Bastard. Book 2: Murk

Victor Weiss, Duke of Viringen and Prince of Sebezh, is a “time-displaced” man with the knowledge of the twentieth century who becomes one of the key figures of early seventeenth-century Russia. After victory near Pochep, new trials await him: political intrigue of the Zemsky Sobor, power struggles between noble families, dangerous allies and even more dangerous enemies. The Time of Troubles enters its decisive phase, and the fate of the state depends on a delicate balance of forces, diplomacy, and military skill.

Meanwhile, events unfold in the Ottoman Empire, where the fate of Mercedes Edelstein—Victor’s childhood friend—unexpectedly intertwines with the Sultan himself, and in Crimea a major war is brewing. The fur company grows, driving economic reforms and a new industrialization—aiming to turn a devastated country into a powerful state.

While Europe boils with wars and conspiracies, and distant seas call for unknown voyages, Victor and his associates forge a new reality—from the shipyards of Voronezh to the archipelagos of Ryuukyu. But the stronger Weiss’s influence becomes, the more enemies he gains.

“Morok” is a large-scale historical-adventure epic where real events of the seventeenth century intertwine with an alternative history, political drama, military strategy, and human destinies.