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Fantasy Book Review: Twelve by Jasper Kent
The voordalak – a creature of legend; tales of which have terrified Russian children for generations. But for Captain Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov – a child of more enlightened times – it is a legend that has long been forgotten. Besides, in the autumn of 1812, he faces a more tangible enemy – the Grand Armée of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Jasper Kent shows admirable restraint when it comes to the gruesome; there are moments in the book that genuinely make you squirm uncomfortably but it is the scarcity that makes them so effective. If an author dishes out the gore from page one then the reader becomes desensitised and the horrific becomes mundane. The author has an obvious passion for the subjects within his story and he has created an effortless and enjoyable read. The average reader will not possess a wide knowledge of Russian history and Twelve will lead to them carrying out further research on this most fascinating of countries. I personally would have liked for there to have been more tension and for the book to have ended rather differently but there can no denying that Twelve is a great read and a breath of fresh air to more than one genre. Twelve is an educational, entertaining and dark historical fantasy novel.
Jasper Kent has spent almost twenty years working as a software consultant both in the UK and Europe, whilst working on both fiction and music. He has co written several musicals, including The Promised Land, written and performed to mark the 3000th anniversary of the foundation of Jerusalem and Remember! Remember!, the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.
Posted: November 18th, 2008
Author: Lee
Categories: Fantasy Book Review
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