The new novel by Anna Sokalska is the second part of the Tales from the Multiverse series , but both volumes can be read in any order. Each of the books offers different, interesting characters whose fates are worth learning about. The choice is entirely up to the reader.
Independent story
I was a bit surprised by the fact that Żertwa is not a continuation of the fate of the heroes I met while reading The Witches. On the one hand, this is an advantage, because you can start reading in any order and you don’t have to remember all the details of the plot of the first volume. On the other hand, to learn about the further adventures of the characters that aroused sympathy while reading the previous part, you have to wait a bit longer. The action of the second volume takes place a few years earlier. At night, a body is found near the cathedral in Wrocław. They were lying under a ladder that was supposed to be one of the tools to commit suicide. Interestingly, however, the rope is missing. An investigation is launched to rule out participation in the mysterious death of third parties. Meanwhile, someone is taking blood from sleeping students on the trip. A girl named Anastasia reports to the police, suggesting to law enforcement that the corpse from under the cathedral was sacrificed to the Slavic gods, which, of course, is met with the disbelief of law enforcement agencies. It will soon become clear that the boundary between the world we know well and that of legends and stories begins to blur more and more.
Slavic mythology
It is nice to see the use of the ancient beliefs of the Slavs in literature once again. The creatures of this mythology play a large role in the novel. The events they participate in can be dark and dripping with blood, as well as full of intrigue and unpredictable twists. The author is able to create detailed descriptions that add authenticity to the world. The characters’ behavior in certain situations is also presented reliably. In addition, the entire book is written in a light style rich in intelligent humor. It should also be noted that Żertwa is a completely different novel than The Witcher and Anna Sokalska experiments in it a lot. In addition to the galaxy of new people, we also get a criminal thread. The two main characters – Anastasia and Commissioner Majka – aroused my sympathy and I supported them a lot. An interesting trick was to stop the plot so that we could find out about the events with supporting characters. The biggest surprise, however, was playing with the form used by the author. I never imagined in my life that in an urban fantasy novel I will find a chapter written in verse. Suddenly, the narrative can shift to a first-person form, or an unusual additional narrator appears. All these treatments were a great diversion while reading. I also hope that this is not just a one-off jump and the author will show other, original solutions in the next volume. The fates of the heroes of both parts are to be combined in the third volume, entitled The Juggler . I am very curious how this meeting will go.
Summary
Żertwa is a lightly written novel with a detailed world and interesting and believable characters. You can also learn a lot about long forgotten Slavic myths. As with The Witch , the ending of this volume remains open. I definitely recommend this series and look forward to the third part. We will soon find out about what will happen when the paths of Anastasia and Jasna cross.
Nasza ocena: 8/10
Żertwa presents the events taking place in front of the Witch and presents a set of new characters. Interesting and credible heroes, a lot of events involving creatures from Slavic mythology and intelligent humor make this series worth getting to know.EDITION AND PROOFREADING: 8/10
PLOT: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
STYLE: 8/10