The superstitious peasants of Padarok Lessa (the estate of Greg's brother Maxim) are in fear due to the legends surrounding the Lohmatzkis. They rightfully suspect that Greg's brother Maxim is the werebear(orabaten), and responsible for the killings. Maxim himself has been missing from his own estate for some time now. He then displays his horrid shape changing to Sherwood and Natalya. Sherwood fires a gun he was borrowing from Natalya's father's collection. It was loaded with silver bullets, the only type that can wound a werebear; the Lomatzkis were well aware of their secret family curse. During this struggle, Maxim (in bear form) is wounded from the silver bullets, while Sherwood sustains a terrible mauling. Sherwood himself soon shows signs of becoming a shape changer.
Greg's sister Natalya is a revolutionary on the run from the Russian government. Soon Gregori is arrested, whisked off to Siberia on a convict train. Sherwood and Natalya join forces and make way to Petersburg to leave the country. Soon they learn of Gregori's fate and decide to follow the convoy to Siberia, taking the help of a master Forger. Romance is sprouting between them- (on Saberhagen's part, a little rushed if you ask me) Natalya and Sherwood make use of Sherwood's shapeshifting power to evade the Russian police, as well as to make money at a fair, putting on an act of a Dancing Bear. These bears are tamed to dance, and walked around by a ring through their nose. Sherwood (his performance name Napolean) is the most tame bear ever seen at the fair and earns them a bit of money.
The Russian police are on a ruthless hunt for Natalya and Sherwood. Telegram wires and word of mouth are the most common communications. Thus, a lot gets lost in translation as word travels across the country. This causes much confusion for the police. Espionage, secret motives and communication are common in this novel. The very fact that Werebears exist, is almost a political secret; there are officials who are aware of this, but on a surface level it is mere superstition. In the city of Irkutsk, Sherwood is captured in his bear-form, given silver bonds so that he could not escape. Soon the official interrogating Sherwood is car-bombed, and his replacement doesn't believe in the supernatural. Natalya, who had been captured as well, manages to escape with Sherwood. They head into the Siberian wilderness searching for the settlement of Taimyr, where they believe Gregori was brought after his arrest. This is near an estate founded by Maxim & Natalya's grandfather, also a werebear.
Maxim has recovered the health of his bear-form, finding that the cure was to eat human flesh as an obaraten. He arrives at Padarok Sivera before Sherwood & Natalya. His Grandfather, who had been worshipped there as a God called The Great Bear, had commanded a castle of ice to be built in his honor; it is already partly constructed by his underlings. Maxim finds him dead, frozen in the middle of a transformation between bear and man. Upon his return, Maxim takes over the panicked estate as The Great Bear. Indeed he has Gregori with him, who has suffered a debilitating head wound. Natalya and Sherwood finally reach Padarok Sivera and a final conflict occurs. In the spring thaw, the ice castle could not survive, it cracks and melts away. The survivors left on the estate are left to carry on their own, as Sherwood and Natalya wish to leave the country together.
The historical setting provides a fair portion of the suspense, intrigue, and mystery. False accusations being thrown around, false and meaningless arrests and convictions, a brutal penal system where people just disappear with no reason or explanation. The Russian government seems to suspect a conspiracy where the United States would buy a remote portion of Russian land. They interrogate both Natalya and Sherwood regarding this, pushing relentlessly to get confessions.
I did enjoy this novel, the premise and the story were interesting. I can't say that Fred Saberhagen made it onto my favorites list, however. His writing style is a bit too modern for the time period. There are a lot of interactions and conversations that are merely glossed over with a few sentences rather than played out in full. A good historical fiction can't be lacking in detail. In addition the ending seemed pretty rushed, there are still loose ends left. Nothing stellar here; as a whole though, not a bad quick historical fantasy tale. If pre-revolutionary Russia the sort of historical setting you're after.
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