Title: Vertigo

About the book “Vertigo” Vadim Panov

A new novel from the legendary “Secret City” series is in your hands!

Miracles, people, knowledge... The former rulers of the Earth found shelter in the Secret City in the deep forests on the banks of the Moscow River, but even now, when a noisy metropolis had grown up here, the new owners of the planet were unable to disturb their predecessors - after all, the Great Houses were protected by Magic inaccessible to ordinary people . Year after year, century after century, the established order of things was preserved, the descendants of the ancient races peacefully (though not always) coexisted with each other and with those who groundlessly considered themselves the only intelligent beings on Earth. But this almost blissful picture was disrupted by a series of inexplicable murders, and the criminal... It turned out that the criminal was a man, but at the same time he used unique spells that allowed him to carry out his dark deed with impunity. Who is this killer, what goals does he pursue and who is behind him? The best minds of the Secret City were looking for the answer to this question, and even the Dark Court commissioner Santiaga could not immediately solve the bloody puzzle. And only the Red Caps did not succumb to the general hype - they had more important problems...

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Vadim Panov

DIZZINESS

The underground parking lots that builders are diligently digging under large office centers are never filled with real life, only a surrogate of it, and are therefore desperately similar to necropolises. Tombs of a modern style, in which concrete and dead light reign. We are forced to visit them, but are unable to get used to the cold gloom of the dungeon. Pressing ceilings, gray walls, musty air... the parking lot is a crypt. Not for eternal rest, true, but for rent, but still for carrion, for iron that was never alive.

And every weekday thousands of pilgrims head to the cemeteries of the big city.

The peak occurs in the morning, when offices awakening from hibernation begin to buzz with system units, and owners of parking spaces drive their round-footed horses into stalls painted on the asphalt. The necropolises are filled with the noise of engines, the stench of exhaust gases and rare horn signals - all together creating the impression of life in full swing, but this is a lie. Deception. The cars are dead, they can easily endure a visit to the gloomy tombs, but people don’t linger here, and most leave the parking lots at a brisk pace, hurrying to break free as quickly as possible.

People here feel bad.

The necropolises are filled hastily, absorbing the morning wave of pilgrims with the greed of hungry vampires, but they part with the loot slowly, reluctantly releasing the acquired cars: one, two at a time, but not all at once, not in such a wave that overwhelms the dungeon in the morning. And people play along: someone leaves during the day and does not return from a business meeting, someone asks for time off or simply runs away, wanting to skip the worst traffic jams, someone goes to dinner at the nearest restaurant. And someone sits until late on papers and goes down into the dungeon closer to midnight, when the vast levels are empty, the lamps are on every other one and the parking lots finally turn into gloomy gateways, behind which the entrance to the Other Side is clearly visible.

It was at such an hour, gloomy and mysterious, that a tall, red-haired man in a business suit stepped onto the first level of the parking lot. He didn’t appear out of nowhere, magically materialize in the middle of the dungeon, didn’t fly in on magical wings and didn’t come out of the wall - he just stepped out of the elevator and slowly walked towards the burgundy Jaguar, talking on the phone as he went:

- I knew you weren’t sleeping... Did you put the children to bed? Yes, I remember that I promised to fencing with Karl today, but it didn’t work out... Let him not be offended...

It would seem that there is nothing strange. An ordinary conversation with a wife who is dissatisfied with the late return of her husband. The usual fatigue in the voice, slight but noticeable. The usual equipment for a top-level manager: a tailored suit, a perfectly white shirt, a fashionable tie, fashionable shoes and a Swiss watch, not show-offy, arrogant, brazenly flaunting its exorbitant price, but calm, discreet, gently specifying that its owner is rich, but not a braggart.

However, the man's standard attire and standard behavior seemed out of place, alien to the red-haired man, and the reason for this was his extraordinary appearance.

A hero is what came to mind the first time I looked at this man. Hero without discounts.

