 |
| cover art from 'A Thousand Pieces of You' by Claudia Gray |
(p.s. this is going to be a loooong post, so don't say that I didn't warn you)
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'Dariya and I used to play French Revolution when we were little. We'd take turns being Marie Antoinette. Our Grandmamma caught us once and had us whipped for revolutionary sentiments. We were six years old at the time and had no idea even what revolutionary sentiments were.'
10. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
Setting: Russia, 1888
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
on Goodreads
The Gathering Storm series follows Katerina, a member of the Russian aristocracy with a dark secret: she can raise the dead. The story mostly shows Katerina attempting to juggle her life as a Dutchess, including attending dances and her classes at the Smolny institute, alongside her trying to discover why the dead are rising, and pushing away the advances of Prince Danilo of Montenegro. This was an entertaining read (and definitely the first Russian book I've read with zombies and vampires in it) but I found that it went a bit too over the top towards the end.
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'Krasivaya. It means beautiful, but with strength.'
9. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Setting: Lithuania, 1941
Genre: Historical Fiction
on Goodreads | full review here!
Between Shades of Gray is an historical fiction novel focusing on Stalin's labour camps. The main character, Lina, and her family are taken from their home in Lithuania and sent across the USSR, eventually ending up at a labour camp in Siberia. I found this book to be interesting in an historical sense, however, I don't think it was quite immersive enough. With such a sad, interesting premise, and such heartbreaking events happening throughout, I feel as though this book would have benefited from allowing the reader to have more of a connection with the main character. Despite this, I would recommend it, as it gives an insight into the suffering of the people of the Baltic states during Stalin's Soviet Union, something which I knew little about before reading this book.
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'"Every form of art is another way of seeing the world. Another perspective, another window. And science - that's the most spectacular window of all. You can see the entire universe from there. So it's like we gave each other the whole world, tied up in ribbon."
"You want me to learn the entire universe?" His grin is natural, somewhat abashed; we are no longer guard and grand duchess, just a guy and a girl, standing very close. "For you I will."'
Setting: Lithuania, 1941
Genre: Historical Fiction
on Goodreads | full review here!
Between Shades of Gray is an historical fiction novel focusing on Stalin's labour camps. The main character, Lina, and her family are taken from their home in Lithuania and sent across the USSR, eventually ending up at a labour camp in Siberia. I found this book to be interesting in an historical sense, however, I don't think it was quite immersive enough. With such a sad, interesting premise, and such heartbreaking events happening throughout, I feel as though this book would have benefited from allowing the reader to have more of a connection with the main character. Despite this, I would recommend it, as it gives an insight into the suffering of the people of the Baltic states during Stalin's Soviet Union, something which I knew little about before reading this book.
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'"Every form of art is another way of seeing the world. Another perspective, another window. And science - that's the most spectacular window of all. You can see the entire universe from there. So it's like we gave each other the whole world, tied up in ribbon."
"You want me to learn the entire universe?" His grin is natural, somewhat abashed; we are no longer guard and grand duchess, just a guy and a girl, standing very close. "For you I will."'
8. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
Setting: California, present day/Tsarist Russia
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
on Goodreads
The Firebird trilogy is primarily set in modern day California, however, the plot leads the main character Marguerite to an alternate Russia in which the Tsars still reign. A Thousand Pieces of You, the first book of the trilogy, tells the story of Marguerite's quest to follow family friend Paul Markov through dimensions with her parents dimension-jumping invention, the Firebird. I have to say, the Russian dimension is definitely my favourite (and this may or may not have anything to do with Lieutenant Markov...)
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'The Crown's Game is an old one, older than the tsardom itself. It began long ago, in the age of Rurik, Prince of Novgorod, when Russia was still a cluster of tribes, wild and lawless and young. As the country matured over the centuries, so, too, did the game. But always, always it retained its untamed fierceness. For the winner of the game, there would be unimaginable power. For the defeated, desolate oblivion. The Crown's Game was not one to lose.'
