Book: Ivan Belov, the ‘Zastupa’ series

I love fantasy, especially the kind rooted in Slavic folklore, filled with all sorts of dark creatures. But I only discovered Ivan Belov’s Zastupa series thanks to a review by a friend. I got curious and almost immediately decided to read it — and I have no regrets.

This isn’t just another gothic novel about vampires, even though the main character throughout the series is undead — a vurdalak (actually a vampire) named Rukh Buchila. He serves as the zastupa in a village near Novgorod — that is, the protector of its people from other dark forces, literally the one who “stands up for” them (in Russian — ‘zastupaetsya’).

Although it’s the 17th century and the village is located in Novgorod lands, this isn’t the world we know. In the world of the zastupa, mysterious portals once opened on Earth, unleashing hordes of demons and other monsters. And while humans had long shared the land with other races like the navki and the white-eyed chud’, these new invaders permanently redrew the map.

Ancient Kyiv was besieged and destroyed, some peoples swore allegiance to dark powers and even founded their own empire near the Balkans. The Novgorod Republic managed to defend its lands and independence, though it still occasionally fights with both the Muscovite Tsardom and the Swedes.

People have learned, with great difficulty, to coexist not only with familiar beings like leshies and domovoi, but also with those who came through the portals — not all of whom turned out to be purely bloodthirsty. Even chorts (imps) have found a place in society, and in Novgorod they’re even honored, since it was the chorts who once saved the city. You can’t really trust them, of course — but with the right oversight, even chorts can be useful.

The main character, Rukh Buchyla, is by no means a hero. After all, he’s a vurdalak — an undead creature. And he needs blood now and then, just to stay alive. So the villagers are left to choose: one sacrifice a year, or, well, “you can protect yourselves if you’re so stingy.”

Because even when working under contract, Rukh doesn’t exactly go the extra mile — and ideally, he’d like to be paid properly too. The problem is, no one wants to pay. According to the agreement, he’s supposed to protect the village in exchange for the innocent soul he’s granted once a year. Yet the demands are always high — after all, he’s not fully human, and the Holy Consistory keeps a close eye on his kind. And if he steps out of line, there’ll be hell to pay.

So far, the series consists of two books. The first was originally released under the title Zastupa, later reissued as All Shades of Carrion with some additional material. The second is Blacker Than Black. These aren’t novels in the traditional sense but rather collections of stories and novellas, all tied together by the main character — who, in each tale, investigates another dark mystery in the service of the poor and miserable of the Novgorod lands. It feels very much like a Witcher series in its prime, before it shifted to full-length novels.

I hadn’t heard of the author, Ivan Belov, before this — but the books are written in rich, confident language. It’s hard to believe this is a “debut” author. Sure, there are a few rough patches in the pacing or mystery elements, but the world and characters feel authentic and alive — never just placeholders.

Rukh, as a vurdalak, turns out to be the most compelling part of the series. He’s not the kind of protagonist you’d instinctively root for. He’s full of flaws, has a weakness for women, and speaks in the blunt, unfiltered language of the people — not crude exactly, but occasionally sharp enough to sting. It works, because otherwise, nobody would take him seriously.

He always looks for personal gain and never wants to risk himself needlessly. If there’s a dark cave to enter, he’d rather send someone else in first — just to check if a monster’s inside. He’s clever, but often uses his wit and education to mock others, like getting into theological arguments with the village priest just for fun.

At the same time, he lives by a personal code of honor. He’ll help a friend (grumbling all the way), and he’s ready to risk his life — even if he’s technically immortal, because immortals can die too, if someone tries hard enough. He’s constantly berating himself for getting involved in other people’s messes — all because he secretly cares more than he lets on.

Rukh Buchyla isn’t good or evil. And that makes him more human, more complex. He also carries a secret from the time before he became a vurdalak.

As for the stories themselves, what I especially appreciated was the lack of tidy, happy endings. Rukh usually wins, but his victories are often bittersweet. Just like real life. Fortunately, he has a good sense of humor and tries to find the upside in everything. Some adventures — like the one with Vaska the chort — are even laugh-out-loud funny.

Ivan Belov continues to write new tales about Rukh, some of which haven’t yet been published. But this author has definitely earned a permanent spot on my e-reader — I thoroughly enjoyed both books, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment in Rukh’s adventures.

My rating: 4.5/5 (for both books).

My rating: 4.5/5 (for both books)