Short hair, a brush of a mustache, big brown eyes, a stubborn chin with a dimple - even now on an advertising poster: “Are you ready for adventure?” And the handsome figure of the red-haired man exhaled such power that even an inexperienced observer was clear: the man’s power was not artificial, gained in some fitness center, but the most natural, bestowed by nature. That’s why there was a feeling of wrongness: people with such appearance should not spend their lives in an office, even in a high position. They should not go to work from nine to six and waste time and energy wiping down leather chairs. No. It’s not the red-haired guy who should be wandering around the meeting room, biting a pencil, but the hot savannah, with an African rifle in his hands, tracking down a rhinoceros. Or sit on tank armor. Or stand over the conquered pole...

In other words, the red-haired man looked like a real hero, not like the stooped janitor in a gray uniform fiddling around the garbage can. Actually, the procedure that the cleaner performed was not particularly complicated: take the filled bag out of the metal bin, transfer it to a plastic container on wheels, equip the bin with an uncontaminated bag, and that’s it. The operation was supposed to take a few seconds, but the stooped man carried out it with such care, as if the simple work carried the sacred meaning of everything in the world. The cleaner moved not only slowly, but also quietly, as if afraid to disturb the peace of the necropolis, and therefore went unnoticed. Well... maybe not in the literal sense, but if the red-haired hero noticed the stooped man, he certainly didn’t pay any attention to him.

Miracles, people, knowledge... The former rulers of the Earth found shelter in the Secret City in the deep forests on the banks of the Moscow River, but even now, when a noisy metropolis had grown up here, the new owners of the planet were unable to disturb their predecessors - after all, the Great Houses were protected by Magic inaccessible to ordinary people . Year after year, century after century, the established order of things was preserved, the descendants of the ancient races peacefully (though not always) coexisted with each other and with those who groundlessly considered themselves the only intelligent beings on Earth. But this almost blissful picture was disrupted by a series of inexplicable murders, and the criminal... It turned out that the criminal was a man, but at the same time he used unique spells that allowed him to carry out his dark deed with impunity. Who is this killer, what goals does he pursue and who is behind him? The best minds of the Secret City were looking for the answer to this question, and even the Dark Court commissioner Santiaga could not immediately solve the bloody puzzle. And only the Red Caps did not succumb to the general hype - they had more important problems...

I didn’t really want to read the last (but not the final, I hope) volume of The Secret City, even the fact that the book went online almost immediately after its release didn’t particularly touch me. The whole series of anthologies, reminiscent of a collection of fan fiction, volumes of vampire showdowns, scared me away; it seemed that the author, in my personal understanding, was losing his grip. And, by the way, by mistake, since I was at work and downloading a book using my phone, I started reading the sixteenth part, instead of the seventeenth. Which is good, against the general background of the story, which did not impress, I read the beginning of the relationship between Syracuse and Hoof, and met a new hero. As for the seventeenth part, it took me two working days (I confess, but I almost didn’t touch the work, I was so engrossed in the book).

I can't understand the wave of negativity associated with the book. Perhaps there are shortcomings in it, I agree, there are too many Red Caps, but let's forgive the author's sympathy for these fellows. Moreover, observing the actions of Syracuse in this cycle of the Uybuis was new and somewhat interesting. The plot, although a little linear, is gripping, the intrigue does not weaken, and some of the twists, despite the false simplicity, were unexpected. Really unexpected. I also liked the new small race, and honestly, I don’t see the problem in the fact that the author did not reveal their secrets enough, there were races during the cycle that were also not fully revealed, especially since some facts were not written directly, but if you think about it, become obvious. For example, it’s clear to me why Alicia was so persistently looking for a predecessor. Firstly, as I understand it, the essence of a daikini does not choose some aspects of existence, and secondly, there is a feeling of guilt and a desire for revenge, after which the woman did not feel the need to lead her previous lifestyle, since they became for her, if not the meaning, then idea x. Well, and much more. In general, Santiaga losing his temper is also interesting :) New heroes, I think, are generally a plus, meaning that the cycle does not stand still, gossiping again and again about Cortez and Artyom or the same commissioner of the Dark Court, especially if the heroes turned out to be successful. And about some linearity... after all, this is a novel designed for a certain audience, for certain needs, it is, first of all, an entertaining and interesting action, with elements of intrigue, detective, etc. You shouldn’t look for three-page deep thoughts in it about the philosophical essence of existence, etc. At least in this novel, fortunately, despite the dynamics, there is an idea. In general, the novel did not disappoint, despite some shortcomings and mistakes, I liked it, and, most importantly, it showed that the cycle is alive and developing.

