History Literature / Deathless

* BodyHorror: Alkonost, the Tsar of Death, has unnaturally long eyelids. Like, floor-length eyelids.

''Deathless'' is a 2011 historical fantasy novel by American speculative fiction author Creator/CatherynneMValente. The novel retells the [[Myth/RussianMythologyAndTales Russian folk tale]] of "Marya Morevna and the Death of Koschei the Deathless," set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Communist Party.

* {{Mythopoeia}}: Madame Likho's history of [[WorldWarOne the Great War]] is not a war Marya recognizes: it is about the beginning of time, and the primordial Tsars and Tsaritsas who rule such elements as [[FantasyPantheon water, salt, birds, the length of an hour, the night,]] and of course, life and death.

* CrazyJealousGuy: Koschei, although he's better at taking it in stride than most examples.

** Lebedeva has a stream of these in the same vein, based around the [[MundaneMadeAwesome art of makeup]].

* YourCheatingHeart: Marya is in love with both Koschei and Ivan.
** Although it only becomes actual cheating (Koschei knows about Marya's affairs and doesn't mind; the only actual rule they have is "don't leave me") when she [[spoiler: leaves for the mortal world with Ivan, and later locks a pining Koschei up in her basement without telling Ivan about it.]]

* BiTheWay: Marya has an off-screen affair with a rusalka. Even Baba Yaga mentions being married to women as well as men.

* DeadPersonConversation: [[spoiler:Marya has such conversations with Svetlana with Lebedeva.]]
* DeaderThanDead: What happens to the troops of Viy, the Tsar of Death, when they are slain in battle. They leave behind bodies, but what heppens to their spirits, no one knows.

** Although it only becomes actual cheating (Koschei knows about Marya's affairs and doesn't mind) when she [[spoiler: leaves for the mortal world with Ivan, and later locks a pining Koschei up in her basement without telling Ivan about it.]]

* AchillesHeel: As in the original Russian myths, Koschei is invulnerable because he has hidden his death deep inside an egg.

Young Marya Morevna, daughter of twelve mothers, watches as three birds turn into men and come to wed her sisters, and wonders when one will come for her. As she grows from girlhood to womanhood in [[UsefulNotes/TheCityFormerlyKnownAs St. Petersburg]], her eldest sister marries in UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia, while the other marriages describe the passage of years into [[RomanovsAndRevolutions the revolution]]. But Marya is claimed by someone greater: Koschei the Deathless, Tsar of Life, a menacing figure locked in eternal battle with death. Marya must learn to navigate the treacherous borders between life and death as war comes for her, for life, and for all of Russia.

* [[Literature/BabaYaga]]: Has a featured role as the intimidating older sister of Koschei and the one who sets the test for whoever would be his bride (read: Marya). Her proper title is given as the Tsaritsa of Night. She hints at a very gruesome past, but isn't all bad.

* BiTheWay: Marya has an off-screen affair with a rusalka.

* SceneryGorn: Everything in the Country of Life is alive. ''Everything''. The buildings are made out of skin, the fountains spurt blood instead of water, hair grows from rooftops... When Marya brings Ivan to Buyan, he is rightly horrified.

Young Marya Morevna, daughter of twelve mothers, watches as three birds turn into men and come to wed her sisters, and wonders when one will come for her. As she grows from girlhood to womanhood in [[TheCityFormerlyKnownAs St. Petersburg]], her eldest sister marries in UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia, while the other marriages describe the passage of years into [[RomanovsAndRevolutions the revolution]]. But Marya is claimed by someone greater: Koschei the Deathless, Tsar of Life, a menacing figure locked in eternal battle with death. Marya must learn to navigate the treacherous borders between life and death as war comes for her, for life, and for all of Russia.

Young Marya Morevna, daughter of twelve mothers, watches as three birds turn into men and come to wed her sisters, and wonders when one will come for her. As she grows from girlhood to womanhood in [[TheCityFormerlyKnownAs St. Petersburg]], her eldest sister marries in TsaristRussia, while the other marriages describe the passage of years into [[RomanovsAndRevolutions the revolution]]. But Marya is claimed by someone greater: Koschei the Deathless, Tsar of Life, a menacing figure locked in eternal battle with death. Marya must learn to navigate the treacherous borders between life and death as war comes for her, for life, and for all of Russia.

''Deathless'' is a 2011 historical fantasy novel by American speculative fiction author Creator/CatherynneMValente. The novel retells the [[RussianMythologyAndTales Russian folk tale]] of "Marya Morevna and the Death of Koschei the Deathless," set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Communist Party.

* GenreSavvy: The people of Buyan, but especially Literature/BabaYaga. Koschei has married so many young women in the past that everyone knows what to expect. His former wives are even called Yelenas like they are some sort of breed with its own characteristics. Of course, things go [[WrongGenreSavvy very differently]] with Marya.
** Koshchei ''freaks out'' when Ivan shows up, because people named Ivan have a history of getting the better of people like him.

* GenreSavvy: The people of Buyan, but especially BabaYaga. Koschei has married so many young women in the past that everyone knows what to expect. His former wives are even called Yelenas like they are some sort of breed with its own characteristics. Of course, things go [[WrongGenreSavvy very differently]] with Marya.

* DarkIsNotEvil: Viy is the Tsar of Death, but Death is no worse a state than Life.
* DeadPersonConversation: [[spoiler:Marya has such a conversation with Lebedeva.]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Everyone is dead in the end, though this was to be expected. Ultimately you can't avoid death forever.]]

* ForeverWar: Between Life and Death. The war is going badly, but then, the war is always going badly.
* FourIsDeath: Marya is the fourth daughter in her family, and the daughter who ends up marrying Koschei the Deathless [[spoiler: and bringing about his death]].