Books › Enchantment
Enchantment
509 pages
A modern scholar stumbles into a dark, ancient fairy tale, colliding the anxieties of the present with the terrifying magic of Slavic myth.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping off a modern, paved road straight into the deep, shadow-drenched woods of ancient folklore. It is a briskly paced, highly atmospheric adventure that thrives on the friction between contemporary sensibilities and the brutal, magical reality of old myths. The narrative balances a wry, fish-out-of-water humor with a deeply earnest romance, grounding its fantastical elements in rich cultural and historical textures. The prose is accessible yet evocative, capturing both the mundane anxieties of a modern graduate student and the terrifying grandeur of a world ruled by dark magic and ancient gods. It will thoroughly delight readers who love fairy tale retellings that refuse to sanitize the source material, offering instead a sweeping, romantic journey where history and legend collide.
- Mood
- folkloric
- atmospheric
- adventurous
- timeless
- Tone
- earnest
- wry
- romantic
- mythic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- culture clash · the weight of destiny · modernity vs. myth · enduring love · finding belonging
- The writing
- Clear and grounded, effortlessly weaving modern colloquial humor with the dark, lyrical cadences of Slavic folklore.
- The arc
- Moves from restless, modern-day displacement to a sweeping, high-stakes embrace of mythic destiny and true love.
- Who it's for
- Fans of fairy tale retellings who crave a blend of historical grounding, fish-out-of-water humor, and deep respect for ancient myths.
Content notes
- historical antisemitism
- fantasy violence
- dark magic
- mild sexual content
About the book
As one of the most consistently exciting writers to emerge in the last twenty-five years, Orson Scott Card has been honored with numerous awards, immersing readers in dazzling worlds only he could create. Now, in Enchantment, Card works his magic as never before, transforming the timeless story of Sleeping Beauty into an original fantasy brimming with romance and adventure.The moment Ivan stumbled upon a clearing in the dense Carpathian forest, his life was forever changed. Atop a pedestal encircled by fallen leaves, the beautiful princess Katerina lay still as death. But beneath the foliage a malevolent presence stirred and sent the ten-year-old Ivan scrambling for the safety of Cousin Marek's farm.Now, years later, Ivan is an American graduate student, engaged to be married. Yet he cannot forget that long-ago day in the forest--or convince himself it was merely a frightened boy's fantasy. Compelled to return to his native land, Ivan finds the clearing just as he left it.This time he does not run. This time he awakens the beauty with a kiss... and steps into a world that vanished a thousand years ago.A rich tapestry of clashing worlds and cultures, Enchantment is a powerfully original novel of a love and destiny that transcend centuries... and the dark force that stalks them across the ages.From the Hardcover edition.
Description from Open Library.
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