P.S. People who write in the comments to the book that, they say, oh, Vanya Siracusa is so-and-so, at least mark the spoiler, huh? I only miraculously started reading the book without reading the reviews, otherwise I would have completely lost interest in the ending.

Rating: 8

I read the novel with great pleasure. In my opinion, it turned out to be a very good detective story set in the Secret City setting. What is very important is that Panov’s signature style is felt. In other previous books (especially in “The Smell of Fear”) there was a feeling that they were at least not entirely written by the author stated on the cover and that the hand of some auxiliary specialists was involved.

There is no such feeling in Vertigo. Here we again see Panov’s signature style - light, entertaining, but at the same time providing food for quite serious thoughts.

Humor, traditionally represented by the Red Caps, also returned to its previous level. In some recent novels, this element was, frankly, a little vulgar, and by the end it was already starting to irritate. In Vertigo, scenes with tireless savages became interesting and funny again. Those who like to look for hints and allusions will probably spend many pleasant minutes calculating what facts and events of the turbulent life of our country were reflected in the activities of the inhabitants of the South Fort.

In the new novel, Panov proved that he still remains a master of intricate intrigue and unexpected endings, a striking detail that turns all the reader’s ideas upside down.

The disadvantages of the novel do not relate to the novel itself, but to how “Vertigo” fits into the series, so I am putting them under a spoiler.

Spoiler (plot reveal) (click on it to see)

No global secrets will be revealed to us again. Actually, it is not clear how the events described in the book will affect the end-to-end characters of the series. Perhaps in the next novel such connections will appear, but for now this is not so much a continuation as, so to speak, a sideline from the main story.

Rating: 8

I continue my acquaintance with the Secret City, which was invented by Vadim Panov. I have long lost count of which book this is based on numbering in the cycle, although Fantlab has all the information, special thanks to the site for this.

Many readers noted that this work is too overloaded with the presence of the Red Caps, to whom the writer for some reason decided to give the main roles. I won’t lie, I never liked these characters. There are a number of reasons for this. I don’t like drunkards, dirty people, illiterate and narrow-minded people, and these are precisely the distinctive features of most Red Caps. But in this case, Panov was able to pleasantly surprise me. He harmoniously integrated the line with the Caps into the main plot, making them direct participants in the life of the inhabitants of the Secret City, which was not the case before. All scenes in which the funniest residents of TG take part should, in theory, be fun and humorous, only for a few episodes this can be applied one hundred percent. But most of the appearances of bandits in bandanas are practically unjustified.

In my opinion, Vadim Panov (let him forgive me for this if this is not true) dilutes his books with insignificant characters in the person of the Red Caps and their little-interesting life troubles, and this causes the most fierce criticism of the writer and the last novels of the series .

Otherwise, there are no complaints about this work. There is a well-conceived and executed detective plot, in which there are several hidden moments. Vadim will keep everything secret until the last page and the solution will be very unexpected. Also, the author will pamper his readers with a story about another type of magical creatures that live next door to us and have not previously appeared in stories about TG. I would like more information about these creatures, since Panov created a very original image for them. I hope we will meet these mysterious characters again in future books in the series.

