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sterrenkijker's review against another edition
2.0
All I can say is that this was an incredibly frustrating read. I really really wanted to like this, and I thought the writing was good and the potential was definitely there – which just made it all the more frustrating. I keep coming back to how none of it felt really earned: not the emotional moments, not the relationships, not the payoffs, nothing. About halfway through, this story started to weigh itself down, and I started skimming a lot despite myself.
jaymorgenstern's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, and Rape
dcllins's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review
4.0
This is a very well done alternative history of post-Napoleon Russia. Sasha rushes back from the war to return to his regular position as bodyguard to his friend and lover, Grand Duke Felix. He finds a woman unconscious in the snow and carries her to the palace where Felix has been exiled because of opinions that outrage his father, the Tsar. Once the woman gains consciousness, Sasha sees what he has brought into the palace--a vila, a beautiful witch capable of entering people's minds.
And she's a busy vila. As well as captivating Felix, she captivates members of a revolutionary group. Initially Marya is enveloped by Sofia's extraordinary being but she comes to her senses and begins to wonder about her. Then Grand Duke Felix stumbles into the group's meeting.
Allison Epstein skillfully weaves Russian folk beliefs into "Let the Dead Bury the Dead," creating a a nice depth to the story. Although none of the royal family is based on historical fact, the dire social situation is spot on for Russia during that time period and a whole lot of others. It's an engaging read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy in exchange for a, honest review.
And she's a busy vila. As well as captivating Felix, she captivates members of a revolutionary group. Initially Marya is enveloped by Sofia's extraordinary being but she comes to her senses and begins to wonder about her. Then Grand Duke Felix stumbles into the group's meeting.
Allison Epstein skillfully weaves Russian folk beliefs into "Let the Dead Bury the Dead," creating a a nice depth to the story. Although none of the royal family is based on historical fact, the dire social situation is spot on for Russia during that time period and a whole lot of others. It's an engaging read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy in exchange for a, honest review.
iammaya's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lisbethleftwich's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
alaris's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
karen_vandyne's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book is fantastic - well researched and written, with believable and realistic characters.
lanternheart's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Hard to put down, poetic, and with the dark underbelly of an old tale, Let the Dead Bury the Dead was a gripping read by Allison Epstein. Though on the surface an alternate history, and very much holding in its hands an account of old Russia, I found myself far closer held by the book as a character study — watching the crushing, exhilarating, horrifying, and even sometimes hopeful evolution of its main characters: Felix, Marya, and Sasha.
I felt that the deep internal conflict of these characters within themselves, heightened by the strange witchcraft of the vila, Sofia, to be the strongest point of this book — and could not have asked for a better linchpin around which their evolution turns. From the moment Sasha rescues her and regrets it, while Felix cleaves to this mystery woman while failing to recognize the lover who came back from the Napoleonic Wars, I was hooked on reading the transformations set before me.
I will admit to, though I know the history of revolution in Russia and any country to be a hard one, a pang of disappointment at the end — though Epstein tries to offset this by having Marya look forward, to the spirit of the Russian people who have seen that a kind of revolution is possible. We as readers in our day know it will be a long time coming, and a bloody one, far from what these characters may have hoped. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book very much and read it quickly whenever I grasped it, and won't forget its characters soon. Perhaps due to his extreme conflicts within himself, Sasha is the one I'm least likely to forget.
I felt that the deep internal conflict of these characters within themselves, heightened by the strange witchcraft of the vila, Sofia, to be the strongest point of this book — and could not have asked for a better linchpin around which their evolution turns. From the moment Sasha rescues her and regrets it, while Felix cleaves to this mystery woman while failing to recognize the lover who came back from the Napoleonic Wars, I was hooked on reading the transformations set before me.
I will admit to, though I know the history of revolution in Russia and any country to be a hard one, a pang of disappointment at the end — though Epstein tries to offset this by having Marya look forward, to the spirit of the Russian people who have seen that a kind of revolution is possible. We as readers in our day know it will be a long time coming, and a bloody one, far from what these characters may have hoped. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book very much and read it quickly whenever I grasped it, and won't forget its characters soon. Perhaps due to his extreme conflicts within himself, Sasha is the one I'm least likely to forget.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol and War
margaret's review
3.5
allison epstein really knows how to write a man conflicted about his loyalty to his country