Why I picked up this book:

I found this novella-length story buried among a pile of free books in one of my emails. Initially it was the cover that drew me, but after reading the blurb, I couldn’t resist snagging this sucker and adding it to my growing TBR pile.

This review may contain spoilers.

What I loved:

The writing style is stellar. The prose is so rich and beautiful that I kept wishing this was a full-length, fleshed-out story and not a novella.

There’s a deep, heartbreaking theme in this tale that’s difficult to ignore. It’s pulled off beautifully and with such strength that it got me pondering life as it is today, and whether there was a moment in history where even we as humans took a left turn away from a deeper beauty in this world.

Areas needing a touch of refinement:

This story didn’t seem to have a consistent arc. A problem opened at the beginning with a bet between two men who didn’t seem to like one another, but this was never touched on again. I would have liked to see this arc closed, even if it didn’t turn out so great for the hero.

Because this was novella length, so many creatures and settings were barely touched on, then forgotten quickly in the journey. In the back of my mind I kept seeing a whole larger adventure happening that could have pushed this into a full-length novel.

Note to readers: The blurb for this book and the story don’t exactly match.

Overall:

I enjoyed this tale immensely. It was a beautiful peek into the world this author created, and a unique way to spin the old Russian fairytale. One thing I really wished though was that more of the world-building elements and the tale itself were fleshed out. I would have loved to feel a full immersion instead of a lighter hint at what’s beyond the borders of Vasyllia. Though, if you’re looking for a quick read that has a wonderful exotic world, this one’s the way to go.