Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Title: Deathless
Themes: love, power, humanity, war, death

Plot: From Amazon

Twentieth-century Russian history provides a background for Valente's lush reimagining of folkloric villain Koschei the Deathless and his dalliance with Marya Morevna, a clever but troubled young woman. After Koschei sweeps Marya away from her family's home in St. Petersburg-Petrograd-Leningrad, Baba Yaga assigns her three tasks that will make her worthy of marrying Koschei. As she spends more time in Koschei's Country of Life, Marya starts to become too much like her unearthly lover, until naïve Ivan Nikolayevich helps her regain her humanity (as well as the sympathy of the reader). Valente's lush language and imagery add to the magic and fundamentally Russian nature of the story, drawing pointed parallels between the Soviet Union's turmoil and the endless war between Koschei and his brother, Viy. Readers used to the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault will find this tale peculiar but enchanting.

My Thoughts: Reading Deathless was a revelation for me. It was my first Valente (certainly not my last) and it shocked me. I devoured this disturbing, sensual, and beautiful re-imagined folktale. I can't say that there is a single likable character in the whole novel...with a cast ranging from humans, spirits, demi-gods (??), and seasons. But they are compelling. The imagery alone is fantastic-Marya lives in a human world full of twelve mothers, red scarves, and house spirits. Then she is transported (it's a long trip including trials and feasts which is an unnerving and delightful sequence in itself) to the land of Life which is populated by spirits, living architecture, and the unending struggle against Death and his kingdom.

In addition to the bold and bizarre world-building, Marya enters into marriage with Life, who puts on skin to please her. The exploration of an open marriage and bdsm is intriguing though certainly not the main focus of the novel. This melding of Russian folklore is truly about war and loss and that all things End. I'm still not sure if I want to read all the fantastic elements of the story as an escapist fantasy from the realities of starving during a crumbling regime in mid-century Russia or as a wonderful surrealist dark fiction.

Rating: ****1/2
The only reason this doesn't have five stars is because I know this dark magical realism thing doesn't appeal to everyone. 

Similar Books: Amazon recommends Gregory Maguire and Neil Gaiman and similar authors...but I am forced to disagree. Neither gets as grimy, dirty, dark, and transcendent as Valente does in Deathless. With that said, I really can't think of any similar reads off the top of my head. Oops.

Ice Land

Title: Ice Land
Author: Betsy Tobin
Themes: family, love, fate, honor
Rating: ***

Plot: Iceland, AD 1000.

Warned by the fates of an impending disaster, Freya embarks on a dangerous journey deep into the mountains to find a magnificent gold necklace said to have the power to alter the course of history. Meanwhile, the country is on the brink of war as the new world order of Christianity threatens the old ways of Iceland's people, and tangled amid it all are two-star crossed lovers whose destiny draws them together-even as their families are determined to tear them apart.

Infused with the rich history and mythology of Iceland, Betsy Tobin's sweeping novel is an epic adventure of forbidden love, lust, jealousy, faith, and magical wonder set under the shadow of a smoldering volcano.

My Thoughts: I picked up Ice Land recently from a bargain bin and judged it entirely on the cover: a fun and lighthearted read, I thought, and since they were playing a bit with Scandinavian myth-all the better! I admit, the cover and description didn't scream fine literature. However, once I started the book I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was both a fun and well-written book. The only issue I took with Tobin's novel were the segues. I found the geological transitions that divided up the book to be off-putting and tedious. Although I appreciate that Tobin tried to make them sound majestic and supernatural, I found that I have taken geology classes recently and didn't care for tectonic plate discussions in the novel.

With those tiny criticisms aside, I just want to say that I enjoyed Ice Land immensely. Myth and "reality" are wed seamlessly and apparently effortlessly. Tobin has mastered world-building. While I started off the book rather disliking Freya, one of the main characters, I found I respected and appreciated her by the novel's end. Each individual within the book, even minor characters, had well defined personalities and clear voices. The environment, turbulent medieval Iceland preceding a huge volcanic eruption, was simply real, beautiful, and dangerous all at once.

Ice Land has a few story-lines and motivations driving the plot along, but I found myself most interested in the story of Freya and her (mis-)adventures both among men and gods. I found that Freya was a well-written character, despite the fact that she isn't always right or likable.

What I most appreciated about Tobin's writing, especially when writing historical female characters, is that they are not blatantly modern women plopped into medieval Iceland. While I am no expert in Icelandic culture and gender roles of the year 1000 AD, I do know that I cannot stand reading historical fiction where female characters extol the virtues of modern feminism. I understand that desires for equality most likely existed, at least among sections of pre-modern communities, but hearing a 12th century maidservant preach Dworkin-esque principles is not only jarring, it is also blatantly historically inaccurate and highly unlikely. Rant aside, I really enjoyed this book.

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction, myth, or love stories-although I think it would also appeal to those looking for action/adventure type stories as well.

Similar Reads: The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson, by Juliet Marillier, Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, Deerskin by Robin McKinley

Tobin, Betsy. Ice Land. New York: Plume, 2008.