History Literature / ErastFandorin

* AnachronicOrder: The entire series. The first 9 1/2 novels track Fandorin's life from 1876 to 1905--but Part II of ''The Diamond Chariot'' leaps back to 1878. The next book, ''Jade Rosary Beads'', fills in Fandorin's adventures in the 1880s. Then with ''All the World's a Stage'' Akunin jumps forward to 1911 to pick up the progress of Fandorin's life again.

** Akunin does this on occasion deliberately, for humorous effect. ''The Winter Queen'' has Fandorin using a telephone in Moscow in 1876--the same year that the telephone was being invented in the United States.

** Fandorin's victories seldom come without a price. Also, in a more specific example, [[spoiler:in ''The Turkish Gambit'', Fandorin manages to stop the villain's EvilPlan before its final and most disastrous (for the Russians) stage could commence, the villain ends up shooting himself, and the war is won, but it is very much a PyrrhicVictory, lots of [[RedShirtArmy soldiers]] and several characters are dead, and Fandorin himself [[ButNowIMustGo leaves for Japan]]]].

* TheCavalry: A literal example in ''The Turkish Gambit'': Sobolev's UsefulNotes/{{cossacks}} arrive to rescue Fandorin and Varvara from the Bashi-bazouks.

* CompletelyDifferentTitle: The original Russian title of ''The Winter Queen'' is ''Azazel'', a reference to the secret society at the center of the mystery. The English title is a random reference to a hotel Fandorin stays at.

* DubNameChange: Charles d'Hevrais became Charles ''Paladin'' in Bromfield's translation of ''The Turkish Gambit'' (justified because [[spoiler:"d'Hevrais" (French "from Hevrais") is a huge giveaway of Charles' real identity, namely, Anwar Effendi (born in the town of Hevrais); it works well in Russian because the Cyrillic spelling of "d'Hevrais" and "Hevrais" are almost nothing alike but in English, it would be a ruinous spoiler]]). Later, Anisiy Tulpanov became Anisiy ''Tulipov'' (because "tulpan" is Russian for "tulip" and Anisiy's family is explained to have been named after that flower).

* {{Jerkass}}: Colonel Lukan in ''The Turkish Gambit''

* MadScientist: Doctor Blank in ''The Winter Queen''.

* MrFanservice: D'Hevrais in ''The Turkish Gambit''
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Fandorin himself has this to some extent, as do some other characters otherwise critical of the Tsar's government and policies. On the other hand, averted with [[spoiler:Anwar Effendi, the Ottoman super-spy, who is perfectly willing to sacrifice his own country for sake of stopping autocratic Russia and winning time for the liberal powers of the West]].

* NotSoDifferent: Fandorin and Anwar Effendi.

* OfficerAndAGentleman: Several in ''The Turkish Gambit'', but especially Sobolev.

* SpyDrama: ''The Turkish Gambit'', ''The Diamond Chariot''.

* StressVomit: Subverted in ''The Turkish Gambit'', when Varya throws up after spending days bandaging the wounded and, to top it off, learning that her fiance attempted suicide. She thinks that it's just stress but it turns out that she contracted typhoid fever, putting her out of commission for weeks.

** Lady Astair, the BigBad from the first novel, is certainly this.

The books were written by Boris Akunin (his real name is Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili but it's [[{{Gesundheit}} too difficult to pronounce]]) and noted for their eloquent writing style, remarkable characters, intelligent mysteries, and countless references to Russian history and literature. Every book in the series belongs to a different subgenre of detective mystery (GovernmentConspiracy, SpyDrama, ProfessionalKiller mystery, etc.). English translations were published for every novel through ''The Diamond Chariot''.[[note]]After a six-year gap a translation for ''All The World's a Stage'' has been announced for the fall of 2017; ''Jade Rosary Beads'' is apparently getting skipped[[/note]] Akunin has also written several novels set in the present day and starring Fandorin's grandson Nicholas Fandorin.

The books were written by Boris Akunin (his real name is Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili but it's [[{{Gesundheit}} too difficult to pronounce]]) and noted for their eloquent writing style, remarkable characters, intelligent mysteries, and countless references to Russian history and literature. Every book in the series belongs to a different subgenre of detective mystery (GovernmentConspiracy, SpyDrama, ProfessionalKiller mystery, etc.). English translations were published for every novel through ''The Diamond Chariot''. Akunin has also written several novels set in the present day and starring Fandorin's grandson Nicholas Fandorin.

* ArcWords:
** In every novel (with one exception) there's someone named Moebius. Among them there are a photographer, a RedShirt policeman, a notarius... So far Boris Akunin has refused to explain whether the name has any special meaning.
** On a lesser scale, "Azazel" in ''The Winter Queen''. It doubled as a TitleDrop in original Russian.

