So this was an experiment in a genre that I haven't dabbled in too much. It was confirmed that I'm not into fantasy. This book was hard to get through for me mostly because it was a lot longer than I believe it needed to be, which is consistent to other fantasy novels. Orson Scott Card was super descriptive in some places that I felt weren't pertinent to the story while super vague in others that were. The story itself had a good idea but I felt like it was executed poorly, there were just so many strange things that weren't necessary. Needless to say it will probably be a while before I read another fantasy book.

When this book is good, it’s very good, but there’s too much filler and repetition. There’s also a good bit of cleverness that isn’t particularly clever. Think “fish out of water” in a medieval and low fantasy setting, and oh how funny THAT would be. Not really.

I have always been interested in Russian folklore, and it was fun to see it come to life in an extremely engrossing and epic way. Wonderful book.

However, Orson Scott Card is still a homophobic bastard and he'll never see a penny of my money.

Excellent engaging book. The pacing seems a little off toward the end and I wish the conflict with Baba Yaga had resolved because of something within the main characters, rather than the deus ex machina of the unbinding of Bear.

But the history is fascinating, and the book reminds us the the world has changed in ways we can’t even comprehend.

A twist on the fairytale, Sleeping beauty. It was a good read and I enjoyed it.

Orson Scott Card is sick, sick, sick. Right now you're probably thinking, "Whoa, no need to get angry. If you don't like his books don't read them." Well that's easy for you to say. You didn't spend a half an hour looking for available e audio books on the city website, and finally decide--against your better judgement--to give him another try. He's such a talented author, after all. Not ALL of his books are obnoxiously trashy. And in fact, throughout the first few chapters I thought I'd made a good decision. Even though the Russian history lesson was a little heavy-handed (apparently Scott can't bear to let all his research go to waste and seems compelled to put every irrelevant bit of it in, usually through analytic dialogue or expository pondering), and he had a whole section on circumcision (I've come to terms with Scott's obsession with the male anatomy and frankly am tired of commenting on it), but still I managed to get drawn into the story. Good authors will do that. And then came the witch. Suddenly within a single page we're bombarded with descriptions of rape, a mother smothering her child, and treated firsthand to violent spine-removal, eye extraction, and the scattering of brains all over the floor. Really? Does every one of his stories have to turn into a gore-fest? And even in the biblical novels he still insists on delving into the character's private love moments. I know gratuitous sex sells books, but not to the type of people who read bible fan fiction.
Now, obviously I don't hold all authors to this standard. There are much worse books out there, and so far I haven't had any trouble staying away from them. The problem is that Orson Scott Card isn't just another author who doesn't know any better. He was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a family based, Christ-centered religion that encourages it's members to seek after all things praiseworthy, uplifting, and pure. It specifically encourages its members to avoid R rated movies and other media with explicit content, be it violent or sexual. Okay, so maybe Scott's not the best Mormon there is out there. That's fine. I'd be the first to admit I have my faults too. But it's not like he hasn't been to church for years, and tries to avoid the Bishop's calls. He's active. He goes to church. He advertises the fact that he's Mormon and that he has a testimony of it's principles.
Does anyone else see a problem with this? At the risk of sounding like a over-zealous, self-righteous wacko, Scott will have to account for his life's work. As an endowed member of the LDS church he's made a promise to use his talents to build up the kingdom of God.
So you see, it's not so much Scott's casual use of sex and violence in his books that makes me angry. It's his double standard. It's that he claims to believe in one thing and promotes another.
I'm not under any delusions that Scott will ever read this review (or care about it if he did) but I'd like to take this opportunity to address him.
Mr. Card,
You have an amazing ability to write powerful, emotional stories with compelling characters. I've enjoyed many of your historical works, specifically the Women of Genesis series, and the novel Saints, which gave me a new appreciation for the early leaders of the LDS church. Of late, however, I've been exploring your works for the mainstream adult market. As much as I want to support your writing career, I've discovered I can't feel the Spirit of God in my heart when I read these books. And if I have to make a decision between your books and having God with me, you don't stand a chance. I'm disappointed in you, and I'm disappointed in your wife Christine, for not having the courage or the wisdom to put the praise of God before the praise of the world. Nobody's perfect, but you've had the ability to touch millions of lives with your writing. Ask yourself how you've used that power. I hope your recent experimenting with Young Adult books is an effort to clean up your act a little. If so, I'll be happy to support your career as a writer of *clean* fiction for children. Just leave out the crotch references, please.
Your tentative fan and brother in the gospel,
Ryan Hancock

Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

2.5/5 Stars

Ivan is a Russian scholar who moves to America with his family when he is a young boy. He decides to visit Russia in order to work on his thesis. When he returns, he stumbles across a magical valley where a beautiful girl lays asleep on a raised platform guarded by a bear. After freeing the princess with a kiss Ivan finds himself transported back hundreds of years where the evil witch, Babba Yaga, tries everything in her power to stop their happily ever after.