Rating: 8

not bad. It is clear that the author is very tired of the usual quadriga of mercenary heroes, and is trying to diversify the world of TG with new characters. It is commendable. The deep immersion into the life vicissitudes of the Red Caps becomes a little boring (due to the primitiveness of the thoughts, language and modus vivendi of the latter), these pieces of the narrative begin to resemble the burdensomeness of M. Fry: the first time - gracefully, the second - thanks for reminding, the third and hundred thousandth - yes, you, the author, have already hesitated with this kava, a hole in the sky above it, you and all of you together!

And yes, the introduction of more and more new types of magical/mystical creatures is beginning to creep in serious fears that we will soon see something like “Santiago vs. Godzilla”, “Journey of the Secret City to the Center of the Earth”, “Red Hats and Zombie Cyborgs”, “Chases vs. Increase taxes and mutant rats from Mars,” etc. The series contains enough original lines for their interesting and full development.

Rating: 7

The main events of the book unfold around the figure of the mysterious Avenger, who terrified all the inhabitants of the Secret City and forced all the Great Houses to join forces to capture him. An even greater shock for the representatives of the ancient races was the fact that the elusive killer turned out to be a brow, because it was believed that even the most powerful human magicians were not able to withstand the best wizards of the City.

Such a balance of power provides ideal ground for the development of a conflict of characters and ideologies. With the right desire, Vadim could have written an extremely dramatic story about confronting fate, the system, society and stereotypes, but in practice the potential of the novel remained unrealized. The mysterious killer turned out to be an ordinary psycho, settling his own scores with representatives of the ancient races. To the level of Nestor der Fournier and Lady Kobrin, the antagonists of Panov’s recent books, the Avenger is like the Moon.

However, even an ordinary maniac turned out to be too much for the best magicians of the Secret City. Despite the numerical superiority, centuries of experience and ingenuity and cold calculation of Santiaga, the Avenger over and over again eluded his pursuers and left them high and dry.

The second storyline is dedicated to a simple girl Dasha, a successful manager in a travel company and the beloved woman of programmer Kolya. Dashenka could consider herself happy, but one meeting with a successful and powerful aristocrat called the girl’s entire previous life into question. Is it possible to be content with an ordinary, albeit successful, career when the door to the Secret City opens before you and the road to a much more interesting and rich life stretches out? What if you have a dream that a young chela could not even imagine just a short time ago? However, nothing is given to us for free, and what price is Dasha willing to pay for the fulfillment of her desires? Is the dream worth a complete abandonment of one’s principles and former personality? The girl faces the most difficult choice in her life, which, under the influence of the decision made, will change forever, and in a completely unexpected direction.

And finally, a third of the book is devoted to the latest confusion that arose in the ranks of the Red Caps. At the center of events once again were the great Fuhrer Sledgehammer and his faithful killer Hoof. At first, the Shapki try their best to entertain the audience, but closer to the middle, their presence begins to become a little annoying. The fact is that the initially promising political crisis that gripped the Shibzich, Durich and Gnilichi clans had by this time turned into another attempt to replenish the empty family treasury (for the sake of variety in the field of commerce), and was resolved using traditional methods in Fort. And considering that Vadim pays too much attention to a line that is absolutely passable as a whole, Shapki simply begins to distract from the main conflict.

As always, there is a lot of humor in Panov’s books, the lion’s share of which falls on the Red Caps. In addition, Vadim pays a lot of attention to various parallels with our world, ridiculing its individual manifestations in one form or another. So, for example, the great Fuhrer Sledgehammer received the nickname Kuntik from his loving subjects, Hoof, who temporarily fell into opposition with him, emigrated to England, and the great Fuhrer himself got the idea to first modernize the Fort (an expensive thing that no one cares about), and then start production nanotechnology.

The novel creates a surprisingly warm and sincere atmosphere, giving the reader a feeling of comfort and peace. It is felt that Vadim also missed his most famous series and gladly took the opportunity to return to the Secret City and tell another story from the life of its inhabitants.

