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Summary
Summary
An epic debut novel about a lovelorn eighteenth-century Russian noble, cursed with longevity and an immunity to cold, whose quest for the truth behind his condition spans two thrilling centuries and a stunning array of historical events.
The Empress Anna Ioannovna has issued her latest eccentric order: construct a palace out of ice blocks. Inside its walls her slaves build a wedding chamber, a canopy bed on a dais, heavy drapes cascading to the floor--all made of ice. Sealed inside are a disgraced nobleman and a deformed female jester. On the empress's command--for her entertainment--these two are to be married, the relationship consummated inside this frozen prison. In the morning, guards enter to find them half-dead. Nine months later, two boys are born.
Surrounded by servants and animals, Prince Alexander Velitzyn and his twin brother, Andrei, have an idyllic childhood on the family's large country estate. But as they approach manhood, stark differences coalesce. Andrei is daring and ambitious; Alexander is tentative and adrift. One frigid winter night on the road between St. Petersburg and Moscow, as he flees his army post, Alexander comes to a horrifying revelation: his body is immune to cold.
J. M. Sidorova's boldly original and genrebending novel takes readers from the grisly fields of the Napoleonic Wars to the blazing heat of Afghanistan, from the outer reaches of Siberia to the cacophonous streets of nineteenth-century Paris. The adventures of its protagonist, Prince Alexander Velitzyn--on a lifelong quest for the truth behind his strange physiology--will span three continents and two centuries and bring him into contact with an incredible range of real historical figures, from Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein , to the licentious Russian empress Elizaveta and Arctic explorer Joseph Billings.
The Age of Ice is one of the most enchanting and inventive debut novels of the year.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Sidorova's sprawling debut opens in 1740 on the frozen Russian tundra, where twins Prince Andrei and narrator Prince Alexander Velitzyn are conceived under unusual circumstances. For her amusement, Empress Anna Ioanovna demands a wedding for the twins' court-jester parents, whose nuptial bed is made of ice. "I was born of cold copulation," relays Alexander, "white-fleshed and waxy like the crust of fat on beef broth left outside in winter." The twins' mother perishes after their birth and their father returns to Moscow unable to shake the stigma of his time at court. The Empress's whim has a profound effect as Alexander grasps the startling reality that he is impervious to cold (anyone who attempts to get close will encounter a frosty exterior) . Keeping his secret, Alexander sadly drifts apart from his brother during their military duty. Searching for scientific reasons behind his physical anomaly, Alexander joins famed Captain Joseph Billings on an Arctic expedition. His physical abnormality acts as a preservative and carries him across the globe and through the centuries, where he has a chance meeting with writer Mary Shelley. Sidorova's lyrical prose complements her protagonist's fantastical tale of isolation on his mythic journey. Agent: Seth Fishman, Gernert Company. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Russian-born professor Sidorova puts her knowledge of her homeland's history to work in this novel that follows the odd story of a man whose life is synonymous with cold. When Prince Alexander Velitzyn's father, Mikhail, helped conceive him and his twin brother, Andrei, in 18th-century Russia, it was out of anything but love: After displeasing the empress, Mikhail and a hunchbacked jester were thrown together to spend the night in a palace made entirely of ice, down to the bed and curtains. Twins Alexander and Andrei were the result of the forced union. Instead of being close, as twins oftentimes are, Andrei seems to take great delight in taunting his brother, while Alexander remains devoted to Andrei. In an epic tale that starts with the boys' births in 1740 and follows Alexander through his exceedingly long life (the main character and narrator lives into the 21st century), Sidorova explores cold as a narrative theme: Alexander has a peculiar lack of bodily warmth and has a tolerance to ice and snow that's not shared with the rest of the human race. In this uneven tale, Alexander takes readers through the reigns of Catherine and Peter in his homeland, traverses the coldest places imaginable, spans Europe and ends up in modern-day America. The journey is disconcerting. Although Sidorova ably presents life in 18th-century Russia, her protagonist is difficult to like. The prose often slips back and forth in tenses, and the emphasis on the lead character's coldness verges on literary nagging. Even more problematic: 18th-century Russian characters speak in modern slang, which the author mixes with the more formal language of the time. Fans of historical fiction with a supernatural component may like this novel, but the climate-immune protagonist and his endless, often nonsensical ramblings will leave more literal-minded readers feeling cold. ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Sidorova's imaginative and densely detailed first novel mingles historical and speculative fiction. Prince Alexander Velitsyn was conceived in ice: he and his twin brother were born of two jesters forced to wed and remain overnight in Empress Anna Ioanovna's ice palace in January 1740. As a young soldier, Alexander is startled to discover he's unaffected by cold and that heightened emotions turn his body literally frigid. Thus begins his quest for a scientific explanation and fellow sufferers, if they exist. Since his condition makes it challenging to get close to women, he turns to a life of adventure and exploration. His jaunts propel readers on an informative journey over 250 years of Russian history and ventures abroad, from an Arctic expedition to the Napoleonic Wars and the Great Game in central Asia. (He also becomes immortal at one point.) Alexander's detached narration which suits his situation keeps readers at a distance, but his interactions with other characters, real and fictional, and his continual yearning for connections enrich the tale with depth and meaning.--Johnson, Sarah Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
This captivating debut by a Moscow-born biology professor begins with a chilly curse. Twins born of exiled parents in 18th-century Russia discover they have special talents for withstanding cold. Separated by jealousy and rival military careers, the twins seek separate fortunes and families. The younger twin, Alexander, thrives in cold and travels across the decades through Russia, Siberia, France, and most of Europe. With an inexplicably long life, he stumbles into the Great Game in Asia, finds himself in bondage in Persia, and helps the British invade Afghanistan. Surviving into the 20th century, he plays his part in both world wars and starts a refrigeration business in Singapore. Alexander's mystical success with ice and longevity only bring him more questions about his origin, his family, and his ability to love. Verdict Sidorova's sweeping scope is impressive. Romance, warfare, science, history, and exploration all take turns in this epic work that spans centuries and empires. Unlimited by genre boundaries, it is sure to delight awe all types of readers. [See Prepub Alert, 1/6/13.]-Catherine Lantz, Morton Coll. Lib., Cicero, IL (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
