The Bite of the Angel

Once upon a time, somewhere on an idyllic forest road, a mysterious old man gifted young Ivan Nekitaev, the son of a Russian officer and a Hakka Chinese woman, a magical burning talisman - an artifact that chose the future... ruler of the state. Since then, his relentless path to power and glory began. To the blind jealousy of a man in love with his own sister - the moon-faced fairy Wan Zidan, a fearless warrior hardened in battle, the governor of Tsargrad and consul of Hesperia, secretly guided by his accomplice Peter Legkostupov - he will stop at nothing. The Russian Empire, having known turmoil, divided in two and reunited, must finally find its Emperor…

The modernist novel by St. Petersburg writer Pavel Krusanov was released at the very beginning of the new millennium (2000) and divided critics and readers into two camps. Some were outraged by its blatant "imperialness" and naturalism, while others admired the bold stylization and deep symbolism of the text. In any case, before you is a magnificent example of Russian dystopia and mystical realism of the new century. With all its transformations, wandering restless souls in mirrors, tarot spreads, languid tea-drinking on the veranda of the estate, philosophical notebooks, frightening rituals, and the treacherous scent of ylang-ylang…