A Double Review for Rasputin’s Legacy
It’s not every day that Maggie and John like the same book. They were both sending me their postings on Troy Matthew Carnes’ first novel, Rasputin’s Legacy, at the same time so I decided I would post them together.
Maggie’s take:
I take Rasputin’s Legacy home one night. I do my normal routine…read the synopsis, read the reviews and read the author bio and acknowledgments, turn to page one and get started. The next thing I know it is two hours later and I am about 100 pages in! What does this mean? I think…could I actually like a book that John suggested? Well I finished it yesterday and let me tell you something…I really liked this book.
Giorgi, unbeknownst to him, is a direct descendant of Rasputin and has the power to see into the future. He is now being sought out by two very powerful men, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, both of whom want to use his power to help them win the bloodiest battles in WWII. They both send their most able spies and assassins after the boy either to capture him and claim his power or kill him so he cannot be used against them. Along the way, Giorgi captures the hearts of a highly decorated German war hero, a witch working for the Nazis and a Ukrainian woman who will not rest until she knows that Giorgi is in safe hands. The question is though, with whom is he safe or does Giorgi know all along?
Well not only did I really like this book, but I was able to go to John and talk to him about a book that he suggested I read and I actually liked it. I’m not even sure that Giorgi would have been able to predict this one!!
John’s take:
. . . Within this historical perspective Troy Carnes wrote his very fine first thriller. With compassion in the mist of horror, with virtue amongst the dishonorable, this well crafted stage of intrigue is cast underneath the development of the German invasion of Russia.
Carnes’ Rasputin is well paced and a pleasure to read. His first novel skills express character depth, plot complexity without confusing traps, with the steady pace of a well experienced author.
Over the years I’ve burned out on reading this enjoyable type of novel. However, I’m very pleased to read this new author and enjoyed the tale he spun–it’s a good one.
If you are a fan of Greg Iles’ first two novels and are looking for a historical thriller, you’ve found it. Be one of the first to get on Carnes’ bandwagon. Once on board, I believe you will enjoy the ride.
Written by Lisa
19 responses so far ↓
1 Audra // Jul 16, 2010 at 11:04 am
Started the book and finished in one day. I couldn’t put it down until I know what happended to Giorgi in the end. Waiting anxiously for the next one to continue the story of this little boy.
GREAT read for all!
Audra, I’m so glad that you loved Rasputin’s Legacy as much as John and I did!! I hope that we see you tonight at the signing. Troy will be here at 5 pm in the DotCom building and Cathead Vodka will be doing a tasting also!!
What goes better with a novel set in Russia written by a Mississippian than Vodka made in Mississippi?
Cathead Vodka will be at DotCom tonight at 5 pm having a tasting!! Come on by for a nip!!!
4 Janet // Jul 16, 2010 at 10:33 pm
I am dying to know what happens to Giorgi. I love all the details, I feel like I am there. The horrific acts, the tension, the little boy in the middle of it all keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next. I want to call in sick so I can finish it.
5 Troy // Jul 17, 2010 at 6:54 am
Audra and Janet, thanks for thhe kind words. I’ll be working hard on the next one, but I can’t keep up if you’re going to read them in a single day!
Cheers
6 Linda // Jul 19, 2010 at 12:18 am
I loved “Rasputin’s Legacy” – it was a book that I had a hard time putting down. Can’t wait for the sequel. Thanks Troy!
7 Joe // Jul 19, 2010 at 11:39 am
It seems like everywhere I go someone is talking about this book.
8 JP // Jul 22, 2010 at 1:11 pm
I too was trapped by this book the first time I picked it up! I is so different from the books I usually read, but I was drawn into the story and could not put it down. I have passed it on to family, but I tell my friends – “get on Amazon and get your own copy!”
9 Jeremy // Jul 22, 2010 at 1:50 pm
I purchased this book on Monday, and could not set it down. Great story with a great ending. The history and the story will grasp hold of you. Take the time to support this author and buy the book, you will not be sorry!!! Great read!!!
10 Chad // Jul 23, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I loved this book! Very suspenseful and almost impossible to put down. I can’t wait to see what is next!
Hey JP…tell your friends to order a copy from Lemuria then they can have a copy signed by the author!!!
http://www.lemuriabooks.com
12 Playing catch up // Aug 2, 2010 at 12:38 pm
[...] More reviews and comments on Rasputin’s Legacy [...]
13 Kathy // Aug 7, 2010 at 1:37 pm
I just finished “Rasputin’s Legacy” and was hooked as soon as Giorgi’s character was introduced! Great plot with truly sinister villians and heart warming heros!!! You will certainly be caught in the web of this novel! Enjoy and tell all your friends of this exciting new author.
14 Mary Catherine Carnes // Aug 8, 2010 at 5:22 pm
I started reading this book the day I got it and have lived it. I’m not real knowledgeable about history, but the story is so compelling that I have been reading it every time I get a chance! Now I am dying to finish it and read it again (I like to reread to get all the details I missed the first time)!
15 David // Aug 10, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Great read! I just finished Rasputin’s Legacy and wish I had read it slower so it would have lasted longer. I really appreciated the balance between staying true to the historical context and keeping the plot moving within it. Also, considering the difficult context of WWII I thought it was written in a manner that didn’t spare any details of the horrors of war, but was thoughtful and dignified. Looking forward to the sequel or when someone picks this up to make a great screenplay!
16 Allison McCrory // Aug 27, 2010 at 2:00 pm
So excited about this book! Giorgi Lazarov is a character that you find yourself thinking about even after you’ve finished the book. I can’t wait for his next one.
17 Ross Hailey // Aug 30, 2010 at 11:40 am
The details in the book are just right. He doesn’t overdo things with too many details, but the ones he includes make it very easy to picture the book as it takes place. I started the book on a Sunday night at 10, and I had to force myself to put it down at 2. I finished the book late Tuesday night.
I finished the book with a very clear picture in my head of what each building and room looked like throughout the book. I also felt as though the characters’ emotions were detailed to a great point, too. His descriptions of what they were feeling heading into a meeting or confrontation were great. The story line was fantastic, and the descriptors used throughout the book are what makes this book so good to me. I really enjoyed it.
18 Troy // Sep 7, 2010 at 7:15 am
I am deeply humbled by the generous praise Rasputin’s Legacy has received, so much so that I have been working hard on the next one. I’m about 20,000 words in. Thanks for the kind words.
19 Randy // Sep 16, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Book was a gift from a friend who knows the author. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and have passed along…looking forward the next one.
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