The Stravinsky Intrigue

Fugue & Fable #2

by Darin Kennedy

"Darin Kennedy has created an amazing world with an entrancing tapestry of magic and mystery set against a backdrop of beautiful music. Deep characters, rich descriptions, and enthralling characters kept me turning pages until the very end. A worthy successor to his awesome The Mussorgsky Riddle. A must-read!" - John G. Hartness - Author of The Black Knight Chronicles and the Quincy Harker series.

"In The Stravinsky Intrigue, Darin Kennedy synthesizes the intricate structures of classical music and dark melancholy of Russian folklore to create a fantastic and dangerous world filled with lost girls, terrifying dreams, vicious monsters, and a deathless wizard that only the most intrepid hero can hope to defeat. Fast moving and multilayered, this sequel to Kennedy's first novel continues the spine-tingling adventure and will please readers of thrillers and fantasy alike." - Misty Massey - Author of Mad Kestrel

"This rock-solid sequel to The Mussorgsky Riddle features magic, mayhem, and masterful detail along with twists that will enthrall you -- Darin Kennedy wins again with his strong characters, gripping plot, and page-turning action." - Linda Robertson - Author of the Persephone Alcmedi series and Joviennne

Nine months have passed since psychic Mira Tejedor last walked the halls of Anthony Faircloth’s adolescent mind. All but family now, Mira is relocating to Charlotte, NC, not only for a much-needed change of scenery, but to further her burgeoning relationship with Dr. Thomas Archer. On the eve of her move, however, a new threat emerges.

Young girls from every corner of Charlotte are falling catatonic, a condition eerily similar to the illness from which Mira rescued Anthony the previous fall. Mira reluctantly agrees to help Detective Calvin Sterling with the case and soon finds herself pulled into a new pair of fantasy worlds, both borne from the brilliant mind of Igor Stravinsky.

In the world of The Firebird, Mira becomes the warrior Ivanovna and battles an immortal evil threatening to steal the girls’ souls for all eternity. In the Russian fair from Petrushka, she assumes the role of Ballerina, one of three magical puppets who dance at the whim of a cruel Charlatan. Torn between Moor and Clown, bizarre doppelgangers of the two vastly different men in her life, and threatened at every turn by a sorcerer who craves her very essence, Mira must navigate the cruel deceptions of both worlds and win, or her life and the lives of a dozen innocents will be forfeit.

Genres: Fantasy

337 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 2017

About the author

Darin Kennedy, born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Bowman Gray School of Medicine. After completing family medicine residency in the mountains of Virginia, he served eight years as a United States Army physician and wrote his first novel in 2003 in the sands of northern Iraq. His debut novel, The Mussorgsky Riddle, was born from a fusion of two of his lifelong loves—classical music and world mythology— and is slated for publication by Curiosity Quills Press in Fall/Winter 2014. His short stories can be found in various publications, as well as two short story compilations available on Amazon, and he is currently hard at work on his next novel. Doctor by day and novelist by night, he writes and practices medicine in Charlotte, North Carolina. When not engaged in either of the above activities, he has been known strum the guitar, enjoy a bite of sushi, and rumor has it he even sleeps on occasion. He is represented by Stacey Donaghy at Donaghy Literary Group. Find him online at darinkennedy.com.

Reviews

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

I read The Mussorgski Riddle some time ago, and I enjoyed its unique style and story, so I was looking forward to The Stravinsky Intrigue although I had to admit that the details from the first book had become a bit fuzzy and I'm not really acquainted with the ballets from Stravinsky that play a major role in this book.

At times I was a little bit disappointed with The Stravinsky Intrigue. While the story resembled The Mussorgski Riddle, there were some things that annoyed me (that I don't recall from the first book). There are many coincidences, and Mira jumps into danger at almost any possibility. The rest of the time she's defending her psychic-ship in a condescending manner which I disliked. Also, the story seemed rather finished at the ending, but since I know there's a third novel coming, probably everything will be resolved (taking any suspense there was about the main characters).

What I did like, as in the first novel, was all the music. It is a nice introduction to the music, and I would certainly recommend to listen to it while reading. I enjoyed that a lot. The story is also moving forward rather quickly, and there's a mystery to be solved (before it's too late).

Not as good as the first one, but I'm still curious as to how it's going to end.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Candice Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, reading The Mussorgsky Riddle before this one is a MUST. I believe my review for that one is floating around here somewhere ;)

If you read my last review, you already know that I am a HUGE fan of Darin Kennedy and the second book in his Fugue & Fable series only solidified that sentiment.

Once again we find ourselves accompanying Mira Tejador through the music themed dreamscape of Anthony Faircloth's subconscious. The visit this time is far from the same trip we last took. For one, Anthony is fully conscious and acting like a normal teenage boy, well as normal as you can call Anthony. Several girls of Anthony's age are falling into the same seemingly well but basically comatose state Anthony was in just months prior. The police and local hospital staff are stumped.

