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New Amsterdam #3
The White City
For centuries, the White City has graced the banks of the Moskva River. But in the early years of a twentieth century not quite analogous to our own, a creature even more ancient than Moscow's fortress heart has entered its medieval walls.
In the wake of political success and personal loss, the immortal detective Don Sebastien de Ulloa has come to Moscow to choose his path amid the embers of war between England and her American colonies. Accompanied by his court--the forensic sorcerer Lady Abigail Irene and the authoress Phoebe Smith--he seeks nothing but healing and rest.
But Moscow is both jeweled and corrupt, and when you are old there is no place free of ghosts, and Sebastien is far from the most ancient thing in Russia...
In the wake of political success and personal loss, the immortal detective Don Sebastien de Ulloa has come to Moscow to choose his path amid the embers of war between England and her American colonies. Accompanied by his court--the forensic sorcerer Lady Abigail Irene and the authoress Phoebe Smith--he seeks nothing but healing and rest.
But Moscow is both jeweled and corrupt, and when you are old there is no place free of ghosts, and Sebastien is far from the most ancient thing in Russia...
182 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 2010
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389 people want to read
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Elizabeth Bear
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
October 9, 2012
Rating: 4* of five
The Book Description: For centuries, the White City has graced the banks of the Moskva River. But in the early years of a twentieth century not quite analogous to our own, a creature even more ancient than Moscow’s fortress heart has entered its medieval walls.
In the wake of political success and personal loss, the immortal detective Don Sebastien de Ulloa has come to Moscow to choose his path amid the embers of war between England and her American colonies. Accompanied by his court—the forensic sorcerer Lady Abigail Irene and the authoress Phoebe Smith—he seeks nothing but healing and rest.
But Moscow is both jeweled and corrupt, and when you are old there is no place free of ghosts, and Sebastien is far from the most ancient thing in Russia....
My Review: Longer is not, in my world, automatically better. In this case, however, it makes me quite happy to have more to work with, more to savor, more to carefully and slowly bring into my aching-with-desire storyplace.
Oh my, I think I need to get laid.
Well, never mind all that, this almost-novel (nigh on 200pp!) is another enjoyable installment in Bear's wampyr-alternative-history series begun with New Amsterdam. It's set after the first story collection, and tells alternating yet connected tales of Sebastien de Ulloa's adventures in the Moscow of 1897 and 1903. I suspect, in fact, that it's actually two oversized short stories that were asked to marry by their progenitor. In alternating chapters, Bear shows us Sebastien alone with Jack, his dead love, and then with his court, the two women who loved Jack with him, Abby Irene and Phoebe, as they pursue a very oddly similar set of killings connected to a wampyr older than Sebastian's thousand-plus years.
The alternative Moscow is alternative even to Bear's built world. In this Russia, the tsaritsa, a practicing sorceress, was rebelled against and assassinated in the 18th century, so sorcery is Frowned Upon. This makes forensic sorceress Abby Irene surprisingly unfree to use her skills to solve the 1903 crime she's charged with assisting to investigate. In the end, of course, all comes out on the side of Justice.
But isn't it surprising how often justice and happiness are mutually exclusive?
I keep reading these books, despite so many warning signs of tropes I dislike intensely, because I am both moved and oddly comforted by Justice (even absent happiness). I am also, in these stories, treated to a profoundly unnerving and instructive experience of alienness. Sebastien is over a thousand years old. He lives on human blood. He is Other in Capital Letters. And I feel, on a gut level, that Otherness. It's quite a trick that Bear pulls. She's as human as I am, and a good deal younger than me, too. (Bitch.) Somehow her imagination has led her into such a dark and isolated part of the woods that she can make me, a not-inexperienced reader, fully buy in to her creation of this wildly different being, Don Sebastien.
And in this story, millennium-old Sebastien meets his future in an even more ancient wampyr called Starkad. How odd for one used to being the oldest thing in the room to meet someone who views one in the same light as humans view kittens. It adds another level to a character whose agelessness could become changelessness and therefore stasis...death in series fiction.
Bear, to my complete lack of surprise, is up to the challenge of layering even the most difficult characters. I hope you'll work these books onto your TBR lists. It's like giving yourself a pearl necklace...a sign you've decided to take yourself seriously as a grown-up.
The Book Description: For centuries, the White City has graced the banks of the Moskva River. But in the early years of a twentieth century not quite analogous to our own, a creature even more ancient than Moscow’s fortress heart has entered its medieval walls.
In the wake of political success and personal loss, the immortal detective Don Sebastien de Ulloa has come to Moscow to choose his path amid the embers of war between England and her American colonies. Accompanied by his court—the forensic sorcerer Lady Abigail Irene and the authoress Phoebe Smith—he seeks nothing but healing and rest.
But Moscow is both jeweled and corrupt, and when you are old there is no place free of ghosts, and Sebastien is far from the most ancient thing in Russia....
