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libraryofabibliotaph's review
5.0
A compelling retelling of Snow White like no other you've seen before.
Jesikah Sundin eloquently tells a fantastic story with great depth, managing to weave historical facts (don't forget to check out the "Historical Notes" part after reading Eirwen's story) with fiction into a beautifully fitting whole. This retelling of Snow White is not just the fairy tale that everyone knows from Disney. It has its own twists, and elements from the Grimm brothers' version are integrated alongside Norse and German mythology. Even though the core of this book is a well-known story, it continues to surprise you at every turn. The subtle omniscient narrator also gives an extra fairy-tale touch to the story.
The world that is created within Ealdspell is very complex and intricate, which gives it a lot of depth. I myself read this book as the first of the series, so I was a bit confused in the beginning by the many names and places that came across. However, this improved throughout the book and made me more curious about Æroreh. Actually, I think this is an advantage, it shows how much time and thought has gone into this series to build such a world. That always gives a book a better chance to appeal to my taste. A lot of attention has also been paid to the characters. They all have strong and admirable personalities, as well as their weaknesses. But this is what makes them who they are, rather than punishing them for it or devaluing them. I think I would argue quite often with Eirwen and her brothers, all those strong characters together, but to read about them I really liked them. Likewise, Florian is a great character (a real cinnamon roll, but only in the best sense of the word), a fine example of how this book is also an argument against toxic masculinity culture. Together with Eirwen of course, who proves several times that a woman can also be fierce and skilful and really stand her ground in a "man's world".
In short, really worth reading. No matter how hard I search, I cannot immediately find a flaw in this book. Maybe just that the large amount of names, places and history (some of which I think come from in Æroreh) are a bit overwhelming at the beginning to be a complete standalone. But nevertheless, this doesn't hinder the rest of the story, and by the end of the book, you're well along with how everything fits together.
(As a Belgian reader, it's also nice to see the occasional sentence in French or German and know what it says without even needing the translation that comes later).
I'm definitely going to start one of her other books soon, because Jesikah Sundin has convinced me with Eirwen that the rest will also be absolutely worth reading.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review.
Jesikah Sundin eloquently tells a fantastic story with great depth, managing to weave historical facts (don't forget to check out the "Historical Notes" part after reading Eirwen's story) with fiction into a beautifully fitting whole. This retelling of Snow White is not just the fairy tale that everyone knows from Disney. It has its own twists, and elements from the Grimm brothers' version are integrated alongside Norse and German mythology. Even though the core of this book is a well-known story, it continues to surprise you at every turn. The subtle omniscient narrator also gives an extra fairy-tale touch to the story.
The world that is created within Ealdspell is very complex and intricate, which gives it a lot of depth. I myself read this book as the first of the series, so I was a bit confused in the beginning by the many names and places that came across. However, this improved throughout the book and made me more curious about Æroreh. Actually, I think this is an advantage, it shows how much time and thought has gone into this series to build such a world. That always gives a book a better chance to appeal to my taste. A lot of attention has also been paid to the characters. They all have strong and admirable personalities, as well as their weaknesses. But this is what makes them who they are, rather than punishing them for it or devaluing them. I think I would argue quite often with Eirwen and her brothers, all those strong characters together, but to read about them I really liked them. Likewise, Florian is a great character (a real cinnamon roll, but only in the best sense of the word), a fine example of how this book is also an argument against toxic masculinity culture. Together with Eirwen of course, who proves several times that a woman can also be fierce and skilful and really stand her ground in a "man's world".
In short, really worth reading. No matter how hard I search, I cannot immediately find a flaw in this book. Maybe just that the large amount of names, places and history (some of which I think come from in Æroreh) are a bit overwhelming at the beginning to be a complete standalone. But nevertheless, this doesn't hinder the rest of the story, and by the end of the book, you're well along with how everything fits together.
(As a Belgian reader, it's also nice to see the occasional sentence in French or German and know what it says without even needing the translation that comes later).
I'm definitely going to start one of her other books soon, because Jesikah Sundin has convinced me with Eirwen that the rest will also be absolutely worth reading.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review.
dwinprincess's review
5.0
Eirwen is a retelling of the fairy tale Snow White, but it's not your normal retelling. Jesikah brings us stories like no other, they pull you in and don't let you go till the end.
I really enjoyed this story, as I do most retellings, but sometimes you read one that just blows your socks off. This one definitely did that for me. I can't wait to see what else Jesikah brings us.
Do you love fairy tales? Do you love mines and dwarves? Well come on in, grab a seat, and get reading!
I received an advance review copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this story, as I do most retellings, but sometimes you read one that just blows your socks off. This one definitely did that for me. I can't wait to see what else Jesikah brings us.
Do you love fairy tales? Do you love mines and dwarves? Well come on in, grab a seat, and get reading!
I received an advance review copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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