Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Deathless
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
112 posts | 95 read | 6 reading | 187 to read
Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which 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 twentieth 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 Koscheis 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.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
DaveGreen7777
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

#IHaveQuestions
Paging all Littens, @RaeLovesToRead has questions!

1. Tagged! It takes a story from Russian mythology and weaves it into a historical fiction with high fantasy elements threaded in. 🤩

2. I‘ve read cyberpunk and steampunk, but has a book ever combined both genres? Cybersteampunk should be a thing! 🤔

3. Nonfiction romance… wait, that makes it sound like I‘m opposed to real-life love! Now I have questions about myself! 😳

RaeLovesToRead I agree... DOWN WITH LOVE!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 I would totally love cybersteampunk... maybe in a Western setting instead of Victorian aesthetic... *imagining Clint Eastwood with a technological Invisibility poncho infiltrating an airship base* (*with cogs*) 2y
DaveGreen7777 Clint Eastwood in a technological invisibility poncho… NOW I NEED THIS BOOK!!! 🤯 2y
RaeLovesToRead I'll add it to the list of "books I'm pretending to write" ? 2y
See All 9 Comments
IndoorDame @RaeLovesToRead yes please!!! *cancels entire day and reads all the “books you‘re pretending to write” instead of doing actual work 2y
RaeLovesToRead @IndoorDame Be careful what you wish for, my future guinea pig! 😄😈🤣 2y
IndoorDame @RaeLovesToRead challenge accepted 😂😁😂 2y
Branwen NONFICTION ROMANCE! 🤣😂🤣😂 I LOVE IT! 👍🏻💕 2y
DaveGreen7777 @Branwen I could have also gone with “Chakotay Biography”! 😂😂🖖 2y
Branwen @DaveGreen7777 OMG CAN I CHANGE MY ANSWER TO THAT?!?! 😂 2y
48 likes1 stack add9 comments
quote
BekaReid
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

“Life consumes everything and Death never sleeps, and between them the world moves. Winter becomes spring. And every once in a while, they act out a strange, sad little pantomime, just to see if anyone has won yet. If the world still moves as it used to.”

7 likes1 stack add
blurb
BekaReid
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

When you pickup library holds and stop by your local indie bookstore in the same day... where to start 🙄

review
AllisonM89
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

Where do I even begin with this book? Valente is brilliant. The book is about 350 pages and she doesn't waste a page. She brings in the history, the culture, the relentless fairy tales that seem to change and remain stagnant all at once. This is a book I'll be mulling over for quite some time...

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
Square 18

Kalalalatja I need to reread this, it is one of my faves ❤️ 4y
AllisonM89 @Kalalalatja It was such a brilliant read! 4y
16 likes2 comments
review
Paperback.Propensity
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

Good book. Like her fairyland series, but for adults.

review
faelinwolf
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Mehso-so

I'm realizing that I don't really enjoy books about Russia or with Russian elements. I'm not sure why. There were many times I thought of not finishing this book, but I pressed on. I do enjoy Catherynne Valente's writing--that's what made me stick with it.

As I tried to take a pic with Isadora (top right), Inara (bottom left) came to investigate, so this #DoubleSpin gets both my girls! 😸😸

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Russian books tend to be melancholy, and that's just not my style haha And I can't believe I get to see both cats in one picture!!! 😻 4y
faelinwolf @TheAromaofBooks Melancholy is a good descriptor! Maybe that's what it is! & I thought you'd appreciate a pic of them together--at least their heads! 😂 4y
10 likes2 comments
blurb
Lucy_Anywhere
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

#TBRPile Day 11 - I have never read anything by Catherynne Valence but her name always pops up in fantasy lists. I also have Palimpsest lurking somewhere on my kindle.

review
JessTedrick
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Mehso-so

I have so many feelings. I wanted to love this book and I did at first. A story that melds Russian revolutionary history and folklore seemed new and fresh. I loved the premise.
BUT
The story seemed disjointed and some fairy tale tropes (repeating things 3 times) are irritating to read and the story focused on some aspects I didn't care as much about as the main characters journey from curious child to the person Marya becomes in Koschei's kingdom.

blurb
JessTedrick
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

When I started this book I loved it right away. Russian folklore set in the early days of Soviet Russia? What‘s not to love?
I‘m a little over halfway through and now I‘m on the fence. I want to know about Marya‘s transformation, her struggles to adapt. They are hinted at but fast forwarded through. I love it so much but there‘s so much I want from it that it‘s missing. We‘ll see how it ends!

quote
JessTedrick
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

“I will see him with his skin off before I agree to fall in love.”

blurb
JessTedrick
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Trying to wait to start this until I get some work done. It‘s been on my list for a very long time.

