Thirteen Years Later

January 3, 2011
Second in a projected quintet, this impressive historical-horror novel continues the action of Kent's Twelve (2010), in which Russian secret agent Aleksei Danilov defeated a band of vampires who were concealing their bloody rampage in the social chaos during Napoleon's 1812 invasion. Now a colonel in the Russian army, Aleksei has infiltrated a club of would-be revolutionaries who threaten the life of czar Aleksandr. Though sometimes verbose and melodramatic, this tale is strong enough to earn its length and passion. In particular, the focus deftly shifts between viewpoints to increase tension: as Aleksei's crafty human nemesis manipulates events, Aleksandr idly wonders who owns the yacht anchored near his vacation palace, and the master vampire rests aboard in his coffin and dreams of possessing all of Russia. Notably widening the first novel's scope, this book is hugely ambitious and largely successful.

February 15, 2011

Many years after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Col. Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov continues to act as spy for Tsar Aleksandr I, infiltrating a cabal of officers determined to bring a new government to Russia. As Danilov uncovers more details of the conspiracy, he recognizes signs of infiltration by a group of monstrous creatures who had helped vanquish Napoleon before Danilov destroyed them after he realized their true nature. With a feel for both Russian history and storytelling, Kent (Twelve) continues his alternate history of the Russian Empire, blending fact with dark fantasy that results in an offbeat and gripping vampire tale. VERDICT Capturing the essence of the 19th-century Russian novel, this richly detailed book will appeal to Russophiles as well as fans of vampire fiction.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2011
Pyr has released the American edition of the second novel in Kents Danilov quintet. Thirteen Years Later is laid against the events leading up to the Dekabrist revolution in December 1825. For 13 years Russia has been at nominal peace. But a number of young officers who visited France during its Bonapartist years now dream of freeing Russia by forcing a constitution on the Autocrat. Czar Alexander, a reformer in his youth, now clings more tightly to his power and his vision of Holy Russia. But his greater fear is that a promise made and broken by Peter the Great himself will destroy him, his dynasty, and his country. Colonel Alexei Danilov, an irregular officer in Twelve (2009), is now an internal security officera spyfor the czar. As such, he is a member of one of the reformist societies. But as his son, Dimitry, is about to start his military service, Alexei discovers that Dimitry is involvedfor realwith the reformers. Worse, he discovers that the broken promise of Peter the Great was made to the Oprichniki, the vampires Danilov ended up fighting 13 years earlier. Kent has magically blended history, folklore, and storytelling to produce a superb account of the Dekabrist revolt. Thirteen Years Later should please fans of all three. The third in the series (The Third Section) is set during the Crimean War, and expected to exercise the same fascination.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)