Ascendent

Executive Power #1

by Tal Bauer

Sasha Andreyev grew up on the wrong side of nowhere, dreaming of starlight as he strangled a secret. He fled, enlisting in the Russian Army, and worked his way up the ranks. Years later, after surviving a beating and being left for dead, he found a new life in Moscow, working with President Sergey Puchkov.

And then, he fell in love.

Desperate to avoid his runaway heart, crippled with a shame that infected his soul, and ravaged by demons haunting his memories, Sasha ran.

But he could never escape Sergey, or the gravitational pull of their love.

Nightmares trail behind his every step and weary ghosts live in the hollow chambers of his soul. He’s spent a lifetime brutally eviscerating the parts of himself he despises, and he’s an empty, shattered shell, struggling to be the man worthy of Sergey’s love.

The pieces of his soul he cut out are the very ones he needs in order to become the man he yearns to be. He’ll need to face himself, and his past, on a journey into the frozen heart of Russia, and into the midnight depths of the dead lands.

Only then can he ascend from the darkness, and be the man Sergey needs at his side.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Military Fiction, LGBT, Politics, Suspense

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2018

About the author

Tal Bauer writes breathtaking, heartfelt, and often action-packed gay romance novels. His characters are head over heels for each other and fight against all odds for their happy ending. Nothing stands in the way of love. Tal is best known for his romantic suspense novels, including the Executive Office series, The Murder Between Us, The Grave Between Us, The Night of, and his MM sports romance, The Jock.

Website - www.talbauerwrites.com
Amazon Author - http://amazon.com/author/talbauer
Instagram - @TalBauerWrites
Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/f1fd8baec198/talba...

Reviews

[Sophia Triad · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Will you help me find my soul?”

Shocking to say the least, Sasha and Sergey were not one of my favourite couples (lovers-to-be) in series “The Executive Office”. It took me a few books to warm up to them, especially to President Sergey Puchkov. And again I could live without their side story that made me lose my focus from my Ethan's desperate love.

Sergey and Sasha did not look like a believable couple and somehow for me their love/lust was forced and too sudden and too fast.

I definitely felt sorry for both of them. Sasha had to endure a lot as a gay military man in conservative and harsh Russia. Sergey was too lonely and confused with his unfulfilled urges.
But still I could not feel any magical sparkle between them.
Not like the way I could feel it with Ethan and Jack and their hopeless, devastating love or with Faisal and Adam and their poetic, karmic love.

So, when I started Ascendent, it felt a little bit awkward. How could a book (series?) with Sergey and Sasha as the main protagonists work? To be honest, the beginning of the book did not help my concerns. It did not have the natural flow most books by Tal Bauer have. It felt like the story started somewhere in the middle of another story (which it did really, but it could be done in a smoother way).

If I hadn't read The Executive Office series (especiallythe last book “Enemy within”, I wouldn't understand what is going on.

Also I am afraid that if someone else hadn't read The Executive Office series, maybe he/she wouldn't care or be curious of how this story proceeds.

We are asleep until we fall in Love.

And that would have been a huge mistake!

The story of Sasha and Sergey in this book is proven to be beautiful and unique. It is a May-December romance story and the book is highly erotic. I think it has more erotic scenes if you compare it to a standard book by the author although it has less pages than a standard book.
But still this is not just a simply erotica book.

It is a deeply poetic book with hidden magic and erotism.
But still it is not just a romance book with a few supernatural elements and psychedelic trips.

In the beginning the mainly focuses on Sasha's attempts to accept all of himself.

“You must let yourself heal,” Dr. Voronov had said. “You must, or you will break. Do you want to break apart in the stars?”

Sasha has grown up as a different boy in a dead frozen town in the middle of nowhere in Siberia who did not want to work in the mines and who did not want to become a crime lord.
He was dreaming of visiting the far away stars and kissing other boys.

“No one leaves Norilsk, Moskal. No one.”

Sasha has escaped from a destiny that nobody has escaped before him. But now he is totally broken and cold. If he wants to become whole again, his will need to start a trip of self discovery and a visit to his hometown and down memory lane.

“You should not have come. If you die here, your souls will know no peace. There is no rest for you in these lands, Russky.”
“I am dying.” He could barely see. He was so cold.
“You’re soul sick. You’re out of balance.”
“I’m cold.” He was shivering again, shaking and trembling.

Who are the people who hurt him?
What happened to them?
Who hurt him the most?
How much different is he now in comparison to his childhood years?

In order to become whole, he will need a guide and a compass. And the perfect compass have always been the stars, the constellations.


Still it is not just a book of self discovery.

As the book proceeds it will become obvious that something dangerous and scary is building up:
1.Will there be a Biological warfare at some point? Botulism. Plague. Anthrax. Hemorrhagic Fever. Someone has stolen the ultimate weapons and he will use them.
2. Is an old enemy still present? What happened to Moroshkin? Is he truly dead?
3. Has a new enemy appeared? Lots of highly influential people may envy Sergey's position as the president of Russia who is also willing to change obsolete ideas and practices.

The book stops with a Happy For Now feeling, but definitely nothing is resolved.
I am so looking forward to the next undoubtedly amazing book in the series!

[Simone - on indefinite hiatus - · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no words...

Well, not many anyway, but I will try to explain my rating, nonetheless. My friends know that I'm a huge fan of Tal Bauer's works and Whisper will be one of the best books I've ever read, so I'm still in shock about the fact that I didn't like a single thing about this story here.

Granted, Sasha and Sergey never were my favorite couple in the Executive Office series, but I still liked them, individually and together. In this book I got the impression I didn't "know" them at all. Most of the time I didn't understand Sasha and what the hell was going on here. Okay, everyone knows about the situation of gay people in Russia and I really felt for Sasha and what he went through, but even if I love it when an author takes a different approach to a certain topic and tries to be diverse in his writing, with the path he chose here, Tal Bauer overstated his case in my opinion. For me it was as if he tried to overdo himself with his writing, maybe to give it a special spiritual and esoteric feel in order to emphasize Sasha's struggle and his journey of soul-searching and -cleansing, I have no clue, but it was so heavy on prose, it was hard to distinguish most of the time if what was happening was real or a trick of Sasha's senses.

Where the beginning frustrated the heck out of me with Sasha's hot and cold attitude, the story became the epitome of weird for me in chapter #12 when Sasha's spirit walking reached its climax, so I did some soul-searching on my own and decided that I'm probably too realistic to enjoy a story like this.

Towards the end there were some glimpses of what I usually love about the author's writing and about what could have been if he would have chosen a different path here and maybe sent Sasha to therapy or something like that, but for me it was unfortunately too late. Since there are still some unsolved things about Sasha and Sergey's relationship and about the mystery part in this story, I guess the next book in this spin-off will again be about these two and right now I'm not sure if I want to read it...

I rarely - rarely - give a book only 1 star (I think this was the fifth or sixth time out of more than 450 ratings) and I won't say that this is a bad book since all the high ratings would prove me wrong anyway, so I will go with Goodreads's rating system of 1 star expressing that this book was not for me, since it was all about personal preferences.

***Misery once again loved company, so I was not alone with my judgement, and although Anne liked it a bit more than Christelle and I, we still had lots of fun discussing the book during our buddy-read, even if it was sometimes tinged with sarcasm. Ladies, thank you for reading this with me and know that if it weren't for you, I would have given up pretty soon. ❤

[Christelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

**Note to myself** : ”dammit girl, haven’t you learned anything from Tal Bauer’s previous release ?? Check the blurb more carefully AND read between the lines of reviews !”