My Review: Longer is not, in my world, automatically better. In this case, however, it makes me quite happy to have more to work with, more to savor, more to carefully and slowly bring into my aching-with-desire storyplace.
Oh my, I think I need to get laid.
Well, never mind all that, this almost-novel (nigh on 200pp!) is another enjoyable installment in Bear's wampyr-alternative-history series begun with New Amsterdam. It's set after the first story collection, and tells alternating yet connected tales of Sebastien de Ulloa's adventures in the Moscow of 1897 and 1903. I suspect, in fact, that it's actually two oversized short stories that were asked to marry by their progenitor. In alternating chapters, Bear shows us Sebastien alone with Jack, his dead love, and then with his court, the two women who loved Jack with him, Abby Irene and Phoebe, as they pursue a very oddly similar set of killings connected to a wampyr older than Sebastian's thousand-plus years.
The alternative Moscow is alternative even to Bear's built world. In this Russia, the tsaritsa, a practicing sorceress, was rebelled against and assassinated in the 18th century, so sorcery is Frowned Upon. This makes forensic sorceress Abby Irene surprisingly unfree to use her skills to solve the 1903 crime she's charged with assisting to investigate. In the end, of course, all comes out on the side of Justice.
But isn't it surprising how often justice and happiness are mutually exclusive?
I keep reading these books, despite so many warning signs of tropes I dislike intensely, because I am both moved and oddly comforted by Justice (even absent happiness). I am also, in these stories, treated to a profoundly unnerving and instructive experience of alienness. Sebastien is over a thousand years old. He lives on human blood. He is Other in Capital Letters. And I feel, on a gut level, that Otherness. It's quite a trick that Bear pulls. She's as human as I am, and a good deal younger than me, too. (Bitch.) Somehow her imagination has led her into such a dark and isolated part of the woods that she can make me, a not-inexperienced reader, fully buy in to her creation of this wildly different being, Don Sebastien.
And in this story, millennium-old Sebastien meets his future in an even more ancient wampyr called Starkad. How odd for one used to being the oldest thing in the room to meet someone who views one in the same light as humans view kittens. It adds another level to a character whose agelessness could become changelessness and therefore stasis...death in series fiction.
Bear, to my complete lack of surprise, is up to the challenge of layering even the most difficult characters. I hope you'll work these books onto your TBR lists. It's like giving yourself a pearl necklace...a sign you've decided to take yourself seriously as a grown-up.
March 6, 2011
Warning! This is a review containing spoilers! Not just for this book, but also MASSIVE spoilers for New Amsterdam (and maybe Seven for a Secret, too.)
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I really didn't want to give this book five stars. I have hard feelings against the author because of the way she killed Jack in New Amsterdam. He was my favorite character in the book. While I understand the things she has publicly stated about her intentions regarding the book, and regarding Sebastien's character arc and the supposed necessity of Jack's death, I was always more interested in Jack than in Sebastien, and as a reader, I felt cheated by the way Jack died. I could rant for quite some time about it, frankly, but this isn't the place. I mention it primarily because I want to say:
I read these books despite myself, because Bear's prose style and methods of characterization have always appealed to me, and I quite like the characters, particularly Jack, when we get to see him, but the others too. But since Jack's death, I've read this series and felt a sort of reluctant tension, like I'm reading with a chip on my shoulder. Not intentionally, I assure you, but it's there. And so I was surprised to finish this book in nearly a single sitting and discover that, though I haven't forgiven Bear for killing Jack, I can't bring myself to give this book anything but five stars. I loved it a lot, and it did a lot of the things that Bear professed to be trying to do in New Amsterdam (re Sebastien's character arc and the passing of time as an immortal and all that it means to see your loved ones die before you) and did them better, in ways that worked for me and made more sense to me, and didn't rip my heart out and stomp on it the way New Amsterdam did. So. Five stars it is, because the book deserves them. (But Ebear, I still don't forgive you for killing Jack.)
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I really didn't want to give this book five stars. I have hard feelings against the author because of the way she killed Jack in New Amsterdam. He was my favorite character in the book. While I understand the things she has publicly stated about her intentions regarding the book, and regarding Sebastien's character arc and the supposed necessity of Jack's death, I was always more interested in Jack than in Sebastien, and as a reader, I felt cheated by the way Jack died. I could rant for quite some time about it, frankly, but this isn't the place. I mention it primarily because I want to say:
I read these books despite myself, because Bear's prose style and methods of characterization have always appealed to me, and I quite like the characters, particularly Jack, when we get to see him, but the others too. But since Jack's death, I've read this series and felt a sort of reluctant tension, like I'm reading with a chip on my shoulder. Not intentionally, I assure you, but it's there. And so I was surprised to finish this book in nearly a single sitting and discover that, though I haven't forgiven Bear for killing Jack, I can't bring myself to give this book anything but five stars. I loved it a lot, and it did a lot of the things that Bear professed to be trying to do in New Amsterdam (re Sebastien's character arc and the passing of time as an immortal and all that it means to see your loved ones die before you) and did them better, in ways that worked for me and made more sense to me, and didn't rip my heart out and stomp on it the way New Amsterdam did. So. Five stars it is, because the book deserves them. (But Ebear, I still don't forgive you for killing Jack.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
"The White City" is the third book in the New Amsterdam series, but chronologically it takes place before the events of the second book, "Seven for a Secret." This is my favorite of the series so far, so I hope that the books keep getting better - there's one more book to go, and then a collection of short stories, I believe.
