Helpful Score: 4
This series was recommended to me by someone who also likes historical novels. This was the first of Furst's books I have read. At the beginning I did not think I was going to like it, but I perservered and ended up loving it. It was well-written and moved along quickly. I did not lose interest, even though this is a "historical period" that I am not particularly interested in. I am about to read a second novel in the series. I would recommend these books to anyone who likes historical novels or the period of the World Wars.
Helpful Score: 2
This was a very hard book to follow. I almost gave up on it but kept thinking it would get better. It did improve around page 200. Not sure I would read another one by this author.
I really enjoy WW II spy history. I have an entire shelf of such. So I also enjoy WW II mysteries. But not this one. Perhaps it is because it is from the Soviet side. With these spies, nothing is as it appears. The characters in this novel, deceive each other, and themselves, and this becomes their way of life. As a result, the book was very depressing.
I found the first part of the book easier to follow. As the book progressed it became harder to do so. Finally, in the end, nothing made any sense. I had a request in for the second in this series, but canceled it.
LATER: I still feel about this book as I state above. However, I came across another in this series and decided to give the author another chance. I just finished #12 and enjoyed it, as it was very different emotionally from #1.
None of the books in this series need to be read in order, except for World At Night (4) and Red Gold (5). In fact, all of the books jump around the timeline of the upcoming war in Europe.
I found the first part of the book easier to follow. As the book progressed it became harder to do so. Finally, in the end, nothing made any sense. I had a request in for the second in this series, but canceled it.
LATER: I still feel about this book as I state above. However, I came across another in this series and decided to give the author another chance. I just finished #12 and enjoyed it, as it was very different emotionally from #1.
None of the books in this series need to be read in order, except for World At Night (4) and Red Gold (5). In fact, all of the books jump around the timeline of the upcoming war in Europe.
Another of Furst's atmospheric novels of Central Europe in the period before and during WWII. The Balkan teenager is recruited into the NKVD and works against the Nazis during the war.
Solviet espionage story.
