Well, the “Tales of Old Rus” project kept growing and evolving, transforming from a hobby into a remarkable universe with its own artbooks, lore, and bestiary. Naturally, the first fictional novel set in this world followed. “The Battle for Lukomorye” was originally planned as two books, with only the first part released so far and the second on its way. Since I’ve been immersing myself in the world of Old Rus quite actively this year, I read the first novel almost immediately after its release.
There is, however, some confusion regarding the authorship of the book. In many stores, it’s listed as having two primary authors: the universe’s creator, Roman Papsuev, and the well-known writer Vera Kamsha. Yet, the book itself also credits three additional writers: Tatyana Andrushchenko, Alexandra Zlotnitskaya, and Elena Tolokonnikova. It’s impossible to discern who contributed what. The book is presented as a collection of novellas, but no individual authors are credited for specific sections. Whether they collaborated on everything together or each worked on separate parts remains unclear—for now, the story doesn’t say.
At first, it feels like the novellas are entirely disconnected. The first one is very short and comes across more like a sketch about a healer battling a malefic spirit, ending with “and then a vampire showed up and wiped everyone out.” The second story, however, introduces entirely different characters, with Alyosha Popovich taking center stage. It’s much more engaging than the initial “sketch.” But here’s where one of the downsides of this fascinating universe becomes apparent: the narrative plunges the reader into its bestiary, tossing out references to various creatures left and right. While these are familiar to Alyosha (being a Hunter), I found myself lost almost immediately, despite having recently read and reviewed all the artbooks. Who are these creatures he’s mentioning? What do they look like? Sure, it’s one thing to talk about Zmey Gorynych or Koschei, figures we’ve known since childhood, but it’s entirely different when you’re confronted with names like tekrya or kuzutik.
The next morning, I had to pull Marvelous Wonder off the shelf again for reference. It seems to me that the book itself should explain more about these creatures rather than bombarding you with terms that force you to consult an external encyclopedia. This is especially true if someone is encountering this universe for the first time through this book. More illustrations of the mentioned creatures (which the author has already drawn) could have helped, though that’s still a crutch for what should be conveyed through the text.
The first story about Alyosha is more cohesive, and other familiar characters from this world begin to appear. They’re more human in some ways than the typical Hunter archetype. At last, you realize that the narrative is, in fact, connected—there is a link to the first episode.
Still, the main protagonist remains Alyosha Popovich. It’s his sacred quest against the creatures, with all other episodes serving as reflections of the world around him.
Unsurprisingly, the story is unfinished—and uneven at that. Some “stories” are intriguing, while others don’t fit neatly into the overall narrative (though perhaps the threads will come together later). As it stands, the book feels more like a collection of fragmented tales loosely connected by the overarching invasion of Rus’ lands (apart from the Alyosha Popovich sections).
If I try to evaluate the book as a standalone piece, ignoring its ties to the larger universe, it’s rather average for now. It feels like the goal was to cram as many creatures as possible into the story to showcase the world’s diversity. But in doing so, the narrative itself got lost.
To be honest, I expected more. That said, I’ll definitely buy and read the second volume to judge the story as a whole rather than stopping at the first part.
My rating: 3.5/5
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