Metro 2033: Death of the Octane Gods is the third novel written by Yuri Kharitonov, as part of the Metro 2033 universe and his Age of Madness series. Released in September 2020, this is one hundred and twelfth book in the series.
Synopsis[]
After his father's death, thirteen-year-old Vit Sokolow and his twin brother, Vovk, are alone. Vit would gladly part with Vovk, but he feels that they're connected by some terrible secret. So, he sends him in search of another missing brother - straight to the sinister oilmen in Yaroslavl. The same way holds the path of a former "forgotten soul" Sofia (Sova) Makarenko, off to avenge the death of her father. However, both are waiting for a cunning and insidious enemy, who has his own views on them. How can a girl and two boys oppose a ruthless life-torn man, both cold-blooded and cruel? And yet they are going to fight to the last man.
Characters[]
Main Characters[]
- Vitaly (Vit) Sokolov is a boy hunter from Rybinsk, 13 years old.
- Vladimir (Vovk) Sokolov is Vita's twin brother, 13 years old. Inferior to his brother in physical abilities, but carries inside a huge hidden power.
- Sofia Makarenko ("Sova") is a fearless girl-sniper from the Vologda region, the daughter of a special forces officer. She intends to avenge her father, who was killed by the bandits of the Order of Oilmen.
- Ruslan Ozimov is a boy from Yuryev-Polsky, 12 years old. Closely related to the Sokolovs, but doesn't suspect it. He secretly escapes from the liberated orphanage in Sova's car.
- Konstantin Semenovich Spassky ("Spass") is the main villain of the novel. He intends to seize power in the Order of Oilmen, after which Spass pains to recapture the "Shelter of Forgotten Souls" and begin expansion into neighboring cities or regions. He presents himself as a major, but in reality he isn't.
Secondary Characters[]
- Yulia (Yu) Smirnova is a girl from the Rybinsk community of fishermen, the daughter of the head of Ice City and Bride Vita, 14 years old. She is proficient in sniper rifle shooting.
- Kirill (Kir) Viktorovich Smirnov - Yu's father, the permanent head of the Ice City - a united community of fishermen and nomads of Rybinsk, established annually for the winter. He strives to marry off his daughter to Vit, considering him promising.
- Gennady Vasilievich Arushukov is the ataman of the Order of Oilmen. He has problems with alcohol; in addition, his harshness to his subordinates displeases some of them.
- Father Grigory is a false priest, Arushukov's closest associate and drinking companion, who gradually gets the ataman drunk. Takes the place of the head of the Order and becomes a problem for Spassky.
Other Characters[]
- Vennis Gvozdev ("Nail") is a militant of the Order of Oilmen, one of the disgruntled Arushukov's activities. Recruited by Spass.
- Vasily Chernomorov ("Chernomor") - a maniacal child abductor, owner of the infamous Red Wagon. The main villain of the novel Shelter of Forgotten Souls.
- Pyotr Kizlyak (flashback) is a sadistic scientist, who, thanks to a well-equipped laboratory in the dungeons of the Goritsky Monastery, experimented on clone children bred from test tubes even after the war. Eventually, Pyotr is killed by one of his own experiments.
- Viktor Sokolov is a guard in Kizlyak's lab, who became Vit and Vovk's adoptive father after his test subject Eighteen changed his memory. He died in Rybinsk during a hunting trip.
- Fedor Yegorovich Kovyl - head of security for the ataman of the Order of Oilmen.
- Sergei Mikhailov - one of the oilmen, taken prisoner by Vit. He helps the children steal a gas tanker from the oilmen's base, and then turns over to the side of the free men.
- Mikhail Prokhorov - head of the liberated asylum in the Goritsky Monastery, one of the main characters in the novel Shelter of Forgotten Souls.
Interesting Facts[]
- The first novel, due to the closure of the Metro 2035 Universe, transferred from the premium to the classic series. Fortunately, the events unfold in the second half of the year 2033.
- Also, this is first novel which serves as a sequel to a book in the premium series (Shelter of Forgotten Souls).
- Although the novel was part of the Metro 2033 universe, it leaves a legacy in the spirit of the Metro 2035 universe about the struggle to restore the lost world.