Deathless is an enthralling, poetical novel inspired by Russian folklore and crafted by the talented Valente. The book itself follows the perspective of Marya Morevna and her journey into the fantastical, her development into something otherworldly, and then her graceful fall into legend and prophecy. Many figures of Russian tales are introduced throughout her story to stake out a piece for themselves, and each add a colourful splash of culture and personality - never too overwhelming, nor do they ever stutter into the overdone. I found Valente's interpretations and integration of key folklore articles very eloquent and genuinely enjoyed her reflections in this work... and as always, her writing is so beautiful that most random sentences plucked out of it could be held up as memorable quotes all by themselves. 
 Why this is not 5/5 for me is that I found the ending weaker than the rest of the book, a little too vague and hurried as compared to the rest. Perhaps this is something I will revisit when I eventually reread the book.