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mandygris's review
4.0
I quite enjoyed that this story had a gender-bending approach in a way we don't often see in tales of yore. Typically, you're in store for a female character who is bound by restrictive gender roles and in order to overcome the mundanity of female life, she assumes a male identity and persona to liberate herself. Instead, the seventh son of a seventh son is raised as a young woman in every aspect of life to protect her* from a curse which would ruin her entire family. When she finds out that she was actually born a male, she struggles with this information and assuming a male identity to continue to protect her family from harm.
I absolutely adore that when she is overcome by her burden, of play-acting at being a man to protect her family, and as she accepts herself for who she really is (in this case, she is a young woman named Ekaterina Davidovna Barteneva and defies the entire world by shouting out her true identity for all to hear, accepting no less from her kin than acknowledgement of her female self), she is rewarded by the firebird by having the curse lifted from her family. Not only was the curse lifted, she was blessed by the firebird with the best, most wonderful apples in the orchard to bring prosperity and joy to her and her kin! The story ends on a positive note, explaining how Ekaterina forged on with her life, living in prosperity and being true to herself.
I think this is a wonderful retake on a classic tale, which is totally relevant as a message to readers of our time: Accept yourself for who you are, even in the face of adversity, and good things will happen! Persevere. Be true to yourself. Do not let others define you... take a stand and define yourself. I can only speak for myself when I say it is difficult to lead a life which is true to yourself, and that when you are the rewards aren't always tangible, but if I had to choose between emotional poverty and emotional prosperity, I would always want to pick emotional prosperity.
*Note: I am not using gender-neutral pronouns because the protagonist self-identifies as a female.
I absolutely adore that when she is overcome by her burden, of play-acting at being a man to protect her family, and as she accepts herself for who she really is (in this case, she is a young woman named Ekaterina Davidovna Barteneva and defies the entire world by shouting out her true identity for all to hear, accepting no less from her kin than acknowledgement of her female self), she is rewarded by the firebird by having the curse lifted from her family. Not only was the curse lifted, she was blessed by the firebird with the best, most wonderful apples in the orchard to bring prosperity and joy to her and her kin! The story ends on a positive note, explaining how Ekaterina forged on with her life, living in prosperity and being true to herself.
I think this is a wonderful retake on a classic tale, which is totally relevant as a message to readers of our time: Accept yourself for who you are, even in the face of adversity, and good things will happen! Persevere. Be true to yourself. Do not let others define you... take a stand and define yourself. I can only speak for myself when I say it is difficult to lead a life which is true to yourself, and that when you are the rewards aren't always tangible, but if I had to choose between emotional poverty and emotional prosperity, I would always want to pick emotional prosperity.
*Note: I am not using gender-neutral pronouns because the protagonist self-identifies as a female.
lnatal's review
3.0
You may read online Tor.com
Opening lines:
Ekaterina couldn’t bear to go to sleep and miss the last moments of what had been a wondrous fourteenth birthday. She sat on the window seat in her bedroom and hugged her knees as the last minutes of the day melted away like spring snow. In the corner of the room, her maid Agafya snored softly.
Opening lines:
Ekaterina couldn’t bear to go to sleep and miss the last moments of what had been a wondrous fourteenth birthday. She sat on the window seat in her bedroom and hugged her knees as the last minutes of the day melted away like spring snow. In the corner of the room, her maid Agafya snored softly.
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