** spoiler alert ** War is the same, but most of the times told from a single point of view, this is not the case. War has been time and time again told by the American side point of view; in this book we see the war through the eyes of Nikko Stoianev, a Soviet spy. This book takes an interesting standpoint in the war, the life of a spy on the wartime. Nikko is seen progressing throughout time, from the death of his brother until his last breath. Nikko is picked by the Soviet Intelligence from his home in Bulgaria to be a spy, and through several challenges he faces; he becomes a spy. This book does a marvelous book at setting the stage for a war story, each place, described as if the author had been born in the place. This book achieves at going through a period of time of almost ten years, and over 5 countries and it does not loose pace of the action. From the cold winters in Moscow; to the de trop lifestyle of Paris, this book brings an astonishing tale of survival and the cruelty of the war. This book is not only a spy novel dealing with the war, but it has its flashes of a romance story, Nikko and his women. This adds even more of a personal touch to the book, thinking of the novel more like an actual story, you begin to relate to the character. This book also gives you small breaks off of the main story, fragments of the activity of an American soldier aiding the French resistance, a group of Spanish guerilla during the civil war. This book is a mouthful, but you can bear with only if you know how to approach such a complete book. You might not understand the socio-political aspect of the novel, but you will be drawn to research about it. This combination of romance, thriller, and historical fiction make you think this novel is a memoir; it seems so real.
When I finished the book, I found myself captivated by such a beautiful work, this book’s ending had its plot building up to it, and we are left with an inconclusive ending. This book changed my perspective, once again, of war since All Quiet on the Western Front. This book was simply remarkable, the raw description of a man, his sexual adventures, his fears, his pain; all captured by the writing of Alan Furst. This book requires your time, and it will be worth it, as it will tell you a story of the war, right to its cold core.