Anyone who has interest in Imperial Russia and the last ruler and his family, would like this work of fiction.

The illustration is nicely done.

Thank you #NetGalley and Oni Press for giving me the opportunity to read this!

An excellent retelling of the.. life? myth? ..of the murder of Rasputin. There's plenty speculation here, which combined with the already spurious stories about Rasputin in general, makes for an entertaining albeit hard to fully believe story.

Crook's art is great, although I think his artwork could've benefitted from a full palette of colours.

A great graphic novel with wonderful sepia artwork . Fascinating and compelling, this book takes us on a journey into Russia and a speculative account of Rasputin's assassination. the setting is stark and the feeling tense. this has been so well researched and contains a lot to think about. .

"To that point, Petrograd is meant to capture how it
feels to wake up and realize you are (as we all are)
living in history. Our actions have consequences–some
small, some enormous. All of them impossible to predict
with accuracy." - David R. Stone

Petrograd, written by Philip Gelatt and illustrated by Tyler Crook, is exceptional. The writing is great. Gelatt takes a complex story and makes it a page-turner. I enjoyed how all parts of the story are represented: the British, the Russian aristocracy, and the Russian peasants. It also shows how unsettled every segment of society is.

Crook's illustrations are rich in detail. Each face in a crowd is distinct. The locations are also very detailed. David R. Stone writes an explanation of events and how it relates to the graphic novel.
I got so much more out of this graphic novel than had read a book of the events. I highly recommend Petrograd for the story and the illustrations and the world they create together.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, and this is my honest review.

​#Petrograd #NetGalley #PhilipGelatt ​@MrTylerCrook

This was a very interesting and well-researched historical fiction graphic novel. Gorgeous artwork-stunning images, one in the snow particularly sticks in the mind. The year is 1916, and Petrograd ( the city of many names), the Tsar's capital, was reeling under the effects of the winter, crippling food shortages due to the war, unrest because of the Tsar's mismanagement. Cleary, an SIS agent in Petrograd Station, is trying his best to get information-infiltrating the Bolsheviks in return for the NKVD feeding him information. Rumours are swirling though-about the Tsarina's trusted adviser, Starets Rasputin, and his advice to her on ending RUssian involvement in World War 1. This is bad news for the Entente Powers, because it means the German Army can then focus on the Western Front, and ignore the Eastern Front. Cleary's given an assignment from the Head of SIS, to eliminate Rasputin. The graphic novel explores the realpolitik of countries trying to decide the fate of other countries, the convoluted dangers of espionage and how easily things can go awry. The story of the assassination of Rasputin is well-known, and adds to the myth of invincibility and mystique that surrounds him. Gelatt shows the factual basis to this, and it's very believable. I particularly liked Gelatt's exploration of Rasputin's hold on the popular imagination and his rise-his combination of pagan beliefs of the peasants, with an overlay of RUssian Orthodoxy. While Cleary is fictional, there really was an SIS agent who was supposedly present and connived at this assassination, and this book is a fascinating exploration of a time in history that had far-reaching consequences.

This was an enjoyable graphic novel and seemed to be especially relevent given current events. I think it would be a good addition to any public library collection, particularly when interest in Russia is so high.

I enjoyed the historical aspect of <i>Petrograd</i>, but it was sometimes hard to tell who the characters were. I had trouble recognizing them from scene to scene and did a lot of page flipping to figure out what was happening.

I think the story would have benefitted from more historical context being worked in. While <i>Petrograd</i> will probably be read by people familiar with the events, my history classes aren’t quite as fresh to mind as they used to be. That being said, I did go on a research binge after finishing the book and appreciated the authors including online references!

<i>Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

'Petrograd' by Philip Gelatt with art by Tyler Crook is a reprint of the 2011 graphic novel based on the true story of the assassination of Rasputin.

Told with a mixture of real and fictional characters, we follow Cleary, a fictionalized British intelligence agent. He is tasked with finding a way to assassinate Rasputin. The thought is that if the country is imbalanced, then it will end WWI early. Cleary finds himself surrounded by some interesting characters (mostly based on real people), and an impossible task.