The White City here is Moscow, and the plot revolves around a murder mystery set in two different times, when Jack and Sebastian travel to Moscow in 1897, and again six years later after , and Sebastian and his friends the forensic sorceress Abigail Irene and the author Phoebe Smith have returned to the city. The plot follows the two different times concurrently, and they come together at the end in a satisfying conclusion.
Very well done.
The White City here is Moscow, and the plot revolves around a murder mystery set in two different times, when Jack and Sebastian travel to Moscow in 1897, and again six years later after , and Sebastian and his friends the forensic sorceress Abigail Irene and the author Phoebe Smith have returned to the city. The plot follows the two different times concurrently, and they come together at the end in a satisfying conclusion.
Very well done.
July 14, 2022
Not flawless but a fun read, hard to tear myself away from, with some deep feelings elicited.
October 2, 2012
I love the cover for The White City (December 31, 2010). This was the first of the three stories in the New Amsterdam series that I purchased because it called to me. I read the series in chronological order of events and read this book after I finished New Amsterdam. The series really flows better that way in my opinion.
The White City is set in Moscow and believe me the setting is gorgeous! After the events that chased Sebastien and his court from New Amsterdam and the terrible loss experienced in Paris, he decides to move on to Moscow to bring an old acquaintance some sad news. Instead what he finds when he arrives at Irina Stephanova's studio is a murder. Soon, Sebastien, Abby Irene and Phoebe are embroiled in a crime investigation. But quickly Sebastien realizes that this murder is somehow connected to another murder that took place the last time he and Jack were in Moscow, a murder that also involved Irina Stephanova.
I loved New Amsterdam, but this has to be my favorite of the three books. It features two parallel mystery murder investigations and/or stories, one led by Jack and Sebastien, and the other by Sebastien and Abby Irene, both beautifully worked and weaved into one by the end. The characters, setting and atmosphere in this story are rich and well.. gorgeous. I loved the mood, the revelations that came from and about all the characters, and particularly about the wampier culture. The White City made me want more stories about Don Sebastien de Ulloa and more of Elizabeth Bear's writing. Highly recommended.
The White City is set in Moscow and believe me the setting is gorgeous! After the events that chased Sebastien and his court from New Amsterdam and the terrible loss experienced in Paris, he decides to move on to Moscow to bring an old acquaintance some sad news. Instead what he finds when he arrives at Irina Stephanova's studio is a murder. Soon, Sebastien, Abby Irene and Phoebe are embroiled in a crime investigation. But quickly Sebastien realizes that this murder is somehow connected to another murder that took place the last time he and Jack were in Moscow, a murder that also involved Irina Stephanova.
I loved New Amsterdam, but this has to be my favorite of the three books. It features two parallel mystery murder investigations and/or stories, one led by Jack and Sebastien, and the other by Sebastien and Abby Irene, both beautifully worked and weaved into one by the end. The characters, setting and atmosphere in this story are rich and well.. gorgeous. I loved the mood, the revelations that came from and about all the characters, and particularly about the wampier culture. The White City made me want more stories about Don Sebastien de Ulloa and more of Elizabeth Bear's writing. Highly recommended.
November 20, 2025
How can an icy cold liason between the undead lead to such steam? Sebastien met his match in a climax on many levels, rising out of the resolution of twin mysteries at different times in the White City. One involved Jack Priest, offering Jack’s perspective, when he came with Sebastien to the White City, only to be entangled with artists and revolutionaries, while longing for the kiss of a wampyr. The second was with Abby Irene and Phoebe, the former enjoying putting her sorcerous skills to work again, hunting down a killer. Sebastien linked both times, although Jack brought the day to both of them in more than one sense. The courts of blood made their presence felt amidst the art and revolution, tantalizing the human and cultural interaction with their shadow.
I didn’t want this book to end. Sebastien always leaves me greedy for more, but this particular novel’s excellence stood out in an excellent series.
I didn’t want this book to end. Sebastien always leaves me greedy for more, but this particular novel’s excellence stood out in an excellent series.
November 19, 2023
Loss and grief. So it must be Elizabeth Bear.
I am so delighted that she managed to give us another story about Jack. And I hope we get to meet Starkad again.
I am so delighted that she managed to give us another story about Jack. And I hope we get to meet Starkad again.
