A hundred years before Ivan the Terrible, there was Ivan the Great. He had a son: a handsome boy, a brave hero, a disappointment.
“Deeply researched yet character-driven, A Fool for an Heir will sweep you into the struggle between a driven monarch who will stop at nothing to secure his throne and his eldest son—convinced that the end does not, in fact, always justify the means.” — C. P. Lesley, author of The Golden Lynx and other novels.
“A. Engels has captured the pathos and fatalism of the Russian soul, making it possible for readers to journey to a faraway time from the safety of the present.” — Robin Henry, Editor, History Through Fiction.
“Bravely brutal, A. Engels takes us to the dark heart of the 15th century. Betrayal and intrigue reign in the court of Ivan the Great, Grand Prince of Moscow and self-styled Sovereign of all Rus. A fascinating fictional account of a little-known period of Russian history.” — Eleanor Swift-Hook, author of The Lord’s Legacy series of novels.
“Despite being a 15th century story, this extremely well-written historical novel could not be more topical. Revealing the origins of the Russian Empire, it sets up a lot of parallels with our modern times. Understanding history is key to understanding the present.” — Robert Bordas, author of The Hand We Are Dealt.
“A. Engels has created a compelling historic tale of medieval Russia. We meet pivotal figures both tragic and heroic who formed the foundation of today’s leading Eastern European power. Totally enjoyable!” — George WB Scott, author of The Good King and I Jonathan, A Charleston Tale of the Rebellion.
“I loved this novel. And I hate historical fiction as a genre.” — Eugenia Steingold, Clinical Psychologist
While his young, crippled father transforms himself into the man whose brutal legacy will shape the course of history, little Ivan dreams of being a hero like his ancestors, the princes of Old Rus. His mother’s sudden, violent death ends Ivan’s childhood and sends him searching for answers. But uncovering the truth will take years, and it will change everything Ivan thinks he knows about his family, especially its women.
As Ivan experiences the horrors of war, witnesses the cruel suppression of dissent, and grapples with feelings for a man whose realm Moscow is about to invade, the way he sees himself changes as well. No longer content to be a blind instrument of his father’s ambition, Ivan tries to speak for its victims, even if this makes him a fool in his father’s eyes. Too late, Ivan realizes that his life is in danger, not from his father or from his father’s enemies, but from the one person whose betrayal was inevitable from the start.
A Fool for an Heir chronicles the rise of the first Russian autocrat, Ivan III (1440 – 1505), through the eyes of his son, the boy whose life inspired the legend of “Ivan Tsarevich”: the brave, compassionate, and dangerously naïve hero of Russian fairy tales.
This fictionalized biography with a touch of magical realism will appeal to readers who enjoyed the gritty authenticity of Ellen Alpsten’s Tsarina or the historical detail of Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale and Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s The Witch and the Tsar.
Release Date: March 9, 2024
A. ENGELS 