History Literature / RedSparrow

In today's Russia, dominated by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, state intelligence officer Dominika Egorova struggles to survive in the cast-iron bureaucracy of post-Soviet intelligence. Drafted against her will to become a "Sparrow," a trained seductress in the service, Dominika is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash, a first-tour CIA officer who handles the CIA's most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young intelligence officers, trained in their respective spy schools, collide in a charged atmosphere of tradecraft, deception, and inevitably, a forbidden spiral of carnal attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America's valuable mole in Moscow. Seeking revenge against her soulless masters, Dominika begins a fatal double life, recruited by the CIA to ferret out a high-level traitor in Washington; hunt down a Russian illegal buried deep in the U.S. military and, against all odds, to return to Moscow as the new-generation penetration of Putin's intelligence service.

* BilingualBonus: The novels are a treat for anyone curious about the Russian language, as several phrases and words are accompanied by their corresponding English equivalents, or can be translated in context. There are, however, a couple of untranslated Russian phrases, particularly some very lewd remarks by Dominika. Also, there is NoPronunciationGuide, so it's best that you actually look up the words and phrases outside of reading the novels if you're serious about learning the language.

''Red Sparrow'' is an [[SpyFiction espionage]] {{thriller}} novel written by ex-CIA officer Jason Matthews. The novel was published in 2013, and was followed by a sequel, titled ''Literature/PalaceOfTreason'', in 2015. A third book, ''The Kremlin's Candidate'', was released in 2018, concluding the trilogy.

* IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow: This exchange when Nate is reprimanded for sleeping with Dominika:
-->'''Nate:''' It's been building up with her, she needed a connection, she's been under a lot of pressure.\\
'''Forsyth:''' She needed a ''connection''? Is that what your generation calls scrogging now?

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Almost every other instance of Dominika sleeping with somebody has her either not enjoying it, or simply falling back on her Sparrow training for the sake of her mark. When she and Nate have sex, however, she is able to give herself over to her "secret self" and enjoy the act.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Along with there being about 10 or so major characters, there are also a lot of bit characters throughout the story.

''Red Sparrow'' is an [[SpyFiction espionage]] {{thriller}} novel written by ex-CIA officer Jason Matthews. The novel was published in 2013, and was followed by a sequel, titled ''Literature/PalaceOfTreason'', in 2015. A third book, ''The Kremlin's Candidate'', will be released in 2018, concluding the trilogy.

A film adaptation of ''Red Sparrow'' was released in 2018 starring Creator/JenniferLawrence as Dominika Egorova, to be followed by the release of the last book in the trilogy. The first trailer can be viewed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUBjoGm1ls here]], and the official trailer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmUL6wMpMWw here]].

A film adaptation of ''Red Sparrow'' is currently in production, starring Creator/JenniferLawrence as Dominika Egorova, which will come out in 2018 after the release of the last book in the trilogy. The first trailer can be viewed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUBjoGm1ls here]], and the official trailer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmUL6wMpMWw here]].

A film adaptation of ''Red Sparrow'' is currently in production, starring Creator/JenniferLawrence as Dominika Egorova, which will come out in 2018 after the release of the last book in the trilogy. The first trailer can be viewed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUBjoGm1ls here]].

* BilingualBonus: The novels are a treat for anyone curious about the Russian language, as several phrases and words are accompanied by their corresponding English equivalents, or can be translated in context. There are, however, a couple of untranslated Russian phrases, particularly some very lewd remarks by Dominika. Also, there is NoPronunciationGuide, so it's best that you actually look up the words and phrases outside of reading the novels lest a native Russian speaker call you out on your amateurish attempt to speak their language.
* BodyHorror: Many, many instances throughout the novel highlight the sheer brutality of the Russians, including the injury that ends Dominika's ballet career before it even started, several depictions of prisoners being tortured and interrogated [[spoiler:(later including Dominika herself)]], as well as the victims of the ruthless Spetsnaz assassin Sergey Matorin.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Alexei Zyuganov started his career as a prison torturer, and he has a reputation for being a sadist. In the middle of the novel, [[spoiler:upon Dominika's return to Moscow after meeting Nate, she is tortured for several weeks under suspicion of conspiring with the Americans]].

* DuelOfSeduction: Nate and Dominika's first meeting in Helsinki becomes this; although it's only Dominika who has been explicitly ordered to seduce him. Nate had been looking simply for an operational asset.

* ForWantOfANail: Several events in the novel are triggered by a careless slip of the tongue that unwittingly seals a character's fate. [[spoiler:Marta Yelenova bringing up Ustinov (about whom Dominika had been strictly sworn to secrecy) gets her killed, and Vanya's "canary trap" hinges on his colleagues knowing only one of many variants on a story]].

* LastBreathBullet: The novel ends with [[spoiler:Korchnoi sniped by a Russian SVR assassin just as he's crossing over to the West]].

A film adaptation of ''Red Sparrow'' is currently in production, starring Creator/JenniferLawrence as Dominika Egorova, which will come out in 2018 after the release of the last book in the trilogy.

