This novel was more of a 2.5 for me. Though I hate to hold Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series as the gold standard for all his other works, I did find myself comparing this book to it and feeling disappointed. The plot wasn't very compelling, and the protagonist was difficult to sympathize with or respect: I thought he was whiny, and even got irritated with his passive-aggressive attitude at several points in the story. I also found myself wondering when the book would finally end, which never bodes well. I only give it more than 2 stars because I actually did manage to finish it (so it must've been tolerable to some degree), and I appreciated the strong, admirable female characters of Katerina and Esther.

I loved this book! I am of Ukrainian descent so maybe that’s partially why, just needed a fun other world to lose myself in and this was perfect for that.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this novel before! I listen to it every 3-4 years. I want this story to happen to me (only with the Irish, obvs.).

I found this book to have a brilliant plot. It kept my attention though out. If you like sci-fi and fairy tales, this book is for you.

Days before young Ivan's family moved out of Russia, he stumbled upon something terrifying and magical during a walk in the forest. Frightened, he ran. Years later, while visiting his childhood home, he finds himself drawn to the same clearing, only this time, he stumbles unwillingly into the midst of an unfolding drama for events that happened--are happening--hundreds of years earlier.

Readers of fairy tales and Russian mythology will appreciate how Card carefully yet effortlessly works familiar names and creatures into the story, tying the medieval world to the present day, and imbuing both with magic.

However, the tropes common to the fairy tales we're familiar with don't exactly apply here. The fair princess awakens, not to love at first sight of her hero, but to disappointment and disdain. The hero does not charge into danger out of a sense of duty, but rather falls into another world, flailing to recover his sense of self and find his way home.

Flawed and interesting characters, echoes of familiar stories, and a strong sense of the fantastical make this a book worth picking up.

3.5 stars. Another quality effort by Orson Scott Card. Right between "I like it" and "I really like it" (hence the 3.5 stars), this is a smart, well written re-telling of Sleeping Beauty with a Russian twist. Would have been a 4 star effort from most other writers, but having read some of OSC's superior work (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead andHart's Hope), I hold him to a higher standard. Definitely worth reading.

7/10. Media de los 43 libros leídos del autor : 8/10

43 obras que me he leído de Card y media de 8/10. Tela. Creo que eso lo dice todo, y liarme a hacer alabanzas de este autor es superfluo.
Esta no me gustó mucho. Es una revisión de la Bella Durmiente, "by Orson Scott Card". Fantasía, magia, llamadlo como queráis pero no es gran cosa...para ser de Card. O sea, que se lee agradablemente pero sin tirar cohetes.

Uncanny, how Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER and this book came out in the same year, and there are a few similarities-both books are a marvel and a fabulous read! More of her books have some equal similarities to Card’s ENCHANTMENT-fascinating! There is also a touch of Neil Gaiman (AMERICAN GODS?) here in this novel. Read this Card book a long ago and returned to it and am happy to have come back again, only this time, my views and more have changed-my interest and love for this tale hasn’t changed-five stars!

Not near as clever as My Unfair Godmother's fairy tales. And I think Orson Scott Card is stuck in Freud's Phallic phase. (I felt the same about Ender's Game.)

I just realized that I've never written a review for this wonderful thing! I'll just copy what I wrote in a rec to a friend for now. I'll write a more detailed review after a reread.

DO IT! Favorite Russian fairy tale of my heart. There is Baba Yaga. A talking scary bear. A sleeping beauty. Time travel that doesn't suck. I've never loved anything else OSC has written, this is a major departure. Loved both the book & the audio.

NOTE ABOUT AUTHOR-MY PERSONAL BELIEFS
I'd also like to add that I realize OSC has made some homophobic public statements and certainly doesn't come across as very tolerant.
#1 - while the author is LDS (Mormon), his harsh words do not reflect what our church leaders teach us about kindness and love towards others. Pointed council has been given to members about treatment of LGBT, so OSC is not an example to look to for acceptable Mormon behavior.
#2 - read this book, despite the fact that OSC said mean things. Borrow it from the library if you don't feel good about supporting the author, but reading it doesn't = agreeing with him. It makes no sense to deprive yourself of the supreme pleasure of this story just because a cranky guy created it - if OSC offered me a twenty dollar bill, I'd like take it in a heartbeat. Doesn't mean he purchased my allegiance or that I owe him anything.

I started this book on the recommendation of a friend, who commented that the author's biases were rather restrained here. I cannot agree with this statement.
I gave up on this book on a plane when my next book was out of reach. I couldn't take any more of the Madonna/whore view of women or the unlikeable characters (hero, heroine, minor characters...). When I gave up, frustrated with all of them, it was because I realized that the character I empathized with most and the one I wanted to succeed was the villain.
You know, the one committing bestiality.
The author set her up as a survivor early on, and... somehow all the other major characters were less empathetic and less interesting.
Esther may get to be a stronger character in the second half, but I am not sticking around to find out.

I almost really loved this book. However, for me it suffers from the same problem that other Orson Scott Card books do...the characters (not the Ender's series but his other books). The plot of this book is truly brilliant. It is very creative and fun and imaginative. It is a great story but the characters...oh, help us. They just aren't all that great. I mean they say the things they should say and do the things they should do but I think the author is lacking in his ability to tap into the subtle and amazing things that make us human. He is especially bad with the characterization of women. This book is no different. I just never really liked Ivan or Katerina and had a hard time believing they could be in love or even real people for that matter because they lack depth. Also, this book had a few less dignified moments. They are just dumb. It's like those Disney movies that add in burps or the letting of gas to appeal to the nine year old boys. Really, I don't even think grown-up men find that stuff funny unless they are talking about when they were young and did it to someone else.