Once again with this author, only after a few chapters, it took a turn I was not expecting at all.
Surprises can go two ways : either a startling delight, either a “WTF…what have you done ???” mess.
In this instance, I wish I hadn’t tried this spin-off of the executive office series - an MM romance packed with action, where the US president and his lover save, with the help of a few allies, the world threatened by a band of mercenaries - , a series I found hot and very entertaining.

So, "Ascendent" picks up right after Enemy Within : Sergey, the Russian president, and Sasha took back control of Russia, but there is still a lot of battles going on : the economy is collapsing, the threat from mercenaries, still on the loose, is far from over and the homophobia is rampant.
Don’t expect a lot going on regarding the plot. The focus is essentially on the relationship between Sergey and Sasha with the dangers they are facing and mainly on Sasha’s struggles with his traumatic past and all his emotions : need, fear, desire and panic.
Despite the love of Sergey, despite having recovered from a physical death, Sasha’s overwhelmed.

What was so surprising for me ? Well, the author decided to reveal all this through a mystical lense and the generous use of metaphors (I admit, it sometimes didn’t make sense to me…couldn’t understand the meaning) and lead Sasha to a spiritual journey, the culmination scene being an “intense” trip after drinking “reindeer juice” laden with hallucinogenic mushrooms to meet with Sasha’s inner “Little Bear” and save his soul.

**So.not.MY.jam !!! So.not.for.ME !!!**


I was really looking forward to follow Sergey and Sasha’s romance and adventures. I will have to be just satisfied with the knowledge that they finally found each other.
To be honest, I’m frustrated that this author used the executive office series to write something different instead of sticking to his previous formula. Sure, it’s his prerogative, but I sorely felt left out ☹

**Thanks to Anne and Simone for this BR : the company was really great and I am looking forward to our next date, hopefully with a book that we ALL enjoy !!**

[M.I.A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow
I apologize in advance for the gush-fest that I'm about to unleash.

Ascendent is for now my absolute favorite work of Tal Bauer's, even better than The Executive Office series. Mostly because during Ascendent I wasn't clutching my pearls and one sentence away from falling apart because of all the suspense

My heart sings for literature with surrealism and spiritual themes. Shamans, Spirit Walks, the unconscious mind, juxtapositions, symbolism, lyrical prose, trippy... YES.
What made this even more perfect is the fact that it's still rooted in reality.
Tal Bauer was entwining real-life settings, culture, tradition, questionable 'paranormal' sites that are very much in existence in the wilderness of Siberia/Russia to craft this beautiful work of fiction.

Sasha is so misunderstood in The Executive Office series. Sasha who is pure Russian, stoic, silent, broody, strong, patriotic. Here we finally get to know him beyond the surface.

"He was a damaged boy from the wrong side of the Arctic circle. He’d kissed a corpse and had survived too many fists and curses and attacks. He’d escaped by the skin of his teeth."

He's not like Sergey, who's had education and the modern world in his sight. Who had opportunities to live in Moscow and St. Petersburg and set his eyes much further than most Russians.
Sasha was brought to life in a part of Russia most would like to forget exists. He's been terrorized and abused for his sexuality. He's been traumatized and left for dead. Sasha is a man who might have been born in the right time but definitely in the wrong place. He's torn himself apart, hated everything that he is. Wished so hard to be different. He's a man who believes in spirits and souls. Who's connected to his unconscious mind and it was killing him, slowly and painfully.

"This was what he’d cut out. Loneliness, heartache, despair. Agony. The things he’d hated, the things he’d feared, the things about himself he’d always asked why, why, why. Why him, why this way? Why did he crave men? He’d carved and cut and eviscerated, tried to throw everything he despised away."

The Romance
Their love is transcendent. It's all consuming. It reaches the stars. It's not tethered to their physical body. It's an infinite kind of love, a unity of souls, a forever love.

Sergey carves out a place for their love to be safe even if it's hidden away from the world at large.
Sergey gives to Sasha everything that he is. He gives him patience and unconditional love.
Sergey does the hardest thing a man in love could do, let him go and hope with all that he is that Sasha will return to him again and again.

This is one of those rare occasion where couple-separation didn't make me want to scream. It was necessary and unavoidable. I wanted it to happen.
One cannot love another without loving themselves first or however that saying goes.
A broken Sasha was no good to Sergey, he needed to go on his spiritual quest find the missing part and rebuild himself so that he could return to Sergey.

We meet President Sergey and Sasha in The Executive Office series. I truly would not recommend reading this before reading that series. There is no way to under the depth of the problem in Russia because of Moroshkin Coup. There is also President Sergey's & Sasha's struggle with their sexuality. What it means to 'gay' in Russia, the horrors visited upon Sasha. The first kiss, the first time they come together, what tears them apart. The doubts, the anguish, the revelations. There is too much missing background to simply jump into this one. But that's my unsolicited advice. 🤷🏽‍♀️

BEAUTIFUL. EPIC. AMAZING.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Loooooved this book!
Sasha and Sergey stole my heart.
From the time we met them in EO, Sasha had been a force to be reckoned with, but he was also damaged and vulnerable and hurt.

His journey to overcome his soul sickness, his internalised homophobia, to heal and to love Sergey was heartbreakingly powerful.

Sergey was always there, his love wrapped around Sasha.

What a beautiful book 📖😍

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning return to the political series I love

Tal Bauer made me cry with this book. Sasha is absolutely one of my favourite characters ever and this book is his story.

It's his journey from being a broken shell of a man who never expected to survive his heroic flight into the Arctic Circle during the Executive Office series, to being whole again.

It's also not what I was expected when I started to read this book. It's a deep spiritual journey too, exploring the culture and history of an element of the Russian people that I knew nothing about before reading Tal's brilliant political romance series.

Sasha's journey is heartbreaking and also healing, his soul is shredded before he undertakes a most incredible spiritual exploration of his fears and gains understanding.

This book was not what I expected, but it was so much more and I can't wait to see where the series goes next.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

[Santy]

HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS BOOK?!

[In Letters Plain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well.

I think it is important to commend authors for deviating from tried and true (which sometimes devolve into tired and repetitive) formulas, for expanding, for exploring. Although I liked Ascendent more than my fellow buddy readers (cheers to Christelle and Simone for distracting me when I needed the distraction) I didn't love it.

Yet I have loved, and I mean LOVED, every single Tal Bauer novel and short story that I have read.

Can the writing be flowery? Yes, but it is also brimming with rawness and beauty. Besides, I like flowers.

Can the heroes be very emotional? Yes, but so what? Our society has a huge (with a capital "H") problem with toxic masculinity. It is wrong and, IMO, dangerous to assert that men shouldn't feel as deeply, shouldn't display that depth of emotion, shouldn't cry. The feelings displayed are appropriate for the poignant themes.

Even as I leave a lukewarm review, I feel compelled to note how much I enjoy Bauer's stories. I still encourage friends to read The Executive Office series, which remains a favorite, and Hush.

Ascendent does not contain much of the covert intrigue, the thrilling conspiracy, the perilous war games that readers have come to expect from a Tal Bauer book. Nor does it contain the same type of affecting and stirring romance. First and foremost, Ascendent is a spiritual journey of healing for Sasha. It is deeply steeped in folklore. There is a mystical sense to it. At times, it was disjointed and difficult to follow. And while I sympathized with Sasha, I didn't feel as much as I ordinarily feel from Bauer's stories.

