Ekaterina, by Susan May Warren with Susan K. Downs, is the first installment of the Heirs of Anton series. Ekaterina is followed by Nadia, Marina, and Oksana, in that order. The series follows several generations of a family of Russian background and their faith in God. It is also about the faithfulness of the Lord. I found the Heirs of Anton to be a bit different; in most series, the story is usually presented in forward chronological order. In the Heirs of Anton, the story is covered in reverse chronological order, beginning with Ekaterina, which is set in the present day, and ending with Oksana, which is set in 1917, at the time of the Russian Revolution. This reverse order allows us to know what the present concluding circumstances are for this family by the end of the first volume, but we are left with several mysteries and unanswered questions that are gradually revealed with each subsequent volume.
Ekaterina (Kat) Moore, the namesake of the book's title, has come to Russia to discover her family's roots. She also brings along a key which was sent to her by a monk, Brother Timofea, who sent it to her from a monastery near Pskov, Russia. She is hoping that he will be able to direct her in a search for her relatives so that she can discover her family tree and her heritage. She had been orphaned as a child, and had been raised by her grandfather, a retired CIA spy who has also been very secretive over information about their family's past. Unfortunately, as she passes through the metal detector at the customs booth at the airport, the key sets off the alarm, and she gets detained for questioning.
Captain Vadeem Spasonov, a FSB agent (a member of the international security force of Russia, the organization that succeeded the KGB) is at the airport watching out for Ivan Grazovich, an Abkhazian smuggler and terrorist who steals priceless Russian artifacts to finance the purchase of armaments. When he finds Grazovich, he notices that the terrorist has been conversing with Kat, and the FSB agent's suspicions of Kat being a mule are raised when she sets off the alarm. He brings her to an interrogation room, but she escapes when one of Grazovich's moles in customs sets her free before Vadeem clears her.
Vadeem tracks Kat down, intending to deport her, but before he can take her back to the airport, she is mugged and her key is stolen. The longer Vadeem speaks to and interacts with Kat, the more he is convinced that she is just an innocent tourist, although his initial suspicions of her are not entirely quenched. His concern for her safety has been set off by the suspicious events of her "accidental" meeting with Grazovich and the targeted theft of her key. He is right to be concerned; Kat's life is endangered even though she has lost the key. The thieves want more than what they have already taken, but Vadeem cannot convince Kat to leave Russia.
Kat refuses to leave before she finds the answers to her questions about her heritage; she wants to find out who she is, where she comes from, and to whom she belongs to. Vadeem, on the other hand, knows about the risks that come from wanting too much to belong; the mistakes of his youth had led to consequences that have left him too angry and ashamed to be on speaking terms with the Lord. Will Kat be able to find out her family's history and figure out who she is? Why was Kat's key stolen? What connection does the key have with Kat's family? Who is Anton Klassen, and what exactly is his connection to Kat? What material and spiritual legacies did he leave for his descendants and heirs, and how have these affected their lives? Will Vadeem be able to protect Kat from those who are trying to harm her? Will his heart survive Kat's departure if he can get her safely out of Russia? Will Vadeem come to terms with the tragic circumstances of his youth and reconnect with the Lord? As I mentioned before, even though this novel provides many answers that are revealed by the conclusion of Ekaterina, there are enough hints of mysteries still yet to be unraveled and uncovered in the following volumes of the series.
I know very little about what law enforcement is like in Russia, but Ekaterina did not seem too different from other novels that I have read involving characters in law enforcement set in the United States (e.g. some Love Inspired Suspense titles). The way that FSB was depicted seemed similar in tone to stories that I've previously read with characters in the FBI or the U.S. Marshals. What made Ekaterina feel a bit different for me are the flashbacks that Vadeem had of his family experiencing persecution for being believers. I feel blessed to live in a country, which, at this present time, allows its citizens the freedom to worship God.
As for the spiritual conflicts in the book, Kat needs to realize that her life only needs to be defined by Christ alone in spite of all the pesky unknown details. Vadeem needs to come to terms with the mistakes that he made in his past, come back to the Lord and identify himself with Him. Personally, I feel very strongly about the point that the author is making about how it is enough to identify ourselves with the Lord. In Him, we discover who we truly are. In Him, we find forgiveness, acceptance, security, belonging, and purpose. In Him, we are beloved children of God.
I enjoyed the romance in Ekaterina, although one week is a pretty narrow time frame for Vadeem to fall deeply in love. However, it's possible that adrenalin inducing situations can hype up romantic attraction. Vadeem is an interesting romantic figure. For a former special ops soldier, he seemed to be quite a strong yet vulnerable man. I liked Kat for her gutsy determination and faith in the Lord. The novel also tosses in the reunion of two long lost lovers who had been tragically separated for many years, but I won't reveal who they are.
I found Ekaterina to be interesting and am looking forward to finding out what happens in the rest of the Heirs of Anton series.
