Praise for Tower of Mud and Straw (finalist for the 2020 Nebula Award)
https: // kirkusreviews.com / book-reviews / yaroslav-barsukov / tower-of-mud-and-straw /- https: // www.kirkusreviews.com / best-of / 2021 / indie / books /
- https: // www.kirkusreviews.com / book-lists / best-sci-fi-fantasy-and-paranormal-fiction-of-2021 /
- https: // www.kirkusreviews.com / news-and-features / articles / 8-indie-books-to-read-this-summer /
- http: // fantasy-faction.com / 2021 / tower-of-mud-and-straw-by-yaroslav-barsukov
- https: // fanfiaddict.com / blog-tour-tower-of-mud-and-straw-by-yaroslav-barsukov /
- https: // www.fantasyliterature.com / reviews / tower-of-mud-and-straw /
- https: // www.risingshadow.net / articles / reviews / 1041-review-tower-of-mud-and-straw-by-yaroslav-barsukov
- https: // thequilltolive.com / 2021 / 02 / 11 / tower-of-mud-and-straw-colossal-in-its-brevity /
- http: // www.bookwormblues.net / 2020 / 12 / 14 / review-tower-of-mud-and-straw-yaroslav-barsukov /
- http: // fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com / 2020 / 10 / tower-of-mud-and-straw-by-yaroslav.html
- https: // starlitbook.com / 2021 / 02 / 01 / tower-of-mud-and-straw-by-yaroslav-barsukov /
- http: // www.nerds-feather.com / 2021 / 04 / microreview-book-tower-of-mud-and-straw.html
“This marvelous SF tale about dangerous technology offers sublime stretches that will warrant revisiting.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2021
“Somewhere in the slipstream between science fiction and fantasy—a little to the left of early Chiang, a few degrees south of Miéville—Yaroslav Barsukov has word-painted a world I can see when I close my eyes.” — Peter Watts (Hugo Award-winning author of Blindsight)
“This novella is a brilliant work of speculative fiction that pays homage to familiar tropes while presenting its twists to the readers. Tower of Mud and Straw lives up to all of the attention it’s been getting.” — Fantasy Faction
“Tower of Mud and Straw feels like a step forward for the genre.” — FanFiAddict
“It’s a morally complex story, and Barsukov tells it well, even poetically at times, with a nuanced take on the characters and the events of the plot.” — Fantasy Literature
“One of the best and most compelling fantasy novellas of the year.” — RisingShadow.net
“In the ever growing market for novellas, Barsukov’s story is a contender for the top brackets. It’s clever, it’s feverish, and [Barsukov] leaves much up for interpretation.” — The Quill to Live
“It’s different, and eye-catching, with stunning prose and a shocking amount of depth and story packed in a few short pages.” — Bookworm Blues
“A fine example of a novella format.” — Fantasy Book Critic
“Like a good opera, Yaroslav is a master at setting the stage and pulling at heartstrings.” — Queen’s Book Asylum
“Tower of Mud and Straw might not have answered all my burning questions, but it stands majestically tall, in many ways that tower over most.” — Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together
“Poetry in prose... I love a story that is huge, but also incredibly intimate, and this novella managed to encompass both of these things.” — Miltos Yerolemou (Syrio Forel in Game of Thrones)
Praise for "On the Nature of Reality"
"On the Nature of Reality," originally published in Nature Physics, has been used by University of British Columbia in their ENGL 112 course:
https: // www.coursehero.com / file / 35797706 / engl-112-Portfolio-Options-Fall-2018-1pdf /
Praise for "Memory Is a Rumor"
"Barsukov tells the story without any big flashy gestures, using carefully crafted prose that made this story sink deep into my heart." — Maria Haskins
The piece was a 'Featured Story' on Curious Fictions in December, 2018.
Praise for "Your Grief Is Important to Us"
"This is probably the most surprising story in the issue and proves that Barsukov is a newer author to watch." — Tangent Online
"Amusing in that teeth-grating way!" — SFRevu
"Your Grief Is Important to Us," "Memory Is a Rumor," "There's Sometimes Light Down the Street," and "The Blue Room, Said the Wishmaker" have all landed on their respective years' Nebula Reading Lists:
https: // www.sfwa.org / forum / reading / work / 2895-your-grief-is-important-to-us /
https: // www.sfwa.org / forum / reading / work / 3559-memory-is-a-rumor /
https: // www.sfwa.org / forum / reading / work / 4089-theres-sometimes-light-down-the-street /
https: // www.sfwa.org / forum / reading / work / 4092-the-blue-room-said-the-wishmaker /