A review by saltypiratewench
The Birthgrave by Tanith Lee

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow.  The story had me hooked and as confused as she was, like in a fever dream.  It could get slow and a little meandering, but it never felt pointless or predictable.  The elegant language Tanith Lee used in her descriptions of the landscapes, both mental and physical, were haunting and kept me enthralled.  I feel restless having finished it and want to read more, but have so many other books checked out right now!

Edit: Upon further reflection I took it down from 5 to 4.  There were some problematic 70s style themes, tropes, and situations that bothered me quite a bit, but it is to be expected from fantasy of that era. Overall still a good book and you can see how it influenced some other authors later on. 
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