ginnikin's review
I like the writing, and I like the sprawling nature of the story. I really like Percy and kind of hate her mother. I noped out when I discovered what was up with the Fiomarre family. (I also checked spoilers and saw there's a romance between killer and killed?! Fuck no! You killed her for crimes her father committed against your father, but they weren't actually committed, and it's all a ruse, and oh, you're going to fall in lurve?! Fuck off.)
sofia19_reading's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
berls's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My Initial Reaction…
For me this book has two parts: the first half, which is very slow moving, overly descriptive, and yet so promising; and the second half, which is page-turning, perfectly paced, and exciting. This is a book you have to stick with to get to the good parts, but if you do, you will be rewarded.
The Characters…
Amongst the many characters in Cobweb Bride, for me, two women carried the story: Persephone (Percy) Ayren, and the Infanta Claere Liguon.
Percy is the star of this story and I absolutely fell in love with her. As the less-attractive and unwanted middle child, Percy has gotten used to being ignored and unappreciated by all in the family, except sometimes her father. But when she sets out for death’s keep in the north, to possibly become his Cobweb Bride, she grows into a strong, confidant young woman and it is beautiful to watch. Percy stops hiding in the shadows and starts being an assertive leader, even as she struggles to understand herself and her place in this mess.
The Infanta is a fascinating character. We meet her on her birthday, a sickly heir to the throne, barely able to handle being in public for a few hours. That all changes with her death; because she cannot move on, death for Claere is a release from a life of pain and weakness. Suddenly she finds her purpose – to be the Cobweb Bride – and she is resolved to make it to Death’s keep, dead or not. In fact, one of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the way dead characters grew and changed in response to their death.
The two principal male characters of the story, the black night Beltain and the marquis Vlau Fiomarre, each had difficult moral dilemmas to deal with that forced them to question who they were and who they served. Within the opening pages, Beltain’s father is killed in battle but, since he does not actually die, Beltain must decide to whom he owes his allegiance: his father, who is rapidly changing after his death, or the Emperor and his own conscience? Vlau’s loyalties are also tested, for before the start of the novel he is told of his father’s and brother’s deaths at the Silver Court by the Emperor’s order; should he avenge their deaths or follow the Infanta, heir to the Empire?
This story is one of those with several different plots taking place simultaneously but all interrelated in some way. Some of those interrelations we see fulfilled in this book, others I suspect will be important in the other two books of the trilogy. The characters were really well written, some more than seemed necessary for this book (e.g., the Prince and Princess Osenni of Lethe) and I can only suspect that they also will become important characters in later books. I particularly enjoyed the way Nazarain wrote each of the girls traveling together so individually; they each of have distinct personalities and you grow to care for (or be annoyed by) each and every one of them.
The Story…
Cobweb Bride takes place in an alternative Renaissance world where all death has suddenly stopped. The opening chapter travels between different sites throughout the kingdoms, showing the devastating consequences of death’s stopping. Death himself appears to the Prince and declares that until he has his Cobweb Bride, death will be suspended. The scenes are extremely descriptive and devastating; by the end of the first chapter you fully appreciate why death must resume. Unfortunately these scenes are so descriptive that they can drag on too long. After a couple stops, you’ve gotten the picture and are really ready for the story to move on, but it doesn’t. I understand that Nazarian is usin these stops to introduce readers to the primary characters of the story, but for me it was labored and hard to get through.
Things begin to pick up after the Emperor’s order goes out, sending young women from all the land to the north to search for Death’s keep and to offer themselves as potential Cobweb Brides. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really get going until we’re halfway through the book. Thankfully, it goes from slow-moving to exciting. The second half of the book, as we follow the journeys of the Infanta on one path and Percy, along with several other girls, on another drew me in and I could hardly put it down. Paths start to intersect in sometimes predictable, but often unexpected ways.
I was a little disappointed by Percy’s interaction with Death. In an effort to avoid spoilers, I will just say that it was a bit stilted and, as a result, some of the following events felt off for me. That aside, I really enjoyed the way the Nazarian has reworked the Persephone myth and managed to weave several surprises into predictable myth-based developments to the story. Her attentiveness to detail made the cessation of death poignant and, when it didn’t slow down the pace, made the story come to life.