But that is why we have Mira Tejador. The familiarity of being on another case of mysterious consciousness leads her to check in on Anthony. She doesn't get within 10 ft of him before being taken over by the overpowering rise of...music...

This time, however, we aren't taken into the Exhibition but a green garden where instead of Modest Mussorgsky creating the soundtrack, it will be Igor Stravinsky. As annoying as it can be to be sidelined at a moments notice, Mira knows only Anthony creates dreamscapes with such vivid visuals and music.

The Stravinsky Intrigue is the story of Mira, Anthony and more than a few other familiar faces trying to solve problem of the comatose girls, not in the real world but once again, in Anthony's imagination.

And this time he will take them through Stravinksy's The Firebird and Petruska.

What follows is a superbly written adventure of both sight and sound. Kennedy's familiarity and passion for classical music is evident in the description of not only the dreamscape characters but each piece of music that accompanies the storie's twists and turns. It's almost as if you can hear it, without hearing it. Brilliant!!!

Without giving away too much more of the story, I will tell you that Book II sets up the scene for Book III perfectly. Book III is released on Dec 19th by the way...and guess where we are headed this time??? The Tchaikovsky Finale :) :) :) Stay tuned for my review on that one too!

***A quick addition here that I wasn't familiar with Stravinksy, much like Mussorgsky. I did find it added to my enjoyment of the reading to have him playing in the background sometimes and I also watched both ballets upon completing the book.*** Enjoy!!!!

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as well written as the first book in the series. This one definitely ends as a cliff hanger. The author explains more about this in the acknowledgements at the end of the book. As someone who enjoys folk/fairy tales and is somewhat familiar with the major Russian composers, this series has many factors that drew me to it and I have not been disappointed. Using a limited number of characters, Darin Kennedy is able to tell several stories against the backdrop of Russian music. TG for the internet and YouTube® which makes finding performances of the music to listen to while reading relatively easy while the libraries are currently closed because of COVID-19.
I am particularly happy to already have the final volume in this trilogy in my possession which means I escape the need to await its publication prior to being able to read it. Once I have the time to begin the next book, I hope that I will have few obligations that require my attention away from the book.

[Jenn Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Disclaimer: We received a Kindle copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

The Stravinsky Intrigue by Darin Kennedy is the sequel to The Mussorgsky Riddle, and it doesn’t disappoint this reader of the series. Mira is back on the case once more as she tries to find the one who the six comatose girls in the hospital. Taking more trips into the Exhibition, she discovering that instead of having all of her old friends, she’s caught in The Firebird, The Rite of Spring and Petrushka.

Once more, this book was incredible and fun to read, and there weren't as many confusing moments in it, which is great. And just so you know, Mira won't be the the main character in the next book. Sorry.

[Nichole Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Binge worthy book 2! Great Continuation of the series!

Book 2 of the Fugue and Fable series does not disappoint!! As imaginative as the first book, this book in the series offers in my opinion a darker filled imaginative story in the mind of Anthony Faircloth. There are a lot of familiar characters (while reimagined in new forms) throughout this storyline! Like the first story, I could not put this one down and it had a lot of interesting twists and turns!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mira is getting ready to move closer to Thomas and is in town getting their new apartment ready. She gets a call from Sterling and is drawn back into the mystery of the dream veil/realm. Young girls are disappearing and are being manipulated to get Mira’s attention. This series is amazing and the story telling draws you right in. The creativity and detail of the classical pieces is delightful. I could not stop listening to this story and immediately started the next book when I finished!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mira has to deal with Anthony's fantasies again, set to music of Petrushka, Rites of Spring, and more in order to rescue 12 girls and free Thomas from the snares of Anthony's mind. I felt this went on too long. It needed to say more in the beginning about where it came from as a second volume. Parts of it I just scanned.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 of 3

This reader was looking forward to Book 2 and hoped for another interesting fugue experience. I was disappointed to read book 2 as a continuation of Book 1. Generally, book 2 lacks interest, except with a few writers.
I can andcwoukd recommend these books to a teen and older audience.

[Vincent Thorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoyed the first book, you will enjoy this one. Following right off the heels of the previous installment, this revisits the now-familiar set-pieces of the first book with new twists and a change of composer. The intrigue and tension go up to 11 right to the end.

[Tripat Riyait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind blowing - pun intended

[Dave Higgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kennedy fuses the archetypical symbolism of Stravinsky’s music with the individuality of modern life to create a tale of psychological exploration that is neither lacking in mystery nor overwhelmed with obscure metaphor.

This novel is the second volume in the Fugue & Fable trilogy. As such, this review might contain some spoilers for The Mussorgsky Riddle.

