skygiants | (no subject)

osprey_archer very kindly sent me her copy of Firebird, Elizabeth Wein's recent only-published-in-the-UK children's novel.

This is definitely the shortest and youngest Wein book I've read, which is definitely not say that it's not, uh, on the same level of grim as most of Wein's other books, seeing as it's set during Nazi invasion of Russia and the siege of St. Petersburg; lots of people die, it's just largely offscreen!

The protagonist, Nastia, is a Soviet WWII pilot accused of treason for landing behind enemy lines. Her explanation for how she got there -- and into the war to begin with -- involves a number of factors, but primarily the support of her mentor, a sardonic battleaxe of a flying instructor with a perfectly made-up face, a Mysterious Revolutionary Past, and a number of rumors constantly flying around about her, including that she secretly wears fancy French underwear.

...needless to say I am in love with Nastia's flying instructor, so it is pleasing to me that their dynamic is the most significant in the book. Nastia, who also loves her mentor very much, flies down into enemy territory to rescue her in a firefight!

...whereupon her mentor picks herself up, announces that she's secretly been Princess Anastasia the entire time, and peaces out to find herself another new life somewhere ... behind enemy lines, I guess? BYE ANYA.

Hilarious as I found this reveal, HARD-BITTEN SOVIET PILOT PRINCESS ANASTASIA is definitely a galaxy brain take and I fully support it. Shine on, Elizabeth Wein, you beautiful diamond.

In an afterward, she talks politely about all the research she did on Soviet pilots and the Anastasia rumors, and credits her daughter with experiencing various fictional portrayals of Anastasia's Post-Romanov Years on her behalf. However, as much as she may want to disclaim it, Elizabeth Wein FOR SURE experienced Anastasia: The Musical in some way or another, because the OTHER hilarious thing about Firebird is that Nastia definitely draws some background influence from Gleb, who, as you may recall, is the Communist agent who replaces zombie Rasputin as Anastasia: The Musical's antagonist.

"But what," you may ask, "does Nastia, a plucky young WWII pilot, have in common with a sad Soviet bureaucrat who sings about his feelings to his stressed-out officemates?"

Well ... not much personality-wise, but Nastia has Gleb's exact backstory of "dedicated Communist child of extremely loyal Revolutionary parents whose father was one of the people who murdered all the Romanovs, who nonetheless becomes accidentally obsessed with the princess Anastasia," which leads me to believe that Elizabeth Wein looked critically at Gleb and thought: "okay, what if that, but a plucky young WWII pilot?" Much as, indeed, she looked critically at Anastasia and thought: "okay, what if that, but a plucky WWII pilot"; as indeed, once long ago, I believe, she looked at Francis Crawford of Lymond and thought, "okay, what if that, but --" It is perhaps a peculiar superpower to be able to look at any character and immediately transform them semi-plausibly into a plucky WWII heroine, but who are we to question the gifts of the gods?

In other news, I have now passed the book on to

shati but

osprey_archer assures me that its destiny is to travel the globe or at least the country, so if you would like to be its next stop, let me know!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

sovay

Hilarious as I found this reveal, HARD-BITTEN SOVIET PILOT PRINCESS ANASTASIA is definitely a galaxy brain take and I fully support it.

I am not familiar with this idiom, but I support the idea nonetheless.

From:

skygiants

Galaxy brain is the final stage of that meme with the increasingly sparkly brains; the "we've reached ludicrous speed" of Big Ideas. In this case, I am using it with deep affection.

From:

sovay

Galaxy brain is the final stage of that meme with the increasingly sparkly brains; the "we've reached ludicrous speed" of Big Ideas.

Thank you!

In this case, I am using it with deep affection.

I figured.

(This book had damn well better come out in the U.S. I am like three WWII novels behind on Elizabeth E. Wein, but I still want to read it.)

From:

skygiants

(You can have it after

shati does, if you want, but you have to promise to pass it on after!)

From:

rachelmanija

That is not the twist I would have expected, or even in its vicinity.

From:

skygiants

I had actually been spoiled for the fact that Princess Anastasia would appear somewhere in this book but I did not expect the reveal to happen the way it did! The rumored fancy French underwear is A CORSET FILLED WITH ROMANOV DIAMONDS.

