Thirteen Years Later: Russia, 1825. - Softcover

*Starred Review* 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. --Frieda Murray