Setting: California, present day/Tsarist Russia
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
on Goodreads
The Firebird trilogy is primarily set in modern day California, however, the plot leads the main character Marguerite to an alternate Russia in which the Tsars still reign. A Thousand Pieces of You, the first book of the trilogy, tells the story of Marguerite's quest to follow family friend Paul Markov through dimensions with her parents dimension-jumping invention, the Firebird. I have to say, the Russian dimension is definitely my favourite (and this may or may not have anything to do with Lieutenant Markov...)
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'The Crown's Game is an old one, older than the tsardom itself. It began long ago, in the age of Rurik, Prince of Novgorod, when Russia was still a cluster of tribes, wild and lawless and young. As the country matured over the centuries, so, too, did the game. But always, always it retained its untamed fierceness. For the winner of the game, there would be unimaginable power. For the defeated, desolate oblivion. The Crown's Game was not one to lose.'
7. The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
Setting: Russia, 1825
Genre: Alternate Historical Fiction
on Goodreads | full review here!
Vika and Nikolai are both enchanters - born with magic that they can manipulate. Vika can control the elements, and Nikolai has power over mechanical objects. When the Tsar begins the Crowns Game, a challenge between the enchanters of Russia with the winner becoming the Imperial Enchanter, Vika and Nikolai are forced into a fight to the death. This truly was a magical book, set in a Russian period which I didn't know much about before. There is a love triangle in this book, but it's actually not a bad one! I'd recommend if you're looking for a Russian based book that's more centred around magic than history!
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'There was no mistaking a Russian winter. It was a unique thing, a creature born and bred for Russian soil, one that sometimes brutalised the natives but often served as our secret weapon. Napoleon's army was defeated not only by the Russian people, but by Russia herself.'
Setting: Russia, 1825
Genre: Alternate Historical Fiction
on Goodreads | full review here!
Vika and Nikolai are both enchanters - born with magic that they can manipulate. Vika can control the elements, and Nikolai has power over mechanical objects. When the Tsar begins the Crowns Game, a challenge between the enchanters of Russia with the winner becoming the Imperial Enchanter, Vika and Nikolai are forced into a fight to the death. This truly was a magical book, set in a Russian period which I didn't know much about before. There is a love triangle in this book, but it's actually not a bad one! I'd recommend if you're looking for a Russian based book that's more centred around magic than history!
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'There was no mistaking a Russian winter. It was a unique thing, a creature born and bred for Russian soil, one that sometimes brutalised the natives but often served as our secret weapon. Napoleon's army was defeated not only by the Russian people, but by Russia herself.'
6. Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick
Setting: Russia, 1917
Genre: Alternate Historical Fiction
on Goodreads | full review here!
Natalya and Tsarevich Alexei Romanov are in love, and everything is perfect. What could happen to ruin Natalya's plan of marrying Alexei, and him becoming the most perfect Tsar that Russia has ever seen?
The communist revolution, is what.
When the Winter Palace is sieged and Alexei and his family are taken hostage, Natalya must try to gain access to the palace to rescue the constellation egg - a fabergé egg created for the Romanov's by Rasputin, which will ensure their family keeps the Russian throne. When she discovers that the egg is missing, Natalya must team up with Leo, a communist who has taken her and her friend Emilia hostage, to find the egg.
Tsarina isn't completely historically accurate - for example, it merges the revolutions of Feburary 1917 and October 1917 into one event, and Alexei Romanov never had a long-standing romance with Natalya (considering he died when he was 13, this is understandable) - however, the author changing these for plot points completely made sense, and she did state her changes in the afterword. I did find this to be a really enjoyable book; it merged the magic of everyday Russia with the mysticism of their folklore, all set during the revolution. I enjoyed watching Natalya grow, and seeing her relationship with Leo develop as she grew to trust him.
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'"Fine," he said with a weary shrug. "Make me your villain."'
Setting: Russia, 1917
Genre: Alternate Historical Fiction
on Goodreads | full review here!
Natalya and Tsarevich Alexei Romanov are in love, and everything is perfect. What could happen to ruin Natalya's plan of marrying Alexei, and him becoming the most perfect Tsar that Russia has ever seen?
The communist revolution, is what.
When the Winter Palace is sieged and Alexei and his family are taken hostage, Natalya must try to gain access to the palace to rescue the constellation egg - a fabergé egg created for the Romanov's by Rasputin, which will ensure their family keeps the Russian throne. When she discovers that the egg is missing, Natalya must team up with Leo, a communist who has taken her and her friend Emilia hostage, to find the egg.
