City after city has fallen to the advancing French, and now it seems that only a miracle will keep them from Moscow itself. In desperation, Aleksei and his comrades enlist the help of the Oprichniki—a group of twelve mercenaries from the furthest reaches of Christian Europe—who claim that they can turn the tide of the war. It seems an idle boast, but the Russians soon discover that the Oprichniki are indeed quite capable of fulfilling their promise.
Unnerved by the fact that so few can accomplish so much, Aleksei remembers those childhood stories of the voordalak. And as he comes to understand the true, horrific nature of these twelve strangers, he realizes that they’ve unleashed a nightmare in their midst…
The first few pages were slow. "What have I gotten myself into?" I thought, "and where are the vampires?". It seemed as if all this book had to talk about were the tactics of Napoleon's army and the Russians' attempt to counteract them. This on top of the impronouncable Russian names and phrases made the first chapter a bit of a drudge.
Slowly, though, I began to find myself more and more invested in the characters and eager to turn page after page. There was nothing particularly thrilling happening in the life of Ivanovich, and I certainly wasn't growing fonder of trivia about the Patriotic War of 1812, yet I found myself falling for this novel, hook, line, and sinker. It was in fact the very lack of the extraordinary and supernatural, the tangible reality of the soldiers and their icy Eurasian surroundings that made this work so delicious. Every emotion Aleksei felt was complex, dual-sided, and completely relatable. His circumstances are foreign to everything most readers have known, but his feelings and the workings of his mind are as familiar as Coca-cola or Santa Claus. He carves out a little niche in your heart and settles there, relating his tale of camaraderie and betrayal in a hauntingly weathered voice.
And yes, there are vampires: vampires of the vilest, most basic sort. But they're presence is subtle and their abilities understated. To the soldiers, they are presented as elite, hired assassins sent to aid in the obliteration of the French. They do their job and do it well, but their brutal measures and aloof manner lead Ivanovich to be suspicious. After becoming an unfortunate witness to an act of crude vampirism, he is convinced of the true nature of these "super soldiers" and makes it his mission, beyond national loyalties, to destroy them.
Overall, the beauty of this darkly spun tale is something worth indulging in, though it begins to drag as the close draws near. Scenes of dismemberment and careless sadism are frequent, however, so readers with a weak countenance ought to be cautious and prepared to skip whole pages at times, as I often had to, (snapping bones and half-attached appendages aren't my cup of tea, thank you very much.) But the equally frequent scenes of love and tenderness make up for gory bits in between.
An added bonus to this work of historical fiction is that it is semi-educational. A heavily researched and subsequently detailed account of Napoleon's onslaught in the early 19th century, Kent has turned me into a somewhat learned individual on a period of history of which I previously knew nothing. So props for that!
I do not think this is a book that everyone will enjoy. If you staunchly dislike any story containing elements of dark fantasy or are looking for something humorous, then this book is not for you. If, however, you are like me and enjoy a dose of grisly horror every now and then, I highly recommend this book. 8/10
1 comment:
Loving your blog girlie! Im in need of film inspiration - ill be putting this on my christmas list!
Lucie x
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