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The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia

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In The Secret History of Moscow, did you enjoy ...

... the interplay of hidden magical worlds beneath a modern city?

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

If you loved the way The Secret History of Moscow reveals a hidden realm beneath everyday Moscow, you'll be swept away by Neverwhere. Follow Richard Mayhew as he stumbles into London Below, a fantastical, shadowy version of the city filled with strange characters and urban legends come to life. The magic is mysterious and untamed, much like Sedia's underground Moscow, and you'll find the same sense of wonder and unease as everyday reality blurs into myth.

... the blending of Russian folklore and myth with contemporary life?

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

Deathless draws deeply from Russian fairy tales and folklore, weaving them into the fabric of twentieth-century Russia. Like Galina's journey through Moscow's magical underworld, you'll follow Marya Morevna as she becomes entangled with Koschei the Deathless, encountering familiar mythic figures in unexpected ways. The book's lush prose and dreamlike narrative evoke the same otherworldly atmosphere you enjoyed in Sedia's story.

... a city that is more than it seems, with layered realities?

The City & The City by China Miéville

If you were fascinated by the dual realities of Moscow and its secret history, The City & the City will captivate you with its concept of two cities occupying the same physical space, where citizens must 'unsee' the other city. Inspector Tyador Borlú's investigation leads him through political intrigue and the hidden rules that govern both cities, much like Galina's navigation of the seen and unseen worlds.

... the dreamlike, psychological exploration of a city and its inhabitants?

The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro

In The Secret History of Moscow, the surreal journey through the city's underbelly blurs the line between reality and fantasy. The Unconsoled offers a similarly dreamlike, psychological voyage: Ryder, a pianist, arrives in a nameless city and finds himself swept into a maze of bizarre encounters and shifting realities. The book’s atmosphere and disorienting narrative will intrigue you if you enjoyed the psychological depth and ambiguity of Sedia's work.

... a dark, magical realism with emotionally resonant, ambiguous characters?

The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw

If you were drawn to the morally complex, emotionally burdened characters of The Secret History of Moscow, you'll find a haunting resonance in The Girl With Glass Feet. Ida Maclaird's journey through a bleak, magical archipelago—while slowly turning to glass—brings her into contact with similarly conflicted, enigmatic figures. The story’s atmosphere, magic, and moral ambiguity echo Sedia’s world.

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