Of all the couples in The Executive Office series, Sasha and Sergey interested me least. But I still liked them. I wanted them to find happiness. And despite the steps that Sasha has taken, I'm no closer to envisioning that happiness. I see more uncertainty in the distance, and loneliness in the separation - especially for Sergey, and that makes me sad for Sergey. I also had trouble reconciling Sasha's tangible agony and self-loathing and fear with the seemingly instant turnaround after the spirit walk, and I think that he needs professional psychological help as well.

Although Ascendent didn't soar for me, I plan to continue with the series because I can't say no to more Ethan and Jack and Faisal and Adam and Doc and Coleman. But I really, really, really hope that the next books are told from other couples’ perspectives. Sorry but I had enough of S&S.

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

Will I turn to ice without your warmth? Will I shatter on the wind? Will every atom blow away? If there’s a part of me that remains, I’ll find you again. I’ll be the snowflake on your eyelash. The wind in your hair, the breeze that caresses your cheek.

I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll likely say it a hundred more, but Tal Bauer really is in a league of his own. His writing is just beyond beautiful and so very emotional, even when nothing particularly emotional is happening.

I wasn’t actually all that excited about reading the continuation of Sasha and Sergey’s story, because they had such a rough time during the Executive Office series (which you should read first to get the whole story). It was hard to see how they could make things work without emotionally wrecking the reader. But, I was pleasantly surprised by how low angst this was. I don’t actually think I cried more than once, which is miraculous and unprecedented for me.

It was very much focused on Sasha’s spiritual journey and him accepting his sexuality, which was equally heartbreaking and beautiful. I had no idea about the extent of his trauma and the abuse he’d endured, and although that sucked, it was nice to finally get to know the angry Russian.

As I understand it I’m in for a helluva time in terms of action and suspense in Stars, which I’m mega stoked about.

Anyway, Tal is best and everyone else sucks. That’s how I feel whenever I try to read something else after one of his books anyway, lol.

Until the sun swallows the planet, and their long-dead particles were absorbed into the nuclear furnace of the star. Until they were spat back out, remade as elements. Until they found each other in another life, on another planet. Until they fell in love again, and again, and again. Until time stopped, and their elements came together in perfect union. And he was never parted from Sergey ever again.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Russian president
Hard-fought HEA (after book 2)
Age gap
Duology
Read the Executive Office series first
Loves giving blowjobs
Coming before getting inside
Epic love
Romantic suspense
Past trauma
Intercrural sex
Spiritual journey
Hands-free orgasm
Aspiring astronaut

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Intense internalized homophobia (MC)
Alcohol consumption (on-page intoxication)
Panic attacks
References to past sexual abuse/rape of MC (off page, no details)
Self-hatred (MC)
Explicit sexual content
Mention of and references to past hate crime against MC (severe beating)
Self harm — punching wall, ice baths, exercise to point of injury
Mention of animal cruelty (lab animals, died off page)
Graphic corpse details
Brief mention of parent death (past)
MC hospitalized — surgery
MC orally raped and beaten by cousin (past, some details)
Gun violence
On-page murder
Drinking animal urine
Details of butchered animal carcass
Use of homophobic slurs
Homophobia
Indirect ingestion of shrooms (on-page intoxication)

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multi
Genre: Romantic suspense
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 32 and 52
Series: Series (must read Executive Office first)
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 282
Happy ending: HFN


Whatever Sasha wanted, whatever he needed, Sergey would give him. He’d give in, if just for one more chance at loving Sasha.

Sasha’s expression fractured. He grabbed Sergey, held on like he was falling and Sergey was the only anchor in the world. “I always came back.”

Two nights, and the agony of abandonment, lay between them. He had oceans of hope, enough dreams to hang from every star in the sky, but the blackness beyond was his fear, his doubt, and he dreaded waking up alone in the morning. Would Sasha be there when his eyes opened?



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

05/12/2024 reread

07/13/2023 reread

6/8/2022 reread

7/1/2021 reread. Poor Sasha! I am glad he is okay now. Enjoyed it so much.

I think I am in love with Tal Bauer's writing. Every story just gets better and better. This one is a bit shorter but it packs a heck of an emotional punch to the heart. I wondered about Sasha and what drove him to the edge, and this book told a story about a man beaten by the system who was lost and afraid. Sasha was a survivor and hid all the pain within himself. After many years of loneliness, he finally met a man worth loving. What holds him back?

This is a story of breaking lifetime's worth of conditioning, of forgiving and healing the unseen wounds that festered too long and of self acceptance. I loved the symbolism the author used when describing Sasha's journey. I loved Sergey and his patience, their deep abiding love that withstood distance, hurt and near death. I loved seeing Sasha free from metaphorical chains and demons that dragged him down. Both men deserved more in life than what they've got and finally they could reach for their stars.

We get a look at Post Moroshkin Russia and all the challenges Sergey Puchkov faces in order bring his country back and on the right track. I liked friendship and easy camaraderie between Sergey and Ilya and their working relationship. There is plenty intrigue here as well, new tidbits that promise there will be no shortage of danger and evil in the next book. There is always someone out there thinking they are the greatest thing since sliced bread to rule, so we will see who that is soon. I really liked this one.

[haletostilinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Is this the first 4 stars I've given a Tal Bauer book? Yep. But it's rounded down - and why not up? Well, what bothered me in the book didn't make me feel like I could give a full 5 stars.

But this was really good, overall. So good. It actually made me really love Sergey and Sasha, when before they were my least favorite because...I found them a bit lacking, I guess. Maybe it was because of Sasha's extreme self-hatred that made him hold back SO damn much, and in the other books how it took Sergey a bit to get over being with a man. But once he did, it was mainly just Sasha himself standing in their way.

And this was really a book about Sasha's journey. I was happy to read it because I was SO happy to see him FINALLY get to a good place, a healthy place, a HEALING place that he so desperately needed.

But at the same time, he frustrated me a lot. And I know that's not fair to Sasha at all, because he's been through a lot of shit, but I think it was the way his demons and brokenness was portrayed. I don't think I completely liked how he had a "soul sickness" and that he had to go get part of his soul back. I mean it is a manifestation, in a way, of how homophobia, and extreme homophobia at that, can hurt someone so much that they can barely function. But did we have to go the spiritual root? So that Sasha was literally cold all the time because of something in his soul making him into "ice"? For the most part it was fine, but then at times I felt it was a tad ridiculous, and I honestly wanted to shake Sasha and roll my eyes at him for his overdramatic turn of phrase in his thoughts.

The prose was gorgeous, don't get me wrong. But I found Sasha a tad ridiculous at times for him literally thinking to himself that he was ice, that he was frozen and Surgery was his sun and he was burning him, making him warm. I think in reality Sergery was making Sasha FEEL something, and Sasha was having a hard time feeling anything at all when he wasn't with Sergey. And I honestly would have preferred it spoken about in those terms, then the pretty prose. But that's just me.

Also, Bauer usually does write in that way and it's usually so fun and beautiful and awesome, but I think for this book it just went a little over the top, a little too much, more than usual for Bauer, in my opinion.

But other than that, I did adore this book. It made me actually come to love Sasha and Sergey together as a couple when before I struggled to enjoy them. I liked them in the executive office series, but I didn't love them like I loved Jack & Ethan and Adam & Faisal. I felt chemistry, but not enough between them.

