Twelve by Jasper Kent
Mar. 17th, 2010 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Autumn, 1812. Napoleon’s triumphant Grande Armée continues its relentless march into Russia. City after city has fallen and now only a miracle can keep the French from taking Moscow itself.
In a last, desperate act of defiance, a group of Russian officers enlist the help of twelve mercenaries who claim they can turn the tide of the war. It seems an impossible boast but it soon becomes clear that these strangers from the outer reaches of Christian Europe are indeed quite capable of fulfilling their promise ... and more.
But the fact that so few seem able to accomplish so much unsettles one of the Russians, Captain Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov. As winter closes in, he begins to comprehend the true, horrific nature of the twelve and the nightmare he has unwittingly helped to unleash ...
It’s 1812 and Napolean’s invasion of Russia appears unstoppable. Captain Aleksei Danilov is a member of an elite group of Russian officers working behind enemy lines to support the defence of Russia. When it becomes obvious that Aleksi, Maks, Vadim and Dmitry cannot stop the French progress, their leader, Dmitry Fetyukovich, asks for help from a man called Zmyeevich who he first came across in an earlier campaign. Zmyeevich brings twelve men whom he calls Oprichniki, each man named after an apostle. Zmyeevich and Dmitry assure Aleksi and the others that this will be sufficient to slow down the French and the sceptical Russians split up, each taking three Oprichniki with them.
Despite certain idiosyncrasies – the Oprichniki work alone and only attack at night – they wreak havoc on Napolean’s campaign. Yet the longer Aleksi spends with the Oprichniki, the more uneasy he feels. Their arrival has coincided with reports of a strange plague roaming Russia and the behaviour of one of the Oprichniki in particular – Iuda – raises questions in his mind. Aleksi is not alone in his suspicions – the idealistic Maks also has his doubts and soon revelations are flying that will not only split the group of Russian officers, but could also threaten Russia itself.
This dense historical fantasy has been well-researched by Kent, who succeeds in recreating the feel of early 19th century Russia and the conflict with France. The story is slow to unveil, which helps with the sense of period but at times is frustrating to read – particularly as the reader will catch on to the Oprichniki’s secret a lot faster than Alexei (despite the fact that Alexei later remembers his grandmother’s stories, which give him all the clues he needs).
Alexei’s first person narration gives the story immediacy and makes for some exciting action scenes. It also gives depth to Alexei’s rivalry and distrust of the Oprichniki Iuda, who engages in psychological war, focusing on Alexei’s obsession with beautiful prostitute Domnikiia. Unfortunately, Domnikiia’s and Alexei’s relationship is one of the weakest elements of the book, bordering on cliché there is little grounding for the relationship or their fascination with each other. This is a shame because it’s focused on at the expense of the more interesting relationship between Alexei and his fellow officers.
The sequel is out this month and based on this book, it’s one that I’d be interested in checking out.
The Verdict:
Despite the slow pace of the action and the hero’s failure to catch on as quickly as the reader, there’s a lot to admire and enjoy within this book, which blends history and horror to chilling effect.
Autumn, 1812. Napoleon’s triumphant Grande Armée continues its relentless march into Russia. City after city has fallen and now only a miracle can keep the French from taking Moscow itself.
In a last, desperate act of defiance, a group of Russian officers enlist the help of twelve mercenaries who claim they can turn the tide of the war. It seems an impossible boast but it soon becomes clear that these strangers from the outer reaches of Christian Europe are indeed quite capable of fulfilling their promise ... and more.
But the fact that so few seem able to accomplish so much unsettles one of the Russians, Captain Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov. As winter closes in, he begins to comprehend the true, horrific nature of the twelve and the nightmare he has unwittingly helped to unleash ...
It’s 1812 and Napolean’s invasion of Russia appears unstoppable. Captain Aleksei Danilov is a member of an elite group of Russian officers working behind enemy lines to support the defence of Russia. When it becomes obvious that Aleksi, Maks, Vadim and Dmitry cannot stop the French progress, their leader, Dmitry Fetyukovich, asks for help from a man called Zmyeevich who he first came across in an earlier campaign. Zmyeevich brings twelve men whom he calls Oprichniki, each man named after an apostle. Zmyeevich and Dmitry assure Aleksi and the others that this will be sufficient to slow down the French and the sceptical Russians split up, each taking three Oprichniki with them.
Despite certain idiosyncrasies – the Oprichniki work alone and only attack at night – they wreak havoc on Napolean’s campaign. Yet the longer Aleksi spends with the Oprichniki, the more uneasy he feels. Their arrival has coincided with reports of a strange plague roaming Russia and the behaviour of one of the Oprichniki in particular – Iuda – raises questions in his mind. Aleksi is not alone in his suspicions – the idealistic Maks also has his doubts and soon revelations are flying that will not only split the group of Russian officers, but could also threaten Russia itself.
This dense historical fantasy has been well-researched by Kent, who succeeds in recreating the feel of early 19th century Russia and the conflict with France. The story is slow to unveil, which helps with the sense of period but at times is frustrating to read – particularly as the reader will catch on to the Oprichniki’s secret a lot faster than Alexei (despite the fact that Alexei later remembers his grandmother’s stories, which give him all the clues he needs).
Alexei’s first person narration gives the story immediacy and makes for some exciting action scenes. It also gives depth to Alexei’s rivalry and distrust of the Oprichniki Iuda, who engages in psychological war, focusing on Alexei’s obsession with beautiful prostitute Domnikiia. Unfortunately, Domnikiia’s and Alexei’s relationship is one of the weakest elements of the book, bordering on cliché there is little grounding for the relationship or their fascination with each other. This is a shame because it’s focused on at the expense of the more interesting relationship between Alexei and his fellow officers.
The sequel is out this month and based on this book, it’s one that I’d be interested in checking out.
The Verdict:
Despite the slow pace of the action and the hero’s failure to catch on as quickly as the reader, there’s a lot to admire and enjoy within this book, which blends history and horror to chilling effect.
