Tagged: russia
Catherine: The Great Journey by Kristiana Gregory
(Cover picture courtesy of Fantastic Fiction.)
4 January 1744, Zerbst
She leaned forward, taking my chin in her hand. “You must tell no one what I’m about to say—not your brother, not even Mademoiselle. Understand?”
I nodded. Was she afraid that if others knew the truth they might convince me to run away, thereby spoiling her scheme?
“If the King approves of you…then you and I shall be driven by sleigh out of Prussia, all the way to St. Petersburg, to meet with Empress Elizabeth….She has selected you, my poor ugly daughter to be Peter’s fiancée. Unless you spoil things, the two of you will marry and one day rule all of Russia.”
I know very little about Russian history, so Catherine: The Great Journey was eye-opening to say the least! Did you know Catherine the Great’s real name was Sophie and that she was named Catherine when she was in Russia because of the bad connotations her name had there? I sure didn’t. That’s why it wasn’t only Catherine’s amazing character in this novel that appealed to me, but it was also the history added in.
So far Catherine is my favourite character in the entire Royal Diaries series. Considering that by now I’ve read over half of the books in the series, that’s saying something. In the young Catherine we see the effects of her abusive mother on her worldview, but also her innate thirst for knowledge that would carry on into her later life. This is one princess who makes a point to learn the language of her country and be a good wife if only because of her ambitions to become czarina. An ambitious princess? Shocking, especially in this series aimed at young girls (8-13). But is it satisfying and does it make sense within the context of the story? Absolutely!
The rich descriptions of Russian life are insightful and interesting without Kristiana Gregory ever having to default to Professor Mode and start lecturing. This is the kind of book you is enjoyable to read as an adult, despite being aimed at a much younger audience. Not only do we get to learn about Catherine’s private struggles, but she is actually concerned and knowledgeable about the world around her, including her future country. Amazing, isn’t it?
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
(Cover picture courtesy of Sarah’s Reviews.)
Artemis is at boarding school in Ireland when he receives an urgent e-mail from Russia. It is a plea from a man who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafiya: his father. As Artemis rushes to his rescue, he is stopped by a familiar nemesis, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. But this time, instead of battling fairies, he is going to have to join forces with them if he wants to save one of the few people in the world he loves.
The Arctic Incident is the second book in Eoin Colfer’s bestselling Artemis Fowl series and it really improves upon the first novel. It picks up with a plea from Artemis’ father, who has been missing for the past two years and because of this, we really see the side of Artemis that is still a twelve-year-old boy. This vulnerable side gives him a lot more depth and makes him much easier to relate to than he is in the first book. Holly Short, who joins him on this quest after he helps the LEP with the goblin rebellion, is also given more depth. Her dislike of Artemis is evident (he did kidnap her after all), but by the end of the novel she has warmed up to him a lot more. The dynamics of their ‘friendship’ are very interesting and Eoin Colfer plays up this “unlikely friends” angle a lot, much to his readers’ delight.
As for the plot, well, what can I say? There’s always a sense of urgency and the point of view switches at all the right places to keep the novel moving along very quickly. Seeing the story from a few different perspectives is really interesting because each one is so unique. when it comes to switching writing styles quickly, Eoin Colfer is king.
The characters and plot are excellent, but what I love most about The Arctic Incident is all of the technology the fairies have developed. In most fantasy, creatures that have magic are far behind in science and technology, but this is definitely not the case. The Neutrino 2000, the Moonbelts and even the suits the LEP use for above-ground missions are truly amazing. Yet it’s magic, not science, that heals Holly when she’s badly hurt in Russia. This combination of science and magic is probably my favourite part ofThe Arctic Incident.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.