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jennkei's review against another edition
4.0
It started off a bit slowly, and ended without much of a blast, but somehow was quite readable.
Orson's retelling of certain aspects of Russian folklore is refreshing not only in the modern spin he places on things, but also in that the hero and heroine are actually at odds with each other for much of the book. This only makes the resolution all the more sweeter.
One thing I must say -- this is quite different from Card's scifi. It's more whimsical, and somehow feels longer or slower. It's also a nice break from all the smut I've been reading (heh), since purity is a theme featured often in this book.
Orson's retelling of certain aspects of Russian folklore is refreshing not only in the modern spin he places on things, but also in that the hero and heroine are actually at odds with each other for much of the book. This only makes the resolution all the more sweeter.
One thing I must say -- this is quite different from Card's scifi. It's more whimsical, and somehow feels longer or slower. It's also a nice break from all the smut I've been reading (heh), since purity is a theme featured often in this book.
zucaritas101's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up at a yard sale since I enjoyed Ender's Game. But this one isn't in the same category for me. It was entertaining and cute, but parts seemed long and it didn't always keep my attention.
alidottie's review against another edition
3.0
3 and a half
My book group read this book and I couldn't attend the discussion. I think there was probably a lot of things in this book that if they were pointed out to me, I would have liked it even more. I am not a huge fantasy fan, but I enjoyed this time travel/fractured fairy tale story.
My book group read this book and I couldn't attend the discussion. I think there was probably a lot of things in this book that if they were pointed out to me, I would have liked it even more. I am not a huge fantasy fan, but I enjoyed this time travel/fractured fairy tale story.
smdarox's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
This is a great book. I think there were just some things missing for me to give it a solid 4 stars. I could’ve used a little bit more development between Ivan and Katerina before they pronounced their love but I also really loved when they got together in America ! The America part of the book was 100% my favorite part. I liked the vibes of their house and their backyard. And I liked their random neighbor boy that was obsessed with Ivan for some reason. I thought it was funny when the dog died bc it ate the chicken Ruthie put the “love potion” on. It was fun that Esther ended up being a witch. Overall it was a good book and I really liked a lot of the plot points and the world building. But it was a little slower than the books I normally read.
sallyavena's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful modern fairy tale that draws you in so much that you can't put the book down. What makes it so interesting is that it draws in the old fairy tale days as well.
wandering_turtle's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
theseventhl's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted here at Anime Radius.
With a title like Enchantment, various images may come to mind. Certainly magic will be part of it, things like books containing spells and people in long robes waving wands over beautifully sleeping women. Well, there’s a sleeping woman, and she is beautiful probably, but that is pretty much it. This is not your typical fantasy novel, but one entrenched in the tales of Russian mythology that incorporates magic and human drama with a splash of romance for flavor.
The story itself seems simple on the surface: unwitting man awakens princess from a thousand-year slumber, goes on righteous quest to save her kingdom. Except that the man is no knight in shining armor but a scholar who happens to be a fast runner and good with the discus. Add in all the political intrigue and drama that permeates the country of Taina, and the emotional drama of Ivan as he struggles to balance his new life with his life back home, with his family and fiancée, not to mention a slick time travel subplot, and suddenly this story isn’t so simple anymore. With all these threads running through the story, it takes a master writer like Card to keep them woven together and still makes sense. The fact that he is able to do so, immerse the reader in the history and mythology of old world Russia, and still present a riveting tale is a true testament to his skill.
In fact, the only thing about Enchantment that truly bothered me was the alarming amount of negative and condescending attitude towards females in the narrative, especially when it came from Ivan concerning either Katerina or Ruthie. He seems like a rather open-minded college educated young man until he meets Katerina, who disappoints his inner ideals of what a princess is: someone sweet and docile and nicer than anyone else. Katerina, in turn, is outspoken and stubborn and doesn’t take Ivan’s guff for one second. His thoughts about Katerina seem as if he is speaking down to her on a constant basis and that she isn’t smart enough to understand him. For example, when Katerina crosses into his world and is adapting to modern times, Ivan’s narrative is continually thinking of her as less than bright for her reactions to technology, despite the fact that Ivan was equally clueless in Taina. In fact, it seems like the only female character that didn’t have issues is Sophia; in the end, Ruthie turned into a shrew bent on revenge and Baba Yaga was a mad old woman who could only attract a mate through spells. I’m not saying that Card’s fiction has issues with female characters, but from what I’ve read so far, it’s not a cheery picture of his understanding of the mind and actions of a woman.