Professor David R. Stone Ph.D provides an introduction to the book and there are also afterword notes and a bibliography for further reading.

The story is compelling and strange and Cleary is a sympathetic character stuck in strange circumstances. The art is pretty good too.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I don't know if this is a fictional retelling or it is based on historical facts, I know that I appreciated the storytelling and it was a riveting and entertaining read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

“I think it’s time for you to decide, Cleary. What are you really? A spy? A revolutionary? An opportunist? A reactionary? None of them? What are you, Cleary?”

My thanks to Oni Press for an advance review copy via NetGalley of the new edition of ‘Petrograd’ written by Philip Gelatt with art by Tyler Crook in exchange for an honest review. This updated edition has an afterword by noted military historian David R. Stone.

This is a straightforward work of historical fiction presented in a graphic novel format. It is 1916 in Petrograd, Russia’s capital city, where corruption rules the day and conspiracy rules the night. For British intelligence officer Cleary, the Petrograd post is all about drinking and partying with the occasional report back to London.

When rumours circulate that Gregori Rasputin, the Tsarina’s most trusted adviser, is counseling the Tsar to make peace with Germany, Cleary is horrified to be tasked with ending that influence with extreme prejudice. So, the stage is set for the infamous assassination of the ‘mad monk’.

In the afterword Stone details which characters were based on historical figures. The main fictional character is Cleary, who was based on S.I.S. operative, Oswald Rayner. In the Preface Philip Gelatt wrote: “it felt more honest to fabricate a spy whole cloth than to give a real historical person a fictional backstory.”

The involvement of British Intelligence in Rasputin’s death has long been subject to rumour. As Stone concludes the story that Philip Gelatt and Tyler Crook have told here “lies between history and myth”. A bibliography of books and internet sources follows the afterword.

With respect to Tyler Crook’s artwork, the story unfolds, panel by panel, resembling a motion picture storyboard. It was executed with a restricted palette of sepia tones, which provided a serious, utilitarian atmosphere to the story.

Overall, a fascinating graphic novel that is bound to appeal to those interested in well researched historical fiction; especially of this turbulent period of Russian history.

I liked the new cover art depicting Rasputin and Cleary in the style of a decorative playing card.

4.5 stars. Petrograd is a historical fiction graphic novel based on real-life events: the murder of Grigori Rasputin in St. Petersburg (Petrograd) and the story behind the conspiracy.

It is 1916, and it’s a hard life for lower-class people and peasants in Russia. Tsar Nicolas is absent because of the WWI. Tsarina trusts and protects Grigori Rasputin, a self-proclaimed holy man who helped her son. He gains a lot of power, and people believe he is the source of all their troubles.

The illustrations are excellent. They capture perfectly the harsh weather, tense atmosphere in Petrograd, and all emotions of the characters. The whole graphic novel has one style of illustrations, with a brown color that dominates.

Petrograd is a well-researched graphic novel. It is a true story of murder and espionage (with some minor adjustments). I would recommend it to those who are interested in history and like graphic novels.

Thanks to Oni Press for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.

This does not seem to have a link to download - this is a pity as I intended to read it today and publish a review prior to the publication on Tuesday.

Petrograd is a fascinating and deeply engaging graphic novel about the assassination of Rasputin by British agents in 1916 (Spoiler alert - he was *not* easy to kill). Originally released in 2011, this reformat and re-release with new cover and introduction is due out in Jan 2022 from Oni Press. It's 272 pages and will be available in paperback format in this edition.

I was admittedly unfamiliar with the exact political circumstances and background surrounding the end of the Romanov rule and the revolution in Russia and how they related to Raputin's assassination and death. This book does a good job of painting the broader strokes. The narrative seems fantastical, but apparently the high points are widely accepted if not completely proven. It's not always clear where the real history shades over into fiction in this volume, but it's certainly a riveting read. I found the afterword by eminent Russian historian Dr. David R. Stone enlightening although I was surprised to learn that a number of characters in the book which were so over the top as to be almost unbelievable were, in fact, historically accurate.

