Showing posts with label sergey dyachenko. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sergey dyachenko. Show all posts

Monday, February 3, 2020

Review: Daughter from the Dark by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko

Daughter from the Dark
Daughter from the Dark by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko

Publication Date: 2020
Hardcover.  pages

About Daughter from the Dark:

"Late one night, fate brings together DJ Aspirin and ten-year-old Alyona. After he tries to save her from imminent danger, she ends up at his apartment. But in the morning sinister doubts set in. Who is Alyona? A young con artist? A plant for a nefarious blackmailer? Or perhaps a long-lost daughter Aspirin never knew existed? Whoever this mysterious girl is, she now refuses to leave. 

A game of cat-and-mouse has begun. 

Claiming that she is a musical prodigy, Alyona insists she must play a complicated violin piece to find her brother. Confused and wary, Aspirin knows one thing: he wants her out of his apartment and his life. Yet every attempt to get rid of her is thwarted by an unusual protector: her plush teddy bear that may just transform into a fearsome monster. 

Alyona tells Aspirin that if he would just allow her do her work, she’ll leave him—and this world. He can then return to the shallow life he led before her. But as outside forces begin to coalesce, threatening to finally separate them, Aspirin makes a startling discovery about himself and this ethereal, eerie child."

Daughter from the Dark was an exceptionally odd book and I really am not sure how I feel about it. When I say this is an odd book, I'm not exaggerating--there's weird characters, an uncertain plot, and a variety of other elements that make this book a tough one to decode. This is the second book I've read by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, the first being Vita Nostra, a book that I completely fell in love with. Daughter from the Dark didn't quite live up to Vita Nostra, but I'm not sure if anything could.

The book starts with our protagonist, radio DJ Aspirin, who saves a little girl, Alyona (who carries a teddy bear) from the less-than-welcoming nighttime streets and from there things get progressively weirder. Aspirin is not exactly a warm and welcoming person, so he wants to find Alyona's parents and vacate his apartment so he can go back to his normal life. Unfortunately, Alyona is a bit stubborn and doesn't seem to have any plans to leave, especially when she begins to claim that Aspirin is her father, which of course only makes Aspirin angrier.

Alyona is trying to find her brother, which she embarks with the help of her violin and the aforementioned teddy bear, which trust me when I say this is a teddy bear that you probably don't want to meet for any reason other than a brief hello. Alyona is extremely stubborn and the type of person who decides on a goal and then refuses to budge from it for almost any reason. Her interactions with Aspirin are interesting to say the least, and range from hostile to completely amusing.

Aspirin, much like Alyona, is also pretty stubborn and doesn't particularly like when things throw themselves abruptly into his life (which I can understand and seems mostly reasonable). He's a bit selfish on the whole and can be a bit rude, but he's not really a bad person and is really just doing his best to make it through each day. I found him to be an intriguing character and I liked watching his relationship ad interactions with Alyona develop as the story progressed.

The pacing of Daughter from the Dark is definitely on the slower side and there aren't really a lot of major high-intensity moments that take over, save for maybe a small handful. However, there's something about the writing style and the curious uncertainty that inhabits this plot that made it really easy for me to keep reading . There were times when I asked myself if I really wanted to finish this book, but I can't say I ever actually seriously considered DNF-ing it because, frankly, I was just too intrigued to know what would end happening in the end. Marina and Sergey Dyachenko have a huge skill in knowing how to write weird stories with weird characters in a way that makes them utterly captivating and nearly impossible to stop reading.

Initially, I debated between giving this book three and four stars, but it's one of those where the more I think about it, the more and more I like it and am intrigued by it, so it's four stars from me! I fully intend to check out the few other novels from the Dyachenkos that have been translated soon, and I'm also going to keep my fingers crossed that one day the sequel to Vita Nostra will also be translated. If you like things a bit weird, a bit on the slower and calmer side, and that will keep you wondering, then I encourage you to pick up this book (or Vita Nostra!) and give it a shot. Plus, that cover alone is stunning!

*I received a copy of Daughter from the Dark courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*



Monday, March 4, 2019

Review: Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko

Vita Nostra
Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko, trans. Julia Hersey
Harper Voyager, 2018
Hardcover. 416 pages.

About Vita Nostra:

"Our life is brief . . .

Sasha Samokhina has been accepted to the Institute of Special Technologies. 

Or, more precisely, she’s been chosen. 

Situated in a tiny village, she finds the students are bizarre, and the curriculum even more so. The books are impossible to read, the lessons obscure to the point of maddening, and the work refuses memorization. Using terror and coercion to keep the students in line, the school does not punish them for their transgressions and failures; instead, it is their families that pay a terrible price. Yet despite her fear, Sasha undergoes changes that defy the dictates of matter and time; experiences which are nothing she has ever dreamed of . . . and suddenly all she could ever want. 

A complex blend of adventure, magic, science, and philosophy that probes the mysteries of existence, filtered through a distinct Russian sensibility, this astonishing work of speculative fiction—brilliantly translated by Julia Meitov Hersey—is reminiscent of modern classics such as Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, Max Barry’s Lexicon, and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale, but will transport them to a place far beyond those fantastical worlds."

