Customer Reviews

Keturah And Lord Death

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Keturah and Lord Death - - The title is intriguing enough. I picked up this book to read after my mom returned from the library with a bunch of library books that looked interesting to her. I read it, loved it, and entirely despised the ending. But it was such a wonderfully wrought work that I just had to learn to enjoy the ending. So, I read it about five times in the next few days. I finally learned to love it.
In this story, Keturah, the protagonist, follows a hart into the woods. She meets Lord Death after three days of being lost, and she pleads for her life. After telling Lord Death a story, without the ending, Keturah is granted one day to find true love. Turning into a Scheherezade of sorts, she leads you through an amazing story that makes you feel like it really happened, like you are actually there. It is amazing.
From the cover, I was expecting it to be a "kissing book" and that kinda made me not want to read it. I'm not a romance freak. But, surprisingly(*coughcoughluckilycough*) it had minimal kissing.
I really enjoyed this book, and think it deserves SIX stars (or more). It is definitely worth your time.
-The Daughter of Lisa Havens (who actually happens to be a very intelligent, ingenious musician with the most humble of attitudes... :D)
--Thank you.

Well, we have a young woman in a remote, rundown town drawn to a gorgeous but cruel immortal. She is special in ways she can't comprehend, but everyone around her seems to see that she's marked somehow. She must choose between living with those she knows and loves and the everlasting undead existence he offers. His kisses are cold, his allure exquisite, her heart torn. Sound familiar?

Well, this book is quite a bit better, I promise. For one thing, it's the middle ages, and it's England, not Washington state, and Lord Death is much more compelling than that other guy. He's just as beautiful, just as proud, just as sad. But much better-written.

This is an utterly charming book. While it's full of magic, it's also full of charming domestic details of the Middle Ages--the storage of spoons, the taking of stitches, the pigs and fences and witches and charms and proud farmers. People have surnames like Teacup and Thermidor, a winsome touch. The great threat that looms over Keturah's beloved village is the Plague, but that doesn't stop her friends from their amusing pursuit of true love. In this way, the book excels, looking at men and women, the differences and obstacles between them, what makes a good match. I was delighted by the side stories of Keturah's friends, and the active role she took in making things come out right.

When it comes to Keturah, I was heartened by her resourcefulness, her sexual curiosity (this story is chaste, there is nothing overt but she's a real girl with real feelings), her domestic longings and her acceptance that she will have to make painful sacrifices to have what she wants most. Never does this girl stomp her foot and say "It's not fair!" and I can't tell you how much I appreciated this.

Looking at her final choice, it's a poetic, beautiful consideration of the role of dying in living. Her awareness of Death's role in the sweetness of life is heartrending and to me, quite convincing.

Keturah and Lord Death is original, insightful and beautifully written. Leavitt has an unique perspective throughout the book that leads to a surprising and bittersweet ending. You'll remember Keturah for her storytelling ability, but you'll remember Lord Death for his unashamed, unconditional and tender love. Touching.

This is a beautiful story, well and uniquely told. Some have said it is predictable, but this was not the case for me; I found myself smiling at the small beautiful things that took me by surprise.
What most people fail to understand with this book is that it is told in the format of a true fairytale. It is as haunting as a Grimm's' story and as wise as the morals of Aesop.

Yes, the main character is as beautiful as a fairytale princess and kind as the day is long- but she is also loveable despite her perfection. In fact, this is one of the main points of the book that many people gloss over: Keturah does not wish to be beautiful. In fact, her beauty is a vulnerability because any love she receives will likely be love for her comely figure, which will grow old and fail in time, but where will she find the true, lasting love that she desperately needs to save herself from Lord Death?

The story starts out small at first as Keturah finds herself lost in the forest- there it is a mere framework, like a fireside story hesitantly told; but as Keturah continues in her tale it grows and become more steady, more deep, and more compelling after each nighttime encounter with Lord Death. One reviewer likened the story to the tales of the Arabian Nights; but Keturah's story is so much more than that because of her emotion in a quest that will endear her to readers of all ages.

No, this is not hack and slash dime-a-dozen fantasy, nor is it another threadbare "gothic romance", as some reviewers would suggest... Nor is it a children's' story.

...it is an entrancing bed-time fantasy for the innocent in us all.

this book is not trying to be anything other than a beautiful fairy tale, and it does not need to because it does such a good job of it. all required fairy tale elements are present--including the fact that it can, in fact, be read in one sitting; if, of course, like me, you can't put it down until you are finished. i understand why many feel that there could have been more development of many different aspects of this novel--but really--do you know what cinderella liked to eat for breakfast? what did snow white really want to do with her life before the whole 'dwarf/apple' incident? no one knows and no one cares. there is great literature, and there is great storytelling. and who is to say which is superior?

