Originally reviewed at Hooked on Books 
 This book takes place in imperial Russia!!! I love imperial Russia!! 
 Sorry that was a bit of an outburst but seriously I really do love books set in this time period. It is arguably one of the five best places you could set a novel. I just find it so magical and mysterious. There's also so much history coming out of Russia at that time (which I may or may not be obsessed with as well). This meant that right away, from the very first chapter I was completely enamoured with this story. It was also great to read this book in winter when my current surrounding of snow and cold matched the setting of the story. 
 Now since this setting already has a mysterious quality to it, the paranormal element just seemed to fit so perfectly. It didn't feel overly cheesy or silly. I actually think it added just the right touch of darkness and intrigue that kept me hanging on throughout the entire novel. This book combines a variety of supernatural creatures, including fairies, vampires and what are essentially zombies. All of which we've seen a lot of recently in the YA genre. But due to the historical nature of this tale and the mixing in of Russian folklore, it all felt very unique and fun to read about. In addition it was nice to see them all converge in one place and react to one another. 
 Robin Bridges' debut is an exciting and creative read. It combines one of my favourite settings, with a lot of standard paranormal characters and it does it in a way that feels fresh and original. To me this book is definitely a must read.