I have finished Ekaterina Sedia's The Secret History of Moscow.

Oh my.

This book is wonderful, really really wonderful. On one hand it is seriously mythic - what propels the plot is the mystery surrounding people who appear to suddenly turn into birds (mostly jackdaws but also some owls). But the people who become embroiled in the mystery are not the slightest bit fantastic: a cop investigating the disappearances, a young translator with a history of mental illness who sees her sister transformed, and a street artist. The three of them come together because they know the bird transformation is true. Soon enough, in pursuit of clues, they see something that seems beyond belief and then, in a true leap of faith, they literally jump into Moscow Underground.

At that point Sedia could have gone full on fantasy, and she certainly does introduce a lot of characters from Russian folklore and myth. But she also includes entirely human characters in the Underground, people who fell in or found themselves there with no real knowledge of what they were getting into. And now they all live - just like most of us live, in an interesting community of good, bad and otherwise complicated relationships.

I read in one review of the book that it included too much information on supporting characters but I think that missed the point Sedia is making here. This book is literally a look at some of the thousands - millions - of secret histories that have made up the city of Moscow. So, for example, when we meet the long presumed dead grandfather of one of the main characters, we also learn how he ended up below while running for his life back during his work as a political agitator against the government. When we meet Oksana, we learn her story as a gypsy on the fringes of the city's acceptance and on and on. Stories are told of soldiers, thugs, heroes and villains. The plot stays intact however and the 2-3 page deviations to provide these histories serve only to make the larger story - the mystery of the birds - that much richer. Sedia has a bigger tale to tell then one of transformation; she wants readers to gain an understanding of just how complex a city and its people can be. It's not a huge book and I never thought it meandered away from the main story for too long or no reason; in fact I relished each and every personal history that Sedia shared as they built on each other and made me appreciate her novel even more.

There's so much of the book I'd love to share but here's a bit that is appropriately historic and shows Sedia's love of language:

He stared into the fog as one would into a snow globe - the concerns about the thugs and the questions about Elena's unexpected presence melted away, leaving him charmed, entranced by the unfolding spectacle. The figures inside appear distorted, as if one was looking through a soap bubble, but he recognized their long gray coats and red stars on their hats, their military boots striking the ground in unison - the legendary First Cavalry, the product of propaganda and folklore in equal proportions; they passed through the bubble, each of their faces briefly magnified and distorted, and disappeared again into the fog.

If you have any interest in Russian history or enjoy mythic tales then this is one that must not be passed up. Written for adults, it is entirely suitable for older teens as well.

I adored it - flat out adored it.

In other news, I ran today. You should all watch out, because I think that hell might be in danger of freezing over. (The Couch Potato to 5K plan; I'll keep you posted on how it goes.)