Nine months ago, psychic Mira Tejedor rescued Anthony Faircloth from a trap built from his own mind; and fell in love with Anthony’s psychologist, Dr Thomas Archer. However, days before Mira relocates to Charlotte, NC, to live with Thomas, a new mystery strikes the town: young girls are falling into inexplicable comas; comas that bear a startling resemblance to the one Mira rescued Anthony from. Unable to refuse a request for help from the police, Mira finds herself fighting through two apparently separate dreamscapes: built from Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Petrushka.

As with the previous volume, Kennedy weaves parallel threads of common reality and musical otherland. However, with no apparent crime associated with the girls’ illness and Mira’s closest associates already believing in her ability to track using mystical impressions and enter mindscapes, the criminal investigation of the first novel is replaced with a focus on Mira’s personal life.

This shift combined with the addition of a second psychic space built from music moves this book more toward Mira’s assumptions and intuitions than objective reality. As such – while Mira seeks to find the truth – readers might find her a less reliable narrator than in the previous volume; and have more difficulty unravelling the clues.

While Kennedy does provide more of an explanation later in the book, the presence of two new dreamscapes built around famous music – especially with only one of them displaying a link to the comatose girls – does seem perhaps a little implausible to begin with.

As with the previous volume, the musical psychodramas are well crafted, shifting from a close analogue of the music to a realm with more immediate impact upon the real world as Mira understands – or fails to understand – the relevance of certain symbols.

Mira is, as before, a sympathetic protagonist. The stresses from the case, and from the resulting renewal of her association with Detective Sterling, provide a plausible challenge to her initially solid relationship with Thomas. This uncertainty in turn creates a realistic doubt to counter her previous experience of unweaving mind-traps.

The supporting cast are similarly each a well-crafted balance of greater experience and doubts: with Mira’s rescue of Anthony both providing clear evidence she has real power and giving them cause for gratitude, they are inclined to help; but, with Anthony having a clear link to musical dreamscapes and Thomas having treated the current victims, this inclination becomes tainted with mutual uncertainty.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I recommend it to readers seeking strongly character-driven stories or work filled with symbolism.

I received a free copy from the publisher with a request for a fair review.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the sequel to The Mussorgsky Riddle (TMR) which I've already reviewed and I have to say the first book in the series was better. This book starts nine months after the events of The Mussorgsky Riddle and though it follows a similar pattern of events, the character development of the fantasy element in TMR was much better done. I would still recommend this book though, as it does pick up toward the end and the third installment, The Tchaikovsky Finale, looks to be the best yet. Heavily relying on Russian folklore this book had a more mature feel than TMR and focuses much more on Mira and her personal life. I think honestly and without giving anything away, the only thing I didn't like was all the ballet scenes that went on. Rather than finding herself an autonomous participant in Anthony's mind as in TMR, she was more of an active spectator, which I suppose you could argue was the point in this one. All in all though definitely worth the read and I actually am looking forward to the final book which from the teaser at the end of The Stravinsky Intrigue looks like it ill be told from Anthony's point of view.

[Sue Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

After I finished reading "The Mussorgsky Riddle" by Darin Kennedy, I hoped there would be a sequel, because I had fallen in love with the characters of Mira Tejedor, a psychic, and Anthony Faircloth, a traumatized teenager whose descent into the recesses of his own mind was so deep that only a person with Mira's gifts could bring him back. I got my wish when Kennedy published "The Stravinsky Intrigue."

Returning for another imaginative romp through the mysteries of hijacked minds were Mira, Anthony, and their loved ones. Although Anthony is not the one in a hypnotic state this time, young girls all over Charlotte, North Carolina are disappearing, only to be found in comas. Detective Sterling, who worked the first case, begins to suspect a connection to Anthony, so he calls on police consultant Mira, who is in the process of relocating to Charlotte to move in with her boyfriend, Dr. Archer, Anthony's therapist. Mira discovers more and more clues suggesting that Anthony is the catalyst for the musical mayhem that is being orchestrated by an unknown enemy. When Anthony's young sister Rachel and Mira's daughter Isabella join the afflicted, the drama nearly explodes with heightened anxiety levels.

When Mira enters catatonic Rachel's mind, Anthony's fascination with Russian music and folklore leads the psychic through jumbled mental incarnations of three ballets by Stravinsky: " The Firebird," "Petrushka," and "The Rite of Spring." Mira and the whole cast of characters she encounters in Rachel's dreams are forced to play multiple roles and even to reprise some performances from "The Mussorgsky Riddle." An interesting side plot is Rachel's lingering feelings for Detective Sterling despite her commitment to Dr. Archer. When the unseen malevolent maestro turns the sleeping girls into puppets ready to take a dive off a hospital roof, the situation becomes more desperate. Mira will be faced with an impossible choice.

This series offers original and unique plots in a powerful narrative that the reader can both see and "hear." As you read this, you may want to find some online versions of the ballets that inspired Anthony's mind games. Kennedy delivers a thrilling and unexpected climax through Mira's performance of "The Rite of Spring." I never saw it coming.