But in this...whoo boy, did it bring the chemistry. I loved Sasha and Sergey's connection in this, I loved their moments together, especially where they talked and fell even more in love. It was slightly hampered by Sasha's CONSTANT (and I do mean constant. Sasha needed to get his shit together so bad in this book. Glad he did, seriously) turmoil and withdrawal into himself, but there were a few moments were Sasha let his guard down to enjoy being with the man he loved.

And the ending was amazing, once Sasha got to a place of healing, a much better place, the walls were down and he was almost free, in a way - not that it ALL went away, but he was a lot better - and how he and Sergey could just BE together, was awesome and refreshing after SO long with SO much angst and Sasha barely holding onto himself.

So, I still loved this book, but it was my least favorite TB book to date - not to say that is a bad thing, because I'm still giving this 4.5 stars, just rounded down instead of up because of frustrations I had - more frustrations than I usually have with Tal Bauer books. I certainly have a complex, hard earned relationship with Sasha and Sergey, and that came through with my reading of this book. But reading this also helped me adore these two together as I hadn't before.

Still my least favorite couple, but they aren't a couple I could almost take or leave anymore. They're one I'd love to read more of and would be excited to read more of (although I still hope the next book in this series is Adam & Faisal :D).

Highly recommend (especially for those who loved Sasha and Sergey together before this book, unlike me, because this will just make you love them even more!)

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 𝟓/𝟓 ★ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Sasha & Sergey😭💓✨💫 i wanna protect them at all cost!!
this was so heartwarming & beautiful in a mesmerizing, magical way🌌 but also full of emotions & all the feelssss that both comfort & punch you in the heart💔💓 - so i guess just the usual from Tal Bauer's brilliant writing haha😭👏

༄.°❅ 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑? 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒕𝒉? 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅? 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚? 𝑰𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔, 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌. ༄.°❅

i'm also soo glad we got to see more of Sasha & Sergey's journey, after the Executive Office series, where their relationship began and they've been making me fall in love with them ever since💗

i absolutely loved how the characters & their relationship was more in focus here, there was still a lot they needed to go through as a couple and as individuals, but gosh i absolutely LOVE how Sergey was there for Sasha, supporting him in any way he could, and Sasha was really just the one for him, his soul mate in all the ways imaginable🥹✨💫 and i was so proud of my sweet bby Sasha too who was finally strong enough to face his demons, his past, all the pain, hurt & trauma he went through - for himself too sure, but also because he wanted to be the best version of himself for Sergey💞

  ͙͘͡★ 𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒚’𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒚. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕.   ͙͘͡★

their love is just beyond this world and the way Tal Bauer captured it thoughout this book (along with the previous books in the Exacutive Office series) is extraordinary! the elements of magical realism were already apparent previously too but it really shined in this book. i can't wait to continue their beautiful story in Stars!!✨🥹

➥ ᴍᴍ
➥ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ-ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
❅彡 ᴇsᴛᴀʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ
★彡 ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ sᴜsᴘᴇɴᴄᴇ/ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs
❅彡 ʀᴜssɪᴀɴ ᴘʀᴇsɪᴅᴇɴᴛ × ᴀsᴘɪʀɪɴɢ ᴀsᴛʀᴏɴᴀᴜᴛ
★彡 ᴇx-ᴍɪʟɪᴛᴀʀʏ
❅彡 ᴀɢᴇ ɢᴀᴘ (32 & 52 ʏ/ᴏ)
★彡 ʜᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ
❅彡 ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ ʜᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ
★彡 ᴘᴏsᴇssɪᴠᴇ, ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴠᴇ
❅彡 ғʀᴇᴄᴋʟᴇs
★彡 ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ʀᴇᴀʟɪsᴍ/sᴘɪʀɪᴛᴜᴀʟ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ
❅彡 sᴛʀɪᴄᴛ ʀᴏʟᴇs, ʟᴏᴠᴇs ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ʙᴊ, ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴛᴏᴏ sᴏᴏɴ, ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ʜᴀɴᴅs-ғʀᴇᴇ
★彡 ᴅᴜᴏʟᴏɢʏ, ʜғɴ (sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴇᴄᴜᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴏғғɪᴄᴇ sᴇʀɪᴇs)
➽ ᴛᴡ: ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴍᴏᴘʜᴏʙɪᴀ (ᴍᴄ, ɪɴᴛᴇɴsᴇ), ᴘᴀɴɪᴄ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋs, sᴇʟғ-ʜᴀʀᴍ, ʜᴀᴛᴇ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ (ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ᴍᴄ, ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ), ᴅɪsᴄᴜssɪᴏɴs ᴏғ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴀʙᴜsᴇ & ʀᴀᴘᴇ (ᴏғ ᴍᴄ, ᴏғғ-ᴘᴀɢᴇ, + ᴄᴏᴜsɪɴ ɪɴᴄᴇsᴛ: ʀᴀᴘᴇᴅ ᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ & ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀʙᴜsᴇ), ʜᴏᴍᴏᴘʜᴏʙɪᴀ/ʜᴏᴍᴏᴘʜᴏʙɪᴄ sʟᴜʀs, ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ sᴄᴇɴᴇs (ᴍᴄ, sᴜʀɢᴇʀʏ), ɢᴜɴ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴀʟᴄᴏʜᴏʟ ᴄᴏɴsᴜᴍᴘᴛɪᴏɴ/ɪɴᴛᴏxɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛ (ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ), ɢʀɪᴇғ, ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟs ᴏғ ᴄᴏʀᴘsᴇ/ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ/ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ (ᴏɴ-ᴘᴀɢᴇ, ɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄ), ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟs (ɪɴ ʟᴀʙ, ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟs ᴏғ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟ ᴄᴀʀᴄᴀss), ᴅʀᴜɢɢᴇᴅ-ʟɪᴋᴇ sᴛᴀᴛᴇ/ɪɴᴛᴏxɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴅʀɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟ ᴜʀɪɴᴇ

[Jess Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read my first Tal Bauer book earlier this year The Murder Between Us, and with every book I read of his I am so blown away by the depths of his characters and their stories. Ascendent shattered my soul with the start of Sasha and Sergey's story. Not once have I read a book by Tal where I have not cried at some point during the story, and this book was no different.

"Sergey was Sasha's own god, his rebirth by fire."

Sasha Andreyev grew up as nothing, someone no one ever noticed. The accolades he received for his service never made Sasha feel anymore whole until the moment he met President Sergey Puchkov. How can he let this love he has for the President be known when it is so wrong? He can't be whole with Sergey, but he can't put Sergey in anymore danger by loving him either, so Sasha runs. He is good at running, but he can never escape the love he has for Sergey because it is written on his heart and it in his bones. Overcoming his past and finding the lost part of himself that would let him love Sergey fully will take Sasha on a journey through every fear and terror he has ever faced.

President Sergey Puchkov knows what it is like to love a man like Sasha Andreyev. It is not easy, but it is worth it because after everything is said and done it isn't about the world it is about them. Sasha has always carried his fear so close to his heart that when Sasha runs away again Sergey is left wondering if he will ever return. He has a country to run but he can't do that when he might never see the only man he has ever loved again.

A darkness is coming for Sasha and Sergey and while Ascendent is much more about them finally being able to start their story together it is also a prelude as to what is to come in book two of their duet Stars. This is one of the most heartfelt stories I have ever read and not just of Tal's but all around. There were so many times through this book that I was terrified of what was to come and even though the end left us on a high note; their story is just starting and the dark forces at play will be ever present in the next book.

[nemo ☠️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Every atom of you was created in the heart of a star, Sasha. Yours and your love's, created in the same moment, of the same atom, and then scattered for a billion years. [...] You knew him once inside a star. You know him again now, on Earth. You will know him again in the future, in another form... and when you reach the end of time, your love will still be there with you. Because he is of you, and you are of him."

