday in the future I plan to—and perhaps I may be able to visit with you in person.

Sincerely,

Prof. in literature, Joseph F. Ceccio, Ph.D.
The University of Akron, OH  44325-1906