Thirteen Years Later

Danilov Quintet #2

by Jasper Kent

Aleksandr made a silent promise to the Lord. God would deliver him -- would deliver Russia -- and he would make Russia into the country that the Almighty wanted it to be. He would be delivered from the destruction that wasteth at noonday, and from the pestilence that walketh in darkness -- the terror by night.

1825, Europe -- and Russia -- have been at peace for a decade. Bonaparte is long dead and the threat of invasion is no more. For Colonel Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov, life is peaceful. The French have been defeated, as have the twelve monstrous creatures he once fought alongside, and then against, all those years before. His duty is still to his tsar, Aleksandr the First, but today the enemy is merely human.

But the tsar himself knows he can never be at peace. He is well aware of the uprising fomenting within his own army, but his true fear is of something far more terrible -- something that threatens to bring damnation down upon him, his family and his country. Aleksandr cannot forget a promise: a promise sealed in blood... and broken a hundred years before.

Now the victim of the Romanovs' betrayal has returned to demand what is his. The knowledge chills Aleksandr's very soul. And for Aleksei, it seems the vile pestilence that once threatened all he held dear has returned, thirteen years later.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fiction, Vampires, Historical, Fiction, Historical Fantasy

543 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

About the author

Jasper Kent was born in Worcestershire, England in 1968. He attended King Edward's School, Birmingham and went on to study Natural Sciences at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, specializing in physics.

Jasper has spent almost twenty years working as a software engineer in the UK and in Europe, whilst also working on writing both fiction and music. In that time, he has produced the novels Twelve, Thirteen Years Later, The Third Section, The People's Will and The Last Oprichnik, as well as co-writing several musicals, including The Promised Land and Remember! Remember!

He currently lives in Hove, with six rats called Olga, Irina, Masha, Star, Bugby and Beau, a dog called Bilbo and a person called Helen.

Reviews

[John McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Twelve but this sequel - Thirteen Years Later - was a real step up in quality ; the writing, plot and characterisations were all really top notch. The historical background to this vampire 🧛‍♂️ horror novel was brilliantly realised .Jasper Kent obviously carried out a lot of research before writing.
A must read vampire novel .Can't wait for the next "Give yourself to the Master " month so I can read the next one.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title might suggest, this sequel to Twelve is set thirteen years after the first, in 1825.

Things have moved on a little here, not only for the reason that Jasper has again chosen a key event of Russian history. After Napoleon I’s retreat from Russia in 1812 in Twelve, this time we are focusing on the tsar of Russia, Aleksandr I, his mysterious death in 1825 and the subsequent revolution of the Decemberists.

The tale also develops from the first mainly through the character of Alexsei and his son Dmitry, living in St. Petersberg after the retreat of Napoleon from Russia. Mysterious writing around St. Petersberg in a code only Alexsei and his old comrades know, is starting to appear. Moreover his old adversary, Iuda, who was allied with the vampires, seems to have reappeared.

There are complications. In this tale Alexsei meets Kyesha, who is a vampire claiming to be the brother of Maksim (killed in Twelve). The advent of a mysterious book belonging to the equally mysterious Richard L. Cain, F.R.S., covered in living vampire flesh, leads Alexsei to an audience with Tsar Alexandr and ultimately much bigger consequences.

With a bigger canvas, the tale becomes better. The book shows development in writing as well as style from Twelve. The novel starts slowly, a little too slowly for some, perhaps, as we are reintroduced to characters and introduced new ones as well as catching up with the changes to Russia between 1812-1825.

Perhaps most interestingly is the fact that we see from the vampire’s viewpoint this time around. This gives the writer the chance to build up the backstory of the Oprichniki (mercenaries) and enrich the tale by examining events we have seen from Alexsei’s perspective now from other’s view.

This is also managed because, unlike the first person point of view of Twelve, this is third person, and consequently has a greater variety of viewpoints. As a result, the tale has a wider view than Twelve. We also see more of the world as we travel from St. Petersburg to Taganrog (Aleksandr’s Winter palace) to Moscow. Such is the depth of worldbuilding that the book manages to both explain the complex political and social background in these settings as well as combine with an engaging plot.

