There's nothing quite like a Russian story on a cold day.
It begins with an introduction to the "palace" life and some new characters. War is on the horizon and the scale of this story seems bigger. The clear picture of the settings, tone, and characters drew me in faster than the previous book.
It is kinda confusing to keep everyone's many names straight, but it adds to the overall feel.
I liked hearing of Vasya from other people's perspective, sort of like in a movie when they talk of someone and then you get the sweeping panoramic shot of the main character. I'm not sure how much time has gone by, but I'm curious to see how Vasya's changed.
The brief intro of the bandits sounds like an intriguing development and I hope to see some encounters with them.
This seems like a stronger start and I can't wait to see how it continues.
It begins with an introduction to the "palace" life and some new characters. War is on the horizon and the scale of this story seems bigger. The clear picture of the settings, tone, and characters drew me in faster than the previous book.
It is kinda confusing to keep everyone's many names straight, but it adds to the overall feel.
I liked hearing of Vasya from other people's perspective, sort of like in a movie when they talk of someone and then you get the sweeping panoramic shot of the main character. I'm not sure how much time has gone by, but I'm curious to see how Vasya's changed.
The brief intro of the bandits sounds like an intriguing development and I hope to see some encounters with them.
This seems like a stronger start and I can't wait to see how it continues.