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shimikonde's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
A beautifully-written book that combines Soviet Russia, Russian folklore, and the cold realities of war to talk about the relationship between life and death. Definitely worth reading at least once.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Gaslighting
Starvation as a result of war is also described in significant detail.lisa_m's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book and I still don't know what to think about it now that I have finished it.
It was a complicated book to read mostly because I didn't know anything about russian mythology. It was still very interesting to read and though I didn't always enjoy it understand it I am definitely glad I read it and pushed through the difficult parts. I'm still not quite sure what to think but it definitely taught me a lot.
It was a complicated book to read mostly because I didn't know anything about russian mythology. It was still very interesting to read and though I didn't always enjoy it understand it I am definitely glad I read it and pushed through the difficult parts. I'm still not quite sure what to think but it definitely taught me a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Kidnapping, Murder, Body horror, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood
abominablesnowaro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, War, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
Starvationthewordsdevourer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
deathless was one of my most anticipated reads this yr, so it rly rly pains me to give it this rating, making it prolly my most disappointing read of the yr so far. i didnt hate it and the book wasnt in any way bad, but it could've been more. the book's dense and got great and affecting--oft even lyrical--writing; adeptly utilizes its fairytale elements, resulting in an organic fusion of russian fairytale and factual history; original worldbuilding esp for buyan and the territorial war (how even a single leaf, a single rock is divided into the country of life's or death's); it's strangely romantic; and important, thought-provoking themes and msgs that are explored in a complex way.
however, i personally feel that this focus on hammering home the themes might have taken a toll on the story and its ~purely story~ aspect. the book's jam-packed w/ themes and while it's indeed--as a review puts it--bold and subversive, it's also confusing and somehow confoundingly lacking. while marya and koschei def deals w/ themes of love and power, i feel that their scope of story is not expansive enough to deal w/ life and death. the story's partly set in russia during world war ii, led by characters who fight decades long battles, yet a majority of it reads like a domestic drama of an open relationship. i wouldve liked more depiction of the gap between the end of part 2 and start of part 3: what was koschei and marya's relationship like during at least some of the interim 13 yrs? how was marya during her first few battles? a lot went into the start of the leads' relationship, but not enough was illustrated of its everyday meat and subtance. it just feels like a good chunk of the book shows things after they happen, and the few action it shows is not very substantial.
also i dont truly like any of the characters?? not asking for black-and-white characters who are all good or bad, but somehow they're all at least a lil unlikable lol. and after a winding path towards the end, i dont even rly get the ending either, and idk if it's bc im too dumb to understand or if the msg's too obfuscated at that point. this had a lot more potential and im just very sad that it wasnt explored.
however, i personally feel that this focus on hammering home the themes might have taken a toll on the story and its ~purely story~ aspect. the book's jam-packed w/ themes and while it's indeed--as a review puts it--bold and subversive, it's also confusing and somehow confoundingly lacking. while marya and koschei def deals w/ themes of love and power, i feel that their scope of story is not expansive enough to deal w/ life and death. the story's partly set in russia during world war ii, led by characters who fight decades long battles, yet a majority of it reads like a domestic drama of an open relationship. i wouldve liked more depiction of the gap between the end of part 2 and start of part 3: what was koschei and marya's relationship like during at least some of the interim 13 yrs? how was marya during her first few battles? a lot went into the start of the leads' relationship, but not enough was illustrated of its everyday meat and subtance. it just feels like a good chunk of the book shows things after they happen, and the few action it shows is not very substantial.
also i dont truly like any of the characters?? not asking for black-and-white characters who are all good or bad, but somehow they're all at least a lil unlikable lol. and after a winding path towards the end, i dont even rly get the ending either, and idk if it's bc im too dumb to understand or if the msg's too obfuscated at that point. this had a lot more potential and im just very sad that it wasnt explored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Confinement, Stalking, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Kidnapping
korpney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Appreciated the lyrical quality of the writing at times, other times it was frustrating and confusing. Definitely worth reading up on the Russian Revolution and the folktale of Koschei the Deathless before reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood and Child death
kingorgan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, and Gun violence
ryuk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Grief, and Sexual content
latveria's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Grief, Infidelity, and Sexual content
lasbrumas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A short review for this one.
It should be noted for anyone reading this for the first time, there are times this book gets mildly NSFW (spoilered for that content)with some mild BSDM-like scenes and one scene where Marya has sex on a desk though its not extremely explicit. There are at least 3 instances I can think of, though there may be more. I was surprised to come across it so be warned!
The prose was excellent, so I couldn't find complaints there. I will say that based on others' reviews and stuff I saw on Tumblr, I went in expecting a much different book, though. Despite that, I wasn't disappointed, really? The way the book is written is much more reminiscent of fairy tales than any standard novel with a hero's journey or similar plot. There's a sort of circularness to the plot and a timelessness, despite the book's events being set during WWII. I could tell Valente really did her research into both the fairytales and the culture and setting of Russia during that time period. Even the tiniest detail felt like Valente had worked on getting it as accurate as possible. I'm not Russian though, so I would be interested to see what others from there think.
