A review by wayward_flowers
Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

adventurous challenging 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

"That’s how you get deathless, volchitsa. Walk the same tale over and over, until you wear a groove in the world, until even if you vanished, the tale would keep turning, keep playing, like a phonograph, and you’d have to get up again, even with a bullet through your eye, to play your part and say your lines.”

I'm broken and shattered. Finishing this book wasn't like breathlessly running through the fire but rather as though you've plunged into the depth of the coldness of the ocean-- a different kind of intensity and breathlessness.

Deathless has yet to be one of the most tragically beautiful tales I've read.
In it we follow our beloved classical fairytale characters and aspects of them, that we have grown up with. But, It is also the story of Russia during the 20th century and the tragedies that occurred in its history. Intertwining both elements together, 
It is a world that possess the beauty and richness of fairytales but is entailed with the inevitability of war and death. 
It talks about War and Grief. Love and Lust. War and Love.

"All the human world is the Country of Death, and in thrall, and finally, after all this time, we are just like everyone else. We are all dead. All equal. Broken and aimless and believing we are alive. This is Russia and it is 1952. What else would you call hell?”

The delivery of the story was immaculate. The writing and atmosphere was absolutely stunning.
The relationship dynamics between Koschei the Deathless and Marya Morevna was told  beautifully but had the care to not conceal the terror or toxicity of it. And than seeing her navigate through this strange yet seemingly beautiful relationship, her heart and head in a constant argument, her fairytale life eclipsed over the one she lived when she was young. 

"Oh, I will be cruel to you, Marya Morevna. It will stop your breath, how cruel I can be. But you understand, don’t you? You are clever enough. I am a demanding creature. I am selfish and cruel and extremely unreasonable. But I am your servant. When you starve I will feed you; when you are sick I will tend you. I crawl at your feet; for before your love, your kisses, I am debased. For you alone I will be weak.”

"Do you know, Masha, how revelation comes? Like death. So sudden, though you knew all along it must occur. A revelation is always the end of something. It might even be cause for grief.”

One of the things that Catherynne portrayed in this book that had me experiencing moments of realisation and reflection, were the aspects of..what does it truly mean to be good or bad. 
Koschei, though in Russian folklore is a menacing and wicked creature, and while the author did not strip that element from the story, she, in my eyes, kept his true intentions hidden. I, as the reader at times tried to place Koschei as the character that is.."wicked" or whatever that is supposed to mean. Often times, especially in fairytales, it is obvious as to who is the wicked and virtuous. The good or the evil. But taken into consideration. It is much more complicated. I suppose IF taken simply, it really comes down to your intentions and what you do with them. 
At the end of the day, no one is rightfully either when it comes to the play of Life and Death.

Other than that, I think the various topics and discussions done in this book, were quite meaningful and, once again, beautiful.

"The rapt pupil will be forgiven for assuming the Tsar of Death to be wicked and the Tsar of Life to be virtuous. Let the truth be told: There is no virtue anywhere. Life is sly and unscrupulous, a blackguard, wolfish, severe. In service to itself, it will commit any offense. So, too, is Death possessed of infinite strategies and a gaunt nature—but also mercy, also grace and tenderness. In his own country, Death can be kind. But of an end to their argument, we shall have none, not ever, until the end of all."

I shall end my review here. I could go on and on raving about this book. Every aspect of this book was enthralling and heartbreaking. I truly loved this.

"I will not let her have the whole thing. I have this power. I will not let her speak because I love her, and when you love someone you do not make them tell war stories. A war story is a black space. On the one side is before and on the other side is after, and what is inside belongs only to the dead. Besides, what happened between the two hands I am holding up is squeezed between the pages of the books of the dead, which are written on my hands."
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