Rating: 7

I’ll say right away that I am a fan of Panov, specifically the Secret City series. But here, somehow, everything is not the same, but it’s strong, but everything is worked out, and the writing style is very similar, but it still feels like it was written by another person, other idioms, other favorite words, inconsistencies in character, for example, Yarina (smart, cold-blooded, self-possessed in the rebus and a psychic with inferiority complexes and without much intelligence in this work). And there are a lot of little things that you constantly trip over when reading. In my opinion, it’s very gray for Panov.

Rating: 3

The latest novel left a very double impression... On the one hand, the unobtrusive introduction of new characters, controversial and interesting, on the other hand, it’s a pity that some of the old ones are missing... For example, why didn’t Santiaga contact Major Kornilov, an expert on crime , remains a mystery. The Red Caps have gotten wildly wiser, but this is understandable - the age of high technology, modernization, all that :-) I like that in the very appearance of the maniac, Vadim Yuryevich seems to return to his roots, to the first book, where there was a boy with a wooden dagger, offended by the whole world . And after Chris Nolan’s brilliant portrayal of the psychopathic terrorist Joker, it’s simply a sin not to take advantage of the idea of ​​a psychopath in a metropolis. Another thing is that the “caliber” of this same psycho turned out to be too small. In the end, he was simply killed. It is unclear why some characters were introduced, other than as extras. Some of Santiaga’s phrases surprise and depress you, because you come to the conclusion that the old man is no longer a cake. Vanya Siracusa, who is in many ways opposed to the Avenger, deserves special mention. Both want to raise the renegades of the Secret City to a new level, get the most out of them and even make those who usually receive only handouts and wry smiles from the Great Houses jump over their heads. Both, quite naturally, fail, despite the fact that the heroes have different methods. But in general, there is certainly more joy than negativity.

Rating: 7

We've been waiting for a new TG for a long time, we've been wanting something amazing for a long time.

We got it - and not everyone is happy. Murders, Red Caps and Alicia - a good set of themes. Different, but completely suitable for the world.

But the murders and investigations don't seem like high-quality detective work. I just want to say: something is missing in it... But what? Murders? Everything seems to be there. Investigations? There is also. Fishing is also in place. It’s strange, but it seems like something is still missing.

Some people are tired of red hats. People write that there is too much attention in the series, too many red hats for one book. But is this bad? No. The last book was not a month ago or even a year ago.

But what are these books missing? Maybe souls? Among the Enclaves, Hermeticon and Primemachine, the Secret City wins due to its fame. But Panov does not stand still, but moves forward to other worlds. Previously, he could be called a writer of one series. The Secret City was first, but is no longer in first place. Everything goes on and everything develops. Marking time will no longer be of high quality.

Rating: 7

Web of Confrontation was good. "Vertigo" was disappointing. Even as an entertaining read, which is The Secret City, it’s a bit boring. A clear overkill with the Red Caps. The characters are already quite nasty (they don’t amuse or touch me at all), but here there are simply too many of them. The detective component is a good idea, but poorly executed. I was pleased with the daikinis, an interesting innovation among families... I would like to hear more about them.

Rating: 7

Judging by the reviews, I wasn’t the only one who thought that the book was written by a literary black man.

This looks especially striking against the background of the previous short but brilliant story, “The Web of Confrontation.” There was an elegant structure of the narrative, a real web, like a mosaic, only being put together in the end into a whole picture. There were new interesting characters and ideas, there was humor and intrigue, finally.

There is a sluggish narration, strange, sometimes delusional dialogues. Santiaga doesn’t look like himself, neither do the red caps. Previously, the limit of the smartest Sledgehammer was to solve “checkmate in one move” problems - at best, take advantage of a lucky chance or an artifact that fell on one’s head. Here, several Uibuis are planning multi-step intrigues. Wasps and vampires, who appeared at the beginning, did not play their role, so what’s the point of introducing them? The ingenious idea of ​​creating a whiskey production facility in the Forth was sadly abandoned. Etc. and so on.