Deathless

I repeatedly almost put this book down, and each time I was brought back in by the sheer beauty of the writing. It's simultaneously a reworking of assorted Russian folk tales and a magical realist retelling of ~30 years of Russian history, from the October Revolution to the Siege of Leningrad. It's full of interesting ideas and engaging imagery, but much of the time also has this sense that nothing any character might choose changes anything.

I'm having trouble articulating my thoughts about this book, but I think I largely agree with this review: strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/reviews/deathless-by-catherynne-m-valente/

I loved this book so much. War, love, and loss wrapped in the dark tales of Russian folklore. Utterly transported.

Deathless isn't like anything else I've read. I have never encountered the Russian folk/fairy tales that are the foundation of this novel - the way the mythology is interwoven into the history of the country is fascinating.

This is Russian fairytale and folklore painted on top of Russia in the first half of the twentieth century. It's a masterful painting, possibly even beautiful, but to me reading it was a chore. I never started caring what happened next, never felt connected to anyone, and always felt my knowledge of early Soviet history and Russian fairytales was inadequate to fully appreciate the book.

Having finished it I don't think such knowledge would have improved it much, but if you have never heard of Baba Yaga and Vladimir Ilyich doesn't ring an immediate bell, you'll miss out on a ton of meaning.

I'm sure it will appeal to some, but I'm not recommending it to anyone.