Honestly, the only reason this isn't a five is because the book didn't blow me away. It was written well and culturally rich, but in the end the plot was just okay. The characters I can't say I liked? But more in a sense that I would never want to be their friends. They're all pretty terrible people, but that's the point. They are as mean and nasty as they can be kind when it comes to it.
Overall, would I recommend it? Yes. Would I call it the greatest thing I read last year (even if I only just finished it this year)? Not really. I much preferred the immersiveness of other books. But in the end, it's not a bad book.
It should be noted for anyone reading this for the first time, there are times this book gets mildly NSFW (spoilered for that content)
The prose was excellent, so I couldn't find complaints there. I will say that based on others' reviews and stuff I saw on Tumblr, I went in expecting a much different book, though. Despite that, I wasn't disappointed, really? The way the book is written is much more reminiscent of fairy tales than any standard novel with a hero's journey or similar plot. There's a sort of circularness to the plot and a timelessness, despite the book's events being set during WWII. I could tell Valente really did her research into both the fairytales and the culture and setting of Russia during that time period. Even the tiniest detail felt like Valente had worked on getting it as accurate as possible. I'm not Russian though, so I would be interested to see what others from there think.
Honestly, the only reason this isn't a five is because the book didn't blow me away. It was written well and culturally rich, but in the end the plot was just okay. The characters I can't say I liked? But more in a sense that I would never want to be their friends. They're all pretty terrible people, but that's the point. They are as mean and nasty as they can be kind when it comes to it.
Overall, would I recommend it? Yes. Would I call it the greatest thing I read last year (even if I only just finished it this year)? Not really. I much preferred the immersiveness of other books. But in the end, it's not a bad book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Vomit, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
stwriter92's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was…a very interesting one to end the year out with. When people asked me to describe this book, I told them it was very much a dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland set in Stalin’s Russia. The entire story had a distinct fairy tale quality, even down to the basic structure. However, this isn’t your Disney-fied fairy tale. No, this was more like the fairy tales of yore with gore, sex, and human evil.
One thing this book showed me was how little I know of Russian folklore and history. I had to constantly look up new information, which (in my humble opinion) was one of the best parts. Learning new information and applying it to my understanding of the story was like watching a 10,000 piece puzzle slowly come together. The writing in this story was so heartbreakingly poetic. I could feel my chest getting tight just from reading the words on the page. As a reader, this is one of my favorite feelings. It is a sign that I have truly fallen completely and under the story’s spell.
My thoughts are still a bit scrambled, so I’m going to actually link to some amazing analyses of this book. Beware, they are analyses and are therefore NOT SPOILER FREE. I suggest reading the book with little to no prior knowledge of it and then learning as you go.
If you are a fan of dark stories, Russian folklore, and the true embodiment of beautiful storytelling, I highly recommend this book.
Analyses
Analysis 1 mostly focusing on the ending part in Yaichka: https://gatheringbones.tumblr.com/post/131312671780
Analysis 2 Another Understanding of the ending: https://mashamorevna.tumblr.com/post/85789279318/reply-to-anon-questions-i-got-about-the-deathless
Postscript:
This book took me ages to read not through any fault of its own. I’ve been in a reading slump that I have managed to claw myself out of at the eleventh hour of this godforsaken year. I think I will be ringing in 2021 by reading the hell out of another book. Toodles.
One thing this book showed me was how little I know of Russian folklore and history. I had to constantly look up new information, which (in my humble opinion) was one of the best parts. Learning new information and applying it to my understanding of the story was like watching a 10,000 piece puzzle slowly come together. The writing in this story was so heartbreakingly poetic. I could feel my chest getting tight just from reading the words on the page. As a reader, this is one of my favorite feelings. It is a sign that I have truly fallen completely and under the story’s spell.
My thoughts are still a bit scrambled, so I’m going to actually link to some amazing analyses of this book. Beware, they are analyses and are therefore NOT SPOILER FREE. I suggest reading the book with little to no prior knowledge of it and then learning as you go.
If you are a fan of dark stories, Russian folklore, and the true embodiment of beautiful storytelling, I highly recommend this book.
Analyses
Analysis 1 mostly focusing on the ending part in Yaichka: https://gatheringbones.tumblr.com/post/131312671780
Analysis 2 Another Understanding of the ending: https://mashamorevna.tumblr.com/post/85789279318/reply-to-anon-questions-i-got-about-the-deathless
Postscript:
This book took me ages to read not through any fault of its own. I’ve been in a reading slump that I have managed to claw myself out of at the eleventh hour of this godforsaken year. I think I will be ringing in 2021 by reading the hell out of another book. Toodles.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Torture, and Sexual content