After Bloody Sunday in St. Petersburg brings tragedy to the Fedorcenkos in 1905, the family's younger son develops a taste for vengeance, the older son feels driven to take his rightful place as an aristocrat, and societal unrest heightens into revolution in White Nights, Red Morning by author Judith Pella.

I'm nearly finished with this historical ChristFic series after reading this sixth novel, and I'm kind of on pins and needles as I imagine how the saga might wrap up.

As I've mentioned before, it's the plot that's hooked me to this series more so than the characters. Many of the people in these stories still have a fairly caricatural, sometimes melodramatic feel, and as for drama on the whole, I think it's overdone when the narrator exclaims (!) the story at the reader. Also, I still haven't been able to find any of the romance convincing, mostly because I'd need the characters to feel more real and natural.

Even so, the wealth of history here—the parts I already knew and those I'm reading about for the first time—is fascinating. And the reminders of humanity's vices and hazardous tendencies are disturbing, including people's susceptibility to brainwashing when they give too much trust and devotion to prominent, vainglorious, self-serving figures who manipulate people (even many people) through their fears.

Yes, that kind of stuff really happens, and those who cannot remember the past are condemned to...

Well.

As with the preceding novel, the climax in this one is gripping, and the short conclusion teeters on uncertainty. I'm quite curious to see how World War I, revolution, and civil war in Russia will play into the end of this series. On to Book Seven. ( )

This is book six in The Russians series and when I finished book five I wasn't sure the author could continue to hold my attention. But I must say that I continue to enjoy learning more of the Russian history and growing to love the characters in this series. This story deals mainly with Anna's two sons, Yuri and Andrei, as they try to figure out where they fit in since their father's tragic death on "Bloody Sunday". Yuri is the oldest and finds himself drawn to the nobility side of his heritage. Andrei, the youngest, seems to be siding with the Bolsheviks and their revolutionary ideas. Then there is Talia, the young woman who grew up with the brothers and who will also have a part in driving the two brothers apart. It truly is a story of love and war. It is not a pretty time in Russia and not a lot of good will happen to these people who are struggling just to stay alive at times. But the strength of this family is something you don't see very often in life.

This series continues to amaze me as I thought I would eventually lose interest in the story line. But Judith Pella has done an excellent job of weaving a story that compels you to keep reading and see what happens next. It is like reading the history of Russian in the early 1900's, but by putting people in the story that you have come to know and care about, you have a strong desire to keep reading and learning. I will suggest that you read "A Word from the Author" at the beginning of this book, as she does deal with a very wicked man named Rasputin in this story and she explains her reasons for doing so. I am now off to finish the series with the last book, "Passage Into Light". (I sneaked a peek at the first chapter and it picks up immediately where book 6 left off!) ( )