Not to be dramatic but I honestly think Tal Bauer might be one of the greatest living writers. I don't just mean of romance, or in the M/M genre, I mean literally one of the greatest living writers. Every single goddamn book he manages to shatter my heart and piece it back together again.

Christ.

[therese ˃ᴗ˂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★ very romantic
★ favorite part: soul cleansing
★ the writing: LOVED IT! as always I mean we are talking about Tal Bauer here
★ the couple: OMGGGGG THEY WERE SO HOT TOGETHER NOW THAT THEY GOT THEIR OWN BOOK SUDDENLY LIFE IS ALL BETTER. MORE SWEET MOMENTS AND STEAM!! pls adopt me @ sasha and sergey // also i love the sex scenes it was so pure // i love how my mind is not so scared about what's happening with the couple in the future because the drama/thrill is lesser than the previous books.
★ however, i still love that this book is more focused on their relationship than the economy/country/world. I think the author did a great job exploring this kind of plot. and the cover? it was kinda different coming from this author but i loveeeeee it! waiting for the next book and Adam and Faisal's --> I know their book is gonna be worth the wait and way way cuter and I'm expecting lots of angst!
★ lastly, i love the constellation, universe, stars, and etc references

my photobucket

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHY?

Every time I discover a great author, I start with their best book and everything else I read pales in comparison.

This is an instance of too much of a "good thing." The emotional, spiritual, intense way of writing by TB is what I enjoy, the connection between two real men. Here, maybe he's channeling the fatalism and melodrama of the Slavs, but it's just too much. Too wordy, too repetitive, and too flowery, too overblown. I skipped so much the only reason this is a 3 not a 2 is bc it was "free" on KU.

[ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours.”

This book needed stronger TWs. A rape and beating to near death of one of the MCs is very disturbing. One good thing is he gets his revenge in the best way possible.

Sasha and Sergey are star crossed lovers. This book is probably the most sex I’ve ever read in a Tal book!
Their chemistry was explosive and you wanted them to be successful in their relationship.

The aftermath of the coup has many disastrous results. Several plagues are on the loose plus the economy is crippled. Russia needs to be rebuilt in Sergey’s vision. More will be worked out in book 2. How things are left…Sasha is on his way to Houston to join the NASA program there. 6 weeks away from Sergey. Off to read the next book…

[Steph (Teacups & Tropes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4✨

I’m so happy Sasha and Sergey get their own duet. The beginning started out depressing af. Sergey is back as president and Sasha is gone, but Sergey finds him and brings him home, determined to love him. But Sasha can’t give himself to Sergey because of his soul sickness.

The journey for Sasha to get back his soul was amazing. The language used painted such a beautiful and terrifying image in my mind and I had to reread passages several times just to grasp the mental picture.

We also learn about Sasha’s background and my heart broke for him. But at the end of the book, things seem pretty HFN.

Except, you know, Sasha going to NASA, a threat of a viral agent being exposed somewhere, and the almost collapse of Russia… (I don’t trust Oleg)

I’m starting Stars tonight but GOD JUST LET THEM LOVE EACH OTHER OK?!

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sergey recupero el gobierno de su pais, pero el pais esta en ruinas, fragmentado, a punto de quebrar y la gente a punto de perder la esperanza, el solo tiene que buscar la forma de recuperar el sueño en el que dirigia a Rusia antes del Golpe de Estado. Pero esta solo, Sasha volvio a dejarlo, este dice que es por su bien, que Rusia lo necesita y que el no haria nada por sabotear ese sueño que el solo el puede lograr. Sin embargo, Sergey tambien quiere que Sasha sea feliz y por eso lo inscribio en el programa de la NASA para astronautas, que siempre ha sido el sueño de Sasha.
Cuando ambos logran reencontrarse, Sergey lo convence que le de una oportunidad a la NASA y a ellos, que hara todo lo que quiera solo si se queda a su lado.
Pero Sasha siente que se esta congelando, parte de su alma perdida, no puede amar a Sergey como este lo merece, cree que lo puede contagiar y el solo quiere amar a Sergey con todo su corazon y su alma, enfrentar sus demonios e intentar perdonarse. El problema es que solo hay una persona que lo puede ayudar y esta en lo profundo de Siberia, este shaman le dijo que su alma estaba perdida y que con su ayuda podian encontrarla y completarla nuevamente. Esto llevo a Sasha a hacer un "viaje astral" junto al shaman, y enfrentar sus miedos en el plano espiritual, pero tambien a comprometerse a enfrentarlos en el plano fisico.
Ahora Sergey y Sasha enfrentan no solo las complicaciones de llevar su relacion en secreto, sino tambien a los insurgentes de Moroshiva que todavia estan libres y cuyos planes, parecen cada vez mas siniestros.

La narrativa de este libro es un poco menos pesada, pero tambien es un libro mas corto y mas centrado en el aspecto alma-corazon-cuerpo, que en la guerra o politica, lo que lo hace una historia completamente diferente a las anteriores, pero en el mismo universo y con los personajes que quedaron mas inconclusos en la serie anterior.
En cuanto a los protas, Sasha es un personaje con el que no pude conectar, el autor no logro (para mi) reflejar el auto-odio de Sasha en forma realista, pero en el caso de Sergey, si se puede entender facilmente lo que lleva a este hombre a hacer y mantener la conviccion de superar sus retos y sus problemas, pero no como enfrenta el amor.
Asi que si, el libro nos da un cierre a estos personajes, pero siento que habia mucho mas que explotar o quizas de otra forma, para que la historia me atrapara realmente.
Tambien creo, que no es necesario leer otro libro despues de este, ya la historia esta completa, pero el autor publico un libro posterior con estos mismos personajes, asi que voy a leerlo y esperar que sea mucho mejor que este.

[VR · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is a spinoff from the Executive Office series and follows Sergey and Sasha upon their return to Russia after the world-saving events at the Artic. Sergey is still the president and Sasha is training to be an astronaut. For the first half of the book we follow them as a new couple and begin to take a deep dive into Sasha's psyche and realise just how much trauma and self-loathing he has been carrying. Sasha ends up going off on a spiritual journey of healing and self-discovery, while Sergey and his team begin to battle a bio weapon that has been released.

I'm gonna be honest - the spiritualism was not for me, it struggled to hold my attention, but it didn't last too long. That's not to say I didn't appreciate Sasha's journey and the incredible detail Tal Bauer gives the reader - this book really makes you feel. Yet it would be wrong of me to say I enjoyed learning more about Sasha because his past is extremely traumatic. But I have loved spending more time with these characters and watching them grow.

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of the Executive Office series, so when I saw that Sergey and Sasha had finally gotten their story, and a series to boot, I did a happy dance. Or at least I tried to; I'm beyond horrible at dancing. Then I wanted to read it - right away.

To kick things off I should really say that I'm not sure that this book really reads like a standalone. It builds so heavily on the original series, the characters and the plot. It picks up right after Enemy Within ended. To the point where I wanted to go back to that book and re-read the last couple of chapters to get up to speed. Besides, if you don't read the Executive Office Series, you'd miss out on Sasha and Sergey's beginning, the first meet, the build-up but also some of the pain. The things that make you connect to the characters. You already have that going into this book. You know them, know parts of their story. You are already invested in them.

Russia is in shambles after Moroshkin's coup and Sergey and a few of his loyal men are trying to rebuild, to undo the chaos that insurgents created. But the deeper they dig, the more horrors they uncover. There is great political unrest and uncertainty, and it's a delicate balance act to keep it all from crumbling.

