The Captive

1773. The first beauty of St. Petersburg, Vareni’ka Andreevskaya, is hopelessly in love with the ensign Aleksei Olsufyev—her dream is to marry him. Confident in her irresistibility, the willful and proud beauty suggests that Aleksei marry her. But the young dandy doesn’t share the girl’s feelings and fights a duel over another woman. As punishment, Olsufyev is exiled to hard labor in the Siberian Governorate. Despite her father’s ban, Varya goes after her beloved to distant Kungur, hoping to win his love. In the harsh land where military order reigns, the girl unexpectedly finds herself in trouble: local toughs attack her carriage, intending to rob her and kill her. Each book in the series “Talismans of Fate” is a self-contained story; the books may be read in different order.