Vita Nostra
Complex
Creative
Unique

Vita Nostra A Novel

“Vita Nostra” — a cross between Lev Grossman’s “The Magicians” and Elizabeth Kostova’s “The Historian” [...] is the anti-Harry Potter you didn’t know you wanted.” -- The Washington Post “Vita Nostra has become a powerful influence on my own writing. It’s a book that has the potential to become a modern classic of its genre, and I couldn’t be more excited to see it get the global audience in English it so richly deserves.” -- Lev Grossman Best Books of November 2018 -- Paste Magazine The definitive English language translation of the internationally acclaimed Russian novel—a brilliant dark fantasy combining psychological suspense, enchantment, and terror that makes us consider human existence in a fresh and provocative way. Our life is brief . . . Sasha Samokhina has been accepted to the Institute of Special Technologies. Or, more precisely, she’s been chosen. Situated in a tiny village, she finds the students are bizarre, and the curriculum even more so. The books are impossible to read, the lessons obscure to the point of maddening, and the work refuses memorization. Using terror and coercion to keep the students in line, the school does not punish them for their transgressions and failures; instead, it is their families that pay a terrible price. Yet despite her fear, Sasha undergoes changes that defy the dictates of matter and time; experiences which are nothing she has ever dreamed of . . . and suddenly all she could ever want. A complex blend of adventure, magic, science, and philosophy that probes the mysteries of existence, filtered through a distinct Russian sensibility, this astonishing work of speculative fiction—brilliantly translated by Julia Meitov Hersey—is reminiscent of modern classics such as Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, Max Barry’s Lexicon, and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale, but will transport them to a place far beyond those fantastical worlds.
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Reviews

Photo of
@nvtqis
2 stars
May 22, 2024
Photo of Leonie
Leonie@morallyblack
4.75 stars
Apr 16, 2024
Unique
Complex
Dizzying
Timeless
Suspenseful
Extraordinary
Photo of Rune
Rune@nausseam
5 stars
Mar 16, 2024
Photo of Nitin Khanna
Nitin Khanna@nitinkhanna
5 stars
Jan 30, 2024
Addictive
Inventive
Thrilling
Fast paced
Photo of isabella
isabella@bellawoodhouse
4 stars
Jan 8, 2024
Photo of Brandy
Brandy@purging
4 stars
Jan 7, 2024
Photo of Caroline Clutterbuck Kapulkin
Caroline Clutterbuck Kapulkin@pastryghost
Photo of Anja Hansen
Anja Hansen@snappy
4 stars
Mar 29, 2023
Photo of Kei demand
Kei demand @kdemand
5 stars
Mar 5, 2023
Photo of Patrícia
Patrícia @patriciapm
3.5 stars
Jan 29, 2023
Creative
Compelling
Photo of Midori Kobayashi
Midori Kobayashi@snortingpages
4 stars
Jan 22, 2023
Photo of tina
tina@folklorde
3 stars
Dec 19, 2022
Photo of Jacque
Jacque@jacque_who
4.5 stars
Dec 8, 2022
Layered
Eloquent
Cerebral
Creative
Artistic
Page turning
Photo of Jenna
Jenna@jenkew
4 stars
Nov 9, 2022
Photo of Belle
Belle@bellebcooper
4 stars
Nov 6, 2022
Photo of sara zanutto
sara zanutto@chonkyseal
4 stars
Nov 3, 2022
Photo of Elda Mengisto
Elda Mengisto@eldaam
5 stars
Oct 12, 2022
Photo of isabella t mejias
isabella t mejias@icelandbella
4 stars
Aug 14, 2022
Photo of Amy Vicknair
Amy Vicknair@ammee411
4 stars
Aug 12, 2022
Photo of summer
summer@cecestjames
4 stars
Jul 5, 2022
Photo of Fraser Simons
Fraser Simons@frasersimons
5 stars
Jun 9, 2022
Photo of Maria
Maria@mersibaq
4 stars
Jan 7, 2022
Photo of Aleena Korell
Aleena Korell@aleena
5 stars
Dec 15, 2021
Photo of Jennifer
Jennifer@vivaldi
4 stars
Dec 14, 2021

Highlights

Photo of Idina Muraca
Idina Muraca@idi
Photo of Idina Muraca
Idina Muraca@idi
Page 332
This highlight contains a spoiler