Review: Cobweb Bride

Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Digital copy received from the author.

Death has stopped to collect the souls of the dying. He is searching for his Cobweb Bride and until She is found Death will no longer take souls into his Kingdom, granting life immortality. The story follows plain Percy, the sickly Infanta Claire, Knights and peasant girls who in various ways and wishes seeks out Death.

The story takes place in a parallel version of Renaissance Europe, in a kingdom made up by the author that borders to France and Spain and the like in that geographical area.

I liked the book. I found it very fascinating, the language beautiful and mysterious and mythological. Details and humans lovely written, with real human emotions and greyness. The emotions felt true and the various reaction to the stop of death also. Percy specially I felt connected with - a quiet yet strong girl, often ignored but finding her strength and purpose along the journey. A good role model for younger people, I would think. Grial was also an interesting character and I had hoped to learn more about her, she feels like an important part in the story. I also liked the various relationships forming between the characters, their slow, realistic build and ambivalent feelings and uncertainty. It all felt real, which I like very much, instead of soppy romance and rushed general relationships just because. The relationships of different kinds built here felt important to the story itself, to guide it along.

The story makes interesting points - is immortality as good as we think? Is death truly ghastly and horrible instead of beautiful and a reward for having lived? What some of the characters thought good with immortality proved perhaps to be so and immortality gave side effects that one might not have though about when wishing never to die.

I really liked the style that the story was written in and the character development, and I can't wait to find out what happens in the sequel. I would recommend it for people liking strong female characters, low, realistic fantasy/magical realism.

4½ points rounded up to a 5. the author.



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