* BodyHorror: Many, many instances throughout the novel highlight the sheer brutality of the Russians, including the injury that ends Dominika's ballet career before it even started, several depictions of prisoners being tortured and interrogated [[spoiler:(later including Dominika herself)]], as well as the victims of the psychopathic Spetsnaz assassin Sergey Matorin.

* SpySchool: The novel depicts both Nate's time in the CIA's Farm where he learns street tradecraft and surveillance detection and evasion, and Dominika going to SVR Academy to become an intelligence officer before Vanya sends her off to Sparrow School to be trained as a seductress.

''Red Sparrow'' is an [[SpyFiction espionage]] {{thriller}} novel written by ex-CIA officer Jason Matthews. The novel was published in 2013, and was followed by a sequel, titled ''Literature/PalaceOfTreason'', in 2015.

* AuthorAppeal: Jason Matthews appears to be a massive foodie, as every chapter of his novels, except for the final chapters, end with a recipe for a food item that was mentioned within the chapter. Said recipes are, however, only a set of instructions, and do not include quantities of ingredients.

* DuelOfSeduction: Nate and Dominika's first meeting in Helsinki becomes this. Although it's only Dominika who has been explicitly ordered to seduce him; Nate starts out with a more professional approach, looking simply for an operational asset.

* SpearCounterpart: In Sparrow School, Dominika also meets male students who are trained to become "Ravens."

''Red Sparrow'' is an [[SpyFiction espionage]] {{thriller}} novel written by ex-CIA officer Jason Matthews. The novel was published in 2013, and was followed by a sequel, titled ''Palace of Treason'', in 2015.

* BilingualBonus: The novels are a treat for anyone curious about the Russian language, as several phrases and words are accompanied by their corresponding English equivalents, or can be translated in context. There are, however, a couple of untranslated Russian phrases, particularly some very lewd remarks by Dominika. Also, there is NoPronunciationGuide, so it's best that you actually look up the words and phrases outside of reading the novels lest an actual Russian speaker call you out on your amateurish attempt to speak their language.

* CountryMatters: Marty Gable's list of "singular pleasures in life" include "eating breakfast in bed with cunty fingers."
** BrickJoke: When he intuits that Nate and Dominika have just slept together right before he went back to their safehouse, after she leaves, Gable asks Nate to rub his fingers on the rim of his glass.

* EyeScream: When one of Dominika's SVR Academy classmates tries to sexually assault her in the shower, she takes a loose faucet and jams it into his eye.

* DuelOfSeduction: Nate and Dominika's first meeting in Helsinki becomes this. Only Dominika is explicitly ordered to seduce him, though; Nate starts out with a more professional approach.

* FeedTheMole: Once Vanya Egorov manages to narrow down his list of suspects of who the SVR mole might be, he initiates a "canary trap" by telling his colleagues different variations of the same story. One of the suspects slips and tells Korchnoi his variant of the story, allowing Korchnoi to draw suspicion away from himself for a while. [[spoiler:This later allows him and Simon Benford to set Dominika up for her to report back his actual variant of the story, allowing her to take the credit for exposing him]].
* ForWantOfANail: Several events in the novel are triggered by a careless slip of the tongue that unwittingly seals a character's fate. [[spoiler:Marta Yelenova bringing up Ustinov gets her killed, and Vanya's "canary trap" hinges on his colleagues knowing only one of many variants on a story]].
* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Every other instance of Dominika sleeping with somebody has her either not enjoying it, or simply falling back on her Sparrow training for the sake of her mark. When she and Nate have sex, however, she is able to give herself over to her "secret self" and enjoy the act.

* AuthorAppeal: Jason Matthews appears to be a massive foodie, as every chapter of his novels, except for the final chapters, end with a recipe for a food item that was mentioned within the chapter. Said recipes are, however, only a set of instructions, and does not include quantities of ingredients.

* BaitAndSwitchGunshot: In the last chapter of the novel, a sniper takes a shot as [[spoiler:the exchange between Dominika and Korchnoi is almost completed. An earlier paragraph depicted the sniper as setting her sights on Dominika, but it turns out Korchnoi was actually the intended target, and he dies in Nate's arms as the novel ends]].

* BilingualBonus: The novels are a treat for anyone curious about the Russian language, as several phrases and words are accompanied by their corresponding English equivalents, or can be translated in context. There are, however, a couple of untranslated Russian phrases, particularly some very lewd remarks by Dominika. Also, there is NoPronunciationGuide, so it's best that you actually look up the words and phrases outside of reading the novels lest an actual Russian speaker call you out on your amateurish attempt.

* ColdBloodedTorture: Alexei Zyuganov started his career as a prison torturer, and he has a reputation for being a sadist. In the middle of the novel, [[spoiler:upon Dominika's return to Moscow after meeting Nate, she is tortured for several weeks under suspicion of being the mole]].

* LastBreathBullet: The novel ends with [[spoiler:Korchnoi sniped by a Russian SVR assassin just as he's crossing back to the West]].

* TwoLinesNoWaiting: The plotlines tend switch between Nate and Dominika, or between the CIA and the SVR.