Tsarina isn't completely historically accurate - for example, it merges the revolutions of Feburary 1917 and October 1917 into one event, and Alexei Romanov never had a long-standing romance with Natalya (considering he died when he was 13, this is understandable) - however, the author changing these for plot points completely made sense, and she did state her changes in the afterword. I did find this to be a really enjoyable book; it merged the magic of everyday Russia with the mysticism of their folklore, all set during the revolution. I enjoyed watching Natalya grow, and seeing her relationship with Leo develop as she grew to trust him.
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'"Fine," he said with a weary shrug. "Make me your villain."'
5. The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
Setting: Ravka (Russian-inspired world)
Genre: Fantasy
on Goodreads
Who doesn't love Leigh Bardugo? She's got to be one of my favourite authors at the moment. For those who haven't read The Grisha Trilogy, it's the story of Alina and her journey to discovering her hidden Grisha powers. It's set in a Russian inspired land called Ravka, and is stuffed full of beautiful anti-heroes (well, one in particular), wars, and some general Russian-inspired things. I have a lot of issues with this trilogy (mainly that I didn't like the ending or the way Alina is forced to hide her strength and put herself down to be with Mal), however, I think this trilogy is one that really kicked off the popularity of Russian-inspired fantasy, so it's most definitely worth mentioning on this list.
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'Then the eyes of the little doll began to shine like two candles. It ate a little of the bread and drank a little of the soup and said: "Don't be afraid, Wassilissa the Beautiful. Be comforted. Say thy prayers, and go to sleep. The morning is wiser than the evening."'
- from Wassilissa the Beautiful
Setting: Ravka (Russian-inspired world)
Genre: Fantasy
on Goodreads
Who doesn't love Leigh Bardugo? She's got to be one of my favourite authors at the moment. For those who haven't read The Grisha Trilogy, it's the story of Alina and her journey to discovering her hidden Grisha powers. It's set in a Russian inspired land called Ravka, and is stuffed full of beautiful anti-heroes (well, one in particular), wars, and some general Russian-inspired things. I have a lot of issues with this trilogy (mainly that I didn't like the ending or the way Alina is forced to hide her strength and put herself down to be with Mal), however, I think this trilogy is one that really kicked off the popularity of Russian-inspired fantasy, so it's most definitely worth mentioning on this list.
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'Then the eyes of the little doll began to shine like two candles. It ate a little of the bread and drank a little of the soup and said: "Don't be afraid, Wassilissa the Beautiful. Be comforted. Say thy prayers, and go to sleep. The morning is wiser than the evening."'
- from Wassilissa the Beautiful
4. Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter
Setting: Brooklyn, present day
Genre: Fantasy/Folklore Retelling
on Goodreads | full review here!
Vassa in the Night is a loose retelling of the Russian folklore tale, Vasillisa the Beautiful. Vassa lives in a Brooklyn where the days last mere hours, the nights go on for days and the local convenience store beheads shoplifters. When her stepsister forces her to venture out to buy lightbulbs during one of the long nights, there's only one store she can go to - BY's, owned by Babs Yagg, who is likely to behead you for stealing (whether you actually did it or not). Vassa is forced to make a deal with Babs - three nights working at BY's with no mistakes, and she can go home. Should she fail, her heads will join the others outside. Vassa has a secret though - a tiny wooden doll named Erg, gifted to her by her mother before she died, who can help her pass Babs's trials. This book is really whimsical, strange, and frankly, just so reminiscent of so many aspects of Russian folklore. If you're planning on reading it, I would recommend reading the original tale first - it'll help the novel make a lot more sense, trust me!
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'Then Morozko, leaping from tree to tree, came upon her. "Are you warm, dear?" He asked. "Welcome, my dear Morozko. Yes, I am quite warm," she said, even though she was cold to the bone. At first, Morozko had wanted to freeze the life out of her with his icy grip. But he admired the young girl's stoicism and showed mercy. He gave her a warm fur coat and downy quilts before he left.'
