Tagansky Crossroads (collection)

They live right next to us—they’re very close. We may choose not to believe in them; we may call them the heroes of forgotten fairy tales—but they are real, and you can’t hide behind the concrete walls of Moscow high-rises. Still, the all-powerful djinn that has settled in the capital is nothing like the mighty overweight creature from Aladdin’s lamp, nor like the bearded old man from Hottabych. Meanwhile, witches, devils, and forest spirits willingly enter trade-and-money deals with enterprising students—but that doesn’t make them any less mysterious and dangerous. And the Wild Pack still hungers for human blood…

Ancient-magic-riddled Moscow hides many secrets and riddles, and even here there’s room for simple human happiness: in the magical August, stars fall from the sky that give hope for a miracle.