Clearly the surviving characters from Twelve have grown more here. Alexsei in particular has changed into what at first appears to be a more cautious man. He has concerns over his families, both his wife Marfa and his son Dmitry in his traditional family and the daughter Tamara he has had with his mistress Domnikiia. Yet as events unfold, more of the old Alexsei of Twelve appears. As crises develop, Alexsei makes a stand, set around the Decemberist Revolution and puts himself and his family at risk whilst performing his duties for the Tsar.
More so than in Twelve, the plight of the vampires is dealt with sympathetically. Here the vampires are less feared and more pitied, though they are still very scary when they need to be. Interestingly, Iuda’s relationship with the vampires is not what was originally thought in the previous novel.

The ending is suitably exciting and enigmatic. There is another showdown between Alexsei and Iuda that will no doubt lead to developments in the next novel. This one worked better for me than the last, I’m pleased to type.

This is an ambitious novel that shows a writer determined to up the game. As the bar is raised again, I’m going to be interested to see where the series goes next.

Mark Yon, May/June 2010

[Algernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in the Danilov series, and, as the title suggests it takes place 13 years after Napoleon'a catastrophic Russian campaign. Aleksey Danilov is still the focus of the novel, with expanded roles for his son Dmitry and introducing a new vordalaak - Kyesha - into the equation. The political foundation of the story is rooted in the Decemberist uprising of Leningrad officers contesting the succession of tzar Alexander I Romanov.

In many ways, this novel is better written than the first one, with a more balanced conflict between the human and the vampire factions, more nuanced characterization and more historical background. I have also noticed some of the same weaknesses as the opening novel: too much introspection and an uneven pace with a lot of moral hairsplitting and few action sequences. The duels, such as they are (a cat and mouse chase in Moscow, a foray into some Crimeean cave, the final battle over frozen Neva in Sankt Petersburg)are well written, but I feel Aleksey is unconvincing in some of the decisions he makes regarding the voordalak - they feel forced to fit the pre-established plot and contrived instead of logical outcomes of the presented situations he's letting Cain escape more than once

The mystery of the Romanov Betrayal and the Taganrog / Crimeea chapters were more interesting to me than the actual Decemberist uprising, but both of them lack the majesty and the epic scope of the sacking of Moscow or the battle of Borodino from Twelve . The romantic angle of the two women in Aleksey life continues to be one of the highlights of the story so far. Dmitry is underdeveloped, but I get the feeling he is kept in reserve for a bigger role in the next volume, likewise Tamara. I will check out the next books in the series.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

This took me the longest time to read of any book I've read, ever! I've read far longer books in swifter time! The previous book was excellent, but this felt like the book version of an artsy movie. First was the new perspective, which was a shock, then the grandiose amount of analogies and philosophies compared to action moments. One thought of any character could take up to two pages compared to maybe a paragraph for a single action. I'm okay with a slow burn story, but this was quite a slog. I hope the next book is better in narrative and storytelling like the first book was.
Thirteen Years Later took me 12 1/2 years to get through. 1.12/5

[Thomas Edmund · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a not so bright review of Twelve, I wasn’t sure what I would think of Kent’s next piece Thirteen Years Later.


At least I can say definitely it was by all means better than its predecessor. The internal monologues while still present were much more succinct and didn’t detract too much from the action, which was also less clichéd and showed more storytelling skill then before.


13 has its faults. The first hundred pages are spent catching up from last novel (we already worked out that some time had passed OK?) and the flow of the plot was a little jerky between part’s two and three (it felt like the individual vampire story was being stretched out in order to fit with the historical drama.


In saying that the historical part of this historical fiction is absolutely brilliant. Slotting vampires into history is perhaps no more original than idiot’s attempts to claim famous historic figures as followers of ‘The Secret’ or as Asberger’s sufferers (at least the latter might be true), but Kent’s techniques are fresh and interesting.


Not surprisingly certain villainous characters make a reappearance in 13, and Kent realising that we know what he plans doesn’t try to pretend that said character will be returning again.


Something that struck me as strange however is the character closing epilogue that finishes the novel. Hard to explain without a little spoilage, but basically our main character lives out the rest of his life out with no triumph whatsoever. I didn’t necessarily expect to have Aleksei as a recurring central character for an entire five part epic fantasy but I was surprised to see him effectively taken out of the game, with no more of a win than getting to be with his girlfriend.


I am definitely hooked though – bring on the next one.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen Years Later - Review

Can a novel be both enjoyable and frustrating? Good and bad? If so, then Thirteen Years Later is a prime example. There were many things to recommend it but also several that could have been executed far better.