2 likes1 stack add
review
SistaPip
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

Need help. What to start next?? Votes please!

Aims42 I really enjoyed reading “The Huntress”! It kept me hooked all the way to the end 👍🏻 5y
6 likes1 comment
review
kindergartenkat
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

I loved the blend of myth and history in this book and I thought the writing was beautiful.
#ReadingEurope2020 #Russia
@Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Librarybelle That sounds good! 5y
18 likes1 stack add1 comment
quote
vlwelser
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

This. 💖

28 likes1 stack add
blurb
Conservio
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

It snowed here so that must mean its time to read. #koschei #russia #folklore #snowday

blurb
Conservio
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Rereading this for my #bookclub #Russia #folklore #WWII

review
Notoriousparadox
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
Pickpick

A beautiful reimagining of folklore and Russian history. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy dramatic and tumultuous fairytale romances mixed in with extremely human and relatable characters. The vivid imagery and the homage to folklore is also alluring.

blurb
Beachesnbooks
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

top 10 favorite books I read in 2019! I found some great new faves this year 🎉

MrBook #NiceStack! Haven‘t read any of these *yet*. Took a screenshot for future reference. 👍🏻👍🏻 5y
Beachesnbooks @MrBook Thanks! I recommend the heck out of all of them 😄 5y
Tamra I still have Jemisin sitting on my shelf! 5y
34 likes3 comments
review
GivenLemons
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
Pickpick

I really liked this! It‘s deeply rooted in both Russian folklore and history and coiled them together beautifully

blurb
brilliantglow
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Just got back from a week camping out in Trent Lakes. Only got a little reading done. Finished the tagged book and absolutely loved it. And started reading Bitten by Kelley Armstrong. It's okay so far.

It's kind of rainy today so instead of setting the tent back up and cleaning it out I'm taking my daughter over to the book store.

review
Corar
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

The imagery was vivid, the setting was great, but something prevented me from connecting with the characters or caring about what happened to them. Overall, it is worth the read for the interesting concept of Russian folklore set in the early twentieth century.

blurb
DaveGreen7777
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

For Day 13‘s prompt for the #30JuneBooks challenge, #MadeYouCry, I thought of this beautiful yet haunting retelling of the Russian fairy tale about Marya Morevna and Koshchei the Deathless. This book explores both the wonderful and the terrible aspects of live and asks the question, how do you trust your heart once you‘ve completely given it to another? 😢

Chapter 23 was so soul-crushing, I cried real tears... and then I read it all over again!

KarouBlue And .... stacked!! 5y
DaveGreen7777 @MellieAntoinette YAS!!! Hope you enjoy the book! 😊 5y
Branwen Oh wow! 😲 This sounds amazing! 5y
DaveGreen7777 @Branwen It‘s a really incredible book! 😮 5y
Suet624 Ugh. That‘s the big question. 5y
46 likes2 stack adds5 comments
blurb
Paperback.Propensity
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Reading Deathless, but feeling a little anxious because I just got Six of Crows duology in the mail

review
Violetta
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

I couldn't be more mistaken when waited for a mere old Russian #fairytaleretelling. Valente deconstructs fairy world, throws its inhabitants into bolshevik Russia, drags them (with the reader) through delirious, possessive love, death and gore of war and bitter disappointment of the last haven been torn apart. The book seemed excessive and gross at times, but it's emotionally powerful.#booked2019 @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage

Cinfhen Wow!!! 6y
Cinfhen That author sounds familiar 🤔what else has she written???? 6y
Violetta @Cinfhen She has The Orphan's Tales (I haven't read yet, but it's a novel in two books: In the Night Garden and In the Cities of Coin and Space), the series about Fairyland (about the girl called September who is travelling around the Fairyland) and sci-fi novels Radiance and Space Opera. There must be more, but I know just this much 📚 6y
Cinfhen Yes! That‘s the one I was thinking of....thank you 😊I‘m planning on reading this one for #pop19 6y
Violetta @Cinfhen It's in my plans for 2019 too! It will be interesting to compare opinions 😊 6y
71 likes5 comments
review
KimM
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

Lush, fanciful, and so, so Russian. Evocative of The Master and Margarita. 4⭐️s

blurb
BookishTrish
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

I‘d be Alice but in a Russian wonderland @Chrissyreadit #happilyeverafterswap

Chrissyreadit Yes!!! But I hope you have warmer clothes! 6y
ReadingRover Haha! Just saw this!!! Yes Russian Alice!!! 6y
61 likes2 comments
quote
toofondofbooks
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
review
Jillybeane
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

Where to even begin? There are a couple of books we come across that change our lives, and this is one of them. The prose is so rich and raw you will feel e v e r y t h i n g; that said, don‘t read this when you‘re cold or hungry.

blurb
Jillybeane
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Her descriptions are like secrets. She makes you feel like a coconspirator, as poor Ivan stumbles around clueless.

blurb
Jillybeane
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

I am IN for this #readingwomenchallenge!

