The Stranger

The Russian author’s international-bestselling series begins with this “well-written, well-paced grown-up fantasy with a strong dose of reality” ( Kirkus Reviews ). Fandomania.com’s #1 Book of 2009 To put it bluntly, Max Frei is a loser. He spends his day sleeping and at night he smokes, eats, and loafs around because he can’t catch a wink. But then he gets lucky. Through his dreams, he begins to contact a parallel world where magic is a daily practice—and, strangely, Max seems to fit right in.