The art by Tyler Crook suits the narrative very well and serves to fill in the narrative by Philip Gelatt. It's a successful partnership and the book manages to combine espionage, politics, revolution, and some murder and skullduggery without ever one time being pedantic or boring.

Four stars. Well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Petrograd is the story of the murder of Rasputin by Russian nobles. Told through sepia-toned graphics and a fast-paced series of dialogues and events, the book delves into rumors that the British SIS and its agent Oswald Rayner (here called Clearly and given a backstory that complicates his involvement) in the plot to kill the Tsarina's advisor. The story is speculative, but well-told and bookended with statements about the facts of the murder by the author and by a historian of the period.

Grigori Rasputin as the subject of a graphic novel would have been, given the public profile of "Russia's Greatest Love Machine", a matter debated more along the lines of when such a book would hit the shelves, as opposed to the existence of one. As colourful a life as Rasputin's, especially in the era in which it was lived, celebrated, venerated, and extinguished, is the perfect material for what is probably the boldest genre of fiction writing to exist.

Philip Gelatt uses what is probably the oldest trick in the book to telling a true story fictionally - by creating a character rather than twisting the actions of actual individuals. Cleary, the hero here, is an anti-spy, if there ever were such a thing: a man constantly second-guessing the nature of his work, motivated not by a desire to serve King and Country but by the distance working for the SIS in Petrograd affords him from the Western Front.

If Cleary weren't as complicated as Gelatt makes him, the novel would be at a loss as to how to ground the events leading up to the fateful December night on which Rasputin was murdered - a protagonist one can somewhat relate to is easier to root for (no matter how much I might argue that that isn't a requirement), more so in a format where one can see the character on page/screen.

Gelatt uses Rasputin with economy, having him flit in and out of the pages, almost an allusion to the mystical aura of the monk.

I also quite enjoyed the use of brackets to denote how dialogue is translated, and the larger arc of the Revolution as it unfolds in the background - slowly, at times rudderless, but never quite countered with the ferocity the aristocracy and their backers would like.

A word here for Tyler Crook, whose immersive illustrations bring Gelatt's world to life. There is a cinematic sense to scope and scale of the artwork. I don't recall being quite as awestruck in a while.

Thanks, Oni Press & NetGalley, for an ARC of the book.

This is a spoiler free review.

Petrograd is an interesting historical graphic novel. The story revolves around the end of Imperial Russia and the beginning of the Russian Revolution. Rasputin is at the crux of the story. The plot to murder Rasputin is the McGuffin that drives this story forward. I enjoyed Petrograd but I felt like the story was slow moving at times. The first chapter of the book is really long. Once the plan to murder Rasputin is hatched the graphic novel becomes much more interesting and engaging. From chapter two to the end of the book I couldn't put down Petrograd.

I loved how some of the nefarious characters in Petrograd who were involved in Rasputin's murder were actually involved in the murder in real life. I never knew a cross dressing Prince had anything to do with Rasputin's murder. Prince Felix Yusupov was a funny loquacious character. The scene where Prince Felix Yusupov is babbling during a party about the plot to murder Rasputin was so funny. Then at the end of the graphic novel to learn that Prince Felix Yusupov really did talk a lot about the murder plot prior to killing Rasputin made that scene even more interesting to me.

The artwork in Petrograd is very stark and bleak. You can feel how cold and hard life is in 1916 Russia. I felt like I was freezing as I read this interesting graphic novel.

At the end of Petrograd there is a prologue with commentary by a Russian historian, Dr. David Stone which is fascinating. After reading what Dr. Stone said about Prince Felix Yusupov and the British agents the character Cleary was based on, I'm tempted to read Petrograd again and see what else I've learned from Dr. Stone. I really enjoy comparing and contrasting history with what was shown in the story of Petrograd.

I recommend this graphic novel to any history lovers and especially Russian history fans.

Stay awesome and keep reading!