MelissaSue81 Oh yes! Totally in! 6y
Jillybeane @MelissaSue81 There‘s a goodreads group forming! 6y
Andrew65 When does it start? 6y
See All 9 Comments
Jillybeane @Andrew65 January 2019 (it sounds so far away, doesn‘t it?) 6y
Andrew65 @Jillybeane It does but it‘ll will be here sooner than we know. I‘m in! 6y
Jillybeane Yay!! 6y
MelissaSue81 @Jillybeane - ooh. I‘m not very in the loop with good reads groups.. (like im not even sure what my handle is and I‘m only friends with a handful of Littens) - how do I find it? 6y
Jillybeane @MelissaSue81 There‘s a link directly to it on the website. It‘s right under the title on the picture ☺️ 6y
MelissaSue81 @Jillybeane - found it, thanks! 6y
9 likes9 comments
blurb
Jillybeane
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Capitalists. Definitely capitalists.

blurb
Jillybeane
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Her descriptions are silky, but full of teeth.

blurb
sprainedbrain
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

#BabaYaga is really, really creepy in this beautifully written book. She‘s a nasty Stalinist who has a penchant for jumping on the shoulders of our main character. 😱

#WitchyReads

pppooraikul Haven‘t read this yet but I do love Cat Valente! 😍 6y
Linsy Beautiful cover!! I have to admit, I keep trying Valente and not getting into her stuff and I don‘t know why! 😔 6y
sprainedbrain @Linsy this is the only one of hers I‘ve read, and I struggled with it. It ended up being a pick for me, but I haven‘t rushed to get another. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6y
Linsy @sprainedbrain Good to know I‘m not alone! 6y
115 likes4 stack adds4 comments
blurb
Clare-Dragonfly
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Book: Deathless
Author: John Douglas
Movie: Dogma
Food: Dark chocolate!

#ManicMonday

JoScho Thanks for playing 💖😊 6y
22 likes1 comment
blurb
MichaelKwan
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

I have been playing with some of my new fountain pens by posting book quotes elsewhere. One of my favorites from this book.

blurb
Kalalalatja
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

#CoverLove - gold edition 💛🧡💛🧡 I have so many pretty covers, it was hard to choose, so I gave myself a theme to narrow it down 😄

#ReadingResolutions

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 💛💛 6y
DeborahSmall I love that hardback of Deathless 💛 6y
94 likes2 stack adds2 comments
quote
morevna
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente

"You will always fall in love, and it will always be like having your throat cut, just that fast."

review
lesliemarie
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

Can I just say how jealous I am of Catherynne Valente's writing style? And I'm not even a writer. It's gorgeous. I read her Fairyland books before any of her adult works and I'm glad I read this one first because it had the same kind of magical feel. I liked the story and I'm very curious to see what the second book is like.

63 likes1 stack add
blurb
lesliemarie
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Just started this book last night, but I already love it.

Clare-Dragonfly I'm pretty sure it only took me one page to love it! 7y
JazzFeathers Oh my goodness! 😱 Staked 😆 7y
72 likes2 stack adds2 comments
blurb
lesliemarie
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

#bookmail
This is my first ever order from Book Outlet!

merelybookish It probably won't be your last. ☺️ 7y
emilyhaldi Welcome!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
tomes4gnomes I just got my first order from Book Outlet this week, too. It is a wonderful/terrible discovery. 7y
Clare-Dragonfly Great choices! 7y
81 likes4 comments
blurb
Nat_Reads
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Starting this one tonight to stave off my craving for more Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy. So far, loving the prose!

