In St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1888, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret--that she has the ability to raise the dead--but when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.
I don't know what to think of this book. The idea of Russian vampires is somehow fascinating and totally appropriate. The world, however feels shallow. Not like its ill-formed but that the author doesn't really sink into it well. And it's a difficult balance because some parts feel like the utter drudgery of we went here and ate this and other (interesting) parts feel like she's just glancing over the scene. Which didn't help the pacing that feels very matter of fact, relaying the necessary information and then moving on quickly. And while the information on the structure of names was helpful in the beginning it didn't do much to clarify the seven Alexanders and four Nicholas-es who were all princes and grand dukes and everyone's cousin. It was all just unbalanced.
And yet, there's moments... lines actually that are really good. And the idea of the whole thing is really intriguing. I mean, Katiya is a little slow on the uptake and bothersome because she believes the bad guys are more powerful than the good guys so she doesn't trust the right people. But George is kind of fantastic.
And it isn't great but it's enough to make me want to read the next one.