The writing is superb, the characters are well-developed, and the romance is spellbinding. Keturah and Lord Death is a fantasy book good enough for all but the most discriminating fantasy lover. Additionally, the predictable but heart wrenching conclusion will give readers warm goosebumps. This book is ideal for any middle-school girl.

Sixteen-year-old Keturah Reeve, a beautiful and talented storyteller, lives with her grandmother in a small, poor village just outside an immense forest. She is inspired by her grandparents' loving marriage and is determined to not settle for anything less than her `own true love' to wed. One day, though, she gets lost in the forest. After wandering desperately for three days without food or water, she resigns herself to death. At once, the shadowy figure of Death appears on his night-black stallion. He is young and handsome, but unyielding. However, Keturah is not ready to give up on her dreams of true love, and manages to "cheat death" out of her life. She weaves a wonderful story while Lord Death listens spellbound, but then refuses to tell him the ending. Bemused and annoyed, Lord Death grants her a deal: if, in one day, she can find her true love, she will not die until she is old and ready. If she still cannot find him, Lord Death will pay her another visit and hear the rest of the story. Keturah accepts this reprieve and returns to her village. Helped by her friends Gretta and Beatrice, she overcomes many obstacles (she visits a witch, buys a disturbing magical charm, delivers a baby, bakes a lemon pie, accosts a hermit, plays matchmaker, petitions her lord, and charms the lord's handsome son) all in the name of true love. As she continues on her quest, she learns surprising truths about fate, life, and her own capabilities. The ending of this book is predictable to any reader who has read romance before, but it's sweet and satisfying.

If Keturah and Lord Death were a food, it would be a chocolate éclair- not filling or substantial, but delicious all the same. Small flaws permeate the book; minor characters are overly generalized, the male protagonist is transparent, the plot sometimes meanders, and Keturah is the epitome of the `perfect, generous, lovely, selfless, brave' maiden. It's kind of annoying, especially if you're like me, and you like your heroines to be human. However, the wonderful language and the dark, intense mood of the book make these flaws insignificant. A beautiful, lyrical read.

This was a beautiful, lyrical story that read as a long fairytale, with real emotion behind it. The pace was slow but that suited the thoughtful mood of the book, and the suspense over which of her suitors Keturah would choose was intense.

Can't recommend highly enough.

Sixteen year old Keturah becomes lost after following a legendary hart (male deer) into the woods. After three days, she meets Death, who appears as a handsome and lordly young man. Keturah is a girl who has known Death all her life, as he has already taken her father, mother and grandfather from her. Like Shahrazad of One Thousand and One Nights, she spins a tale for Death that grants a reprieve for one day, in which time she has to find her True Love and complete her story. Unfortunately for her, she lives in a small and poor town that suffers from a lack of good candidates. Death has also let slip that the plague is coming, and so Keturah's secondary mission is to save her beloved village from this devastating disease. As Keturah seeks to complete her quest, she is helped by her two best friends, Beatrice and Gretta, who are in love with Choirmaster and Tailor, respectively. Beatrice and Gretta provide some humor, as they both insist that Keturah's quest for True Love must include considering Choirmaster and Tailor as candidates, protesting that they themselves have no interest in these men due to some small fault. As Gretta says about Tailor, how could she ever love a man who wears orange hose? Keturah manages to continue to ward off her own end one day at a time by spinning more stories for Death. Her quest isn't easy, but by the book's conclusion she has discovered her True Love in an unlikely place.

This is a quiet story, with no big action scenes or stunning revelations (Keturah's True Love is not a huge surprise, but it is nicely done). Reading this book, I didn't quite know what to make of it. For a book where Death is the main character, and there are so many last-minute reprieves from death for secondary characters, the book ends quite happily for all involved (not that I'm complaining, as I don't like tragic endings). Although I enjoyed the book and thought it had an interesting premise, it felt a bit hollow. I think that if I was still in middle school I would love this book and turn a blind eye to the lack of substance, as it is a rather sweet tale and can be charming in places (especially during Keturah and Lord Death's interactions). 3 1/2 stars

Ah! I loved this book. Just finished it tonight. It's very similar to SHADOW SPINNER. Keturah tells stories to Lord Death and promises to tell him the ending if he'll just let her live one more day. And Death agrees. Plus, he says that if she can find her one true love, he'll let her live.

This book read a lot like a fairy tale. It was short and sweet. The ending nearly made me cry (I'm a wuss) and I'm so glad it was recommended to me. I hope you give it a try.

Keturah and Lord Death is a beautifully written fairy tale. It lyrically weaves a tale of the love of family, friend and the one true love. It paints a picture of the beauty that is a life and death. Bravo Martine Leavitt, and thank you for an enjoyable afternoon!