Where Magic Burns on Winter Seas by Andrew Volkov, Reviewed by Megan Weiss

Worth reading

A Russian monk hiding among the Mormons in Utah is found by an old enemy who yearns to take his magic for their own.

Psychologically intense, dark, and full of adventure, Where Magic Burns on Winter Seas is the second book in the Ilyusha series. A Russian monk has found refuge with the Mormon community in Utah. Portrayed as the mayor’s son, who was killed in a train robbery years ago, Elijah – as he is called there – preaches to a devoted group about the virtues of doing good to others. Viewed as a threat by the fundamentalists, he, his wife Zima, and his followers are no strangers to persecution. The tension in Bethany upon Jordan is not the only threat on the horizon, however. The former monk has power over a powerful magic. When a once-friend-turned-enemy decides to track him down and take Elijah’s power for himself, he is caught in a dangerous game where defiance could mean death, but surrender could unleash a greater evil upon the world. A cross-continental saga sweeping from the mountains of Utah to Russian Gulags and the frigid arctic waters, Elijah is caught between the life he came from, and the life he found. How will he choose between his faithful wife, Zima, and the love he left behind in Russia? How will he weigh his newfound faith against what he once desired.

Where Magic Burns on Winter Seas has a great premise. The author tried to create a world that was routed to realistic places, settings and people, but also shook things up by adding in the element of magic. Elijah/Ilyusha is a complex protagonist that readers should be able to connect to as he weighs against what he wants versus what he knows is right. The globetrotting to different parts of the world helped to add suspense to the events of the book. Readers should also be able to connect to the book on a philosophical level as they weigh their own struggles with their faith, temptations and how they conflict with their principles. It is a story with a great mix of thrill, mysticism, darkness, but also tenderness in the right places.

In some respects I believe there could be room for improvement in Where Magic Burns on Winter Seas. Based on the synopsis, I had expected a fast-paced, historical thriller. Instead, to me the book dragged. It started out slow and seemed to get bogged down in over exposition. Sometimes, it was even hard to tell when a character was thinking about a present concern or reminiscing about a past event. The dialogue flowed well enough, it was missing a certain emotional resonance that would have helped me connect more with the characters. Details were also wonderful so far as natural surroundings and character presentations were concerned but had a tendency to drop in the throes of the more fast-paced scenes.

Perhaps the style of the book just was not what I am used to, as it is clear a lot of research, worldbuilding and planning was put into Where Magic Burns on Winter Seas. Therefore, I think to the right audience it will do well and is definitely worth reading for those who do like complex reads filled with abstract questions about morality and life itself.

Megan has been an avid reader and writer since she was a little girl. Paralegal by day, Megan has dual bachelor's degrees in Creative Writing and English, as well as a Master's in Public History. An author herself, she lives with her husband and two fur babies while reading everything in sight.