While this was important, the main focus of this book was Sasha's recovery. Him and Sergey navigating their new relationship, and finding out what that relationship entails. All the while with Sasha struggling with the traumas of his past. I never knew that Sasha was in so much pain, or how deep his self-loathing and hatred really went. It's on every page, in every word. It's truly heart breaking. And not even the warmth of Sergey's love might be enough to melt the ice in Sasha's soul. He soon realises that the only way forward is by facing the past and going back to the beginning.

Halfway through the book, I was beginning to wonder what this book was about. Where was the suspense, the intrigue, the politics that we've come to associate with Tal Bauer's books. Up to that point it read like an ordinary romance novel. A very well written one. But it was not what I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with any of that. It's just that ordinary is not something that I’ve come to expect from this author.

But I guess that's the thing with expectations (and not reading the blurb before diving head first into a book), that's all on me. And in the end I did enjoy this book immensely. I loved following Sasha's recovery, self-discovery and acceptance. Finally letting go of the ghosts of the past, learning to love, not only Sergey but also himself.

Ascendent almost reads like and introduction, for the series to come. The main focus of the book was Sasha's recovery in different stages, setting the scene for things to come. Hints, some subtle and some not so subtle of foes and threats to come. So while Sergey and Sasha are on solid ground, the story doesn't end there, and I'm excited to see what else this series will bring.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

[Grrr 4 Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

I was so excited that there is a Sahsa & Surgey Books, and my hart was just broken for Sasha, I could feel the cold in my bones.

Gonna take break before I read the second book,, need a break and feeling for something short and M/F

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nayeli - per RFS
.
«Mi hai regalato un bel ricordo per quando sarai via.» All’improvviso, il sorriso di Sergey si spense. La paura tornò a offuscargli la vista. Inspirò a lungo. «Torna da me, Sashunya. Torna da me. Ti prego.»

Non poteva fare una promessa che non sapeva se avrebbe potuto mantenere. Almeno sopravvivrò, a questo viaggio? Senza il tuo calore mi trasformerò in ghiaccio? Mi frantumerò nel vento? Ogni mio atomo volerà via? Se una parte di me sopravvivrà, tornerà da te. Sarò il fiocco di neve tra le tue ciglia. Il vento nei tuoi capelli, la brezza che ti accarezza le guance.

«Sarò sempre con te. A ogni costo.» (Tratto dal libro)

Purtroppo mi sono accorta di questo distopico contemporaneo solo a metà delle uscite e non ho ancora recuperato gli episodi della serie precedente, Executive Office. Non so, quindi, se in essa ci siano cenni o preludi alla storia che interessa i protagonisti.

È evidente dalle prime pagine che tra Sasha e Sergey ci sia un legame già nato e che è stato ripetutamente interrotto. La paura di Sasha per qualcosa che ancora non sappiamo l’ha portato ad abbandonare Sergey più di una volta, e questi tira e molla gli hanno frantumato il cuore, oltre a sabotare la sua fiducia dei confronti dell’amante. L’autore, comunque, si premura di rievocare di tanto in tanto qualche vicenda importante, in modo da non farci perdere nessuno dei fili della trama.

Nel momento in cui il romanzo inizia, i due uomini si sono riuniti e Sergey si concede di sperare un’ultima volta. Sasha, pur essendo intimamente combattuto, riesce a farsi convincere a restare, almeno per ora.

Deglutendo, Sasha abbassò lo sguardo. Le sue mani si strinsero al bordo del comò. Sergey era il suo sole, lo era sempre stato. Forse Sasha era la sua cometa, un pezzo di ghiaccio e polvere nel cielo. Forse si stava rompendo, stava andando in frantumi, sciolto in un calore che lo avrebbe annientato. Forse Sergey l’avrebbe frantumato, spogliandolo fino all’osso di tutte le sue difese e ancora più in profondità fino a farlo diventare cellule e atomi che sfrecciavano verso il sole desiderandone sempre di più, anche se avrebbe significato una completa e totale distruzione. Avrebbe sorriso, Sasha, mentre il suo ultimo atomo bruciava? (Tratto dal libro)

Sergey è il nuovo Presidente della Russia: dopo un colpo di stato che ha destituito Putin, sta ora cercando di ripristinare l’ordine politico, economico e sociale in senso democratico, e allo stesso tempo lotta per stanare le milizie ribelli che vorrebbero ripristinare la dittatura, forse con un’organizzazione di stampo militare.

Sergey non sa niente del passato di Sasha e non capisce fino in fondo le sue paure. È chiaro che in una Russia contemporanea l’omosessualità sia ancora culturalmente un tabù, a dir poco (in un passo si lega addirittura l’identità sessuale al senso di orgoglio nazionale), ma il comportamento dell’amante è eccessivo anche per questo. Sasha è terrorizzato dall’ammettere di essere omosessuale e teme che la sua vicinanza metta Sergey in pericolo. Senza riuscire a tranquillizzarlo, il neo-Presidente vive il loro riavvicinamento nel timore di svegliarsi per l’ennesima volta da solo.

«Tornerai a casa ogni sei settimane? Dopo ogni modulo, quando avrai le pause? Sei settimane là, due a casa, qui, a Mosca?» Deglutì. «Con me? Tornerai a casa da me?» L’espressione di Sasha si frantumò. Si aggrappò a Sergey come se stesse cadendo, come se fosse la sua àncora. «Sono sempre tornato.» (Tratto dal libro)

Tutt’altro che un romanzo d’azione e thrilling, lo stile è introspettivo, poetico, evocativo (talvolta ho immaginato che rimandasse addirittura a delle fiabe tristi di ispirazione russa) e si basa sulla solidità dei personaggi, sul peso delle loro emozioni e su caratterizzazioni molto potenti, in particolare quella di Sasha. I toni narrativi sono molto teneri e sottolineano l’amore che i due uomini provano l’uno per l’altro; il desiderio di vicinanza trapela da piccoli gesti molto intimi, da sguardi, sfioramenti. È tutto molto romantico.

Pur essendoci una trama poliziesca-politica, centrali sono la relazione tra i due uomini e i sentimenti: affetto, tenerezza, amore, la loro voglia di stare insieme ma anche la paura di essere abbandonati e la conflittualità che porta Sasha quasi alla follia.

Le grandi mani di Sergey gli scivolarono tra i capelli, inclinandogli la testa all’indietro. Con i pollici, massaggiò le tempie di Sasha, spargendo scie di lacrime lungo i lati del suo viso. Quand’è che aveva iniziato a piangere?

«Permettimi di fare l’amore in questo modo.» I sussurri di Sergey erano seguiti da baci che si posavano sul viso di Sasha come fiocchi di neve. (Tratto dal libro)

A queste fortissime, intense emozioni vengono poi affiancati ricordi sulla storia passata dei due uomini che affondano a piene mani in un terreno molto intrigante e inusuale: la Russia contemporanea, uno spazio geograficamente sconfinato e tremendamente disomogeneo, con classi sociali che vanno dagli oligarchi dei diamanti alle tribù nomadi della Siberia. In questo spaccato emergono piccole curiosità e sprazzi di vita quotidiana, lasciando filtrare una cultura molto diversa da quella a cui siamo abituati (tendenzialmente americo-centrica), dai sentimenti di orgoglio nazionale alla frustrazione, rassegnazione, durezza e freddezza di un popolo che condivide la consapevolezza che una storia russa finisca sempre male, a differenza di quelle americane che si basano sul “sogno” che diventa realtà.

