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The Wizard of the Kremlin

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A thrilling exploration of the nature of power through the inner workings of Putin's regime.

Known as the "Wizard of the Kremlin," the enigmatic Vadim Baranov was a TV producer before becoming a political advisor to Putin, aka "The Czar." After his resignation from this position, legends about him multiply, with no one able to distinguish truth from fiction. Until one night, when he tells his story to the narrator of this book...

He immerses us in the heart of the Russian state, where sycophants and oligarchs have been engaging in open warfare, and where Vadim, now the regime's main spin doctor, turns an entire country into an avant-garde political stage. Yet Vadim is not as ambitious as the others. Entangled in the increasingly dark secrets of the regime he has helped create, he will do anything to get out, guided by the memory of his grandfather, an eccentric aristocrat who survived the Revolution, and the mesmerizing, merciless Ksenia, whom he has fallen in love with.

A compelling portrait of power and how it corrupts.

"Part fiction and part freewheeling analysis, an insider's look at the world of Vladimir Putin." --Kirkus Reviews

"A fictional wandering through the dark corridors of the Kremlin." --The Times

©2022 Giuliano Da Empoli (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd Biographical Fiction Espionage Genre Fiction Political Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Russia Fiction Biography Exciting Wizardry Magic Users
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Very odd to have a novelised biography and not know what really happened. I guess I’m not as up to date in Russian politics as

Slightly baffling in a good way

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Some insights, perhaps best expressed like this in narrative. ... Puisque ces mystères nous dépassent, feignons d'en l'organisateur.

A realistic fiction

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Tore through it in 2 days. Captivating narration. Whilst not much new info, offers behind the scenes insight and a few little gems.

Compelling

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Great story well written and read. Will recommend to others to listen or read. well done.

narrative

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This is not a thriller (not a complaint). It’s a combination of philosophy and anthropology through historical fiction. It’s definitely interesting and entertaining with a good exploration of how the Kremlins politics has evolved through the 1990s with a great narrator. It can be a bit self-indulgent on the philosophical treatise at times.

More than a thriller

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