Concluding Sentiments…
If you came to this story for the Romance, you will be disappointed as it’s barely an undercurrent for most of the story and was pretty awkward when it was present. But I would definitely recommend this story for fantasy readers and, if the descriptions of death won’t disturb you, I think readers of young adult literature would probably really enjoy it as well.
I have to add that this book ended with one of the best concluding lines I’ve read in a story and I look forward to the next book.
My Initial Reaction…
For me this book has two parts: the first half, which is very slow moving, overly descriptive, and yet so promising; and the second half, which is page-turning, perfectly paced, and exciting. This is a book you have to stick with to get to the good parts, but if you do, you will be rewarded.
The Characters…
Amongst the many characters in Cobweb Bride, for me, two women carried the story: Persephone (Percy) Ayren, and the Infanta Claere Liguon.
Percy is the star of this story and I absolutely fell in love with her. As the less-attractive and unwanted middle child, Percy has gotten used to being ignored and unappreciated by all in the family, except sometimes her father. But when she sets out for death’s keep in the north, to possibly become his Cobweb Bride, she grows into a strong, confidant young woman and it is beautiful to watch. Percy stops hiding in the shadows and starts being an assertive leader, even as she struggles to understand herself and her place in this mess.
The Infanta is a fascinating character. We meet her on her birthday, a sickly heir to the throne, barely able to handle being in public for a few hours. That all changes with her death; because she cannot move on, death for Claere is a release from a life of pain and weakness. Suddenly she finds her purpose – to be the Cobweb Bride – and she is resolved to make it to Death’s keep, dead or not. In fact, one of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the way dead characters grew and changed in response to their death.
The two principal male characters of the story, the black night Beltain and the marquis Vlau Fiomarre, each had difficult moral dilemmas to deal with that forced them to question who they were and who they served. Within the opening pages, Beltain’s father is killed in battle but, since he does not actually die, Beltain must decide to whom he owes his allegiance: his father, who is rapidly changing after his death, or the Emperor and his own conscience? Vlau’s loyalties are also tested, for before the start of the novel he is told of his father’s and brother’s deaths at the Silver Court by the Emperor’s order; should he avenge their deaths or follow the Infanta, heir to the Empire?
This story is one of those with several different plots taking place simultaneously but all interrelated in some way. Some of those interrelations we see fulfilled in this book, others I suspect will be important in the other two books of the trilogy. The characters were really well written, some more than seemed necessary for this book (e.g., the Prince and Princess Osenni of Lethe) and I can only suspect that they also will become important characters in later books. I particularly enjoyed the way Nazarain wrote each of the girls traveling together so individually; they each of have distinct personalities and you grow to care for (or be annoyed by) each and every one of them.
The Story…
Cobweb Bride takes place in an alternative Renaissance world where all death has suddenly stopped. The opening chapter travels between different sites throughout the kingdoms, showing the devastating consequences of death’s stopping. Death himself appears to the Prince and declares that until he has his Cobweb Bride, death will be suspended. The scenes are extremely descriptive and devastating; by the end of the first chapter you fully appreciate why death must resume. Unfortunately these scenes are so descriptive that they can drag on too long. After a couple stops, you’ve gotten the picture and are really ready for the story to move on, but it doesn’t. I understand that Nazarian is usin these stops to introduce readers to the primary characters of the story, but for me it was labored and hard to get through.
Things begin to pick up after the Emperor’s order goes out, sending young women from all the land to the north to search for Death’s keep and to offer themselves as potential Cobweb Brides. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really get going until we’re halfway through the book. Thankfully, it goes from slow-moving to exciting. The second half of the book, as we follow the journeys of the Infanta on one path and Percy, along with several other girls, on another drew me in and I could hardly put it down. Paths start to intersect in sometimes predictable, but often unexpected ways.
