Apart from incorporating a fair share of adventures into her stories, Maryna Sokolyan explores complex relationships and intrigues her readers with an unusual, distinctive philosophy. Another unique feature of Sokolyan’s fiction is the use of “parallel text” alongside the main narrative. In Novendialia, stories from Drakuv’s history, narrated by a witty guide, run parallel to the central plotline. In Kovdra snovydy (Sleepwalker’s Blanket), Sokolyan inserts an “excerpt from a monograph entitled Consolidation of Mundanity.” The fable of Kovdra snovydy revolves around a provocative question: what happens to gods who are no longer worshipped by people? The story itself resembles a magic blanket, woven from bright, flickering sparkles. Another of Sokolyan’s works, Herem, retells the story of the Messiah from an entirely unexpected perspective. While the author does not explicitly claim to be referencing the biblical tale, many details make the allusion clear. Sokolyan’s fiction is multilayered. In addition to the books mentioned, she has written Kodlo (The Evil Breed), a social mystery drama, and Storonni v domi (Strangers in the House), a mystery detective novel where love intertwines with Kabbalah. Balada dlya Kryvoyi Varhy (Ballad for Crooked Varga) is also rooted in Ukrainian mythology.

Contemporary Ukrainian Literature Review (Almanac)

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Yaroslava Nemirovych, the protagonist of Maryna Sokolyan’s novel The Harpy’s Heart, becomes a witness to a crime. Fleeing from her pursuers, she ends up in a remote village. As she reflects on her past, she realizes that she, in some way, provoked the situation that led to someone’s death. She seeks to understand which key moments in her life caused her moral decline. Yaroslava is highly talented, with a knack for creating witty stories and a gift for influencing people’s emotions. Cleverly using these abilities, she built a successful career, but she failed to notice when her habit of manipulating others led to her professional and personal degradation. Hoping to find peace in the village and reconcile with herself, she learns about recent events from her neighbors—a person is missing, and another is in prison for a crime he seemingly did not commit. Using her manipulative and analytical skills, Yaroslava solves the mystery. The novel places the character in complex situations, leaving readers to ponder which ethical lines should never be crossed in pursuit of results.

“Nora-Druk” catalogue

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Sokolyan’s text functions like a well-oiled machine – every detail is in its rightful place, making Novendialia a high-quality literary work. The book is perfect for readers who enjoy fantasy and light philosophical prose.

 “SUMNO” portal

Novendialia is Maryna Sokolyan’s latest full-length novel, featuring a vividly twisted mystical-detective plot. Its dynamic style could easily serve as the foundation for a blockbuster, especially since the novel contains all the elements of a thrilling story: a semi-secret society and its bloody activities, a lonely hero with a brave heart, Drakuv – a gloomy city with a medieval atmosphere and gothic legends – and much more.

“Druh chytacha” newspaper

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At first, you might be surprised – did Maryna Sokolyan dare to write an alternative Gospel? Did she, like Bulgakov, venture to depict our Lord Jesus Christ? There are reasons for this suspicion: the story is set amid deserts and palm trees, the place names resemble Samaria, Jericho, and Jerusalem, and a strict, self-contained law echoes Judaism. The main character, Gur, sold into captivity, could very well have been a carpenter.

However, you’ll soon realize that Gur does not aspire to be Jesus, though he shares some of His roles – he is partly a teacher, partly a son of a god, and partly a savior. In Hebrew, “Herem” refers to a sacred censure, both positive and negative, encompassing both the sacred and the accursed under one word. This is the essence of the novel: good and evil, light and dark, divine and earthly, righteous and sinful are so intertwined that at a certain point, one can no longer distinguish between them. This is no longer science fiction – it’s our beautiful new reality.

“Sho” magazine

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The author’s style is exceptional, rich in imagery and original humor, making her work appealing to lovers of literary aesthetics. Sokolyan’s writing is far from formulaic – there are no ready-made metaphors or ideas. Each novel is not only a thrilling story but also an opportunity to gain a cultural insight, as Sokolyan is well-versed in world cultures. The novel Storonni v domi (Strangers in the House) falls into this category, blending philosophical depth with a light, accessible narrative. Both seasoned readers and newcomers will find plenty of food for thought.

