Rusalka [Mass Market Paperback]

C.J. Cherryh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 1990

This is Hugo-Award-winning author C.J. Cherryh's Del Rey debut--the story of Rusalka, the ghost of a murdered girl still seeking to exist by drawing the energy of life from all nearby living things, and the attempt to bring her back to life by her father Ulamets, and Pyetr, the young man who loved her.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A Rusalka--the spirit of a maiden drowned by accident or force--will return as a ghost to haunt the river and woods where she met her death. The locale for this fantasy by SF writer Cherryh ( Downbelow Station ) is pre-Christian Russia. Two young men flee the village of Vojvoda--Pyetr, accused of killing a wealthy noble, and Sasha, an accessory to his escape. They are making their way to Kiev when, in the middle of a forest, they become involved in the search for the wizard Uulamets's dead daughter Eveshka, a Rusalka and a wizard herself. Uulamets wants to resurrect her, but evil forces oppose him, among whom may be Kavi Chernevog, Uulamets's former student, and a suspect in Eveshka's death. Cherryh fills her story with myriad magical creatures from Slavonic mythology. A richness of detail and characterization enliven this drama about the human (and unhuman) greed for power and the redemptive power of love.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When a youthful prank turns suddenly sour, two young men flee their village and embark on a perilous journey through a forest inhabited by magical creatures, a secretive wizard, and an irresistible ghost: the life-draining "rusalka." Veteran fantasy/sf author Cherryh ( Rimrunners , LJ 5/15/89) turns her storytelling expertise to a vivid re-creation of pre-Christian Russia's rich folk legends in a fantasy to be highly recommended.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (September 13, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345369343
• ISBN-13: 978-0345369345
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,030,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've written sf and fantasy for publication since 1975...but I've written a lot longer than that. I have a background in Mediterranean archaeology, Latin, Greek, that sort of thing; my hobbies are travel, photography, planetary geology, physics, pond-building for koi...I run a marine tank, can plumb most anything, and I figure-skate.

I believe in the future: I'm an optimist for good reason---I've studied a lot of history, in which, yes, there is climate change, and our species has been through it. We've never faced it fully armed with what we now know, and if we play our cards right, we'll use it as a technological springboard and carry on in very interesting ways.

I also believe a writer owes a reader a book that has more than general despair to spread about: I write about clever, determined people who don't put up with situations, not for long, anyway: people who find solutions inspire me.

My personal websites and blog: http://www.cherryh.com
http://www.cherryh.com/WaveWithoutAShore
http://www.closed-circle.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great if you like stories about friendship (and angst), May 30, 2004

By 

ndmzero (Mid Atlantic Coast) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rusalka (Mass Market Paperback)

I reread this trilogy (this is the first -- followed by Chernevog and Yvgenie) every few years. I love it. Obviously it isn't to everyone's taste, judging by some of the other reviews, but if you like stories about the power of friendship -- which is more powerful than wizardry as far as CJ Cherryh is concerned -- then this is well worth reading.

Just be prepared for some "stream of consciousness" writing.

ETA
Er, apparently the author doesn't agree with me - she may be planning a rewrite. She has a blog
[...]
However she has recently had a loss in her family, so, be kind. July 2009

N

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rusalka-a tale of love, mistrust, and magic., November 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rusalka (Mass Market Paperback)

We open learning about Sasha and Pyetr, who are drawn together by chance. Sasha is a young wizard with a dangerous gift, and Pyetr is a young trouble maker who lives off of his wealthy friends. But wanted by the law, Pyetr makes an escape with Sasha at his side to aid him. That is until they discover Uulamets, a wizard with a secret. Uulamets wants Sasha's help to bring back his daughter Eveshka-a rusalka, a ghost who remains alive by sucking the life out of living things around it. Then there is another problem: Eveshka is in love with Pyetr. Overall this is an EXCELLENT book!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best series by her by far!, July 25, 2000

By 

Robbie Cunningham "The Banelicious One" (Salinas, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rusalka (Mass Market Paperback)

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.