Eugene Vodolazkin

I found myself quickly drawn into this fictional history book. I enjoyed the different voices that chronicled the history, and the commentary by the two long-lived rulers. Although Christianity is mentioned, and monks are the chroniclers, I didn't find the theme to be too heavy-handed. I think the most jarring parts are when the modern day is mentioned, you get so wrapped up in the Middle Ages for a good portion, and then some more modern events are mentioned. The story itself moves along smoothly, and while I don't feel like there was a lot of character development, this was nonetheless an interesting and fun read. In some ways, it reminded me of Bible study when I was growing up, and our teacher would read to us from a book that stylized biblical stories.… (more)