Honestly, this book was so boring for the first 300 pages. The only thing I liked was Babba Yaga and Bear. I found all the other characters to be dull and boring and I didn't really care for any of them. There was a lot of religious talk and since I am not religious, it got boring to me very quickly. Overall, definitely not for me.

Amanda rec

I just read this again. It was fun to delve again into the minds of Katarina and Ivan and recognize the beautiful difference between men and woman. I found myself thinking of my marriage and how I use words to heal or hurt those I care about. I love this story. Not only is it a fabulous retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but it is beautiful commentary on the power and magic that can exist in marriage between a man and a woman.

So I love returning to some of my favorite stories, and just like the first time, this story did not disappoint. I haven't read a lot of Card's stories, but the ones that I have, I love. Like I said in my earlier review, this is a modern/fantasy/in the past mix of Sleeping Beauty. Card's writing is beautiful and unique from beginnig to end. I loved all the funny details about the differences of men and women, and especially loved the process of falling in love. It doesn't just begin with waking up from a kiss. Loved it!


This is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but so originally told that the story stands alone by itself. It is influenced by Jewish and Russian folktales. The ninth century and 19th century are contrasted and the two main characters come from these differing centuries. It was such a good book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I totally recommend this to anyone that enjoys fairytales.

Rounding down from 3.5 stars. I enjoyed most of the fairy tale. The writing was evocative. The characters were compelling. I was transformed utterly to a place I enjoyed exploring, surrounded by people I enjoyed spending time with.

Is it really good writing if it disconcerts and offends? Card's Utah Mormonism is an obvious influence to those who know what to looks for, and comes out in ways that are, to put it graciously, unsettling. I found his depictions of female characters offensive and occasionally disturbing, though the narrative suggest that Card believes he's a feminist. There's an unnecessary depiction of a crime against a child, who goes on to become an irredeemable villain. The crime is never mentioned again and serves no narrative purpose, except perhaps to explain why the villain is evil and bitter. (???)

Unrelated side note that does not affect my rating at all: For someone who claims to be ashamed by his nakedness, Ivan is ready to drop trou at the drop of a hat. It's doubtful I'll reread this one for a third time, but if I do I'll tab each time he gets naked. It's ridiculous. Walking over a magic bridge? Poof! It disappears your clothes. Don't ask why; that's how the magic works. Want to settle an argument? Strip bare to prove your point. Running through the forest? This cloak is a hindrance, and it happens to be the only thing you're wearing. Better ditch it and run in the nude. Wake up and find you're still wearing clothes? Can't have that; you sleep in the buff. Better go outside that way, look at the grass, and enjoy the liberating feeling of the cool breeze on your parts. Need to clothe a friend who's been suddenly rendered nude? Give them the shirt off your back. Need to leave somewhere undetected in a hurry? Put on a disguise! Be sure to take off your clothes and be naked with your buddies on-page for a minute first.

I'm sure there are more I'm missing.

I should be clear, I'm not offended by the nudity. Just very, very interested to know what was going on in Card's subconscious while he wrote this.

A neat take on a Russian Sleeping Beauty story that goes beyond 'happily ever after' & the kiss. There are gods, but they're not all-powerful. There's a wonderful wicked witch & a lot of good people along the way. A really interesting sojourn in 900AD life, too.

It sagged a bit half way to 3/4 of the way through. Too much internal dialogue that was repetitive. It's worth getting through as the end is quite good. Very well narrated, my preferred way to read OSC's novels now. He writes them to be read aloud. Rudnicki & de Cuir (Skyboat Media) take turns. Both are fantastic & really made the story pop.

This is a brilliant, evocative, work of writing! It manages to be modern, historic, and fantastical all at the same time. The setting of Russia both in recent years and a thousand years ago makes for a romantic, fairy tale setting, but not in the way that Westerners are used to. Although I have always found Russia to be a romantic locale, I really never knew much about the country, so the setting of this book really fascinated me.

The only thing that prevents this book from being 5 stars to me is the author's longwindedness. There were portions of the book that really seemed to drag on longer than were necessary. But upon trudging through them, the author rewarded you with more interesting plot.

I wonder...has it been theorized that Baba Tila was actually Baba Yaga years later, learning the error of her ways somehow? That's the idea I got...it would explain how the spell to release Bear was given, and it would also explain why Baba Yaga hadn't been seen or heard from in years.