Rasputin's
Bastards by David Nickle is first and
foremost a spy novel; and reader take note, this is a book that
expects its reader to be a clever as the spies whom the story
revolves around.
David
Nickle describes an intricate plot with a baker's dozen of
multifaceted characters, and it's a challenge to keep up with each
individual and their separate motivations – in some cases, the
characters themselves are not self-aware enough to understand their
circumstances, and circumstances are subject to change. The reader
must contend with the real world and juggle complicated metaphysical
ideas involved behind the “sleeper” agents who, to reduce the
idea to its basic concept, are “possessing” the bodies of other
characters to carry out their goals. Add to the mix a gathering of
psychic children and a telepathic infant and the complexity of
Rasputin's Bastards
multiplies.
The
writing is good but this isn't a place for the beach-read pulp
fiction crowd, and having an understanding of past spy novels (The
Marathon Man by William Goldman comes to mind) is
essential to appreciate what David Nickle is building, and the style
he chooses to do it in.
A
reader will either love it or hate it; one must keep note of the
characters and their subplots while tracking the greater plot
unfolding and it's not an easy job to jack-hop from one character's
psychological state to another. Nickle gives nothing away to the
reader for free, which lends the benefit of surprise when characters
end up in unexpected places and are revealed to be different people
than they started out as.
All
in all, this is a read more suited to specific audience who has an
interest in the genre of spy thrillers, with a dash of the
supernatural.
buy it directly from Chizine.
Reviewed by Martin Rose.
Look for Martin Rose's work in the anthologies Fear of the Dark from Horror Bound publications and Art From Art from Modernist Press. More details are available here.
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