- from the tale of Morozko
Setting: Brooklyn, present day
Genre: Fantasy/Folklore Retelling
on Goodreads | full review here!
Vassa in the Night is a loose retelling of the Russian folklore tale, Vasillisa the Beautiful. Vassa lives in a Brooklyn where the days last mere hours, the nights go on for days and the local convenience store beheads shoplifters. When her stepsister forces her to venture out to buy lightbulbs during one of the long nights, there's only one store she can go to - BY's, owned by Babs Yagg, who is likely to behead you for stealing (whether you actually did it or not). Vassa is forced to make a deal with Babs - three nights working at BY's with no mistakes, and she can go home. Should she fail, her heads will join the others outside. Vassa has a secret though - a tiny wooden doll named Erg, gifted to her by her mother before she died, who can help her pass Babs's trials. This book is really whimsical, strange, and frankly, just so reminiscent of so many aspects of Russian folklore. If you're planning on reading it, I would recommend reading the original tale first - it'll help the novel make a lot more sense, trust me!
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'Then Morozko, leaping from tree to tree, came upon her. "Are you warm, dear?" He asked. "Welcome, my dear Morozko. Yes, I am quite warm," she said, even though she was cold to the bone. At first, Morozko had wanted to freeze the life out of her with his icy grip. But he admired the young girl's stoicism and showed mercy. He gave her a warm fur coat and downy quilts before he left.'
- from the tale of Morozko
3. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Setting: 14th Century Russia
Genre: Fantasy/Folklore
on Goodreads
This beautiful book isn't actually out until January 2017 (shoutout to NetGalley for sending us both ARC's!) but it just had to be on this list. To put it simply, it's a fairytale-esque Russian story set in the 14th Century, loosely based on the Russian folklore tale of Morozko - the Frost King. It's wonderfully, whimsically written, with just the right amount of darkness thrown in, and the mixture of fantasy and reality couldn't be more perfect. I would definitely recommend pre-ordering this book or getting it on your wish lists!
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'The bear had already become what it had been waiting to be, and the men who set it on its journey changed too. Lev became Trotsky, Vladimir took the name Lenin, and they stepped into a bright and furious modern world; blood red, and snow white.'
Setting: 14th Century Russia
Genre: Fantasy/Folklore
on Goodreads
This beautiful book isn't actually out until January 2017 (shoutout to NetGalley for sending us both ARC's!) but it just had to be on this list. To put it simply, it's a fairytale-esque Russian story set in the 14th Century, loosely based on the Russian folklore tale of Morozko - the Frost King. It's wonderfully, whimsically written, with just the right amount of darkness thrown in, and the mixture of fantasy and reality couldn't be more perfect. I would definitely recommend pre-ordering this book or getting it on your wish lists!
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'The bear had already become what it had been waiting to be, and the men who set it on its journey changed too. Lev became Trotsky, Vladimir took the name Lenin, and they stepped into a bright and furious modern world; blood red, and snow white.'
2. Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick
Setting: Revolution-era Russia
Genre: Historical Fiction
on Goodreads | full review here!
Blood Red, Snow White is split into three parts: the first part being a fantasy-esque recap of the beginning of the Bolshevik's revolution in February 1917, and the build up to it. The second and third parts move on to tell the story of Arthur Ransome - the second part taking place over one evening with flashbacks to how he ended up in Russia, and the third spanning over most of the rest of his life. Ransome was a journalist who, during WWI, travelled to Russia (partly due to leaving his wife and partly to document the war) and whilst there fell in love with a Russian woman who just happened to be Trotsky's secretary and, some say, became either a Bolshevik sympathiser or a British spy - or perhaps both.
I really enjoyed reading Ransome's story; I literally finished this book in a couple of hours. If you're looking for high fantasy, this book probably won't be what you're after. If you're looking for the history of the Russian revolutions of 1917 from the perspective of a man who was connected to Lenin and Trotsky (with some fictional details added in) then this is definitely the book for you. At the end of the book, there are also lots of historical documents, such as telegrams discussing whether or not Ransome had become a Bolshevik, and therefore a threat to Britain. Overall, this is an absolutely fascinating book that gave me a real insight into Russia during the revolution.
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'I am your loyalty. I am your Kommissar.'