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: Zurov]] in ''The Winter Queen'', Fandorin in ''The Jack of Spades''.

** In ''The Winter Queen'', Fandorin successfully solves the Azazel's case, but not before an assassin hired by his opponents makes and attempt on his life, [[spoiler:killing the woman he has married just hours before]].

** The main villain's prediction in ''The Winter Queen'', about the violent, destructive ways that modernization and change will manifest themselves in the world if they are not managed, comes true in Russia in 1917.

* CutShort:
** Possibly the fate of the series for English-speaking readers. The British publisher of the Fandorin series ominously refers to ''The Diamond Chariot'' as [[http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/books/the-diamond-chariot-hardback the "finale"]], despite the fact that two more books have been published in Russia with at least one more on the way.
** After a six-year gap, an English translation of ''All The World's a Stage'' has been announced for October 2017.

* DetectiveMole: [[spoiler: Brilling]] in ''The Winter Queen''.

* FemmeFatale: Amalia Bezhetskaya in ''The Winter Queen''. Marie Sanfon in ''Murder on the Leviathan''. [[spoiler: Dr.Lind, anyone?]]

* GoodbyeCruelWorld: The scornfully nihilistic suicide note in the beginning of ''The Winter Queen''. The villain's confession in ''Murder on the Leviathan'' [[spoiler: seems to be this at first]].

* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: What happens to Fandorin at the end of the first novel.]]

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Brilling]] in ''The Winter Queen''.

* InWhichATropeIsDescribed: Chapter titles in ''The Winter Queen'' and the first half of ''The Diamond Chariot''.

* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: In the first novel, Count Zurov tricks Fandorin into committing a suicide of honor. However, it turns out to be a SecretTestOfCharacter (whether Fandorin would really go as far as shooting himself), since Zurov's butler removes all bullets from the revolver while everybody's looking the other way.

* LifeWillKillYou: In the first Erast Fandorin novel, Count Zurov tells the protagonist about a friend he had once, an army officer who participated in the most brutal fights but died in the peacetime of an accidental alcohol poisoning.

* MarketBasedTitle:
** 'Azazel' was renamed to ''The Winter Queen'', partially to avoid religious tensions on US market.
** ''Leviafan'' was initially directly translated as ''Leviathan'', but for the paperback was changed to ''Murder on the Leviathan'' in a possible case of ViewersAreMorons. There were already several books titled ''Leviathan'' on the English market, so this was likely done to avoid confusion that could hamper sales.

* MilkmanConspiracy: The sinister [[FauxSymbolism Azazel]] conspiracy in ''The Winter Queen'' turns out be [[spoiler:perpetrated by an international charity network for gifted children and the mastermind behind it is the sweet old Lady Astair]].

** A huge scary thug in ''The Winter Queen'' is named John '''Morbid'''.
** {{Invoked| Trope}} in ''All the World's a Stage'' - theatrical actor who plays the villains uses the stage name '''Mephistov'''.

* OfCorsetsSexy: The young, naive Fandorin of the first book buys a male corset after hearing its snake-oil claims of improving health... which technically turns out to be true, as it later saves his life by deflecting a knife. In a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}}, Ivan Brilling then decides that it was a brilliant precaution for Fandorin to wear it on a dangerous job and that the entire Russian police force should be issued them...

* PocketProtector: In ''The Winter Queen'', Erast's life is saved when an attacker's knife is turned away by his corset.

* RussianRoulette: Fandorin always wins this one. Notably the first book claims that it's actually ''American'' Roulette, and only became renamed thanks to the events therein...

* StartsWithASuicide: ''The Winter Queen''

* TakingYouWithMe:
** Subverted at the eleventh hour in ''The Winter Queen''. [[spoiler:Lady Astair means to do this at first, but then takes pity on Fandorin and lets him go in the end.]]
** Played straight in ''The State Counsellor''. [[spoiler:Needle blowing herself (and mortally wounded Green) up, taking ManipulativeBastard Prince Pozharsky with them.]]

* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler: Brilling]] in the first novel; Fandorin still ended up borrowing from his deductive method and manner of speech, though.
* TrivialTitle: In the English-language market, anyway. ''The Winter Queen'' is a random reference to a hotel Fandorin stays at while in London. (As noted elsewhere on this page the novel is titled ''Azazel'' in Russian.)
* TykeBomb: In the first book, [[spoiler: the orphanages network]] is making them in numbers. Notable exemplars are Anvar Effendi and [[spoiler: Brilling]].