merelybookish That's an impressive mug of hot chocolate! 7y
Nat_Reads @merelybookish I like it with some marshmallows 💁🏻 7y
SamHeartCoffee Love the marshmallows! 7y
See All 9 Comments
parasolofdoom I read by her a couple weeks ago and loved it, looking forward to more Valente 7y
Nat_Reads Thanks, @parasolofdoom ! Stacked! 7y
Kaylamburson Omg that hot chocolate!! 😋yummm!!! 7y
brilliantglow I absolutely loved her Fairyland series. I just bought this one a couple weeks ago and plan to read it this year. 7y
Nat_Reads Thanks @brilliantglow ! Stacked! 7y
TricksyTails Have you received your FeedAReader package? 7y
74 likes2 stack adds9 comments
blurb
Marchpane
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

#AllTheBooksOf2017

The best #bookwithamagicalsetting that I read this year was Deathless. Magical, lush, complicated and smart, it's a gorgeous book to sink into.

According to Goodreads, the companion book (not exactly a sequel) is due out in October 2018. Not sure how firm that date is, but here's hoping 🤞🏻

Siannalyn I have this book in my wishlist since forever! I'm glad tou enjoyed it and I hope to get to it soon! 7y
Cathythoughts What a cover. 💫💫💫💫 7y
Nat_Reads I just opened this one! Your review motivated me to move it up the list! 7y
108 likes7 stack adds3 comments
review
sprainedbrain
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image
Pickpick

Beautifully written, and I love the way the author mixed folklore otherworldliness with the Soviet Union from the early 1900s through WWII and beyond. I found the main character hard to love, and some of the characters are not well developed. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I was familiar with the Russian mythology behind it, but I can still appreciate a well-told story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

monalyisha I read this with my book club & nobody loved it (which is a bummer because it was my suggestion, & I loved the Fairyland series so intensely). But I felt the same way: I shouldn‘t have needed foreknowledge about Russian mythology before going into it in order for the story to be clear. Her job was to make me understand it and feel fully immersed without me needing to do prior research. 🤷‍♀️ 7y
sprainedbrain @monalyisha I briefly considered researching after having read it, but I‘m just not that interested now. This was my first Valente... sounds like you recommend the Fairyland series? 7y
monalyisha @sprainedbrain Yes! Absolutely! It‘s one of those children‘s books series that‘s actually more for adults. It‘s super smart (she talks about things like “palimpsests” 😅) - and it‘s gorgeous writing. The characters are one of my favorite tribes in all of literature. September, Saturday, Ell... 💞 It‘s just perfect. 7y
See All 6 Comments
sprainedbrain @monalyisha That sounds fascinating. I will check it out...thanks! 7y
Kalalalatja I second @monalyisha 's recommendation of the Fairyland books 👏👏 7y
Clare-Dragonfly @monalyisha Interesting, I loved this book and felt fully immersed even though I could tell I was missing some of the folklore/mythology references. But I did start out more familiar with Russian folklore, just not as familiar as I felt Valente was. And I third the recommendation for the Fairyland books! 😍 7y
92 likes3 stack adds6 comments
blurb
sprainedbrain
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Finally starting this one tonight! It was recommended to me a loooooong time ago when @Liberty graciously handed out book recs here on Litsy. My tbr is ridiculously long. 😂

TricksyTails Ooh this sounds interesting! 7y
sparklemotion I loooove this book 👌 7y
RealBooks4ever This was a very engaging book for me! 💜 7y
Gina Lovelovelove this cover! 7y
120 likes1 stack add4 comments
quote
2BR02B
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Yup, already sold. #firstparagraph

Clare-Dragonfly I love this book! 7y
28 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
2BR02B
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

Starting the next pick for my spec fic book club this morning. All the other CMV books I've read have knocked it out of the park. Here's hoping this one continues the trend! 🤞

sprainedbrain I‘m starting this one tonight! 7y
34 likes1 comment
blurb
Kalalalatja
Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente
post image

These books #YouOughtaKnow about. They are all utterly beautiful and so, so, so good 👌

#Rocktober

BarbaraBB I loved Tin Man so I better stack the other two! 7y
britt_brooke Love this photo! 7y
Cinfhen Gorgeous photo😍 7y
See All 9 Comments
emilyhaldi Beautiful pic! Stacking the 2 not tagged 😄 7y
Kalalalatja @BarbaraBB you should! They are very different from one another, but they all gave me feelings 😭 7y
Kalalalatja @britt_brooke @Cinfhen thanks ladies! 💜 7y
Kalalalatja @emilyhaldi Yay! They are so good 👏👏 7y
Nat_Reads Just opened deathless! #blameitonlitsy 7y
Kalalalatja @Nat_Reads hope you like it! 👏 7y
95 likes1 stack add9 comments