The characters were one of the positives. This time Kent chose to tell his story from multiple points of view which let us get to know more characters such as Aleksei’s son Dmitry. All of the characters were well drawn and interesting.

I particularly liked Kyesha and felt he could have been put to better use in the end. Kent spent quite a bit of the book focusing on the mystery of who he was and what he wanted with Alexei, yet this part of the story held far less importance than some of the later developments which seemed rushed.

Perhaps this is the real problem with the book; its pacing. The first half of the book is tense, but quite leisurely in pace. Kent allows the tension to build. The second half seems to rush from one incredulous discovery to the next with barely enough time for the reader to digest what is happening.

There was at least one scene that seemed contrived with a character’s act of stupidity [I can find no other word for it:] being the only thing that allows the author to carry on with his tale.

And yet despite all of these things, I enjoyed Thirteen Years Later. It was fresh, it was original and it was a jolly good tale. Kent’s vampiric law is interesting, drawing from both the old and his own original ideas. He also attempted to explain some of the vampire characteristics through various characters discoveries.

The ending, again, was both good and bad. In many ways it was believable but I had hoped for something better for Alexei.

All in all I will look forward to Kent’s next instalment to find out just who will be reappearing.

[Amalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a second book of a series and I doubt starting from a middle will help the readers. I read the second of second novel (the titled book) and found it difficult to follow the events that happened 13 years before ( the story which has taken place in the first novel of the series).

This, by the way, is a mixed genre novel of horror, fantasy, thriller, paranormal, history etc etc. My problem was, I didn't like when history shows vampires! Then I found it somewhat irritating when a writer is trying multi tasks: presenting history in a fantasy while attempting to show some action. Then on top of it all, the story was clichéd in its horror aspects.

So I guess, it's not my type of book.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I loved “Twelve”, I enjoyed “Thirteen Years Later” just as much, if not more, and if Jasper Kent can continue this excellence in the remaining sequels, then I strongly believe that The Danilov Quintet will end up being one of the best vampire series I have ever read...

[Patrick Elsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

For some reason the author decided that everything that happened in this book needed to be described for 3 to 5 pages. Talk about padding that no one asked for.

[Jackie Alford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Twelve and enjoyed Thirteen Years Later just as much. The plot was intriguing and not easy to predict what was going to occur next. The ending was a little rushed but over all a good story.

[Jon Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight into Russian history and a tale about the tsar I'd never heard of before.

[Martin Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agree with most of the reviews here. It's probably better than the first one. For me it's the characters. You certainly become invested in them.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed it better than the first, or maybe I simply got more accustomed to the narrative style. It is, however, still too long and slow-paced. Fortunately, the plot is more complex and the setting as good as in book 1.

The idea of Heaven on earth brings with it, inescapably, the concept of the final destruction of earth.

[Ranjit Gedhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read the first instalment of Jasper Kent’s quintet of books a few months ago, I became engrossed by this enthralling saga. Thirteen Years Later is a great sequel which further explores Aleksei’s pursuit of Iuda.

As in the first story, the historical context alongside the vampire horror, makes the second book as interesting as the first. Not knowing much about Russian history apart from the Russian Revolution which most of us learn about in school, Jasper Kent has taught me so much more.

The only negatives for me is the real action doesn’t take place until 350 pages into the book. The build up was good but went on for too long. Also the ending was disappointing when Aleksei is sent to Siberia and Domnikia follows him, leaving behind their daughter. It was the last thing I expected, almost as though he had given up. Of course I don’t know yet if he will feature in the next instalment. He’s a classic main character, brave, resilient and intelligent. We can relate to him because he also shows human weakness.

The positive is this book is entertaining and it also teaches you something about Russia and it’s past and parts of the country I didn’t know existed. Definitely a good read and great escapism.

[Brad Middleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirteen years ago, in 1812, Captain Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov fought alongside a group of twelve highly-skilled Wallachians who called themselves the 'Oprichniki,' savage mercenaries who helped halt the advancement of French troops into Russia. But Danilov soon discovered that the group were actually 'voordalak' (vampires) and, believing them to be a greater threat to Russia and mankind itself, he systematically hunted and destroyed each and everyone one of them. To his surprise, the leader of the group -- Iuda -- actually turned out to be human, although he was equally as vicious as his undead companions. Thirteen years later, in 1825, the war is over and Danilov continues working as a spy, trying to protect his beloved tsar Alexandr I from an uprising he's facing from within his own army, as well as a secretive group of influential Russians who want to see their leader dead. But it's not long before Danilov learns of a curse upon the royal family; a promise broken one hundred years earlier has lead to the return of an ancient voordalak, who intends on claiming Russia for his own by turning the tsar into one of the undead.