January 16, 2021
I picked this one up on spec at the local library, having discovered from the short fiction book of Bear's I read last year that I like their writing style. It was marked horror, but it isn't really. It is an almost cosy murder mystery that just happen to have vampires in (although, spelled 'wampyr'). What I didn't realise was that it is book 3 of a series. Fortunately, the book is well enough written that that was not an impediment to my enjoyment.
Set in Moscow at the turn of the 20th Century, the chapters alternate between two visits by our protagonists, roughly six years apart. There is a fascinating duality to these two stories, which coalesce beautifully. The viewpoint characters are fascinating, the world building (and evocation of setting) beautiful, the writing polished, and the plot beats along beautifully. Well recommended.
Set in Moscow at the turn of the 20th Century, the chapters alternate between two visits by our protagonists, roughly six years apart. There is a fascinating duality to these two stories, which coalesce beautifully. The viewpoint characters are fascinating, the world building (and evocation of setting) beautiful, the writing polished, and the plot beats along beautifully. Well recommended.
November 23, 2017
I will read this again in a week or so. I feel like I'm missing something. Also, I didn't know it was part of a series, that may explain some my confusion. I really enjoyed the setting - turn of the century Russia. And one of the reasons I keep returning to her books is for her characters, their complex relationships and motivations aren't easily defined, and I like that!
January 9, 2018
short read - not my type. I'll not be back to read the previous books in the series.
September 13, 2018
I love this book
My only complaint was that it wasn’t longer.
Poly Russian vampires?
Why only 189 pages?
My only complaint was that it wasn’t longer.
Poly Russian vampires?
Why only 189 pages?
March 3, 2011
This is the third book published in Bear's New Amsterdam series; it is the second in chronological order; and while it's helpful to have the background from the previous books, it isn't strictly necessary. Like Dorothy Sayers' Peter Wimsey novels, the characters grow over the course of the series, but each book has a stand-alone mystery that is the focus of its primary plot. Also like the Wimsey novels, the mysteries are completely fair and not terribly twisty, but they aren't the reason I can picture myself reading and rereading and rereading them over again.
No, the reason I can read both Sayers' detective series and Bear's detective series over and over again is twofold: first, they both feature complex main characters (plural, not just the lead detective) that I ache for; second, they both give me tantalizing glimpses of very complex worlds. In Bear's case, it's a paranormal steampunk world, where forensic sorcerors are turn-of-the-20th century CSIs and vampires are marginal members of most societies (but outlawed entirely in the American colonies). It's also a world where blissfully happy endings may exist. . . but they happen to other people.
On her livejournal, Bear said something, somewhere (my google-fu is weak today) about not being interested in the explosions (in other words, the what) but instead being mostly interested, as a writer, in the moment of choice (in other words, the why). It was an apt summation of this novella, and of all the others in this series. There is a mystery -- two, actually, in two separate timelines that come together at the end -- but the book (and this reader) is not primarily concerned with solving it, because there's really only only one possible suspect, and means & motive are crystal-clear. What this book is concerned with is the seemingly central (yet sadly underexplored) question of existence as a vampire (or any other immortal): how do you choose to keep living, when everything and everyone you love is constantly leaving you behind?
Appropriately, this novella shows two very different coping mechanisms, and implies that there are as many more as there are immortals.
Many of Bear's stories are about aging; it's one of the things I respond to in her writing. I was more affected by the way she handled it in the last New Amsterdam novella, Seven for a Secret; but that may just be because I care far more for Abby Irene than for Jack Priest, rather than being any indication of the relative quality of the works. Still, I can't quite recommend this one quite as unreservedly; I think the original collection of New Amsterdam stories (titled, obviously, New Amsterdam) is the best entry point to this world, and this novella is a further exploration aimed more at long-time fans.
No, the reason I can read both Sayers' detective series and Bear's detective series over and over again is twofold: first, they both feature complex main characters (plural, not just the lead detective) that I ache for; second, they both give me tantalizing glimpses of very complex worlds. In Bear's case, it's a paranormal steampunk world, where forensic sorcerors are turn-of-the-20th century CSIs and vampires are marginal members of most societies (but outlawed entirely in the American colonies). It's also a world where blissfully happy endings may exist. . . but they happen to other people.
On her livejournal, Bear said something, somewhere (my google-fu is weak today) about not being interested in the explosions (in other words, the what) but instead being mostly interested, as a writer, in the moment of choice (in other words, the why). It was an apt summation of this novella, and of all the others in this series. There is a mystery -- two, actually, in two separate timelines that come together at the end -- but the book (and this reader) is not primarily concerned with solving it, because there's really only only one possible suspect, and means & motive are crystal-clear. What this book is concerned with is the seemingly central (yet sadly underexplored) question of existence as a vampire (or any other immortal): how do you choose to keep living, when everything and everyone you love is constantly leaving you behind?
