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Readers have lately been exposed to a great deal of postmodern historical fiction, stories whose focus on the past merely reveals the astigmatism of an unreliable narrator. Perhaps tired of squinting at history, most reviewers found David Benioff's novel refreshingly clear. With a framing device that serves to warn the reader that the author's life is far removed from that of a Russian partisan, the narrative of City of Thieves lacks much of the anxiety over the inaccessibility of the past that

Readers have lately been exposed to a great deal of postmodern historical fiction, stories whose focus on the past merely reveals the astigmatism of an unreliable narrator. Perhaps tired of squinting at history, most reviewers found David Benioff's novel refreshingly clear. With a framing device that serves to warn the reader that the author's life is far removed from that of a Russian partisan, the narrative of City of Thieves lacks much of the anxiety over the inaccessibility of the past that has plagued recent novels of the genre. Critics also felt that Benioff avoids another form of pretentiousness, the heavy-handed tone that characterizes many historical novels (particularly those about war). However, this deftness makes the plot of the novel move along far too easily; one skeptical critic compared it to a Hollywood "buddy story." However, most reviewers seemed eager for Benioff to write the script.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.