This novel, a sequel to "Twelve" and the second in a planned series of five, works within a much bigger canvas and therefore is much grander in scale. With many of the original characters killed off in the first book, Kent has come up with several new ones to beef up the story, some of whom take on the narrative as it switches voices between the major players. Although this is a different writing style from its predecessor, it works for the most part, and the only issue I had with it was with Danilov's daughter, who's voice seemed a little too old for her age. Unfortunately with the change in cast and the extended period of time between the stories, much of the first half of this book is spent developing new characters, helping the reader play catch-up from events in "Twelve," and putting elements in motion to serve the latter half of the tale. This leads to a slow read in parts, and I found myself putting the novel down for several days in between reads -- it never really felt like a page-turner for me. Added to this is the fact that this novel has much less of a vampire element than the first; it's an historical tale of this period in Russian history, and the bloodsuckers -- although they are the driving force behind the premise of the story -- aren't as prominent within it.

Some of the storytelling issues I had with the first book are found in the sequel as well. The main character, Aleksei Danilov, spends much of his inner narrative over-thinking events and continually questioning actions of those around him. Considering he is a spy, perhaps this is just a character trait that the writer is showcasing, but I found it far too distracting, and for me, it impacted the pacing of the story. Most importantly, I found Danilov and his interaction with his main foe, Cain -- and often his lack of action against the man -- impacted the believability of the story. It should also be noted that at one point, the writer attempts to explain why vampires cannot be seen in mirrors. The answer is both convoluted and unintentionally laughable, so one wonders why this section of the book was even included.

There's no disputing that this is a well-researched book, and certainly gives the reader an extensive lesson in Russian history. For those who enjoy historical novels, "Thirteen Years Later" will certainly entertain, but for those who are looking for a vampire tale, this one doesn't have much bite.

[Sarah McCalip · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book without knowing that it was part of a series. That being said, I cannot vouch for whether the flashbacks were too repetitious or heavy handed. I was able to follow the background very well without having read the first book.

I will say that Kent’s strength seems to lie in overall storytelling and crafting of a plot. The different conflicts and characters are able to overlay one another without becoming convoluted. The story develops at a good pace, and Kent maintains the tension between the character development and the action/conflict development; i.e. Kent creates danger for his characters and maintains the mood of that threat so that the characters’ actions are believable. I also enjoyed that Kent used the Russian spelling of names and certain words, such as "voordalak."

My biggest complaint with this book is the modern English inserted in the dialogue and even the narrative portions. We may be in 1825 Russia but the language is 2012 English. There were several uses of “OK” and other phrases that seemed anachronistic. There were also several uses of the “f” word that I felt were unnecessary. It’s my belief that if you write a historically-set novel, you should imitate the language as close as possible.

As for Kent’s vampires, I thought they were canonical without seeming rote. There was no romanticism about them, which I enjoyed. Cain’s experimentation subplot was horrific but also departed from the usual in a refreshing way (if I can use that adjective in such a way).

The ending had an oddly impersonal feel to it. It may be due to the fact that the reader is no longer in Aleksei's head. It was also anti-climatic that Aleksei the vampire slayer and spy spends the rest of his days in exile. However, I'm not well-versed in Russian history, so perhaps it would have been as unrealistic for Aleksei to have escaped his fate.

For an action novel with vampires, it was an entertaining read.

[Neil Pearson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much like the first book, I oddly found myself more intrigued with the setting of 19th century Russia than the vampires although this book did delve a lot more into the rules of vampires in this series and some aspects were quite interesting and fun. There's a nice little mystery at the beginning with regards to a new character that kept me hooked. Danilov's narration is still up to scratch as well and I enjoyed his views on family, country and vampires. What dragged the book down for me was the author's obsession with the central villain. They seem to have +10 plot armour and their survival seems to rely on the continued stupidity of others as much as the villain's own ingenuity. The ways in which the villain attacks/manipulates Aleksei verges on ridiculous and reminded me of a bad soap opera. Towards the end of the book I felt as though the villain couldn't have possibly had the time for all their activities.It's a shame as the core of the villain is great. I think this is what drags the final third of the book down for me to be honest.