Appropriately, this novella shows two very different coping mechanisms, and implies that there are as many more as there are immortals.
Many of Bear's stories are about aging; it's one of the things I respond to in her writing. I was more affected by the way she handled it in the last New Amsterdam novella, Seven for a Secret; but that may just be because I care far more for Abby Irene than for Jack Priest, rather than being any indication of the relative quality of the works. Still, I can't quite recommend this one quite as unreservedly; I think the original collection of New Amsterdam stories (titled, obviously, New Amsterdam) is the best entry point to this world, and this novella is a further exploration aimed more at long-time fans.
October 10, 2011
(originally reviewed on starmetal oak book blog)
This novella takes place in Bear's New Amsterdam world. I haven't read this author or that collection yet, so this is doubly new to me. This is published after New Amsterdam, and although I didn't find it confusing, it might be better to read its predecessor first.
Bear has created a unique and intriguing world, taking place at the turn of the 20th century. In this world, there exist vampires, one of which is Don Sebastien de Ulloa. Each vampire has a court where mortals are chosen to become companions to these vampires. Members of the court wear rings that contain a signature gem of the vampire to show their allegiance. This society is lightly touched on, probably more has been revealed in the previous collection, New Amsterdam. I would have liked to have seen more about this world and how it works.
Primarily, this novella is about a mystery. The story is divided into two times, 1897 and 1903, and two murders that are somehow connected. The mystery aspect of this story is very prominent, giving room for little else. I thought the mystery was good and kept me turning the page, however, there was no mind-blowing reveal that I had hoped for. I felt like it flowed nicely but there was never any intensity or sense of danger for any of the characters.
What was the most enjoyable about The White City was the setting: Moscow. Bear deftly created an animated and lively setting, poised for revolution. Another was the character Doctor Abigail Irene Garrett, the forensic sorcerer. She uses her mystical abilities to discover evidence of a crime, such as scanning the aura of an object to see who has come into contact with it. I found it very entertaining and original, but alas, she did not feature as big a part as I would have liked.
Overall, I found Bear's writing to be very delightful, however, I think it could have been more exciting. I think this world she has created has something for those interested in mysteries with a dash of fantasy, especially if you like vampires. I would like to check out New Amsterdam one day, if only to read more about Abby Irene.
I received an ARC through a contest with the author.
This novella takes place in Bear's New Amsterdam world. I haven't read this author or that collection yet, so this is doubly new to me. This is published after New Amsterdam, and although I didn't find it confusing, it might be better to read its predecessor first.
Bear has created a unique and intriguing world, taking place at the turn of the 20th century. In this world, there exist vampires, one of which is Don Sebastien de Ulloa. Each vampire has a court where mortals are chosen to become companions to these vampires. Members of the court wear rings that contain a signature gem of the vampire to show their allegiance. This society is lightly touched on, probably more has been revealed in the previous collection, New Amsterdam. I would have liked to have seen more about this world and how it works.
Primarily, this novella is about a mystery. The story is divided into two times, 1897 and 1903, and two murders that are somehow connected. The mystery aspect of this story is very prominent, giving room for little else. I thought the mystery was good and kept me turning the page, however, there was no mind-blowing reveal that I had hoped for. I felt like it flowed nicely but there was never any intensity or sense of danger for any of the characters.
What was the most enjoyable about The White City was the setting: Moscow. Bear deftly created an animated and lively setting, poised for revolution. Another was the character Doctor Abigail Irene Garrett, the forensic sorcerer. She uses her mystical abilities to discover evidence of a crime, such as scanning the aura of an object to see who has come into contact with it. I found it very entertaining and original, but alas, she did not feature as big a part as I would have liked.
Overall, I found Bear's writing to be very delightful, however, I think it could have been more exciting. I think this world she has created has something for those interested in mysteries with a dash of fantasy, especially if you like vampires. I would like to check out New Amsterdam one day, if only to read more about Abby Irene.
I received an ARC through a contest with the author.
July 15, 2016
In this double-stranded edition of Bear's New Amsterdam tales, the wampyr Don Sebastian de Ulloa takes his court to Moscow both before and after the events in New Amsterdam and Paris, and both visits are marked by murder.
The stories are interwoven, and the second finds his court marked by grief, so this may not be the best place to start (try 'New Amsterdam' for that), but if you like the structure it's well worth the time. Unlike the other books I've read in the New Amsterdam sequence, this is a single short novel (182 pages), rather than a collection of short stories.
In the earlier thread, Sebastian's protege Jack continues his habit of running with the revolutionary crowd, seduced by the artist Irina, and introduced to someone who may have the potential to be this universe's Lenin (Ilya Ilych Ulyanov? - that patronymic and surname combination is too big a coincidence), only for Irina to find herself framed for murder, allowing Sebastian to roll out his Great Detective persona.