Un’ambientazione, insomma, non invadente ma sufficiente a dare respiro, solidità e credibilità a una storia dalle connotazioni esotiche, evitando gli stereotipi.

Gli abbassò i pantaloni. Sergey li calciò via e allargò le gambe. Un’ultima occhiata penetrante, una domanda riflessa nelle sue iridi blu.

Mi amerai ancora dopo che l’avrò fatto? Non sarò disgustoso ai tuoi occhi?

Per un istante, Sergey odiò il loro paese. La Russia aveva infuso quel terrore fino all’anima di Sasha. La Russia aveva nutrito con spietatezza quell’odio che provava verso se stesso tanto che Sasha non riusciva nemmeno a fidarsi del loro amore. (Tratto dal libro)

Poi c’è la grandiosità della visione politica introdotta dalla opportunità di sognare in grande: quanti cambiamenti vorremmo, potremmo e sapremmo portare, se ci trovassimo al posto di Sergey? Non saprei seriamente da dove partire, se potessi mettere le mani dove voglio e avessi carta bianca. Certamente i diritti sociali sono una priorità, ma quanto questa può restare in cima alla lista, se il presidente viene isolato dalle altre nazioni alleate e si trova di fronte a una catastrofe economica e conseguente crisi alimentare, commerciale e quindi sociale? Il rischio di una guerra civile si affianca a quello del terrorismo interno per le formazioni para-militari che si stanno riorganizzando dopo il colpo di stato.

Deve affrontare problemi enormi con poche risorse, molte pressioni e senza sostegno internazionale né interno. Gli servono solo più tempo e più soldi per riuscire ad avere l’opportunità di lasciare un segno.

Questi sono alcuni degli aspetti più intriganti del romanzo, una bellissima ciliegina socio-politica su una trama tenerissima che posa su un substrato distopico.

La storia della Russia era un nastro di Möbius, un ciclo ripetitivo di potenza e conquista, di arroganza e tracotanza. Se avesse accettato quei piani, se avesse iniziato a ficcare il naso in Finlandia, o giocare a farsi la guerra con la Bielorussia, se avesse deciso di radunare di nuovo le sue forze nel Caucaso, avrebbe incontrato lo stesso futuro che la storia aveva riservato a Putin. Isolamento globale. Un pubblico insoddisfatto, devastato dall’inflazione e dalla paranoia, un’accesa sfiducia nel mondo. L’unica soluzione? Più nazionalismo, più orgoglio. Altre piccole invasioni. Più conflitto.

Sergey non voleva essere un “presidente di guerra”. (Tratto dal libro)

Ma il perno attorno a cui tutto ruota in questo romanzo è Sasha.

Ex pilota di Mig, ha tradito i suoi compagni d’ala per sostenere la vittoria di Sergey e in queste pagine vive una crisi di identità sempre più intensa e dolorosa.

I traumi di Sasha sono legati alla sua identità sessuale. Crescendo, per proteggersi, ha ucciso, nascosto, negato, racchiuso, abbandonato una parte di sé e questo gli impedisce di esprimere il suo amore per Sergey, per quanto lo desideri. Questo suo conflitto interiore viene esternato come un morbo che sta uccidendo lentamente la sua anima, un male quasi fisico che si esprime con un senso di gelo che si sta diffondendo dentro di lui. La vicinanza con Sergey può riscaldarlo, sciogliere questo ghiaccio, ma è consapevole che questo lo ucciderà, esattamente come accade a un fiocco di neve posto accanto al fuoco.

Sasha decide quindi di intraprendere un viaggio spirituale presso uno sciamano per ritrovare la sua anima e riscoprire la parte della sua identità che aveva mandato a morire. Lì vive un’esperienza mistica e surreale, una sorta di trance psichedelica che lo traspone in un mondo alternativo e parallelo. La narrazione si fa sempre più astratta e allegorica, l’ho trovata una perla pregiata e deliziosa.

Sasha appoggiò il mento alla spalla di Sergey. «Per anni ho creduto di dover eliminare tutto ciò che odiavo di me. Che se mi fossi liberato dell’essere gay, sarei stato felice. Sarei stato un uomo migliore.»

Le mani di Sergey si strinsero attorno alle sue braccia, una stretta dolorosa. «Ora so che tutto ciò di cui avevo veramente bisogno… eri tu.» Sfiorò la guancia di Sergey con il naso, gli baciò l’orecchio. I capelli. «Avevo bisogno di essere accettato. Della fede che hai riposto in me. Dell’autostima che mi hai fatto scoprire.» Gli baciò il collo, il battito pulsante. «M’innamoro di te ogni singolo giorno, Seryozha. Ho provato a combattere questo sentimento, ma l’unico modo per vivere è accettare questo amore.» (Tratto dal libro)

[aria ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

They were two ships passing in the night, two stars winking at each other from opposite horizons. He was setting. Sasha was ascendent.

This series has been sitting on my shelf for months. I added it because it’s Tal Bauer but I had no idea what it was about. Imagine my surprise when I read the synopsis and realised it followed Sasha and Sergey from the Executive Office series. I hope Adam and Faisal have their own book as well.

Picking up from the end of Enemy Within, we follow Russian President Sergey Puchkov and Russian soldier Sasha Andreyev. I would recommend reading the Executive Office series before this. Not only because this is the spinoff series but their relationship does start in the first series.

Sasha has known all his life that he’s gay but living in very homophobic Russia and being brutalized by his friends and wingmates when they found out, has made him fold into himself. He finds himself disgusting and broken, and this hurts his relationship with Sergey. Sergey is the future of Russia and if he were to stay with him, the risk of discovery could ruin it all. The public is fickle and is quick to change. Sasha doesn’t want to bring Sergey down, so he runs and when Sergey finds him, he runs again.

All Sergey’s life, everywhere he’d been, he’d heard the same insults and degradations. He thought he’d been—foolishly—immune to them, to their pain. He wasn’t one of those men. He could brush off the hate since it wasn’t targeted at him.

What a fucking fool he’d been. Every insult he’d ever heard, every word he’d ever ignored, was carved indelibly into Sasha’s soul.

Sergey is tired. His country is struggling to survive after the brutal civil war, a hundred thousand rebel soldiers have disappeared, there’s a break-in in a lab hosting deadly diseases and Sasha, his love, keeps running away. He can’t contact his friend Jack, with him and Ethan having disappeared after the recent events. (Come on Jack, call your bestie). Sasha does come back and Sergey is desperate to make him stay but he doesn’t want to suffocate him. So he helps him get into NASA.

Their relationship was so hard to read about, especially with Sasha’s deep self hatred and insecurities. The book was short and quick to read and delves deep into Russia’s culture and folklore. I love how much research Tal Bauer puts into his books. He strives to have as close as accurate representation of his character’s culture and I love it.

You knew him once inside a star. You know him again now, on Earth. You will know him again in the future, in another form. Your love is imprinted on this universe, in all its intricacies, all its perfections, its imperfections, all the ways it twists and turns. And when you reach the end of time, your love will still be there with you. Because he is of you, and you are of him. And you will always be you.

[Mirjam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of a depressing read... jeez, how much self-hatred can someone harbour!!

While I was enjoying great weather in my garden, swaying in my hammock, I felt so cold reading this.





My heart broke for Sasha, so many times but was glad he went back to see Kilaqqi.

