Revelation of Fire [Paperback]

Alla Avilova (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

In the year 1938, when Russia was paralyzed by Stalin's terror, a small state archives in Moscow received an old manuscript called Revelation of Fire that had in earlier days been kept secret in a monastery for a long time.

When, in current time, a Dutch Slavonic scholar and a female archivist discover that the manuscript, though under lock and key, has disappeared. Eager to discover the secrets of this mysterious religious text they decide to investigate and begin to reconstruct its history and its changes in ownership over the past 200 years.

Russian history, adventure, mysticism, and love stories are among the ingredients of this novel, which casts a light on the experiences of several individuals in various time periods who have one thing in common: an attraction to the Revelations contained therein. There are many surprises along the way. The best laid schemes of previous and would-be owners regularly come to naught, the best of intentions turn out disastrously, the worthy fail to receive their just deserts, and evil, in the long run, brings forth good.

The action is played out during the most notable periods of Russian history: in the 1870's, for example, when the first socialist groups made their appearance; in the Civil War of 1919; in the period of Stalin's terror; in the time of the 'stagnation' before the 'perestroika' and finally in contemporary Russia as one learns, incrementally, about the unorthodox teachings of an unusual Russian Orthodox monk.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Avilova's novel demonstrates an impressive grasp of Russian literature and history, but fails to fully bring to life its world of ancient texts. Bert Renes, a Slavonic scholar, is doing research in Moscow in the early 1980s when he discovers that an intriguing 16th-century manuscript is missing from the state archives. The manuscript, Revelation of Fire, contains the teachings of Eularious, one of the Cenergites line of monks who for centuries remained untouched by the antiheresy movements. As Bert and archivist Nadya Demyanova begin to uncover the secrets of Revelation, their fascination with the manuscript's past grows, and Avilova weaves in historical accounts of the manuscript's past owners, including the self-proclaimed first female Cenergite and a pair of orphan twins who mysteriously disappeared. The depictions of Cold War–era Moscow are convincingly dreary and wonderfully paranoia-inducing, though Avilova has less luck with the historical set pieces, which feel airless. Brainy historical Russian mysticism deployed at a page-turning pace isn't for everyone, but a chunk of devotees will dig it. (Sept.)
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Review

Revelation of Fire (The Permanent Press, 2008) takes place in Russia. The author, Alla Avilova, was born in Russia and took her degree in Russian Literature at the University of Moscow. She has been living in the Netherlands since 1979 where she was a co-publisher of a contemporary spiritual quest magazine.
Sharing the recent popularity of mysterious religious and political entities harboring fateful secrets, this novel is about a Dutch Slavonic scholar and a female archivist who discover that a two hundred year old manuscript is missing from Moscow s State Cultural and Historical Archive. As they begin to find out how it vanished they also begin to reconstruct its trail of ownership over the past two hundred years.
Remarkably detailed, the story includes Russian history, art, politics, religion, and good guys and bad guys, of course! The setting bounces back and forth from contemporary times to notable periods of Russian history: the 1870s when the first socialist groups appeared; the Civil War of 1919; perestroika (the economic reforms introduced in June 1987 by Mikhail Gorbachev); and, present-day Russia.
There are many characters in the book, so thankfully Avilova wrote a non-related family tree of the significant characters and places in the book. --Consuming Books one Page at a Time

Revelation of Fire is a thoroughly enjoyable read and is, to me, reminiscent of the Russian masters. Like them Avilova has a firm grasp of human nature and an unnatural insight into the soul of the common man. Her characters are compelling, real and absolutely believable. It proved to keep me enthralled throughout and is written with a poetic and masterful hand. The book is partially a mystery with elements of suspense and to a degree a dissertation on spiritualism. Avilova's wonderful settings are compelling and she'll draw you in to the spirit of each location: russian landscapes, hermitages, cold war apartments, and a 19th century fishing village force the reader to examine each location closely and you are transformed there. --Library Thing 5 of 5 stars.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: The Permanent Press (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579621686
• ISBN-13: 978-1579621681
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,872,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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