Setting: Revolution-era Russia
Genre: Historical Fiction
on Goodreads | full review here!
Blood Red, Snow White is split into three parts: the first part being a fantasy-esque recap of the beginning of the Bolshevik's revolution in February 1917, and the build up to it. The second and third parts move on to tell the story of Arthur Ransome - the second part taking place over one evening with flashbacks to how he ended up in Russia, and the third spanning over most of the rest of his life. Ransome was a journalist who, during WWI, travelled to Russia (partly due to leaving his wife and partly to document the war) and whilst there fell in love with a Russian woman who just happened to be Trotsky's secretary and, some say, became either a Bolshevik sympathiser or a British spy - or perhaps both.
I really enjoyed reading Ransome's story; I literally finished this book in a couple of hours. If you're looking for high fantasy, this book probably won't be what you're after. If you're looking for the history of the Russian revolutions of 1917 from the perspective of a man who was connected to Lenin and Trotsky (with some fictional details added in) then this is definitely the book for you. At the end of the book, there are also lots of historical documents, such as telegrams discussing whether or not Ransome had become a Bolshevik, and therefore a threat to Britain. Overall, this is an absolutely fascinating book that gave me a real insight into Russia during the revolution.
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'I am your loyalty. I am your Kommissar.'
1. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
Setting: WWII Russia
Genre: Fantasy
on Goodreads
Ah, my holy grail of Russian fiction. If you haven't heard me wax poetic about this book yet, be prepared.
Deathless is a loose retelling of the Russian story of The Death of Koschei the Deathless. It's filled with birds who transform into men, Baba Yaga and her pestle and mortar, beautiful deathless anti-heroes, Stalinist house-elves, the siege of Leningrad, Firebirds, badass women fighting in the war between life and death, sets of three quests, and people who've seen the world naked. It is written like a poem or a fairytale - a poetic fairytale? I don't know. The writing is just plain beautiful. I would highly recommend reading the original tale (which you can do here) if you'd like an insight into what the story is about, or if you just want to be able to make sense of the book - because I'll be honest, there is no straight plot line in this book. However, this is anything but a negative thing. To give you a quick summary, Marya Morevna waits for a husband to come for her after seeing her sisters married off. One day, Koschei the Tsar of Life comes to take her away to his home of Buyan, a disappearing island from Slavic mythology. There, she must complete Baba Yaga's three tasks to become Koschei's Queen. However, Koschei is at war with the Tsar of death - a war which is running parallel to WWII and the seige of Marya's home of Leningrad.
This is the book that got me into this crazy obsession for Russian fiction, and if you're interested in joining me in this madess, I'd highly recommend this book as a starting point.
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What do you think of my choices? Have you got any recommendations for other Russian-based books? Let us know in the comments!
Love,
Genre: Fantasy
on Goodreads
Ah, my holy grail of Russian fiction. If you haven't heard me wax poetic about this book yet, be prepared.
Deathless is a loose retelling of the Russian story of The Death of Koschei the Deathless. It's filled with birds who transform into men, Baba Yaga and her pestle and mortar, beautiful deathless anti-heroes, Stalinist house-elves, the siege of Leningrad, Firebirds, badass women fighting in the war between life and death, sets of three quests, and people who've seen the world naked. It is written like a poem or a fairytale - a poetic fairytale? I don't know. The writing is just plain beautiful. I would highly recommend reading the original tale (which you can do here) if you'd like an insight into what the story is about, or if you just want to be able to make sense of the book - because I'll be honest, there is no straight plot line in this book. However, this is anything but a negative thing. To give you a quick summary, Marya Morevna waits for a husband to come for her after seeing her sisters married off. One day, Koschei the Tsar of Life comes to take her away to his home of Buyan, a disappearing island from Slavic mythology. There, she must complete Baba Yaga's three tasks to become Koschei's Queen. However, Koschei is at war with the Tsar of death - a war which is running parallel to WWII and the seige of Marya's home of Leningrad.
This is the book that got me into this crazy obsession for Russian fiction, and if you're interested in joining me in this madess, I'd highly recommend this book as a starting point.
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What do you think of my choices? Have you got any recommendations for other Russian-based books? Let us know in the comments!
Love,
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