The later thread again revolves around Irina and her acquaintances, as Sebastian stumbles on a body in her studio, and into the orbit of the Russian investigator Dyachenko, which allows Lady Abigail Irene to dust off her forensic sorcery skills. There's an interesting contrast in this one as the Russians have done away with forensic sorcery, and invented conventional forensics, so Abigail Irene and Dyachenko get to play 'let me impress you', to the amusement of Sebastian.
And lurking in the background to both stories is the enigmatic wampyr Starkad.
I really liked this, and Bear's prose continues to be gorgeous, but the resolution jarred a little - it makes sense, but there's a sequence that goes 'Ah, it was about A. Oh, it was really about B. Ah, so it was actually about C' that left me a little whiplashed
The stories are interwoven, and the second finds his court marked by grief, so this may not be the best place to start (try 'New Amsterdam' for that), but if you like the structure it's well worth the time. Unlike the other books I've read in the New Amsterdam sequence, this is a single short novel (182 pages), rather than a collection of short stories.
In the earlier thread, Sebastian's protege Jack continues his habit of running with the revolutionary crowd, seduced by the artist Irina, and introduced to someone who may have the potential to be this universe's Lenin (Ilya Ilych Ulyanov? - that patronymic and surname combination is too big a coincidence), only for Irina to find herself framed for murder, allowing Sebastian to roll out his Great Detective persona.
The later thread again revolves around Irina and her acquaintances, as Sebastian stumbles on a body in her studio, and into the orbit of the Russian investigator Dyachenko, which allows Lady Abigail Irene to dust off her forensic sorcery skills. There's an interesting contrast in this one as the Russians have done away with forensic sorcery, and invented conventional forensics, so Abigail Irene and Dyachenko get to play 'let me impress you', to the amusement of Sebastian.
And lurking in the background to both stories is the enigmatic wampyr Starkad.
I really liked this, and Bear's prose continues to be gorgeous, but the resolution jarred a little - it makes sense, but there's a sequence that goes 'Ah, it was about A. Oh, it was really about B. Ah, so it was actually about C' that left me a little whiplashed
August 8, 2013
This is a revisiting of the characters from New Amsterdam- Don Sebastien the vampire and his two human followers, Abby Irene Garrett and Phoebe Smith. The book takes place in Moscow, flipping between the years 1897 and 1903.
Usually there's some mystery or investigation involved with these characters, and the mystery is rather slight. However, the setting is amazingly rich and I enjoyed the story for that more than anything else. Abby Irene gets to do a bit of sorcerous investigation, and Don Sebastien is his usual interesting self, but this book isn't about supernatural beings locked in mortal combat. It's about learning to let go, no matter how much it hurts each time you do it.
Bear's writing reminds me strongly of Barbara Hambly's, even more so than usual, in this volume. You get the little period details, the nuances of behavior. I read the book extremely quickly. I'd love a more in-depth look at this world, but I also like the vignettes that have been written so far as Bear dips in and out of her alternate history, shedding beams of light here and there in a richly thought-out universe of which her readers will only see pieces.
Usually there's some mystery or investigation involved with these characters, and the mystery is rather slight. However, the setting is amazingly rich and I enjoyed the story for that more than anything else. Abby Irene gets to do a bit of sorcerous investigation, and Don Sebastien is his usual interesting self, but this book isn't about supernatural beings locked in mortal combat. It's about learning to let go, no matter how much it hurts each time you do it.
Bear's writing reminds me strongly of Barbara Hambly's, even more so than usual, in this volume. You get the little period details, the nuances of behavior. I read the book extremely quickly. I'd love a more in-depth look at this world, but I also like the vignettes that have been written so far as Bear dips in and out of her alternate history, shedding beams of light here and there in a richly thought-out universe of which her readers will only see pieces.
March 26, 2011
This is my favorite of the books set in the world of New Amsterdam so far. Chronologically, it takes place after New Amsterdam and before Seven for a Secret, and if you haven't read any of the books yet, I would read them in chronological order as opposed to the order in which they were published. Once of my favorite things about this series is the world in which it is set, and this book gives us a fascinating glimpse into the Russia of this world, especially Moscow and its environs. There are actually two story-lines occurring, one set after the events of New Amsterdam, and one set about six years prior (I forget the exact number, but it was before Sebastian traveled to New Amsterdam), and they are linked together. It was sometimes a bit confusing as the book jumped back and forth between them, but the fact that they were set in different seasons helped a lot. I found the descriptions of the cold of the Russian winter to be especially vivid - brrrrrr. I'm looking forward to the next story.
November 20, 2015
Another novella in the New Amsterdam series. This one takes the form of two interconnected short stories - one in which Sebastien and a sixteen-year-old Jack visit Moscow together and make the acquaintance of an artist named Irina, and one in which Sebastien revisits the city six years later (shortly after ) with Abby Irene and Phoebe. Both times there is a murder in Irina's circle of acquaintances, and Sebastien and his court attempt to figure out what's behind them.