I was a little disappointed by Percy’s interaction with Death. In an effort to avoid spoilers, I will just say that it was a bit stilted and, as a result, some of the following events felt off for me. That aside, I really enjoyed the way the Nazarian has reworked the Persephone myth and managed to weave several surprises into predictable myth-based developments to the story. Her attentiveness to detail made the cessation of death poignant and, when it didn’t slow down the pace, made the story come to life.
Concluding Sentiments…
If you came to this story for the Romance, you will be disappointed as it’s barely an undercurrent for most of the story and was pretty awkward when it was present. But I would definitely recommend this story for fantasy readers and, if the descriptions of death won’t disturb you, I think readers of young adult literature would probably really enjoy it as well.
I have to add that this book ended with one of the best concluding lines I’ve read in a story and I look forward to the next book.
egswriter's review against another edition
4.0
Despite the cover and the title, this book is not a paranormal romance. It is a story about what would happen if Death stopped. For everything. There are also elements of the Hades/Persephone idea, which I think is fascinating in this context. I think the world was really quite well imagined. There are many threads that still need tying up, but this is the first book of three, so that is to be expected. Still, the writing was quite good and the characters were interesting.
caroleheidi's review against another edition
3.0
Cobweb Bride was truly a book of two halves. It took me almost two months to read the first seven chapters (about 42% of the book according to my Kindle) and about two days to read the rest.
Those first seven chapters could easily have been edited down to half their length. Although they were well written with rich language and beautiful description, after two chapters I was bored witless, I had got the idea of Death being on strike and how awful it was and that people wanted to fix it.
I was so bored that when vital plot points happened to main characters, I just didn't really care. In hindsight, a lot of what happened in those chapters could have been backfilled later - it wouldn't have seemed so dull if it came after the action started. I think it was because the storyline didn't progress forward for so long, lingering on the start of Death's cessation across all of the main character's lives instead of moving forward, dropping you bits of back story as it went and keeping your attention.
The start is a real shame because the last half of the book is actually quite good. The storyline is exciting and intruging and incredibly well thought through - the fact that Death does not only stop for people but for animals and plants too is very clever.
The various relationships in Cobweb Bride were well written and cleverly handled as love developed in unexpected places and friendships changed through circumstances. Vera Nazarian's characterisation is fantastic - she depicts people from all ages and walks of life and brings out their differences and similarities wonderfully, creating a varied cast for the story.
There were a few things that bugged me aside from the slow start and the first of these was the entirely unsubtle and un-needed inclusion of the Persephone myth reference. I happened to already know the story of Persephone and her position in Greek mythology as Queen of the Underworld however, even if I hadn't, Percy's character in Cobweb Bride was enough to subtly reference the legend. It did not need another character to randomly blurt out 'You are Persephone blah blah blah' for no apparent reason and then never mention it again. It felt a bit like the author was saying 'Look at me, I did a clever thing using Greek mythology' and jarred horribly.
The other issue I had was with the sub-plot of the spies in the Silver Court. This wasn't because I thought it was badly done or anything, but just because it was entirely superfluous to the story. I am guessing that it becomes important in the next book of the trilogy but in this story it felt a bit odd because it never went anywhere. It didn't feel mysterious or interesting, it felt like it had been put there because they needed it to link in later on top of the main storyline. I like books with a bit of politics in them and I have no issues with subplots but only when they are interwoven with the main story - in Cobweb Bride almost all references to the spy plot could have been removed without the slightest impact on the story. They felt forced in and uncomfortable.
Also, it was very odd to be in a fantasy realm and then have France and Spain casually mentioned in passing. I would have preferred it to have been either in an alternate version of an existing European country or in an entirely fantastical version of the world because the combining of the two was a little confusing. Hearing mention of real countries makes you want to place the Realm in your head and you can't because the author has rearranged the continent, something at is only explained at the end of the book. I think there is a map in the front of the published version (I have an ARC) which would help with this but I personally would still be a little uncomfortable with it.
I gave Cobweb Bride 3 stars instead of 4 because although I loved the premis and the ideas in the book and the writing was genuinely excellent, there was just too much set-up at the start and shoe-horned in bits and bobs for it to get that extra star or two.
