enchantment

Softcover

ISBN 10: 185028007X ISBN 13: 9781850280071

Publisher: PAPER TIGER, 1985

New

Review:

Enchantment is the story of a Ukraine-born, American grad student who finds himself transported to the ninth century to play the prince in a Russian version of Sleeping Beauty. Early in the story, he muses that in a French or English retelling of the tale, the prince and princess would live happily ever after. But, "only a fool would want to live through the Russian version of any fairy tale."

Although his fears turn out to be warranted, as he and his cursed princess contend with the diabolical witch Baba Yaga--easily Russia's best pre-Khrushchev villain--to save the princess's kingdom, Enchantment is ultimately a sweet story. Mixing magic and modernity, the acclaimed Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game) has woven threads of history, religion, and myth together into a convincing, time-hopping tale that is part love story, part adventure. Enchantment's heroes, "Prince" Ivan and Princess Katerina, must deal with cross-cultural mores, ancient gods, treacherous kinsmen (and fianceés), and ultimately Baba Yaga herself.

Card has a knack for coming across like your nerdy dad at times, when he runs on too long or makes some particularly wince-inducing observation or reference ("Daaad, Bruce Cockburn is not cool!"). But, as you might expect of a good dad, as uncool as he might be, Card still manages to tell a good bedtime story. --Paul Hughes

From the Publisher:

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.

Like countless others I was mesmerized by Scott Card's seminal Ender's Saga. But it wasn't until I read his other books when I realized just what a brilliant writer Card really is. Books like Treason, Dispatches of Christopher Columbus, the Alvin-Maker series and Wyrms were just as good as Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead yet so completly different. Which brings me to ENCHANTMENT. In this book Scott has written something perhaps no one but himself exepcted to write - a love story. And what an engaging story this is. One never knows what to expect from Orson Scott Card, except he always manage to astound and surprise, and ENCHANTMENT is Card at top-form!
--Kuo-Yu Liang, Associate Publisher, Del Rey Books

Orson Scott Card is one of those writers who never fails to amaze me. His extraordinary language and imagination draw me into his stories, but its
his characters that keep me glued to the page. They feel so real to me that I find myself nodding in agreement and thinking, "yes, that's exactly the
way life is" or "that's just how a person would react in that situation." His work is so rich that I can read the same book over and over and find
something different and wonderful each time.

Enchantment does all this and more. In addition to showcasing all of Card's hallmark talents, this novel breaks new ground -- no small feat for a
writer of such high calibre.
--Amy Stout, Editor, Del Rey Books