Customer Reviews

Chernevog

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Cherryh is one of my favorite authors, but this book disappointed me. As a folk tale, or combination of many folk tales, it was interesting, and the exotic, tsarist Russian location was very appealing. I liked the way the author brought together many magical beasts and beings, most of which would be unknown to a Western reader. However, the characters spend too much time arguing, worrying, and talking at each other about their anxieties, and they never really get around to interacting. The theme seemed to be something to do with "be careful what you wish for" but the lesson was lost in the confusion. The bad guys weren't so much evil as conflicted characters, and even they spent a lot of time justifying their actions and feelings to the others. In short, there was just too much talk! Most folk tales have good and evil and the line between them is broad and obvious; but in this book, everyone seemed to be on the same side. It made the story plodding and not much fun to read. I'm not sure whether Cherryh was trying to write a different kind of fairy tale, or had some other target in mind, but she didn't make it work.

Cherryh sets the book in old Russia and explores the old admonition, "Be careful what you wish for. You may get it." The characters spend much time worrying over unintended consequences of disturbing nature and run afoul of situations and villains as a result. Their indecision is often painful to them and readers alike. The characters are well developed and the story interesting. My only regret is that I can read faster than she writes.

Chernevog, Rusalka, and Yvengie are the greatest books. I enjoyed the atmosphere. An old-time russian fairy-tale. This series pulled together bits of all folklore I know, and even taught me some things I wasn't aware of. The characters are likeable, even the truely evil ones. You can imagine where they are coming from and why it is they are acting like they are. Perhaps it is a bit predictable, but it's a fairy-tale.

I read this book when I was in fifth grade... I just now found it because I had forgotten the name... I mean that was quite a few years ago. This book had made an impression, for the longest time I've tried to remember the title, I kept thinking it was Cherevnog so I'd do searches with it... but my search would come up empty. Finally after nearly 15 yrs I found the book that had caught and kept my attention at such a young age. This was the first and only fantasy novel I had ever read and it captivated me. Great book a MUST read, I will be purchasing a copy for my library.

Good but not great. Better than Rusalka, because it enters the story with the characters more fully defined and fleshes out the relevant backstory and cosmology more. It also begins with the characters is a higher state of stability and happiness and then brings them crashing down threatened with utter ruin, which works in a classic dramatic sense. This is the way to make this kind of scenario play out, and shows Jim Butcher quite fully as the third rate hack he is by comparison. Nevertheless, as the series proceeds some of the appeal thorugh deconstruction of Western fairy tales and horror elements wears off somewhat, and the final arc somehow lacks the full urgency implicit to the scenario.

Worse than: Finity's End by C. J. Cherryh
Better than: Rusalka by C. J. Cherryh

I had read tripoint, and so bought this book since I had liked the other one. I found chernevog to be virtually unreadable. Perhaps that is why it is out of print, even though she is a popular author. It was boring, and really didnt make much sense. Once in a while it seemes she had a potential plot, or the seeming villian might get interesting, but the she ababndons even that. Skip this one, try tripoint, or stuff in that world.