I enjoyed the short story about Jack & Sebastien a good deal - reading about Jack's determination to progress their relationship (as well as Jack's penchant for getting involved with revolutionaries everywhere they go) was satisfying. The other short story is about grief and Bear's favorite theme in this series, mortality; it's less dynamic without Jack, but the last scene is quite good.
(Although I've separated them here, I should note that the two stories are interwoven in the novella, switching back and forth frequently.)
I enjoyed the short story about Jack & Sebastien a good deal - reading about Jack's determination to progress their relationship (as well as Jack's penchant for getting involved with revolutionaries everywhere they go) was satisfying. The other short story is about grief and Bear's favorite theme in this series, mortality; it's less dynamic without Jack, but the last scene is quite good.
(Although I've separated them here, I should note that the two stories are interwoven in the novella, switching back and forth frequently.)
August 5, 2011
Very good read if a bit short. I've had a hot and cold relationship with Elizabeth Bear. Other books I have picked up have been written marvelously but with such beautiful language that I had trouble following the plot. The book was not like that at all.
The basic plot is a murder mystery set in two different times in Moscow, 1897 and 1903. The characters were at first familiar cliches which get fleshed out as the story progresses, my two favorites were a vampire detective (similar to Sherlock Holmes in philosophy) and a forensic sorceress. What I really liked about the book was that the vampires were inhuman and at times monstrous which was *very* refreshing in this age of Twilight.
My only regret about this book is that it's length. I felt the characters and their histories could have been fleshed out much more but I am still left liking them. In fact if a sequel is ever written I will be sure to pick it up if only for the chance to get to know more about the characters.
The basic plot is a murder mystery set in two different times in Moscow, 1897 and 1903. The characters were at first familiar cliches which get fleshed out as the story progresses, my two favorites were a vampire detective (similar to Sherlock Holmes in philosophy) and a forensic sorceress. What I really liked about the book was that the vampires were inhuman and at times monstrous which was *very* refreshing in this age of Twilight.
My only regret about this book is that it's length. I felt the characters and their histories could have been fleshed out much more but I am still left liking them. In fact if a sequel is ever written I will be sure to pick it up if only for the chance to get to know more about the characters.
January 5, 2013
I really wanted to like this novel more, given that the prose style is very pretty and mildly baroque, and Bear does an excellent job of setting a scene when she thinks it's worthwhile to do so. But it was just too slight and oblique, with too much left out. It's sort of a murder mystery, but I kept getting the impression that Bear was more interested in describing Moscow and her characters than in the story; she'll go from a detailed description of a character's feelings in a moment to a bare-bones summary of important events, which makes the book feel lopsided and a bit underdeveloped. Less than 200 pages is not much space for a story that takes place in multiple timelines, introduces so many characters, and then divides its focus between them. It feels like it could have been twice as long — or stayed short, but shifted the focus more toward what was happening and less toward everyone's inner landscape.
February 7, 2017
3.5
I think this is my favorite in the series so far.
We flit between two time periods in this story, 1897 and 1903, both in Moscow, and both about murders surrounding a woman named Irina.
My favorite part of this story is that we see more of Jack and his and Sebastian's relationship, which also gives more depth to Sebastian than some of what we've seen before. They definitely have an interesting and complicated relationship.
It was also nice to see more of Abbey Irene still active as a detective, though Phoebe seemed pretty ancillary to the story.
And it was definitely interesting to meet
This story has one of the largest senses of closure, as many of the other stories feel a bit too brief and end on notes of wondering what's coming next. While there is still some of that, I appreciated that it felt more contained than some of the other stories.
I think this is my favorite in the series so far.
We flit between two time periods in this story, 1897 and 1903, both in Moscow, and both about murders surrounding a woman named Irina.
My favorite part of this story is that we see more of Jack and his and Sebastian's relationship, which also gives more depth to Sebastian than some of what we've seen before. They definitely have an interesting and complicated relationship.
It was also nice to see more of Abbey Irene still active as a detective, though Phoebe seemed pretty ancillary to the story.
And it was definitely interesting to meet
This story has one of the largest senses of closure, as many of the other stories feel a bit too brief and end on notes of wondering what's coming next. While there is still some of that, I appreciated that it felt more contained than some of the other stories.
May 21, 2011
Another entry in Bear's steampunk/vampires/lady detective genre-mishmash series, which I have previously enjoyed. Maybe it's been too long since I read the previous books, but this one just fell vey flat for me. The main problem was the lack of danger/compelling mystery; I never felt like any of the main characters had much at stake, and the mystery itself was quite generic. The secondary problem was that half of the narration was focused on the perspective of Jack, who is extremely bland compared to Abbey Irene. The narration from Sebastien's perspective was ok, and he got a bit of character development at the end that I liked. But still, go read New Amsterdam instead, or even better, Bone and Jewel Creatures.
