Enchantment - Orson Scott Card

[goodreads]

Title: Enchantment
Author: Orson Scott Card
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~18 hours, 422 pages
Date read: March 2009, February 2018

What if Sleeping Beauty wasn't just a fairy tale, but was part of Russian/Ukrainian history, so far back in time that the events weren't written down, but passed from mouth to mouth only to end up as part folklore? 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."

"Prince" Ivan and Princess Katerina must deal with cross-cultural mores, ancient gods, treacherous kinsmen (and fianceés), and ultimately the diabolical witch - Baba Yaga herself.


I had no idea what to expect when I first started listening to this audiobook, and actually almost gave it up within the first hour, because I had other things I'd rather listen to. But thankfully it quickly caught my fancy, and wasn't too keen on giving it up again! Enchantment is a delightful fantasy - mixing a well-known fairytale with time-travel and descriptions of what comes after "happily ever after". Definitely one of the best books I've 'read' all year.

The readers were excellent (one for the male and one for the female POV), and the book made for very pleasant listening in all regards.

Reread in 2018: Reread as a physical book and it was every bit as good as on my first readthrough. I'd forgotten most of the plot other than the very broad strokes and loved visiting the story again.