Publisher's Weekly Review
Fantasy and historical fiction blend well in this tale of were-bears in Russia on the brink of its 1917 Revolution. American John Sherwood goes with his friend Gregori Lohmatski to hunt a man-eating bear on Gregori's estate, only to find that the peasants' stories of men turning into bears are true. The heart of the book is an exploration of the savagery and abuses of power of both the czar's men and the revolutionaries, against which the ability to become a beast proves both helpful and, ironically, humane. When the manipulations of Gregori's power-hungry brother lead to Gregori's imprisonment, Sherwood and the incarcerated man's sister flee east across Russia to escape prison themselves and to free Gregori. Despite the panoramic scenery, the cultural and historical detail sometimes seems sparse. Still, the characters are very strong, and the suspense generated by their plight will engross most readers as Saberhagen (Merlin's Bones) weaves another satisfying story of the supernatural. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Visiting London in 1908, Russian landowner Gregori Lohmatski is urgently called home when his father is reported killed by a giant bear. He asks his American friend, hunter John Sherwood, to join him; but when the two arrive at his Padarok Lessa estate east of St. Petersburg, Gregori finds that his father is indeed dead; his brother, Maxim, an officer of the political police, is missing; and his revolutionary sister, Natalya, is waiting defiantly to be arrested. Meanwhile, Sherwood tries to track the homicidal bear, without success, and ponders Gregori's shamefaced confession that certain of the Lohmatskis are capable of shape-shifting into bears. Then Maxim shows up, with only feeble explanations for his absence. The police drag Gregori away and attempt to grab Natalya; she and Sherwood flee, chased by Maxim--in bear form! Maxim the bear mauls Sherwood, who wounds Maxim with a silver bullet. Recovering swiftly, Sherwood becomes a were-bear himself. Pursued by Maxim's agents, he and Natalya--soon becoming lovers--then head for Siberia, where he intends to become a bear-god to the superstitious locals. The traditional equation of bears with Russia, redeveloped here, hardly amounts to allegory as the publishers seem to think; otherwise, a well-handled and historically engaging fantasy--though not quite up to the standard of Merlin's Bones (1994).
Booklist Review
Gr. 10^-12. In a fast-paced horror tale with just enough gore, an American hunter in 1908 Russia, able to change shapes after being wounded by a werebear, uses his newly found power to track a friend who's been falsely imprisoned.
Library Journal Review
Saberhagen, a familiar face in the sf and fantasy genres, combines historical fiction and the macabre in this tale of a Russian Revolution-era family who have the ability to morph into giant bears. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