Having said all that, Baba Yaga is a gem of a character as the main villain, coupled together with the bear god who is sworn to her through secret magic. She is treacherous and clever and conniving and everything that makes a villain great. There’s also the fact that the scenes in which Baba Yaga casts her dark magic are wonderful to read, even when her actions are horrifying in scope (see what she does to a whole planet full of people as an example of her might).
The ending of Enchantment does a good job of wrapping up all the loose ends presented through the narrative, although some things seem to fall flat on conclusion. The best part of the end is what happens to Ivan and Katerina, and how this couple handles being two people torn between two different times, past and present. It certainly makes the reader wonders what will happen next to them – and that’s the best kind of ending you can have, something open with plenty of possibilities for the cast ahead.
With a title like Enchantment, various images may come to mind. Certainly magic will be part of it, things like books containing spells and people in long robes waving wands over beautifully sleeping women. Well, there’s a sleeping woman, and she is beautiful probably, but that is pretty much it. This is not your typical fantasy novel, but one entrenched in the tales of Russian mythology that incorporates magic and human drama with a splash of romance for flavor.
The story itself seems simple on the surface: unwitting man awakens princess from a thousand-year slumber, goes on righteous quest to save her kingdom. Except that the man is no knight in shining armor but a scholar who happens to be a fast runner and good with the discus. Add in all the political intrigue and drama that permeates the country of Taina, and the emotional drama of Ivan as he struggles to balance his new life with his life back home, with his family and fiancée, not to mention a slick time travel subplot, and suddenly this story isn’t so simple anymore. With all these threads running through the story, it takes a master writer like Card to keep them woven together and still makes sense. The fact that he is able to do so, immerse the reader in the history and mythology of old world Russia, and still present a riveting tale is a true testament to his skill.
In fact, the only thing about Enchantment that truly bothered me was the alarming amount of negative and condescending attitude towards females in the narrative, especially when it came from Ivan concerning either Katerina or Ruthie. He seems like a rather open-minded college educated young man until he meets Katerina, who disappoints his inner ideals of what a princess is: someone sweet and docile and nicer than anyone else. Katerina, in turn, is outspoken and stubborn and doesn’t take Ivan’s guff for one second. His thoughts about Katerina seem as if he is speaking down to her on a constant basis and that she isn’t smart enough to understand him. For example, when Katerina crosses into his world and is adapting to modern times, Ivan’s narrative is continually thinking of her as less than bright for her reactions to technology, despite the fact that Ivan was equally clueless in Taina. In fact, it seems like the only female character that didn’t have issues is Sophia; in the end, Ruthie turned into a shrew bent on revenge and Baba Yaga was a mad old woman who could only attract a mate through spells. I’m not saying that Card’s fiction has issues with female characters, but from what I’ve read so far, it’s not a cheery picture of his understanding of the mind and actions of a woman.
Having said all that, Baba Yaga is a gem of a character as the main villain, coupled together with the bear god who is sworn to her through secret magic. She is treacherous and clever and conniving and everything that makes a villain great. There’s also the fact that the scenes in which Baba Yaga casts her dark magic are wonderful to read, even when her actions are horrifying in scope (see what she does to a whole planet full of people as an example of her might).
The ending of Enchantment does a good job of wrapping up all the loose ends presented through the narrative, although some things seem to fall flat on conclusion. The best part of the end is what happens to Ivan and Katerina, and how this couple handles being two people torn between two different times, past and present. It certainly makes the reader wonders what will happen next to them – and that’s the best kind of ending you can have, something open with plenty of possibilities for the cast ahead.
harvestwitch's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who has lived in Eastern Europe, I found this book really interesting. It’s very quirky and fun. A very unique retelling. I will say that it does have some awkward subjects included, but nothing too graphic.
socialamoebaemily's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall I liked this one more than most others I've read recently. Stick with Russia and adults and he should be good overall. Generally recommend.
amyeewing's review against another edition
5.0
My mom and I never seem to be able to read this book enough. It's one of those ones that I just read over and over and over again.