The Coronation, by Boris Akunin
Having read and reviewed The State Counsellor a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t have long to wait for the next installment of this wonderful series. Witty, stylish, enlightening, exciting and resonant, the Erast Fandorin novels really are everything you could possibly want from a series of historical crime novels.
These are unashamedly intelligent books, with convincing portrayals of a specific place and time, yet they wear their erudition lightly and the historical details never get in the way of what is mainly a rattling good read. As I said before, the Erast Fandorin books really are everything you could want from a series of historical crime novels.
Each instalment is written in a different literary style that pays homage to a different genre. After the relatively downbeat seriousness of the Conrad-esque The State Counsellor, The Coronation sees Fandorin back into rollicking entertainment territory.
It is the run up to the coronation of the new Tsar, and a young Grand Duke is kidnapped. Shortly afterwards a ransom letter arrives from Dr Lind, international Moriarty to Fandorin’s Russian Sherlock Holmes. And we’re off and running again, with Fandorin working to catch the super criminal and save the Grand Duke and an empire that may well no longer be worth saving.
To Akunin fans – this might be the best of the series, so buy The Coronation now without reservation. To Fandorin virgins – what are you waiting for? Start at the series’ chronological beginning, The Winter Queen, and enjoy the ride, I envy you the journey. To Orion Books – please don’t make me wait a whole year for the next translation. By my reckoning there are four more in the Fandorin series ready to go – not to mention the spin-offs- and I want them right now!
NewsNow
Literature News 24/7-
The Bookgeeks Interview
Simon Kernick
Simon Kernick is one of Britain’s most exciting new thriller writers. He arrived on the crime writing scene with his highly acclaimed debut novel The Business of Dying, the story of a corrupt cop moonlighting as a hitman. However, Simon’s big breakthrough came with his novel Relentless which was selected by Richard and Judy for [...]
-
Latest Competition
Five copies of John le Carré’s Smiley vs Karla Trilogy to be won
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was one of the big film releases of 2011, and to celebrate its release on DVD we have five copies of John le Carré’s Smiley vs Karla Trilogy to be won – consisting of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People.
Latest Bookbitz reviews
3 Comments on The Coronation, by Boris Akunin
Very nice review. And it doesn’t spoil the plot at all! I’m still waiting for this book to hit Philippine shores. I have the first six, and I love them all, especially The Winter Queen and The Death of Achilles.
Thank you, Faye. My favourites of the series are The Death of Achilles and now this one, so hopefully you will enjoy The Coronation when it arrives. If you haven’t yet tried his Sister Pelagia books, they are quite different but well worth investigating too.
I just read The Coronation. It’s terrific. If I were Akunin, I’d be pretty proud of myself.
I read Pelagia and the Red Rooster shortly before reading The Coronation. The word that best describes my reaction is “gobsmacked.”
Let us know your thoughts below