“Correspondent” magazine

Living with strangers, both in the house and in the heart, can be deeply frustrating. Romantic and introspective radio host Jan Reivakh struggles to break through the barriers that separate people. He turns to music, love, and even Kabbalah, but unraveling this mystery can be both fulfilling and dangerous. Is paying for love with your own blood truly a fair trade?

“Storonni v domi (Strangers in the house)” Amazon book description

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The search for an answer to the question “Why do miracles disappear from this world?” takes the author in a new direction, away from her earlier works, toward an “acquittal of chaos,” expressed with elegance and conviction that would make even the best attorneys envious. Kovdra snovydy (Sleepwalker’s Blanket) is a fantasy novel, but with a philosophical bent, which may puzzle fans of straightforward quests. The dismissive label of “escapism” doesn’t apply here—the world in which the irrational is fading away (gods, magic, and people who demand more than just basic needs) bears too strong a resemblance to our own.

“Correspondent” magazine

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They say a good writer can create the illusion of a daydream, constructing another dimension where the reader becomes the hero or the villain, experiencing pain and happiness as their own. Maryna Sokolyan has achieved this in Balada dlia Kryvoji Vargy (The Ballad for the Crooked Varga), a modern fairytale for adults. Beyond the usual elements, such as a love triangle and rural primitive magic, the story intertwines a half-detective, half-scientific narrative of two rival scientists, along with psychoanalytic recollections of the main character, Lada, who is trying to make sense of her relationship with her mother. Sokolyan tells her story in a highly subjective way, which makes it feel all the more accurate.

“Druh chytacha” newspaper

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A new book series from the respected Kyiv publishing house is titled Exceptis Excipiendis, which, translated from Latin, means “everything except those that must be excluded.” It offers “light reading that encourages thought,” a rarity on the Ukrainian book market. Maryna Sokolyan’s novel, written by a young author from Kyiv who was born in Poltava, fits this description perfectly. Her novel makes a strong case for popular literature, as it is lively and witty, styled as “lecture notes” taken by Irma Konyk. There are even conclusions and a review by a scientific adviser. Most importantly, the novel examines how deceit and mystification have become legitimized in modern society, transforming from unethical and condemned methods into regularly practiced and openly advocated ones. This theme is highly relevant in both political and philosophical contexts.

“The Lviv gazette” on the Kodlo (The Evil Breed) novel

The reader searching for a point of reference in this novel will be disoriented. The multi-layered text and reality make such a search futile, and any constants discovered will seem temporary and hazy. Ethics? Ancient history. Irony? Overly cynical. Research? Forged. References? Falsified. Only the reader remains – the one who assembles the text from fragments of questionnaires, lecture notes, author descriptions, reviews by the scientific adviser, a list of references, and epigraphs from Richelieu, Byron, the Marquis de Sade, Marcel Proust, and others. This is not an “experimental study” but a polyphonic novel – one of the most exciting and thrilling works in modern Ukrainian literature. It excites because it blends the traits of a psychological and detective novel, historical study, youth series, mystification, and news report. It thrills because it explores the infinity of manipulation, the illusory nature of truth, the darker sides of human nature, and the constant mistakes we make but fail to learn from.

“The telegraph” newspaper on the Kodlo (The Evil Breed) novel

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Maryna Sokolyan’s debut is highly significant. It may signal a profound transformation taking place within Ukrainian creative thought, where existential, pessimistic, and other ‘terrors’ are being replaced by a new literature marked by sharp intellectual irony, spontaneous, improvisational style, and light, intelligent surprises. Genetically, Sokolyan’s writings draw from a rich and appealing heritage. For instance, the short story Les Signes is skillfully composed in the tradition of spontaneous cultural prose. Its refined lightness and vibrant energy are reminiscent of Kerouac’s Dharma Bums.

Another notable tendency in Sokolyan’s work is her attempt to blend dark humor with the absurd. I cannot predict how her writing will evolve, but it is clear that she has chosen a fascinating and challenging path. This journey will push her to constantly explore, experiment, renew, and, most importantly, discover the most authentic aspects of herself.

Anatolij Dnistrovyi, preface to the “Tsurpalky (Splinters)” short story collection