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mimi_daphne_99's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mizzie's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
brisingr's review against another edition
5.0
Do you ever love something so much that you want to hoard it, protect it, keep it as a secret, savour it in time? That's how I feel about Catherynne M. Valente's writing style. You need to be in a particular mood to get to enjoy it and fully immerse into it, craving magic made real through words. But this was breath-taking, totally worth the wait. It stole my breath, it nestled in my fairytale-loving heart and whisked me away in so many story rounds, places brimming with secrets and power.
Loved it!! It ticked off all of my favourite things, and I literally couldn't stop reading this, couldn't stop thinking about it during the times I didn't read.
Loved it!! It ticked off all of my favourite things, and I literally couldn't stop reading this, couldn't stop thinking about it during the times I didn't read.
elisloony's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
rust_and_stardust's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
savaging's review against another edition
2.0
The first half of this book feels like 50 Shades of Grey in the style of Russian folklore. A smuttier Twilight with a different cast of magical beings.
But Valente is a good writer and the final part of the book does have things to say about life and love and death, and I like a bold retelling of an old story. The real problem for me was how the Russian Revolution and the Siege of Leningrad are consistently presented with trite American moralism. Any suffering that Russians have experienced is born from the October Revolution. Everything was good before then. Even the Siege of Leningrad was entirely the Bolshevik's fault.
The problems Valente sneers at aren't the specifics of Soviet policy or structure -- but rather the very idea of revolution, which ends time-honored systems of hierarchy. Valente presents a deeply conservative view of the world, where the drive for equality can only lead to a world where all are equally grey and dead. If anyone talks about fairness or trying to create a better world, it is a sign that they are about to steal and murder. It starts feeling like Ayn Rand is trying her hand at folklore. And as in Rand, everything rich and alive is presented as born out of coercion and hierarchy (thus all the child grooming and non-consent BDSM that I guess we're supposed to find sexy?).
As much as I appreciated Valente's language and world-building, I ended the book feeling a little disgusted by the ideology.
But Valente is a good writer and the final part of the book does have things to say about life and love and death, and I like a bold retelling of an old story. The real problem for me was how the Russian Revolution and the Siege of Leningrad are consistently presented with trite American moralism. Any suffering that Russians have experienced is born from the October Revolution. Everything was good before then. Even the Siege of Leningrad was entirely the Bolshevik's fault.
The problems Valente sneers at aren't the specifics of Soviet policy or structure -- but rather the very idea of revolution, which ends time-honored systems of hierarchy. Valente presents a deeply conservative view of the world, where the drive for equality can only lead to a world where all are equally grey and dead. If anyone talks about fairness or trying to create a better world, it is a sign that they are about to steal and murder. It starts feeling like Ayn Rand is trying her hand at folklore. And as in Rand, everything rich and alive is presented as born out of coercion and hierarchy (thus all the child grooming and non-consent BDSM that I guess we're supposed to find sexy?).
As much as I appreciated Valente's language and world-building, I ended the book feeling a little disgusted by the ideology.
maximum_moxie's review against another edition
5.0
I have so many emotions about this book, and that in itself is high praise--I found myself yelling at characters and spouting impressed expletives every two pages. It can be a bit disorienting thanks to its intentional fairy tale setup: I wasn't always sure what was going on, and even now I'm not certain what to think about the ending. But the lyricism of the language, the beautiful descriptions of love and food and death and sex, made it all worth the confusion. More, I learned a lot about Slavic myth, something which the West could really benefit from. Can't recommend this book highly enough.
rmgmorrow's review against another edition
Honest to God this book is just so dense. I read a lot of high and historical fantasies, this is somewhere on that spectrum, but the style is just so dense that I kept getting distracted. It's a beautifully written book but just not for me.