... ingenious in its sinister simplicity ... a superb literary suspense novel that calls to mind an earlier such debut, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History ... Like Tartt, Prins understands the fascination of the arcane. He coaxes us readers deep into weeds of Tessa’s research, rendering technical details about things like 'limping iambic' poetic meter, not only graspable, but engrossing. The other signature aspect of academic life—particularly in graduate school (Prins attended the Iowa Writers’ Workshop)—that he nails is its monomaniacal lack of moderation ... Prins’s evocative writing style makes The Latinist more than just a diverting contrivance ... The startling and grotesque metamorphosis that ends The Latinist might have earned the approval of Ovid himself. Like the classics that inspire it, The Latinist is an inventive wedding of the elegant and the barbaric.
When it comes to Tessa’s actual research, Prins digs in, delving into what can be abstruse and picky stuff, reliant on meter and structure ... It’s meaty material, but the author’s lively prose manages not only to clarify but also to convey its import to Tessa. It helps that, throughout, Prins uses humor, often at Tessa’s expense, to leaven the academic gravitas ... These intellectual pursuits play out against a vivid contemporary struggle between strong and distinctive personalities ... The inevitable crisis, when it comes, is worthy of its heroine, even if Prins has to push credibility to match Ovid. That leaves the final pages feeling a tad rushed, especially after the loving, painful detail ... In its symmetry, if not its poetry, the conclusion satisfies, however, marking this academic mystery as a contemporary classic.
... sparky but flawed ...Prins' erudition is on full display here ... he has crafted a clever faceoff between Tessa and Chris. But then he stretches further the chase into a finale that, unfortunately, falls flat. Inexplicably, the ending collapses into contempt for the characters ... Perhaps Prins' intention is to capture the murky area of consent and choice, but it comes off as farcical.
... the most fascinating feature of The Latinist: the author’s creative construction of classical scholarship. Although most of Prins’ academic references are fictional, they are inserted into the real academic discourse about the Roman world ... Even more fascinating is that Prins invents his own supposedly 2nd-century poetry in not only English translation, but also in the 'original' Latin ... Prins’ literalizing of what Tessa finds in her research (here and elsewhere) is clever and thought-provoking, although not fully convincing. The greatest weakness in the book is the inconsistent portrayals of the main characters. Tessa and Chris are given backstories designed to help readers understand them and sympathize with some of their behavior. Still, their motivations often remain unclear. Tessa is an especially confusing mix of extreme timidity and extreme aggression ... Prins’ novel is cleverly structured ... Prins’ analysis of the toxic relationship between advisor and student is nuanced and thoughtful. These links between the two main plotlines also unite what could easily seem like conflicting genres. Most of the time, The Latinist succeeds as both literary fiction and thriller; it is every bit as suspenseful as it is intellectually intriguing ... Disappointingly, the last few pages veer sharply away from that subtle brilliance. These scenes are boldly dramatic but unbelievable and simplistic, leaving readers unsatisfied.
... [a] laudable debut ... Prins’s riveting tale of love, power, and possession matches deep characterization with an intriguing plot involving ancient texts, necropolises, and archaeological sites. Fans of academic thrillers will dig this.
... [a] deftly plotted debut. There’s intrigue and deception enough for a spy novel ... Events come to a satisfying climax at an Oxford conference at which Chris and Tessa deliver dueling papers, but then the author tacks on a bizarre, gothic denouement that nothing in the development of his two main characters has prepared for. The novel’s subdued but pronounced feminist undertones suddenly morph into distasteful and implausible revenge porn that leaves a nasty aftertaste as the plot is hastily wrapped up. Ninety percent of a smart, twisty thriller, but the finale just doesn’t work.
