They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate...
THE DEATHLESS GILRS by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Published: Sep 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy Fiction
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's been quite some time since I greeted the sun as I shut the cover on a book, reading through the night without realising it, and howling at the moon with sorrow at the misfortune of the characters.
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is myth meets fantasy. It's legend elaborated on and unveiled, a stunning re-visioning of the dark sisters mentioned in Bram Stoker's Dracula which gives it delicious gothic undertones.
That is as close to the brink of spoiling this story as I will tiptoe, but I will acknowledge how well conceived it was, and how captivatingly it was written. Told from the perspective of Lil, one of the twins, this story is so unusual and intriguing. We're carried through a fantasy realm of forests and mountains, so beautiful and yet so wrought with danger.
As always, it is the physical beauty of this book that first attracted me. The title ensnared my curiosity, but it was the colours in the cover alone that urged me to drop it into my basket - I always judge a book partly by its cover, for the covers give clues to genre and content. The illustrations of this one by Olga Baumert implied that this one was undoubtedly a fantasy which was reason enough for me to want it, but the author was a delicious bonus. I've loved everything I've read by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. She is my new discovery, despite the fact that her first book was published in 2016. The Deathless Girls was her 4th published novel, and her 5th The Mercies (published January of this year) became so desirable to me after reading The Deathless Girls, that I broke my vow not to buy books online during Lockdown, and put in an Amazon Prime order immediately!
The strong feminist tones of this book were so empowering; the characters are heroines despite the conditions of slavery that the girls find themselves in. They strive to maintain some essence of their freedom. The way this is approached is I'm sure what makes this book feel relatable to the young women who will read it. There is an understanding of unbreakable bonds between the characters that is so simple and yet so complex, but that makes them feel so real and relatable to read.
I could write for days about this book, but I won't lest I spoil it for anyone - but rest assured I would not review what I did not wholeheartedly recommend! This is a 5 star YA fantasy fiction, which is a genre I could happily live within forever, so perhaps I am bias? But I don't think so on this occassion!
If you read it on my recommendation, please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your opinions!
Until next week,
Zuzu ~
Find me in between blogs, ZUZU'S PAGES on Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
#bookreview #kiranmillwoodhargrave #thedeathlessgirls #YA #fantasy #fiction
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is myth meets fantasy. It's legend elaborated on and unveiled, a stunning re-visioning of the dark sisters mentioned in Bram Stoker's Dracula which gives it delicious gothic undertones.
That is as close to the brink of spoiling this story as I will tiptoe, but I will acknowledge how well conceived it was, and how captivatingly it was written. Told from the perspective of Lil, one of the twins, this story is so unusual and intriguing. We're carried through a fantasy realm of forests and mountains, so beautiful and yet so wrought with danger.
As always, it is the physical beauty of this book that first attracted me. The title ensnared my curiosity, but it was the colours in the cover alone that urged me to drop it into my basket - I always judge a book partly by its cover, for the covers give clues to genre and content. The illustrations of this one by Olga Baumert implied that this one was undoubtedly a fantasy which was reason enough for me to want it, but the author was a delicious bonus. I've loved everything I've read by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. She is my new discovery, despite the fact that her first book was published in 2016. The Deathless Girls was her 4th published novel, and her 5th The Mercies (published January of this year) became so desirable to me after reading The Deathless Girls, that I broke my vow not to buy books online during Lockdown, and put in an Amazon Prime order immediately!
The strong feminist tones of this book were so empowering; the characters are heroines despite the conditions of slavery that the girls find themselves in. They strive to maintain some essence of their freedom. The way this is approached is I'm sure what makes this book feel relatable to the young women who will read it. There is an understanding of unbreakable bonds between the characters that is so simple and yet so complex, but that makes them feel so real and relatable to read.
I could write for days about this book, but I won't lest I spoil it for anyone - but rest assured I would not review what I did not wholeheartedly recommend! This is a 5 star YA fantasy fiction, which is a genre I could happily live within forever, so perhaps I am bias? But I don't think so on this occassion!
If you read it on my recommendation, please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your opinions!
Until next week,
Zuzu ~
Find me in between blogs, ZUZU'S PAGES on Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
#bookreview #kiranmillwoodhargrave #thedeathlessgirls #YA #fantasy #fiction
This is a wonderful review Emma! This book itself sounds right up my street so I might have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteYour writing and the way you describe books is magical, the passion and genuine joy you experience is relived through every word you write and every reader I'm sure can resonate with the beautiful way you unwind the book.
Sally ❤️
My goodness, that is some high praise! Thank you Sally - I'm honestly touched. I do find reading to be quite a transcendent experience, especially when I find the right book and a captivating story, and for me this book was unexpected and magical! I was overjoyed and sad to finish it. Let me know what you think if you read it. I hope you enjoy xx
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds so intriguing, I will definitely have to give this a read. Love your review - who wouldn't want to read this after such comments xx
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think once you read it! It was so magical x
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