Book Review: The Book of Perilous Dishes by Doina Rusti

1798 Bucharest: A magical, dark adventure

A year full of intrigue and political machinations: a slave-chef lives in Bucharest, sought after by everyone. His cooking is sublime, satisfying even the sophisticated tastes of the Prince, who steals him from his rightful owner and installs him in the Palace. However, no one knows that the chef has in his possession a witch’s recipe book: the Book of Perilous Dishes. The recipes in this magical book can bring about damaging sincerity, forgetfulness, the gift of prediction, or hysterical laughter. And the rightful owner of this book is fourteen-year-old Pâtca, initiated in the occult arts. Pâtca comes to Bucharest, to her uncle, Cuviosu Zăval, to recover this book, but she finds him murdered and the Book of Perilous Dishes has disappeared without trace. All that Zăval has left her is a strange map she must decipher. Travelling from Romania to France and on to Germany to do so, Patca's family's true past and powers are revealed, as is her connection to Silica the cook…

GENRE: Historical Fiction / Romanian Literature

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DOINA RUŞTI, important contemporary Romanian novelist, is unanimously appreciated for epic force, for originality and erudition of her novels. She received all major Romanian awards, including the Romanian Academy Prize, and was translated into many languages (even in Chinese).

She wrote ten novels, including: Fantoma din moară (The Phantom in the Mill, 2008), Lizoanca (2009), Zogru (2006). The novels Manuscrisul fanariot (The Phanariot Manuscript, 2015), Mâța Vinerii (The Book of Perilous Dishes, 2017) and “Homeric” (2019) can be a Phanariotic Trilogy (18th century). The most recent novel: Paturi oculte (Occult beds), 2020. Good international reviews in: La Stampa, Stato Quotidiano, Il Venerdì di Repubblica. Il Libero, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Magyar Nemzet, La Opinion, Turia. Il Mercurio etc.

Doina Rusti lives in Bucharest, and is a professor and screenwriter.

Review

I've been in a historical fiction kick lately so I've been looking forward to reading this. I don't really remember having read Romanian literature before, which adds to my excitement.

The cover is an alluring orange; I remember being told that orange food are more enticing, and if that's the play here given that there's a book of recipes involved, then that's very clever! There are maps, a pronunciation guide, a glossary and a character list, all of which I appreciated. Even the Translator's Note I dived into because it's just so intriguing to read about people's thought processes and whatnot, and to get some behind-the-scenes information too.

This is a book that takes its time. I've found that quite common with non-Anglo stories actually, which is a breath of fresh air — but those who are used to fast-paced, formulaic "plots" might find this novel boring. The book spends a lot on time on what seems like day-to-day matters, expanding on the different characters we meet and holding off the resolution of the mystery until the very end. It won't be for everyone, but I liked it.

There's a lot of talk about food and exotic dishes, which might make some readers hungry! There are also very interesting sections about the occult and spiritualism. Being a historical novel, we also get a view of what life was like back then... and that includes the ugly stuff, like the slavery of the Romani (the book uses the g-word, so just a heads up).

If you're looking for a different kind of read, then this one might be for you.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

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If you fancy a short read, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼

All things end, and all must die.

But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.