The additional character viewpoints are ok - I enjoyed Aleksei's son for the contrast but wasn't as impressed with the Tsar and his wife.

The overall story is enjoyable and Jasper writes in a style that is very accessible and absorbing. He also blends his vampire lore into real history in such a way that it seems utterly plausible that this is what really drove events. For me things just became a little far-fetched with the villain, which is saying something in a book with vampires in it.

I'll give the rest of the series a chance as I'll be interested to see how the author weaves his story into other periods of Russian history. I think those who can accept the over-the-top machinations of the villain will find the book hard to fault though.

[AkashaPlum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Promising Plot with a Challenging Read
Thirteen Years Later is a story with an intriguing premise that I genuinely wanted to love. The plot has a lot of potential and the storyline itself is engaging, offering twists and moments that keep you curious about what will happen next. However, there were some aspects of the writing that made it difficult to fully enjoy the book.

Writing Style and Pacing Issues
One of the major hurdles I faced was the writing construction. The chapters were extremely long, and I often found myself rereading sections to make sure I didn’t miss anything important. The pacing felt slow at times, and I struggled to maintain my interest, which made it harder to commit to finishing the book. The narrative, while interesting, didn’t quite pull me in as much as I had hoped.

Plot and Characters
That being said, the plot itself was solid. It had a lot of potential to keep readers hooked, but the writing style made it harder to fully immerse myself. The story had its moments of intrigue and I enjoyed the overall premise, but there was something missing that would have made the experience more compelling.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Thirteen Years Later is a book that could have been great, but the writing style held it back for me. While the plot was promising, the long chapters and occasional pacing issues made it hard to stay fully engaged. I’m glad I finished the book, but it wasn’t the most enjoyable reading experience. I would still recommend it to others who might not mind the slower pace, as the story itself is worth exploring.

[Bogdan Gavriliuc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer, the one i read had 618 pages.
I have to say I am impressed.
In comparison to previous book in the series, this is told in third person, allowing for more plot-development.

I really like it for a multitude of reasons.
The romance between Aleksei and his mistress,
The romance is complex in that he still loves his wife, even if differently, and he loves his mistress. I found it plausible and interestingly dealt with.

The spy-thriller side to the novel where Aleksei constantly demonstrates his skill and how to be a man.

The added threat of having to make sure his children don't come into harm (especially when he has to order his 18-year old son in the military).

The extra information on the vampires that I sought in the previous novel.

The ending was fitting and wonderful

The antagonist is one evil son of a bitch!

And many other subtle reasons. For example, the dialogue between two of the main characters, is very witty and interesting, while still holding an edge of threat. I can't say more about that cause I don't want to spoil anything.

Most definitely worth a read!

[Liviu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minor disappointment in the last 1/3 of the novel; it was absolutely great for 2/3 and it had some nice twists and turns, but anytime it went beyond Aleksey vs enemies of both kinds, I felt it went off the rails; the portrait of Tsar Alexander I was extremely unconvincing, the "science and vampires" thingy was superfluous or annoying - experiences with mirrors and vampires made me think of pulp 50's sf- the novel tried to go beyond historical thriller/adventure with vampires where its greatest strengths lie and imho it did not succeed; a B and I hope the third book will be more interesting, though I fear it will go the "stake escalation" - you know, end of the world and all - route; I read it fast and could not put it down, but it left me with a bit of "that's all???" feeling that I did not have in Twelve; ultimately vampire fiction and me do not really fit together and while in Twelve I generally could ignore that aspect, here the whole "big picture" plot just did not work for me...

[arjuna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as enjoyable as I remember the first book being, although that may have a bit to do with all the bogged-down Aleksei-Marfa-Dmitry soapie stuff, which seems only there for the payoff (but I liked that payoff, so it all evens out). Politically interesting, and the tsar ends up a much more sympathetic character than I expected at the outset, but I'd have liked a **lot** more stuff about Iuda (LOTS more stuff about Iuda, particularly in his alter egos - he's a wonderful creation, cleverer by far than the nominal hero) and Kyesha and much much less on stiff-upper-adulterer poddling which was, all told, a bit dull - and I lost patience with Aleksei's limited thinking a bit here and there (which is probably a sign of good characterisation). Ends with a bit of a whimper all told, but I'm still looking forward to the next instalment. I hesitate to give it a 3 - I liked it MORE than that implies, but it's not up there with my usual 4s and I can't give it 3.5, so 3 will have to do.

