The Writer's Garret E-Book Reviews
Rusalka Moon
by
Cenizas de Rosas
Cover art by Thea Kinyon
Vasily left the village of Paraska with dreams of the glory of war. As for the girl he'd left behind, she'd wait. But without Vasily, Valasha forgot how to live. Seduced by the song of the river and the promises of the Vodany who lived there, she prowled the wild wood and river. Hoping to snare her immortal soul, the Vodany waits while Vasily wanders...
Heartbroken, Valasha throws herself to the river.
The Vodany thus captures her soul and imprisons it in a golden cage under a great willow tree. She becomes a soulless, fierce, wild creature; a Rusalka. One who lives by the rules of nature, and is both cold and heartless.
Vasily returns home after the war to find his sweetheart is now a Rusalka. He resolves to rescue her, imperiling his own sanity and soul in the process. He too has been changed by his travels, and must examine his own human heart in order to free them both.
This tells only part of the tale of Rusalka Moon ...
Beautifully written and lovingly crafted, Cenizas de Rosas has woven a lush tapestry which transports the reader to a different time and place. The doomed love tale of Vasily and Valasha speaks with an authentic voice. Steeped in the rich traditions of Russian mythology and the folklore of magic, we, the reader, encounter The Vodany - The Rusalky - The Villa - Faery and the Lisunka. As a reader, I was captivated by them and the rich narrative which resonates throughout this tale of lost love and redemption. If you enjoy a well-written story with depth and a cast of characters in which to believe, then you can't go past Rusalka Moon. I highly recommend it.
Reviewed by Linda Shillabeer
Available now from XC Publishing in a variety of formats http://www.xcpublishing.com