From:

sovay

The rumored fancy French underwear is A CORSET FILLED WITH ROMANOV DIAMONDS.

That I was not expecting.

From:

genarti

GOODNESS GRACIOUS. I. Golly. Well, one cannot deny the fanciness of that, I guess!

From:

ceitfianna

I had no idea this book even existed, wow. Have you ever read her murder mystery? I know BPL has it on overdrive and I've been curious about it though I'm blanking on the title.

From:

skygiants

No! Which one is her murder mystery?

From:

ceitfianna

There's one called The Pearl Thief that seems kind of country house style. BPL has a lot of her books, I really should go deeper into her back list.

Have you read her Star Wars' book about the Tico sisters and a Resistance bombing unit? I highly recommend it though it made me sad that The Last Jedi wasn't more like its story.

From:

genarti

Thanks to

osprey_archer's review I knew that SURPRISE SOVIET FIGHTER PILOT ANASTASIA was part of this book, but it's the only thing I remembered about it! ENDLESSLY BAFFLING, ENDLESSLY HILARIOUS. I have no idea if I'd like it or not, but the fact that this book exists with this plot point cracks me up forever.

From:

skygiants

I mean, you probably would, without the Anastasia twist it's all a perfectly sound exploration of mentorship and loyalty on the front lines of a war, the secret princess identity thing is just. An extra flourish!

From:

genarti

AND WHAT A FLOURISH IT IS.

Okay, then I will consider this a newly high entry on my Elizabeth Wein Books To Try Sometime list! I do like explorations of mentorship and loyalty etc.

From:

davidgillon

Boggle!

About all this needs to be perfect is to have them flying with the Night Witches, but they're on the wrong part of the front for that.

From:

skygiants

I wouldn't put it at all past Elizabeth Wein to write a Night Witches book in future, though.

From:

osprey_archer

Isn't hardbitten Soviet fight pilot Anastasia amazing? In all possible senses of the word. It's SO ludicrous and yet bizarrely I'm SO into it. I mean, of course she has no fucks left to give and just sits around in the shade of her plane smoking cigarettes, after seeing her whole family murdered like that. Naturally she just takes all the vicissitudes of life in the Soviet Union with a cynical shrug after that.

I am also thrilled to hear that the book has continued its travels!

From:

skygiants

SHE'S SO GOOD. I love her in all her peroxide-blonde perfectly made-up weird-accented chain-smoking glory. I picture her played by Marlene Dietrich.

I mean, it's still in Boston, so it hasn't traveled far yet, but hopefully more travels to come!

From:

chestnut_pod

Now this sounds DELIGHTFUL.

From:

skygiants

It was an extremely enjoyable experience!

From:

kore

Elizabeth Wein looked critically at Gleb and thought: "okay, what if that, but a plucky young WWII pilot?" Much as, indeed, she looked critically at Anastasia and thought: "okay, what if that, but a plucky WWII pilot"; as indeed, once long ago, I believe, she looked at Francis Crawford of Lymond and thought, "okay, what if that, but --" It is perhaps a peculiar superpower to be able to look at any character and immediately transform them semi-plausibly into a plucky WWII heroine, but who are we to question the gifts of the gods?

NOT ME

From:

skygiants

I'm eager to see what she turns her gaze on next!

From:

thistleingrey

okay, what if that, but

heh! Indeed a gift.

From:

skygiants

And a precious one!

From:

sheliak

The only Wein books I have read are her Arthuriana/Aksum series, and now I am imagining Medraut, Telemakos et al as WWII fighter pilots (but otherwise precisely the same).

From:

skygiants

I would absolutely read that AU and I would also not be at all surprised if someday Wein writes that AU. (Medraut as the traumatized WWI pilot who was shot down and then disappeared, Telemakos as his son pressed into service in the Ethiopian campaign...)

From:

littlerhymes

BYE ANYA! Just beautiful...

I am so delighted to hear this is making its way around the world. From Australia, to the US, and beyond. I hope it hits every continent!

From:

skygiants

I forgot you were the original source! I devoutly hope so too; may it fly even further than its characters!

From:

aquamirage

I was looking up if it would pub in the US and was delighted to see the UK publisher is specifically for kids with learning disabilities and dyslexia! Good on you, Elizabeth Wein!!!!!