[Timothy Finucane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jasper Kent has managed to weave a tale around one of the main historical points in Russian history. It is extremely well done and well researched from the historical perspective, and it is becoming clear after reading the 2nd in the Danilov quintet that he is becoming one of my top authors for historical fiction.

This tail isn't just about vampires, it's about being human as well, as the primary antagonist isn't even a vampire. And the vampires in this story aren't the glossy gothic teeny-bopper kind either; these voordalak are nasty, more like the vampires of older classic horror stories. I feel I need to point out just how much this novel makes you feel like your in Russia. Russia oozes from each page.

In the end, I have a strong feeling that I will be having book hangover from this one for a while, which will probably make me go get the 3rd book very soon.

[Bernadette Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first in this series several years ago and have to admit that at the time it didn't really rock my boat. When I saw this in my local Library, I picked it up and thought to myself why not give it a go, I am so glad that I did as I enjoyed it and have given it an 8/10.

Loosely based on real people and real events, Kent has woven an alternative story around the disappearance of one of the Tsars ~ Aleksandr the First.

As Aleksei is once more faced with a foe of old, he is still allied to the Tsar and his main job is to protect the Tsar. As his allegance is put to the test in more ways than one, he puts his life on the line time after time after he is faced with legendary creatures of the night.

A great second instalment to the series looking forward to seeing were we are taken with the third in the series.

[AGirlAndHerLibrarian Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you prefer to listen with added extras: YouTube SERIES Review

I adore this quintet... this series of books is without doubt one of the most compelling and beautifully written vampire stories in recent decades. The level of detail, the historical interweaving of the invasion of Russia by Napoleon and the surrounding events and sieges. There is a twist on these Vampires, they are dark and wicked and start as a means to an end, but then our beloved central character and his descendents continue to deal with the fall out of the events in this first book, and their calling upon the Vampires.

P.S. Love bookmarks? Want to print them out and use them as often as you like? Love ephemera and junk journal’s and prints too? Try out my new website The Witchery Woo

[Elaine Bergstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything I liked about Twelve is still present in its sequel -- the meticulous research and well-drawn hero -- and perhaps a bit too much more. It is 13 years after the defeat of France and Bonaparte. Soldier Aleksei is now a trusted member of the Czar's inner circle dividing his attention between his beautiful loyal mistress and his wife. But there is one piece of his past still haunting him. I think the cover gives that name away well enough. What is troubling here is the fact that, like many second novels, this one seems to have been written more quickly than the first, possibly to meet a deadline. This leads to some incredibly illogical scenes near the end. Still, I liked it enough to give it four stars. Just wish it could have been five.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, like the first, is just so ... Russian! The author clearly has a love and understanding of 19th century Russian literature and culture. The vampires in this book are of the nasty variety (no sparkling skin!) and Kent has drawn on folk tales of these creatures in the telling of his own story. While the voordalak are prominent, this book is really about humanity and the intricacies of human relationships.

I was unaware of the rumors and tales surrounding the death of Tsar Aleksandr and I enjoyed this bit of historic lore. This tale provided a fantastic plot device for the author and I thought he wove that into his story well.

I look forward to reading the next book in the Danilov Quintet!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Thirteen Years Later is a worthy follow-up of Twelve. The use of third person perspective adds quite a bit of depth and color to Kent's world. The plot and events are meticulously researched. If there were some problems with pacing, it's easy to overlook. Fans of Twelve will be sure to enjoy Thirteen Years Later just as much as it's predecessor.

Read my full review here:

http://bookwormblues.blogspot.com/201...

[Rosann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldnt get into this book as much as first one. Writing is still very good, but the author packs so much information about things that happened in Russia, I end up getting zoned out and then lose all interest in reading about the story.

Normally my Kindle is open pretty much all day..since the start of reading " Thirteen Years Later" my Kindle has sat for about an entire day without my opening it.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Thirteen Years Later" is an entertaining detailed 3 part story that seems to move slowly in places. It is a mix of vampire (voordalak) lore and speculative historical fiction. The novel is centered in Russia during the reign of Alexander I. The hero of the story Aleksei Danilov is not quite the man he wants to be physically, morally and emotionally. Alexsei has to overcome these personal difficulties and try and find out one of the novel's overall mysteries. What are the vampire's goals.