Michael Strogoff, de Koerier van den Czaar

In 1870s Siberia, a rebellion threatens to tear the Russian Empire apart. Michael Strogoff, the Tsar's most trusted courier, is sent on a perilous mission: carry a secret message across three thousand miles of hostile territory to his brother, the Grand Duke of Irkutsk. One rule binds him above all else: reveal his identity to no one. Not even when his own mother recognizes him in the town of Omsk and he must walk past her without a word. This single act of obedience sets in motion a cascade of dangers - imprisonment, betrayal, a journey across the frozen steppes, and a confrontation with the traitorous Ivan Ogareff. Yet Michael is not alone. Nadia, a young woman who has fallen in love with him, follows him through snow and shadow, determined to stand beside the man she cannot have. Verne crafts a breathless adventure that explores what loyalty costs, what love endures, and whether duty to an empire can survive duty to one's own heart.