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A review by tani
The Bone Swans of Amandale by C.S.E. Cooney
4.0
I don't read a lot of novellas, but I'm thinking that might change. It's kind of satisfying to read something that doesn't take ages to finish. (Is that a sign of me getting old? I used to love the longer stuff so much, but lately it feels like so much more effort when all I want is to finish things. But that's neither here nor there.)
Anyway, I read this because it's available free online and because it received a Nebula nomination. I've never heard of the author before. I think I read a couple of reviews before I started, but otherwise I went in blind.
This story is in the vein of a fairy tale retelling, but instead of being a direct rehashing of a well-known story, it's a mishmash of several other less well-known stories. There's elements of the Pied Piper, the swan princess, and probably several other stories that I didn't even notice. I believe another reviewer mentioned the one about the tree? More importantly than which fairy tales it draws from, this story has the feel of a fairy tale. Things are dark and gruesome in places, the answers aren't simple, and what's lost is probably gone forever. I liked that, especially the way that it played out in the ending.
I also ended up really enjoying the characters. Nicolas was great, and I would definitely love to read more of his story. Maurice was a riot once I got into his rat mindset. I loved Dora Rose's strength and resolve, and the children were wonderful. Not to mention that Ulia Gol was such a great villain (and isn't that a fantastic villain name?).
I enjoyed this story enough that I now feel that I need to hunt down some of C.S.E. Cooney's other works. I think I saw somewhere that she has other stories set in this world, and that is definitely something that I'm interested in reading.
Anyway, I read this because it's available free online and because it received a Nebula nomination. I've never heard of the author before. I think I read a couple of reviews before I started, but otherwise I went in blind.
This story is in the vein of a fairy tale retelling, but instead of being a direct rehashing of a well-known story, it's a mishmash of several other less well-known stories. There's elements of the Pied Piper, the swan princess, and probably several other stories that I didn't even notice. I believe another reviewer mentioned the one about the tree? More importantly than which fairy tales it draws from, this story has the feel of a fairy tale. Things are dark and gruesome in places, the answers aren't simple, and what's lost is probably gone forever. I liked that, especially the way that it played out in the ending.
I also ended up really enjoying the characters. Nicolas was great, and I would definitely love to read more of his story. Maurice was a riot once I got into his rat mindset. I loved Dora Rose's strength and resolve, and the children were wonderful. Not to mention that Ulia Gol was such a great villain (and isn't that a fantastic villain name?).
I enjoyed this story enough that I now feel that I need to hunt down some of C.S.E. Cooney's other works. I think I saw somewhere that she has other stories set in this world, and that is definitely something that I'm interested in reading.