Part cold war thriller, part historical fantasy, the first instalment in this serial is both fascinating and promises much excitement in the next edition. Though a little more focused on worldbuilding than action, I have high hopes that the complete collection won't fail to deliver.

There is a good deal of world building needed to tell a story of this depth with twists from both magic and the Cold War. It's difficult when the tale is told through multiple authors and through serial episodes. Much of it works, some of it left gaps bigger than Gabe's memory loss in Cairo. It started slow with fumbling as characters settle into their roles. Each episode as a standalone was a good length with an arc that ended just at the point to ensure I kept reading. The pace picked up about halfway through which helped see me to the end. The conclusion left me curious to see what game Tanya will ultimately play. Overall I found it to be an enjoyable read. I've added season 2 to my TBR list.

What a fascinating brief tale. There's a lot of worldbuilding packed in here, a clearly limned place and time and atmosphere all squeezed into this tale: cold war, plus magic; spies, plus witches. I haven't investigated more of this shared world yet, but I look forward to it.

<i>"Blyad," Nadia swore</i>

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.