Petrograd

Creative Team:

Written by Philip Gelatt

Illustrated by Tyler Crook

A very well done historical graphic novel that revolves around a fictional British agent unwillingly involved in the assassination of Rasputin. The complex interactions of the many factions in Petrograd that winter are portrayed with a surprising amount of nuance. The same is true of the text and illustration making this book what it is. The story is more than simply the why and ,maybe, the what, of a slice of history. It also brings out the greyness of the morality of political actions on all sides. The Preface and Afterword are worth reading.

While clearly the result of a lot of work on the part of both artist and illustrator, I found this book hard to get into. It seemed to require the reader to have a certain amount of prerequisite knowledge about the time period and the political machinations going on in order to keep up. I know what I remember from my history classes, but I picked up this book wanting to learn more. Unfortunately, I think it's aimed at people with a bit more background knowledge. Well-done, but not super accessible.

Firstly I appreciated the extended commentary by Russian historian Dr David Stone. It brought to light a wide sense of what was happening around this time. This is a very well researched look into this part of history. There were several new facts I picked up along the way.

The story itself and how it progresses was very easy to follow and the dialogue between the characters at times was light and funny as well as being chilling. Knowing that these characters are based on people who were actually involved was crazy to think about when finishing the graphic novel.

The illustrations matched perfectly with the mood of this period of time and the story being told. The views of Petrograd and the details in the fighting and disturbing scenes was spot on.

I found this graphic novel very interesting to the point where the extra commentary made me want to keep on looking into more conspiracies.

Thank you to Oni Press, NetGalley and Philip Galatt for allowing me to read this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Petrograd is a graphic novel based on life in the city of St Petersburg (known then as Petrograd), during WWI and the Russian Revolution. Whilst the plot against Grigori Rasputin is a significant section of the story, we are not actually accompanying Rasputin in his life, but the British secret agent who is planning the assassination.
The assassination itself only takes up a few pages of the book, and we do not really learn much about Rasputin as a person within the pages. If you are looking for a book about Rasputin himself, this is not the one.

This is speculative historical fiction centring on how involved the British were in the conspiracy to murder. In reality, the British were concerned that a possible truce between Russia and Germany would mean the German's could stop splitting their efforts between the Western and Eastern fronts. Thus freeing up their eastern army and bring their entire force westward. This would have been a disaster for the British to be fighting so many more men and may well have led to a different outcome of the war. The theory was that killing Rasputin would mean the Tsarina (who was championing a peace) would no longer have her adviser at her side. Rasputin was often blamed for manipulating her decisions and guiding her thoughts as he was suspected to have some supernatural power over her, this suspicion was helped by his ability to continually cure her sick son when he fell ill.

So were the British involved? Well there were significant rumours at the time about the British being involved in the conspiracy and many of the characters in this novel are real people, or based on real people. Unfortunately nothing has ever been proven, but there was a known SIS member present at the house where Rasputin was attacked, so it is very possible.

Back to the book, we follow Cleary (based on a real-life SIS agent) who is a morally grey character, he is acting as a spy in Russia because it means he doesn't have to be on the front line. We are never really given an in-depth look at Cleary's motivations other than this. Much of the novel is spent with Cleary, following his movements and that of his superiors and all of the backstabbing and lying involved within a secret government agency. He is also heavily involved with the revolutionaries, keeping an ear to the ground on their plans. Unfortunately Cleary is not a very interesting man, despite his spy lifestyle, I wonder if this is because he has cultivated a bland personality, in order to not stick out and be able to blend in, no matter which section of society he associates with.

The illustrations are very good, the drawings of Petrograd itself I really loved. Sticking to a palette of black, white and various shades of red it makes the snowy, winter scenes look and feel stark and frigid.
Spoiler
I at times struggled telling a couple of the characters apart (lots of white males) when I could not see their clothes for reference in the panel. But not enough to worry me, as most of the time I could figure it out.

I think the real champion of this novel is the weather, the Russian winter is a character all of herself, making the starving peasants queuing for bread all the more piteous, the soldiers on their horses look more menacing and the city of Petrograd itself look beautiful and transcendent of these little human issues.