All are born weak. Some become strong.A bold beginning to a series that explores gender, empathy, and the frozen north”–Kirkus“A riveting saga”—Midwest Book ReviewHonorable Mention, Epic Fantasy, 2016 Readers’ Favorite AwardsHonorable Mention, Fantasy, 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year AwardsAfter a life of unhappy luxury, Krasnoslava Tsarinovna (Slava to her friends, if she had any) is desperate … luxury, Krasnoslava Tsarinovna (Slava to her friends, if she had any) is desperate to escape her position as the younger sister of the Empress of all of Zem’. When an explorer requests Imperial support for her mission to map the Midnight Land, the territory above the sunline, Slava asks that she be allowed to come along—and to her surprise, her wish is granted.
As she travels North with her new companions, she encounters people from all walks of life, and also discovers that there is more out there than just the world of women. The spirits of the forest, and even the gods themselves, take an interest in her and her magical gifts, which manifest themselves as she journeys.
Hoping to gain answers to her questions about her growing abilities, she goes in search of sorceresses, but instead of magical assistance, she stumbles into a plot, one she may not be able to avert—or want to.
Combining high fantasy with enough snark to power a medium-sized country, The Midnight Land is a satirical, subversive story of female empowerment set in a magical, matriarchal Russian world.
Reading order for the Zemnian Series:
The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story
The Midnight Land I: The Flight
The Midnight Land II: The Gift
The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story
The Breathing Sea I: Burning
The Breathing Sea II: Drowning
The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story
The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge
The Dreaming Land II: The Journey
The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice
more
Majestic World-Building! Highly recommend this first book in the Zemnian series! You are immediately immersed in the unfamiliar and complex world of Zem’, with several layers of social rules and tensions. A young royal lady, Slava, is second in line to her Tsarina half-sister. Slava is aimless, yet filled with disdain for the shady and treacherous ones that insinuate themselves into palace life. A spark is lit within when she seeks to join a caravan that intends to travel beyond the established borders of the Zemnian Empire. When Slava is granted leave to embark, she begins a magical journey that engages her strengths and stretches in unforeseen ways. This girl-woman will engage, perplex, disappoint, and redeem herself as she begins to understand her own heart and destiny. Slava encounters new teachers, allies, foes, and a bit of romance. As a reader, you’ll be thankful that this is a series! Enjoy…but don’t start this book too late at night or you’ll be up until the wee hours before reluctantly setting it aside….
Our author has taken a few courses in Russian and Russian Literature. She tells us that at the end of the story.
Truly, I thought I had picked up Russian fiction and read it all the way through to experience reading Russian writing. For that I guess I should award her a higher score.
The first part of the story is like a diary, in that it explains the day to day routine, likes and dislikes, and general family squabbles. Then as Slava takes the opportunity to leave her palace life mystery begins.
There are references to sexual practices, and some things that I would refer this to more adult readers. If you like Russian literature you will enjoy this. If you want to see what Russain literature is like, please read all the way.
The names of the characters are Russian like and difficult to pronounce, which can slow down the story. The author also spends alot of time inside the main character’s head – which can be interesting, but also convoluted as the character (Slava) tries to navigate her way through the twisted social and psychological pitfalls of her royal status. But the story is compelling, and keeps the reader wondering what might happen next.
It might be a great book. I had trouble getting into it from the very start.
Please don’t judge the book by this review. I didn’t read enough of it to make a n
Informed review.
I really liked the book.
This is an interesting mix of Russian folklore and personal growth. It has kept me reading far into the night. Learning who you are and how to live with those findings can be unpleasant in the best of circumstances, but when outside forces are pushing you toward their goals, it challenges all reality.. The main character is learning to flow between her reality and folklore expectations. Truly fascinating read.