** The BigBad of the first novel, [[spoiler:Lady Astair]] definitely qualifies.
** As does [[spoiler:Anwar Effendi]] from the second novel, what with being the former's pupil.

* YouGotMurder: The ending of the first novel.

!!The series provides examples of:

* CutShort: Possibly the fate of the series for English-speaking readers. The British publisher of the Fandorin series ominously refers to ''The Diamond Chariot'' as [[http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/books/the-diamond-chariot-hardback the "finale"]], despite the fact that two more books have been published in Russia with at least one more on the way.

Erast Fandorin is the eponymous protagonist of a highly popular Russian HistoricalDetectiveFiction series set in the 19th century. He starts off as a regular police clerk in Moscow in 1876 and eventually becomes a GreatDetective of international renown, on one occasion employed even by the {{Tsar|istRussia}} himself. Early in his career, he exiles himself to Japan, learns the ways of the {{ninja}}s, and returns even more {{badass}} than before. Later in his life, he becomes a technology {{geek}} (while retaining his badassitude, of course) with a special fondness for {{Cool Car}}s.

* TheCavalry: A literal example in ''The Turkish Gambit'': Sobolev's {{cossacks}} arrive to rescue Fandorin and Varvara from the Bashi-bazouks.

* DeceasedFallGuyGambit The background of Achimas Welde from includes him being promised a million if he manages to save a SpoiledBrat from the noose. The case is clear cut, with several bodies of little girls murdered in a NightmareFuel fashion found in the guys basement. Achimas manages to arrange for the blame to be shifted onto the guy who reported the bodies, who, suspiciously, is nowhere to be found (of course he isn't. Achimas is no SpoiledBrat, and therefore isn't sloppy with hiding corpses).

* LockedIntoStrangeness: Fandorin's temples go completely gray by the end of the first novel and remain so until the end of his life. It's worth noting that he was only 22 then.

* PickedFlowersAreDead: In ''She Lover of Death'', Columbina feeds the flowers that Fandorin gives her on their first [[NotADate Not-Date]] to a horse, saying that she has no need for "flower corpses".

* ImperialJapan

* TsaristRussia: The main setting of most of the books (except ''The Turkish Gambit'', ''Murder on the Leviathan'', part two of ''The Diamond Chariot'', and some parts of ''The Winter Queen'' and ''Jade Rosary Beads'').

Literature/ErastFandorin is the eponymous protagonist of a highly popular Russian HistoricalDetectiveFiction series set in the 19th century. He starts off as a regular police clerk in Moscow in 1876 and eventually becomes a GreatDetective of international renown, on one occasion employed even by the {{Tsar|istRussia}} himself. Early in his career, he exiles himself to Japan, learns the ways of the {{ninja}}s, and returns even more {{badass}} than before. Later in his life, he becomes a technology {{geek}} (while retaining his badassitude, of course) with a special fondness for {{Cool Car}}s.

* ViewersAreMorons: The most likely explanation for the retitling of the first and third novels (in Russian, respectively, ''Azazel'' and ''Leviathan'' to ''The Winter Queen'' and ''Murder on the Leviathan'').

* PocketProtector: In ''The Winter Queen'', Erast's life is saved when an attacker's knife is turned away by his corset.

* OrthodoxChristianity: Less relevant than in Akunin's other series starring Sister Pelagia, but plays an important role in the setting and occasionally the plot.

* AKA47: Fandorin usually uses a fictional "Herstal-Agent" revolver. It is small, flattish, accurate only at short distances, and holds seven cartridges--all in all, a revolver {{Expy}} of then-not-yet-designed FN-Browning M1900 (a.k.a. Browning No.1) semiautomatic. The name "Herstal-Agent" is a ShoutOut--Herstal being the Belgian town where the FN firearms factory is located. From the second part of ''The Diamond Chariot'' onwards, Fandorin uses a Browning semiautomatic.

* EyesRemember: In ''He Lover of Death'', a serial killer punctured eyes of his victims to defy this trope. Fandorin told the cop that it is a superstition. [[spoiler:Then Fandorin understood that the cop is the killer because he stopped to puncture the eyes.]]

* UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper: "The Decorator" from ''Special Assignments''

* TurksWithTroops: ''The Turkish Gambit''

* TheFilmOfTheBook: ''The Winter Queen'', ''TheTurkishGambit'' and ''The State Counsellor'' were adapted either as short TV Series or movies. A new movie version of ''The Winter Queen'' is on its way.

* StutteringIntoEloquence: Erast. His stutter, although noticeable is very slight and never prevents him to speak precisely and eloquently. Also subverted, as lack of stutter usually signifies that Erast is close to solving a mystery.