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Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut

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A "Cosmonaut" is what Russia calls those who go to space to carry out professional work. In the west, they are called "astronauts."

The story is historical fiction, based loosely on the events of the cold war. You have two superpowers in the 1960s- the UZSR (Soviet Union equivalent) and the UK (basically a combination of the US and UK) competing in a space race; to be the first to land a man on the moon. You have *mostly* real technology with *mostly* real scenarios based on history, but this is still fiction, at the end of the day- enter Irina Luminesk, a vampire living in ... the UZSR. In a desperate bid to reach the stars, she agrees to become a test subject for the UZSR, to make sure the spacecraft is safe for humans. Because she is a vampire, which the world considers to be an inferior "cursed species," using her as a test subject to send to space is viewed as OK. Thus, Irina becomes the world's first cosmonaut.

Let me just start off by saying Irina is a wonderful character. She comes across as just a tsundere at first but manages to be much more than that. Headstrong, brave, strong, a bit bashful with at times, but with her own insecurities and worries, there are a lot of reasons to root for her. As you might expect from a series that takes place in the '60s, the world is rife with discrimination (both from humans and vampires alike), and you can't help but pump your fist cheering for her to succeed.

The characters as a whole are standouts. Lev Leps is Irina's mentor, and the chemistry between him and Irina is great, as is their slowly growing romantic bond. Lev's sense of righteousness clashes with Irina's blunt, determined nature, yet the duo are always there to reassure and help one another. Then you have Bart and Kaye, the nerdy computer engineers in the UK and the bond they share, and even the side characters like the scientist Korovin, cosmonauts Roza and Mikhail, division chief Damon, astronaut Nathan, data analyst Anya...talking about them all in detail would take several paragraphs, but make no mistake, the sympathetic and realistic characters this story presents, paired with the historical setting, are what make the series shine.

The setting itself as well as the circumstances are surprisingly accurate to what actually happened in the 50s-60s space race between the US and the Soviet Union, even with regards to domestic affairs such as civil rights marches in the US. Of course, the author takes liberties too and changes things up for the sake of additional stakes and drama (see: vampires existing and going to space), but if a historical cold war space setting sounds appealing, this'll be right up your ally.

That said, there's a lot of technical jargon covering large sections of the books. If you don't like reading about the science behind early computers and spacecraft, your eyes may go cloudy at these sections of the books. I think the series would have been better served to cut some of that down in favor of more character interactions and drama, which were the highlight of the series. I would have also liked an epilogue of some kind in the final novel to tie up some minor loose ends...but the ending does manage to instill a warm feeling in your chest nonetheless.

Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut is overall an excellent historical fiction title that is well worth your time. Some issues with pacing and heavy science exposition can be mundane at times, but it's overshadowed by the strong interpersonal relationships between characters, a setting and circumstances that are easy to sympathize with, and a satisfying, slow-burn romance. It doesn't overstay it's welcome either, telling a complete story in just 7 volumes. Above all, it's got a ton of heart.

Thanks Irina. Enjoy the stars.

Review based on volume 1 (will update in the future):

This is fluff.
Even pretty good fluff, with a tinge of underdeveloped themes.

This story is not meant to depicture the varying facets of human empathy or the lack of it, nor is it about how a human is shaped by their domestic environment and it also isn't about the life of the people dealing with the post-war situation.
This story is simply about cute Irina and "the ol' reliable" Lev who found themselves in a tragic situation, destined to share the same road to make their dreams come true.

Romanticizing the stars, cosmos, and especially the moon is common ... practice, but what's special about this novel, is them being the driving force for Lev and Irina, often forcing them to disregard basic human (and vampire) decency.

...
I don't effin' know what I want to say, so basically:
If you came to read something interesting about the space race or how life was in 60s-70s, you'll be disappointed.
If you came to read a romance novel, then yes, this is your cue to go get the book, but be mindful of this: Lev and Irina are simple, he is the reliable loving kind, and she the zealous and passionate tsundere. There's a beautiful scene on a frozen lake and both of them bonding is also, if i dare use the word, wholesome. However, the earlier chapters feel like skipping, because the chapters don't flow into each other, in addition (at least in the English translation) the word choice is lacking and the sentences read like concrete (does concrete sound romantic? No).

Also comparing the novel to the anime, i think the anime wins:
- The soundtrack was excellent.
- The animations brought everything to life. (That frozen lake scene my man).
- And the scenes flowed better into each other

-> If you want fluff, this is the stuff!