Hey readers! This week we’re returning to the story of Dracula’s mysterious burial and the book that continues to haunt historians centuries later.

As the narrator and her father explore the countryside of the vast Eurasian continent, we slowly unfold the story of who Rossi was and how entrenched Paul became in his disappearance. We meet Helen - a breath of fresh air in the stuffy pages of the archive - and learn that she’s dead set on finding Rossi as well, for reasons of her own.

Who is Helen to the narrator and her father, and why does she know so much about Rossi? Just as the story has sunk its teeth into the minds of Professor Rossi and his advisee, so has Helen sunken her teeth into a grand revenge plot of the ages.

Helen has involved herself quickly in the story of Vlad III, and Paul is head over heels, just like us. We love her and can’t wait to read more.

Join us this week for another look at Rossi’s mysterious research project and the long history of his disappearance. Let us know your feelings too in the comments! Join the discussion and let us know what you think. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and Youtube @themidnightreaderspodcast.

Interested in more from us? You can also read our stream-of-consciousness reactions to the reading and show notes and see what didn't make it to the show on our Patreon now. And consider joining our growing community there for other bonus content and more.

Hellloooo listeners~ Welcome to the world of dusty tomes and secret histories!

To round out our dark academia picks we’re picking up the story of the late medieval Vlad Țepeș, AKA Vlad the Impaler! Or at least, our historians do.

This week we begin the story with an unnamed narrator who unveils the story of her father and his mysterious experiences in graduate school. A student of history, Paul is thrust into the world of 15th century Romania when he finds a mysterious book and subsequently, his advisor goes missing.

This book weaves the true events of Vlad the Impaler with the (supposedly!) fictional narrative of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Join us this week as we sink our teeth into this deliciously descriptive epistolary novel, with lots of laughs and questions in between.

Let us know your feelings too in the comments! Join the discussion and let us know what you think. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and Youtube @themidnightreaderspodcast.

Interested in more from us? You can also read our stream-of-consciousness reactions to the reading and show notes and see what didn't make it to the show on our Patreon now. And consider joining our growing community there for other bonus content and more.

🎉100 episodes. One hundred. Triple digits. Somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary, we've been allowed to keep microphones for this long.

To celebrate, we're doing what every bookish person secretly loves to do: judging things. Giving our opinions. Making it known. And fighting over it. Specifically, we're ranking some of the most popular book tropes from S-Tier masterpieces to F-Tier "Fuck you. I hope I never see you again."

Enemies to lovers? One bed? Secret royalty? One horse? Miscommunication? We have opinions. Loud ones. But the real question is: how about you?

Will your favorite trope end up in S-Tier? Maybe. But also will one of us commit an act of literary violence against a trope you adore? Also maybe.

Tune in, and tell us which ranking made you cheer, which made you rage, and which ones have you drafting a strongly worded essay at 2 a.m. We want to hear you hottest tope takes.

Come celebrate 100 episode with us, and possibly start a completely unnecessary bookish civil war. Also if you really like this episode, let us know what you want us to rank next. More tropes? Did we miss any you really want to do? Book boyfriends? Female Main Characters?

We want to hear from you. The comments section is open. Choose chaos. Join the discussion and let us know what you think. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and Youtube @themidnightreaderspodcast.

Interested in more from us? You can also read our stream-of-consciousness reactions to the reading and show notes and see what didn't make it to the show on our Patreon now. And consider joining our growing community there for other bonus content and more.