Vita Nostra is an unassumingly ambitious novel with unpredictable developments that makes for a truly engrossing read. In all honestly, this review is probably going to be on the shorter side because I'm not entirely sure how to talk about it or explain it without going too deeply into the plot, something that I wanted to avoid as much as possible so as not to give away too much. This is absolutely a book that I think is best enjoyed when read without knowing more than the basics of the plot. 

This was a novel that genuinely felt unlike anything I've read in the past. There are some familiar core trope elements, such as a boarding school setting, but the story itself is so unconventional that it feels entirely its own. There are instructors that give the students a lot of work, there are some minor rivalries within the school, but it's the method of teaching and the way the students handle this 'education' that is what sets it apart and makes it such a compelling story.

I really liked how much we were able to get into the head of Sasha, the protagonist and the only POV that the story follows. Sasha undergoes so much internal stress, both emotionally-induced and school-induced, which is displayed in such a personal and open manner that I was able to have an extremely close connection to her character and understand her struggles and decisions. It was a compelling experience to follow along as she slowly learned more and more about what was happening while also navigating her attempts to maintain her familial and personal relationships. There are a few other characters that play prominent roles in the book that I also found myself extremely invested in and I'm impressed how well that authors created so many interesting characters. 

Another strong point of Vita Nostra was that the pacing was very steady throughout, and it was only in the latter middle half of the book that it seemed slightly slower than the rest of the book. However, this slower pacing almost acts as a plot/story enhancement in how it matches the mood of Sasha's current situation and the tone of the book perfectly. 


Vita Nostra is the sort of book that doesn't give the reader an overtly obvious plot destination to start with, which ended up being a major part of its charm for me. The reader is left just as unsure and in the dark as Sasha and the other students that end up at the Institute of Special Technologies. The authors crafted this setup masterfully and somehow managed to create a story that pulled me in almost immediately and left me glued to each and every page. There is a constant sense of foreboding, a mixture of hopelessness and desperate curiosity; this book feels like a masterpiece. It's an incredible addictive atmosphere that made me unable to stop thinking about this book and constantly want to learn more about everything that was going on.

 Overall, I can't help but give Vita Nostra five stars. I considered 4.75, but this book really went above and beyond for me and I feel it deserves that full five. 


Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Vita Nostra by Sergey & Marina Dyachenko & Bedfellow by Jeremy C. Shipp


Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:
Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko
 Publication Date: November 13th, 2018
Harper Voyager
416 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 


Vita NostraFrom Goodreads: 

"
The definitive English language translation of the internationally bestselling Ukrainian novel—a brilliant dark fantasy with "the potential to be a modern classic" (Lev Grossman), combining psychological suspense, enchantment, and terror that makes us consider human existence in a fresh and provocative way. 

Our life is brief . . . 

While vacationing at the beach with her mother, Sasha Samokhina meets the mysterious Farit Kozhennikov under the most peculiar circumstances. The teenage girl is powerless to refuse when this strange and unusual man with an air of the sinister directs her to perform a task with potentially scandalous consequences. He rewards her effort with a strange golden coin. 

As the days progress, Sasha carries out other acts for which she receives more coins from Kozhennikov. As summer ends, her domineering mentor directs her to move to a remote village and use her gold to enter the Institute of Special Technologies. Though she does not want to go to this unknown town or school, she also feels it’s the only place she should be. Against her mother’s wishes, Sasha leaves behind all that is familiar and begins her education. 

As she quickly discovers, the institute’s "special technologies" are unlike anything she has ever encountered. The books are impossible to read, the lessons obscure to the point of maddening, and the work refuses memorization. Using terror and coercion to keep the students in line, the school does not punish them for their transgressions and failures; instead, their families pay a terrible price. Yet despite her fear, Sasha undergoes changes that defy the dictates of matter and time; experiences which are nothing she has ever dreamed of . . . and suddenly all she could ever want. 

A complex blend of adventure, magic, science, and philosophy that probes the mysteries of existence, filtered through a distinct Russian sensibility, this astonishing work of speculative fiction—brilliantly translated by Julia Meitov Hersey—is reminiscent of modern classics such as Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, Max Barry’s Lexicon, and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale, but will transport them to a place far beyond those fantastical worlds."
This book has one of the longest descriptions I've seen in a while (I don't tend to like knowing too much before going into a book), but this sounds fascinating. It comes out next week, so there's not too long wait, but this is one that I forgot was on my list of upcoming releases. I enjoy reading translated works as well, so this one should be great.

             and...


Bedfellow by Jeremy C. Shipp
 Publication Date: November 13th, 2018
Tor.com 
224 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 


BedfellowFrom Goodreads: 

"
It broke into their home and set up residence in their minds. 

When the . . . thing first insinuated itself into the Lund family household, they were bemused. Vaguely human-shaped, its constantly-changing cravings seemed disturbing, at first, but time and pressure have a way of normalizing the extreme. Wasn't it always part of their lives? 

As the family make more and greater sacrifices in service to the beast, the thrall that binds them begins to break down. Choices must be made. Prices must be paid. And the Lunds must pit their wits against a creature determined to never let them go. It's psychological warfare. Sanity is optional."


Well this sounds delightfully creepy. Books that choose to mess with psychological topics are some of my favorite and I think this sounds perfect.

What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?