During this cold week I’m recommending a novel inspired by Russian history and folklore. “The Bear and the Nightingale” by Katherine Arden has only just been published, so the choice is between hardback and ebook editions. The charming cover of the British hardback looks more tropical than Russian. The American cover features a dramatic snow… Continue reading
This week I’m recommending a novel by Holly Black, a writer who excels at creating tough Urban Fantasy based on Fairy Tale motifs. `White Cat’ came out in 2010 and it’s the first in her `Curse Workers’ series. Although the leading characters are teenagers, the tone and content of `White Cat’ make it too dark… Continue reading
This week I’m recommending Urban Fantasy Russian style. The recent appearance of a fifth volume in Sergei Lukyanenko’s `Night Watch’ series has reminded me of just how fascinating these books are. Volume One was first published in English in 1988 and shouldn’t be confused with Sarah Waters’ more recent historical novel, `The Night Watch’. You… Continue reading
As a child, I loved reading fairy tales. One of my favourites was a Russian story about a golden-haired warrior princess called Mar’ya Morevna, her dashing suitor, Prince Ivan, and her evil enemy, Koshchey the Undying. Years later I was delighted when I discovered a Fantasy series based on these characters by British author Peter… Continue reading