My Rating: 3/5*
Those first seven chapters could easily have been edited down to half their length. Although they were well written with rich language and beautiful description, after two chapters I was bored witless, I had got the idea of Death being on strike and how awful it was and that people wanted to fix it.
I was so bored that when vital plot points happened to main characters, I just didn't really care. In hindsight, a lot of what happened in those chapters could have been backfilled later - it wouldn't have seemed so dull if it came after the action started. I think it was because the storyline didn't progress forward for so long, lingering on the start of Death's cessation across all of the main character's lives instead of moving forward, dropping you bits of back story as it went and keeping your attention.
The start is a real shame because the last half of the book is actually quite good. The storyline is exciting and intruging and incredibly well thought through - the fact that Death does not only stop for people but for animals and plants too is very clever.
The various relationships in Cobweb Bride were well written and cleverly handled as love developed in unexpected places and friendships changed through circumstances. Vera Nazarian's characterisation is fantastic - she depicts people from all ages and walks of life and brings out their differences and similarities wonderfully, creating a varied cast for the story.
There were a few things that bugged me aside from the slow start and the first of these was the entirely unsubtle and un-needed inclusion of the Persephone myth reference. I happened to already know the story of Persephone and her position in Greek mythology as Queen of the Underworld however, even if I hadn't, Percy's character in Cobweb Bride was enough to subtly reference the legend. It did not need another character to randomly blurt out 'You are Persephone blah blah blah' for no apparent reason and then never mention it again. It felt a bit like the author was saying 'Look at me, I did a clever thing using Greek mythology' and jarred horribly.
The other issue I had was with the sub-plot of the spies in the Silver Court. This wasn't because I thought it was badly done or anything, but just because it was entirely superfluous to the story. I am guessing that it becomes important in the next book of the trilogy but in this story it felt a bit odd because it never went anywhere. It didn't feel mysterious or interesting, it felt like it had been put there because they needed it to link in later on top of the main storyline. I like books with a bit of politics in them and I have no issues with subplots but only when they are interwoven with the main story - in Cobweb Bride almost all references to the spy plot could have been removed without the slightest impact on the story. They felt forced in and uncomfortable.
Also, it was very odd to be in a fantasy realm and then have France and Spain casually mentioned in passing. I would have preferred it to have been either in an alternate version of an existing European country or in an entirely fantastical version of the world because the combining of the two was a little confusing. Hearing mention of real countries makes you want to place the Realm in your head and you can't because the author has rearranged the continent, something at is only explained at the end of the book. I think there is a map in the front of the published version (I have an ARC) which would help with this but I personally would still be a little uncomfortable with it.
I gave Cobweb Bride 3 stars instead of 4 because although I loved the premis and the ideas in the book and the writing was genuinely excellent, there was just too much set-up at the start and shoe-horned in bits and bobs for it to get that extra star or two.
My Rating: 3/5*
helpme71's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nickyp's review against another edition
2.0
Arc provided by Netgalley
A really interesting premise -- what if Death took a holiday, leaving mortally injured humans and animals to wander about chill and chilling to behold? This worked to great effect in Jose Saramago's Death with Interruptions (Death in human form was a she, in that one), and it holds up well here.
What didn't work for me was the people in this story. I learned a lot of specific detail about their clothing and their ancestry, but only vaguely and sometimes cliche-ly about them as people. The cast is wide, and predictable. A motley collection eventually coalesces around a sojourn to a Northern keep to present Death with potential "cobweb brides" so he will choose one and get back to work. Once they finally get there (in the last 50 pages of this story, which is first of a series) the meaning of "cobweb bride" is revealed and the true quest can begin.
For me, the story moves too slowly, despite the fact that I started skimming over repetitions of the clothing descriptions and character traits we'd already read in earlier chapters. The idea of Death's dilemma was intriguing, as are the conflicts among characters, including one teenage girl whose murderer becomes her traveling companion and another teenager whose name and story mirror the Persephone myth. But the actual action on the page is dull. I had to force myself to finish, and will not continue to Book 2.
