Deathless

By: Catherynne M. Valente

Narrated by: Kim de Blecourt

Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to Western European culture: a menacing, evil figure, the villain of countless stories that have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the 20th century.

Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way, there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

©2011 Catherynne M. Valente (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Mixed Feelings

Deathless is beautifully written, but it came off as too distant and unfeeling for me to connect to, despite my best efforts. So many of the characters' motivations and choices depend on their love for one another... but I didn't ever see evidence of that love. Perhaps this is due to personal bias, as I recognize that I am a big fan of the "show, don't tell" style of storytelling and Deathless feels far more narratively distant from its characters. While that tone evokes the style of old folklore tales, it didn't make it enjoyable for me. I nearly gave up on it a few times (which I almost never do with audiobooks) but kept pushing through, hoping that something would make me feel connected to these characters.

Beautiful and sad

What did you love best about Deathless?

This is one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful and sad pieces of writing that I have ever read, and I hope everyone else loves it as much as I did.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The character of Baba Yaga was with out a doubt my favorite character in this book. She is crass and powerful and wise and sarcastic. Everything that you would expect from an immortal sorceress that has lept from the pages of Russian myth.

I really wanted to like it...

I know this novel was intended to play on traditional folk tales, but it really did not translate to a full length book. Folk tales rely on repetition (series of 3s) and one-dimensional characters (defined by one exaggerated characteristic). That works in short tales. But in a long tale, centered on a theme of suffering and toying with conflicting relationships, it drags the story down. I found myself irritated with the main character's melancholia because I simply did not care about her. I really wanted to like this book, and stuck with it to the end mainly due to the beautiful prose, but it never delivered.

The World Is A Slow Learner

I loved Deathless. I don't give it the highest rating because it was perfect. There were parts that seemed vague and difficult to follow. Thank God for the rewind function. I give it the highest rating because it sparked my imagination, captivated my mind, and engaged my curiosity way more than most fantasy novels have done this year. I will be studying Russian folklore because of this story. While this is fantasy, much of it strikes me as very "true". Deathless is also very funny. In a dark sort of way. I laughed out loud often. I suspect that Deathless is a story that I will revisit multiple times and gift often.

VERY Russian

The tone and style perfectly captures Russian fairy tales with modern pacing. It felt reminiscent of Gaiman's mythological writing, but with a powerful female voice and a deep, loving understanding of Russian culture and history.