Imogen Edwards-Jones

This was absolutely unputdownable- 4* writing but a *5 story, which I'd never heard of. I had never considered HOW Rasputin, a Siberian peasant, gained entrance to the Romanov court. Here we learn of the "Black Princesses"- Montenegrin sisters who have married into the slightly lesser echelons of St Petersburg aristocracy. Sidelined and treated with contempt for their lowly origins, Militza and Stana gain an intimacy with the unhappy Tsarena, disliked and unable to produce a son, through show more their ability with the occult. With spells and drugs, various spiritistic friends...and finally Rasputin himself, they become constant figures in the highest circle.
But jealousy grows...other royals seeing themselves usurped...and later from the sisters themselves, as the Tsarena takes up with other, more suitable, ladies...as Rasputin launches his career, unaided by them..and as his harem of female acolytes makes him more hated by the day...
Quite fascinating! show less

This novel wants to be 2 things: first, an historical fiction account of a fascinating time in history, the cusp of the Bolshevik Revolution, that time just before everything collapses, and the author gives us a great insider's view of what life among the cream of the elite is like: decadent parties, silk-dressed ladies dripping with jewels, palaces and yachts and soirees and teas and clubs and lavish weddings, etc. Some of the excesses of that time challenge belief.

And then there is the show more supernatural element here, the focus of the semi-biographical account of two (if we're to believe the author) witches and necromancers who have actual powers, working with the dark arts to "create" human beings and summon creatures to do their bidding. Interestingly, the sisters use a combination of paganism and what seems like elements of Roman Catholicism or the Russian Orthodox church in their rituals (using Catholic icons of saints, for example).

The intrigue of Militza and her sister and how they weave, cajole and magik their way into the highest echelons of Russian nobility was interesting.

FYI to the editors: the cover art depicts a star of David, whereas I think you're trying to go for a pentagram. They are completely different symbols. Look them up. show less

This was a very atmospheric and in general, beautifully written book. I loved all of the details of the extravagant and vicious court life of these extremely wealthy and awful people of the Russian court. As other reviewers have noted, it's difficult to keep track of the different characters, who each have multiple names that are hard to keep track of for someone not very familiar with Russian history. The author revels in explicit discussions of the vile and grotesque, and there are lots of show more bodily fluids throughout. Edwards-Jones does a great job of bringing to life her setting, describing the piercing cold, the disgusting smells, the glittering jewels and dresses, etc. It's quite repetitive and overly long, however, and in spite of all of the lurid details, it was at times a tedious read. show less

This book was such great fun! I read Hotel Babylon on holiday years ago, but I think this one was even better. In this exposé the anonymous whistle-blower is once again a manager in the hotel industry, but this time of a luxury island resort rather than a London establishment - and it takes things to a whole new level! As in the other Babylon books, all the people, places and madcap events that appear in the book are real, but names and locations have been changed (obviously!) and the show more bizarre situations the manager finds himself having to cope with have been condensed into one crazy 'week in the life'.

The reader is swept into a world of incredible luxury and privilege. This is a resort where the villas can cost up to $6000 a night, and the guests are so wealthy that they can afford to blow $20,000 on a afternoon's entertainment or $1,500 on a bottle of champagne without batting an eyelid. Not only does our intrepid manager have to cosy up to each and every one of his guests and bend over backwards to keep them happy, but he must also deal with their more outrageous requests, make sure the isolated island has everything it needs on a daily basis, and try to keep his staff functioning and content in the face of daily difficulties.

This is a wonderful piece of escapism, managing to capture both the little bubble of island life, with its daily champagne parties and beach barbeques and celebrity guests, and the all-consuming nightmare of trying to keep such a large resort in the impossibly perfect condition expected by the demanding clientele. Despite the 'world apart' nature of the island, the characters will be painfully familiar to anyone who's ever been on holiday! It's funny, it's dry, it's cringeworthy - and it's brilliant! show less