Vasilisa - Julie Mathison

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Author: Julie Mathison

Series: Old Rus #1
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: Easily among the best indie books I’ve read, and one of the best books I’ve read this year so far.

Story:
1919. Edenfall, Pennsylvania. Thirteen year old Vasilisa’s beloved Papa is missing, presumed dead on the battlefield of Flanders. Her mother is being courted by a strange man, and while she isn’t comfortable with him, she feels the need to accept his proposal for monetary reasons. The third stroke of bad luck is when Vasilisa’s dear grandma, Babka as she calls her, seems to be losing her health. All Vasilisa has a means of moral support is the old Russian fables her Babka always told her. Until one day, it seems like the fables might not be fables after all. Soon, Vasilisa finds herself on a fantastical but dangerous journey, filled with fascinating (and scary) creatures from Russian lore. Her only companion is fifteen year old Ivan, who has an agenda of his own to fulfil in Old Rus. Will the two kids be able to vanquish their evil opponents and find their "happily ever after" in this magical story?


I have read quite a few indie books, and there is usually some or the other writing-related issue in them. I had hardly any such complaints with this book. The overall flow of the narrative is very smooth. The pacing is excellent. The plot development is great. The vocabulary and grammar is thoroughly satisfying. The prose is lyrical. The world building is “out of this world”! I could visualise every scene and every mythical creature perfectly and found myself invested in the story from start to end.

The Russian component in the narrative is so strong and so well-written in the book that I had a hard time keeping it aside. I admit, the Russian lore becomes a bit too heavy at times but this isn't the book's flaw. The blurb makes it very clear that the story is based on old Russian folklore so it was my knowledge that fell short of requirements. What I appreciate is that the author didn’t spoonfeed her readers. She gives enough clues to understand who the various beings are, but doesn’t go all out to introduce them. You discover their qualities as the narration progresses. It is as if you too are seeing them for the first time along with Vasilisa and Ivan. There is a generous sprinkling of Russian words in the story, but the context is enough to guess their meaning.

Though this is middle-grade fiction, most of the human characters are quite well-layered and complex. Vasilisa is brave, kind and courageous. Her young shoulders bear the role of lead protagonist very well. Ivan’s struggles felt very real. I mostly enjoyed the interactions between the two kids. My only issue was that they never sounded their age. The addition of the subtle romance didn’t help matters. I feel that the story would have become even stronger if both of them were 2-3 years older than their character ages.

There are minor areas where the story could have worked better for me. But the positive points of the book SO outnumbered the minuscule problems that I am happily willing to kick aside the criticism. The climax of the main story was a bit abrupt but the epilogue sets things right again and leads the story gently towards its next instalment.

Overall, I absolutely loved this experience for its plot, its pacing, its characters and for the thrills it provided. Definitely an indie book worth going for. Recommended to fantasy lovers, folklore readers, adventure enthusiasts, and anyone else who wants to get a glimpse of the rich Russian lore. (I don’t think I will recommend this to younger middle-graders. The story gets too complicated at times and they might not get the hang of it.)

A strong 4.5 stars from me. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from author Julie Mathison through ‘Voracious Readers Only’ and these are my honest thoughts about it.

ETA: I did end up reading the second book of this series in April 2022. Mixed feelings about it. Click HERE to read my review of book 2, "Elena the Brave."

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