January 31, 2015
This series is such a consistent pleasure: fin de siècle depravity in a slightly different Europe, an excellent female lead, realistically complicated relationships, and beautiful writing. I was disappointed that this novella was so short.
Reading it right after Amanda Downum did bring home the similarities between the latter’s Isyllt and Bear’s Abigail Irene—they’re both forensic investigators who use magic and have very complicated personal lives. The cross-pollination is unsurprising, given that the authors collaborate on Shadow Unit , but the similarities aren’t too distracting.
Reading it right after Amanda Downum did bring home the similarities between the latter’s Isyllt and Bear’s Abigail Irene—they’re both forensic investigators who use magic and have very complicated personal lives. The cross-pollination is unsurprising, given that the authors collaborate on Shadow Unit , but the similarities aren’t too distracting.
March 16, 2011
This paranormal who-dunnit is told through alternating chapters of flashback and present. This is one of the reasons I enjoy novellas as many authors will play around with format and/or style. One might think that the format is contrived, but it flows beautifully. The flashbacks not only fill out the plot, but they give us insight into the deep connections the characters have to one another. It's quite moving. I have read two novellas in this series, and plan to seek out the rest. I want to spend more time with these compelling characters. Recommended!
October 4, 2011
I have a soft spot for the subtle sensuality of Don Sebastien and his court, and this tale of two murder set six years apart was both beautifully paced and written. I am also delighted to see Jack reappearing in the novel, though I feel like perhaps the strength of his relationship with Phoebe may have been overplayed. I do not recall such a big deal being made out of them in New Amsterdam. Although, then again, Phoebe never really endeared herself to me the way Sebastien, Jack and Abby Irene did, so perhaps I've marginalized her story accordingly.
April 20, 2011
I like Elizabeth Bear's work a lot and there is much to admire in this short novel that again explores the world of Sebastian, the vampire (or wampyr), and his sorceress friend, Abby, in a universe where magic is real as are vampires and America's revolution comes in the late 19th century and in the 1930's, Prussia has conquered Britain and the royal family is in exile in New Amsterdam.
The texture of the world is rich. Yet, I felt like I was an outsider. I wondered if I hadn't read her last story set in this universe would I be able to figure things out, would I care?
I don't know.
The texture of the world is rich. Yet, I felt like I was an outsider. I wondered if I hadn't read her last story set in this universe would I be able to figure things out, would I care?
I don't know.
April 6, 2011
Really enjoyed this, the first recently-published vampire novel I have read in a long time that didn't make me think 'superhero-with-fangs'. It's clear the characters have history with each other because of their interactions, not because of a number on the cover - it is apparently #3 of a series, but stood quite well alone and thankfully isn't trumpeted as such. Definitely intrigued enough to track down the companion volumes. A well and subtly-drawn alternate world.
June 8, 2011
This is a rather sad but quite beautiful book about loneliness. I would prefer to give it 3.5 stars because, in a way, only awarding it three is slightly unkind. But for all the story itself it engaging, I do have slight problems with the language in which it is written.
This is for those of you who enjoy a more thoughtful approach to vampires and their existences.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2011/0...
This is for those of you who enjoy a more thoughtful approach to vampires and their existences.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2011/0...
July 12, 2012
I was drawn to the cover of this book in the science fiction section of my local library and whilst I definitely found it an enjoyable read it belongs under paranormal / historical fantasy rather than Sci Fi.
I found the basic story set in the late 19th / early 20th Century Russia to be a very unique take on a vampire tale but found the spelling of vampire (wampyr) and the flitting back and forth between years a little hard to follow at times. V""V
July 18, 2013
The vampires are much more figures of pity than horror in this alternative universe of magic and steam power. The author captures the lose of humanity for the undead and the pain a thousand or more years of loosing people and places to which you become attached.
This takes place in early 1900s Russia with flashback to the late 1800s, and if basicly a murder mystery although it reveals the structure of vampire life who are just members of this society. Gothic feel without romancing vampires.
This takes place in early 1900s Russia with flashback to the late 1800s, and if basicly a murder mystery although it reveals the structure of vampire life who are just members of this society. Gothic feel without romancing vampires.
February 28, 2014
Noirish vampire detective well into his second millenium investigates two murders in pre-Revolutionary Moscow.
Our hero Sebastien meditates engagingly on the ramifications of being both undead and parasitical as a way of life. The rings that are blood-bonds and telltale clues are a memorable detail in Bear's construction of his court life.
I am more attracted to this wing of urban fantasy than to its sex-with-monsters variations. Not that there's anything wrong with those variations.
Our hero Sebastien meditates engagingly on the ramifications of being both undead and parasitical as a way of life. The rings that are blood-bonds and telltale clues are a memorable detail in Bear's construction of his court life.
I am more attracted to this wing of urban fantasy than to its sex-with-monsters variations. Not that there's anything wrong with those variations.
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