The Coronation - Boris Akunin

The former State Counsellor Erast Fandorin becomes involved once again in official affairs of the highest order when Mikhail, the son of Grand Duke Georgii Alexandrovich one of the eminent members of the Russian Royal family is abducted in broad daylight in Moscow, only days before the coronation of Nicholas II. The abduction has been carried out by Dr Lind, a ruthless and highly dangerous criminal that Fandorin has been trailing for a number of years across Europe. Even though he is at the scene of the crime with his faithful Japanese servant Masa, Fandorin is once again unable to prevent Lind from carrying out the kidnapping. The stakes are high in this Fandorin adventure. Not only is the life of a young Prince in grave danger (Lind is not usually inclined to allow his hostages to live), but worse, the, the ransom demanded, a precious stone from the royal sceptre, threatens to derail the imminent coronation and tarnish the reputation and international standing of the Romanov Royal Family.

Despite the setting, The Coronation is in essence little more than a regular hostage drama, Fandorin contriving to draw out the handing over of the ultimate ransom and keeping Mika alive until the Coronation has taken place, by which time he hopes to have enough information and preparation to make an assault on Dr Lind. A regular historical adventure and crime thriller, the novel however takes on another level through the brilliance of Akunin’s writing, pacing, characterisation and historical research. Written from the perspective of the rather stuffy, protocol-insistent Royal Major-domo Afanassi Zioukine, Akunin is able to contrast the sentiments and behaviour of the period with the methods of Fandorin, bringing authenticity to the setting as well as a great dynamic and humour in all the intrigue of the Royal Court’s romances, rivalries and scandals. Nothing new for an Akunin Fandorin novel, but as hugely entertaining as any of the others.

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