Other things I noticed: The narration is understandably omniscient -- there are a lot of strands of story -- but not consistently so. The objective-description fairy-tale style is visually evocative, but I never felt close to any character; whenever they had a feeling or idea it was described, not shown or "lived." So for me, the big reveal at Death's keep did not resonate.
On the other hand, the story is full of lovely descriptions, and the ideas are worth a ponder. This is one of those stories where the excerpt is a good test: If you *love* it, you will enjoy the rest.
A really interesting premise -- what if Death took a holiday, leaving mortally injured humans and animals to wander about chill and chilling to behold? This worked to great effect in Jose Saramago's Death with Interruptions (Death in human form was a she, in that one), and it holds up well here.
What didn't work for me was the people in this story. I learned a lot of specific detail about their clothing and their ancestry, but only vaguely and sometimes cliche-ly about them as people. The cast is wide, and predictable. A motley collection eventually coalesces around a sojourn to a Northern keep to present Death with potential "cobweb brides" so he will choose one and get back to work. Once they finally get there (in the last 50 pages of this story, which is first of a series) the meaning of "cobweb bride" is revealed and the true quest can begin.
For me, the story moves too slowly, despite the fact that I started skimming over repetitions of the clothing descriptions and character traits we'd already read in earlier chapters. The idea of Death's dilemma was intriguing, as are the conflicts among characters, including one teenage girl whose murderer becomes her traveling companion and another teenager whose name and story mirror the Persephone myth. But the actual action on the page is dull. I had to force myself to finish, and will not continue to Book 2.
Other things I noticed: The narration is understandably omniscient -- there are a lot of strands of story -- but not consistently so. The objective-description fairy-tale style is visually evocative, but I never felt close to any character; whenever they had a feeling or idea it was described, not shown or "lived." So for me, the big reveal at Death's keep did not resonate.
On the other hand, the story is full of lovely descriptions, and the ideas are worth a ponder. This is one of those stories where the excerpt is a good test: If you *love* it, you will enjoy the rest.
metaphorosis's review against another edition
2.0
reviews.metaphorosis.com
2.5 stars
When Death shows up to demand tribute in the form of a Cobweb Bride, the Kingdom of Lethe is confounded. When people stop dying (and not in a good way), the entire Realm grows afraid, and the Emperor requires all families to send at least one woman to Death's Keep. Among these are group of teenage girls - some living, some 'dead'.
I used to live in Armenia, and I have a small soft spot for Armenian names in English language fantasy - a rare occurrence. The title and concept of Cobweb Bride sounded promising. Plus, "Nebula Award nominee". In short, all boded well.
I'm sorry to say that Cobweb Bride didn't live up to my expectations. For a start, it was poorly edited, with plenty of evidence of a change in tenses (present to past) that didn't propagate all the way through the book. Occasional grammatical errors also suggest poor editing. Some of the language was nice, but quite a lot of it was over-adorned and leaning heavily toward purple. In many places, there's quite a lot of setting, but not much action. For some authors the poetry and imagery of that works; it didn't work for me here.
This is clearly a book written for YA girls, and generally the targeting works well. The protagonists are a varied crew of teens, some strong, some weak. Despite the pseudo-historical chivalric setting, Nazarian provides a nice complement of strong females. But when the Emperor orders girls to go to Death, only women grieve? This despite a core family where only the father seems to care about our protagonist? It's a small thing, but irritating.
So that's the writing. The plot is more promising. The characters are YA credible and engaging. The action is a bit simplistic, but reasonably fun to read. Unfortunately, I foresee some trouble in the future; there are are a number of loose ends that either don't make much sense, or call out too strongly for a Hollywood ending. This book in fact doesn't really end. Nazarian picks a nicely resonant stopping point, but it feels much more like the end of Part I than the end of a fully developed book.
All in all, worth considering if you're looking for light reading for YA kids. Beyond that, it's harder to recommend.
nuphoc3's review against another edition
4.0
The only problem I had was that I felt like the ending was semi anticlimactic.
eabrowning's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0