While missing and waiting for Sasha, the horrifics happening in Russia, Sergey has an awfull lot to deal with. And I still do not know what to think of Ilya Ivchenko, is he one of the good guys? Or is he .......?

This was a bit out of my comfort zone, so not what I would expect from Tal Bauer. Evenzo, I'm intrigued enough to read book 2, maybe not now, but one day soon I will.







Part of the Executive Power Series and must be read in order:


This series is a spin-off from The Executive Office Series and must be read after these:

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

While Ascendent is listed as book one in Tal Bauer’s Executive Power series, it is directly related to the Executive Office series and picks up directly after the events of Enemy Within, the final book in that series. Enemy Within was a truly amazing book and finished off the long-standing story of Ethan and Jack. Sergey, as well as Sasha, were prominent figures in the entire series, with Sasha having a true focal point in that third book. None of the books work as standalones and it’s a powerful and well written series.

Ascendent is Sasha’s story. Because Sergey is linked to Sasha, it is also his story as well, but Sergey is back in power and is sure of his feelings and what he wants. Sergey sums up the entire book in one sentence when he thinks that, “He was setting. Sasha was ascendent.” Sasha was the hero fighter pilot in the last book and he was willing to give his life for Russia, for the world, and for Sergey. It seems that nothing can hold Sasha down; from his traumatic upbringing to equally traumatic time in the army, Sasha seems to get stronger and stronger. Yet, Sasha loathes the part of himself that is gay and that has everything to do with people trying to beat it out of him. Sasha has tried to shed the parts of himself he feels will only cause him further pain and he is soul sick.

Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha and Sergey find peace together!

In a fifteen year jump to our future, Russia’s President Sergey Puchkov is governing, and devoted warrior, Sasha Andreyev, a hero of Russia are both in distress. We met
these memorable characters in Enemy of My Enemy in Tal Bauer’s “State” series. We have seen unforgettable men, dynamic tales, gripping action, and scorching sexiness.
It’s got history, sadness, dedication, brutality, and warmth.
Sasha knew what it was like to be left for dead because he was gay. He never wants that to happen to his Sergey. Sasha wants to be an astronaut and hopefully stand at Sergey’s side someday.
Tal’s lyrical language and descriptions make this tale beautiful, even in its harshness. We see Sergey’s confidence and Sasha’s struggles. Sasha has deep thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares and he seeks help. He needs to be worthy of Sergey’s love, because in his mind, he’s not. So, Sasha works hard, studies and prepares for NASA. He has therapy, workouts and more, until he realizes he must journey to the tundra. He seeks Kilaqqi, a shaman, who helps him with a “spirit journey” to find his peace. Sergey has discoveries of his own.
This tale can stand alone, but it also fits well in this fantastic series.
I highly recommend it. Enjoy !

======

[1000storie1000vite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normalmente Tal Bauer lo leggo tutto di un fiato, rimanendo in apnea per la maggior parte del libro.
Normalmente Tal Bauer mi avvince con la tensione crescente delle sue storie, con gli incastri perfettamente articolati delle sue trame e con la caratterizzazione appassionante dei suoi protagonisti.
Normalmente, ma in Ascensione tutto è molto distante dalla normalità che conoscevo di questo autore. Così, questa volta, sono rimasta rapita e soggiogata da aspetti differenti e da sfumature sconosciute.
In questo romanzo la parte del leone la fa l'approfondimento psicologico di Sergey e Sasha, la meravigliosa, sofferta e totalizzante immersione nell'animo di Sasha, la toccante e intima introspezione di due figure magnifiche, già amate della serie "The execurive Office" , ma che qui fanno cadere tutti i veli, tutti i muri che erano eretti e si mostrano nella loro polimorfa umanità.
Questo romanzo è un viaggio spirituale per la ricostruzione dell'anima dilaniata e amputata di Sasha, un cammino alla ricerca di sé, della capacità di accettarsi e di ricostruire in un unicum tutti i pezzi frammentati della propria essenza. É un pellegrinaggio struggente, difficile, irto di ostacoli, insidiato dalla paura ma illuminato dalla consapevolezza dell'intensità e della ricchezza di un amore totalizzante, che non può conoscere barriere. L'ho percorso tutto come fossi senza pelle, sentendo le emozioni di Sasha come mie; per questo le ho dovute diluire nel tempo, per questo ogni tanto mi fermavo, per interiorizzare, per placare i moti del mio spirito in subbuglio.
Ma Ascensione, ancora una volta, non è solo Sasha. In questo romanzo c'è anche Sergey e con lui il racconto si tinge di altri colori e di una concretezza vivida, perché lui è forza volitiva e dirompente, è una mente aperta e sognatrice, che immagina la realtà che vorrebbe e che poi combatte per renderla vera. Perché lui è lo spirito indomito della Russia. Attraverso la sua figura l'autore fa un'analisi commovente, filosofica e concreta allo stesso tempo, di cosa voglia dire essere parte del popolo russo. In lui ho risentito la tonante eco delle parole di Tolstoj, ho rivissuto il dolore la malinconia di Dostoevskij. Con lui mi sono innamorata nuovamente del passionale e travolgente spirito russo che ho conosciuto attraverso la lettura dei classici. Attraverso la figura di Sergey, Bauer fa una ricostruzione avvincente degli avvenimenti russi degli ultimi trent'anni e mi ha incantata con la sua competenza e la sua capacità di approfondimento.
Ancora, comunque, Ascensione non è solo questo. C'è il germe di una storia di nemici vecchi, non sconfitti, che si trasformano e tramano, di una minaccia devastante che lavora nell'ombra, di un futuro capitolo che so già mi toglierà il fiato.
Il romanzo ha un ritmo ipnotico ed ammaliante, da cui sono stata trasportata via ogni volta che prendevo la lettura in mano. Lo stile è avvolgente, intimo, ricco di elementi e di descrizione uniche.
Sapete, potrei parlare per ore di questo libro, di cosa mi abbia fatto provare, di cosa abbia significato per me leggerlo, ma mi fermo qui. Le mie parole sono niente rispetto a quello che possono fare quelle dell'autore. Quindi, solo un consiglio: leggetelo, vivetelo, amatelo.
Hugs&kisses

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooof my emotions! This one was a real tearjerker and had a very different vibe to the Executive Office series that it follows on from (seriously, read that series first because this duology will not make sense on it’s own!). It follows on from the Executive Office and focusses on Sasha and Sergey, and oh my gosh my heart absolutely bled for sweet, broken, destroyed Sasha.

He’s trying to fit into Sergey’s world in whatever way he can, but he’s suffering from severe PTSD after his attack and rape in Andreapol at the hands of his former military squadron as well as the hell he went through at the end of Enemy Within. This book relies heavily on Slavic/Russian folklore - Sasha is heartsick, having ‘cut out a piece of his soul’ trying to escape being gay. This manifests in the book as him feeling like he is freezing over and dying from exposure. Desperate to be a man worthy of Sergey’s love (in his mind) he sets off to find the shaman Kiliqqi to help heal him.

Meanwhile, Sergey is dealing with a missing biological weapon and the terrifying prospect of an uprising from the former president, as well as the impending financial collapse of Russia. He is desperately trying to heal his country whilst also worrying about Sasha’s increasing fears and mental unrest.

This book was much more lyrical than anything I’ve read from Tal before (although definitely had ‘Hell and Gone’ vibes) and I absolutely loved the healing journey that Sasha went on and Sergey’s absolute devotion and faith in him the whole time.

I am so excited for Stars (jumping in right now!) and cannot wait to see Sergey and Sasha save the world (again!)