Author overview
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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The Novel “Heart of the Harpy”
Yaroslava Nemirovych witnesses a crime and flees from pursuit, seeking refuge in a remote village. As she reflects on her past, she realizes that she may have inadvertently provoked the events that led to someone’s death. Struggling with guilt, she examines the pivotal moments in her life that contributed to her spiritual decline.
Yaroslava is a highly talented individual, particularly skilled at crafting clever schemes and influencing others’ emotions. These abilities helped her build a successful career, but over time, her habitual manipulation deformed her personality. Hoping to find peace, she retreats to the village to reconcile with her conscience. However, she soon learns about recent events involving a man’s disappearance and another’s imprisonment for a crime he allegedly did not commit. Using her manipulative and analytical skills, Yaroslava uncovers the truth behind a murder.
Through complex plotlines that place the protagonist in morally challenging situations, the author invites readers to reflect on the importance of recognizing and respecting ethical boundaries in the pursuit of success.
“Nora-Druk” catalogue
Review excerpt
This novel will primarily appeal to young people, as it serves as both a revelation and a warning. Through the example of Yaroslava Nemirovych, anyone on a similar path has a unique opportunity to glimpse their future, anticipate what lies ahead, and change course in time. As the novel illustrates, it is crucial to stop before nothing remains but pain.
“Bukvoid” portal
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The Novel “Novendialia”
Set in a confined world, Novendialia unfolds in a small town steeped in medieval ambiance and Gothic legends. Governed by its own unique laws of justice and humanity, the town is closely monitored by the enigmatic Night Magistracy.
The characters are forced to make profound choices – between love and truth, salvation and betrayal, life and immortality. But their time is limited. They must decide before the novendialia – the nine-day period – comes to an end.
Review excerpts
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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The Novella “Towers and Dungeons”
Novella is set in a medieval world where hope is a sin, freedom is outlawed, love has long been replaced by lust, cruelty is the norm, and death is an everyday reality.
Andja, a humble serf, has no right to even dream of a different life. Yet fate has other plans for him. But will he have the strength to seize this opportunity? Can he rise from the Dungeon of Hatred to the Tower of Love?
Review excerpt
Entering this world feels like stepping through a door that closes behind you, leaving no way back. The only escape from the labyrinth of darkness and fear is to traverse the entire path, engaging both your heart and mind with what you see and feel.
This book is a challenge for the reader as well. Some may instinctively turn away, sensing they lack the strength for such psychological trials. Others will journey through it with courage, gaining new emotional insights and a deeper understanding of themselves. And then there are those who will return to the text again and again, searching for the moment they veered off course and wondering why the book still hasn’t released its grip on them.
I was unexpectedly struck by the psychological and philosophical depth of this book. While I wouldn’t classify Towers and Dungeons as a work for children – it is harsh and, at times, brutal – a thoughtful teenager will find ample material for introspection within its pages.
“Book Chest” portal
The Novella “Herem”
The Lightbringer and the Messenger: in Christian mythology, they are opposites. But what if they were not?
In the world of Herem, nothing is as it seems. The faithful do not await a savior but a destroyer. A trinity of angels visits not the last righteous man but the last sinner. A teacher betrays the hero, while a prostitute becomes his savior.
This is a world of distorted reflections, where familiar virtues are forced to confront their own grotesque and unsettling counterparts.
Review excerpt
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 Novel “Strangers in the House”
We coexist with strangers – not only within our homes but also within our hearts. Jan Reyvakh, a romantic and passionate music lover, embarks on a quest to break down the barriers that isolate people in their own worlds. Yet he soon discovers that uncovering this secret comes at a devastating cost – paid in blood.
Review excerpts
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 Novella “The Dreamer’s Blanket: A Justification of Chaos”
The author of this book, like many of us, cherishes a good rest. Her ideal vacation involves lounging beneath a palm tree on a warm coastline, flipping through books about myths, dreams, and ancient times.
The Blanket of the Dreamer weaves together all the elements of such a retreat: an almost-mythological tale of the search for the City of Dreams, ethnographic reflections on the disappearance of magic, and thoughtful conversations over a glass of “Tea Gull’s Milk” wine beneath the red rooftops of a coastal resort.
This book offers a “pocket vacation” for anyone longing for sunlight and enchanting fairy tales.
Review excerpt
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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The Novel “A Ballad for Crooked Varga”
Passion is a challenge, and talent is a provocation—whether in art, science, or personal life. Those who encounter a passionate person are drawn to them, admire them, envy them, or hate them. Talent is intolerable—it demands either worship or destruction. As a result, geniuses often fall, sometimes at the hands of envious critics, and sometimes at the hands of their own admirers.
A Ballad for Crooked Varga serves as a cautionary tale for those who dare to rise above the crowd.
Review excerpt
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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The Novella “The Evil Breed: An Experimental Study”
This book has everything to captivate a wide range of readers: a suspenseful plot, likable young protagonists who desperately deceive each other, ancient secrets, and modern information technologies. The story unfolds at the “hidden faculty” of the University of St. Andrews—the School of Mystification. Here, young talents learn the arts of forgery, myth-making, and conspiracy theories, which they will later apply in real life.
The only clue for readers: don’t take everything at face value in this school. As the author notes, it’s all just mystification, just a game—a game that, however, has every potential to turn into a ruthless, rule-less affair.
Review excerpts
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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The Short Story Collection “Splinters”
Splinters by Maryna Sokolyan can be seen as the beginning of a fully independent and distinctive creative journey, one that does not rely on the dominant symbolic systems of the 1990s. The author’s exceptional linguistic craftsmanship stands out, reflecting her excellent education and contributing significantly to the collection’s depth and quality.
Review excerpt
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