Reviews
Avilova's novel demonstrates an impressive grasp of Russian literature and history....Bert Renes, a Slavonic scholar, is doing research in Moscow in the early 1980s when he discovers that an intriguing 16th-century manuscript is missing from the state archive. The manuscript, Revelation of Fire, contains the teachings of Eularios, one of the Cenergites line of monks who for centuries remained untouched by antiheresy movements. As Bert and archivist Nadya Demyanova begin to uncover the secrets of Revelation, their fascination with the manuscript's past owners grows, and Avilova weaves in historical accounts of the manuscripts past owners, including the self-proclaimed "first female Cenergite" and a pair of orphan twins who mysteriously disappeared. The depictions of Cold War-era Moscow are convincingly dreary and wonderfully paranoia-inducing,....Brainy historical Russian mysticism deployed at a page-turning pace isn't for everyone, but a chunk of devotees will dig it.
Publishers Weekly
