Ilya is the middle son of a boyar (although he claims to be a tsar). While his brothers spend all of their time beating one another up in an attempt to become their father's heir, Ilya spends his time hiding out and learning religion and mythology from the priest and the shaman who live on the land. When someone starts stealing the tsar's prized cherries, Ilya sneaks out and discovers that they are being taken by a magical bird-woman called the Firebird. But, as he soon realizes, seeing the Firebird has changed his life forever - suddenly, his life gets far more interesting.
This is a great Russian fairy tale. Even though it's very different from Western tales, the Russian culture really comes through, and anyone who has been exposed to Eastern fairy tales will recognize plot points. The story starts a little slow, I thought - and Ilya wasn't really one of my favorite characters. But overall, the book is definitely worth reading - particularly for readers who enjoy fairy tales or fantasy stories set in 'real life'.
- If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Fablehaven, Spindle's End, Bound, or East
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