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The Fetch
Calder is a Fetch, a death escort, the first of his kind to step from Heaven back to Earth.The first to fall in love with a mortal girl. But when he climbs backwards out of that Death Scene, into the chaos of the Russian Revolution, he tears a wound in the ghost realm, where the spirits begin a revolution of their own.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
38 people are currently reading
1889 people want to read
About the author
Laura Whitcomb
8 books509 followersLaura Whitcomb grew up in Pasadena, California in a mildly haunted house. She received her English degree at California State University at Northridge in 1993. She has taught Language Arts in California and Hawaii. She has won three Kay Snow Awards and was once runner up in the Bulwer-Lytton writing contest for the best first sentence of the worst Science Fiction novel never written. In her spare time she sings madrigals with the Sherwood Renaissance Singers and is the props mistress for the Portland Christmas Revels. She lives in Wilsonville, Oregon, with her son Robinson.
The movie rights for A Certain Slant of Light sold to Kristin Hahn, producer of The Departed. ACSOL will be published in Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, Polish, and Turkish. The audio book is published by Listening Library. In 2005 ACSOL was also chosen for the "Discover Great New Writers" program at Barnes & Noble bookstores.
The Fetch was #5 in the top ten of Children's Indie Next List 2009 and was published as an audio book by Recorded Books. The paperback will be available in fall 2010.
The movie rights for A Certain Slant of Light sold to Kristin Hahn, producer of The Departed. ACSOL will be published in Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, Polish, and Turkish. The audio book is published by Listening Library. In 2005 ACSOL was also chosen for the "Discover Great New Writers" program at Barnes & Noble bookstores.
The Fetch was #5 in the top ten of Children's Indie Next List 2009 and was published as an audio book by Recorded Books. The paperback will be available in fall 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
June 21, 2009
Having read and enjoyed A Certain Slant of Light by this same author, I was sure I'd enjoyed this one as well. I was wrong.
The concept of the Fetch, a being who comes to bring souls to heaven was an interesting one and the description of what happens when he brings them over was well done but the whole plot of taking over Rasputin's body and running around the world with Anastasia and Alexis simply didn't work for me. THere didn't seem to be any reason for them to be in the story, they could have been anyone and I think the book would have been better for it.
The supernatural love story didn't exist. At some poine the fetch falls in love with Anastasia but there isn't any build-up for it, no conversations between them leading to it, it's just a given that it's how he and she feel. And at the end, he holds her hand and feels happy. That's it. IT feels like the whole book is just a prologue for the sequel which, after reading this one, I wouldn't care to read.
Big disappointment after reading the beautiful words and stoy of Slant of Light.
The concept of the Fetch, a being who comes to bring souls to heaven was an interesting one and the description of what happens when he brings them over was well done but the whole plot of taking over Rasputin's body and running around the world with Anastasia and Alexis simply didn't work for me. THere didn't seem to be any reason for them to be in the story, they could have been anyone and I think the book would have been better for it.
The supernatural love story didn't exist. At some poine the fetch falls in love with Anastasia but there isn't any build-up for it, no conversations between them leading to it, it's just a given that it's how he and she feel. And at the end, he holds her hand and feels happy. That's it. IT feels like the whole book is just a prologue for the sequel which, after reading this one, I wouldn't care to read.
Big disappointment after reading the beautiful words and stoy of Slant of Light.
May 5, 2009
Calder is a Fetch. Upon his own death in the 18th century at nineteen, he joined the ranks of Fetches who take souls through the Door, down the Aisle to the Captain and his boat, who will ferry them to Heaven.
When Calder's Key opens a Door to the deathbed of a small boy, a woman there catches his eye and holds him in thrall. He calls her Glory and wants to make her his Fetch apprentice by passing his Key to her. He thinks she's the governess of the children around the bed, and to make her happy he refuses to take the boy's soul and forces him to live.
He never knows where his Key will take him, and is surprised but happy to see her again. It's a girl who sees him, though, but he refuses to acknowledge the meaning of this. When he arrives through a Door to take the soul of Rasputin - Father Grigory - he takes the offered opportunity to possess Rasputin's body while Rasputin's soul drifts with the Lost Souls. He animates the body but doesn't need food or water and can't be killed - fortunate for him, because Rasputin has enemies.
Pretending to be Rasputin, he goes to the palace of the Russian Tsar and discovers that the lovely woman, older now, is actually the Tsarina and mother of the children he had seen at the deathbed, including Alexis, the sickly boy, and Ana, youngest girl and the one who saw him at the deathbed. She doesn't see Rasputin, but Calder's real form as solid.
Crossing to the land of the living has done more than shake Calder's dreams of Glory - he's unwittingly stirred up the Lost Souls. He's also landed in the turbulent years of the Russian Revolution of 1918, when the entire family of the Tsar is executed. By giving the Key to Alexis at his mother's request, Alexis survives - and Alexis pass the Key to Ana. Now Calder must protect Alexis and Ana and try to get back his Key, which has gone missing, while Lost Souls form demons to take out their anger on him.
It's a fairly interesting premise but not well executed. For one thing, Calder is a complete non-entity. He's the most dull, lifeless, slow-witted idiot I've ever come across as a protagonist - in spite of his actions. It's the way Whitcomb writes, a formal, slow prose that stifles action and emotion when it means to uplift it.
The only time when her prose worked perfectly was a lovely little scene in the background, when they're on the train in England sitting opposite a mother with a baby, and across the aisle is a depressed soldier. It's a poignant moment unhampered by excessive description, and speaks volumes of the emotional turmoil this couple is experiencing in the war. That's one little scene out of the entire book that succeeded like that.
Combining history with fantasy is quite common, but it can be tricky. Here we have the First World War, the Russian Revolution, the early days of the Movies, and three important characters - Ana, Alexis and Rasputin - who are incorporated into a story about angels and Heaven. It didn't work for me. I don't know much about Rasputin but he seemed an odd choice. It's easier working with Ana and Alexis because they're not larger-than-life historical figures, but they weren't fleshed out and I didn't care about them. There was very little in the way of romance except that now and then Whitcomb would remember that side of things and throw in a line about Calder feeling jealous about Ana's boyfriend Ilya and tucking a curl of her hair in his pocket: just sort of plopped in awkwardly. She didn't seem comfortable writing romance at all.
It took me a long time to read this because I had to force myself to pick it up and continue, and there was a loooooong break in the middle. It's a plodding story that travels the globe but doesn't really go anywhere. The Aisle was an interesting creation - if it borrows from anything I'm unaware of it - and I liked the idea of demons forming of Lost Souls that cooperate enough to make one. The biggest problems the book has are Calder and the prose style. The latter might click with others but for me it was stiff, stilted, lumbering and trying too hard, and a YA book has never gone so slowly.
When Calder's Key opens a Door to the deathbed of a small boy, a woman there catches his eye and holds him in thrall. He calls her Glory and wants to make her his Fetch apprentice by passing his Key to her. He thinks she's the governess of the children around the bed, and to make her happy he refuses to take the boy's soul and forces him to live.
He never knows where his Key will take him, and is surprised but happy to see her again. It's a girl who sees him, though, but he refuses to acknowledge the meaning of this. When he arrives through a Door to take the soul of Rasputin - Father Grigory - he takes the offered opportunity to possess Rasputin's body while Rasputin's soul drifts with the Lost Souls. He animates the body but doesn't need food or water and can't be killed - fortunate for him, because Rasputin has enemies.
Pretending to be Rasputin, he goes to the palace of the Russian Tsar and discovers that the lovely woman, older now, is actually the Tsarina and mother of the children he had seen at the deathbed, including Alexis, the sickly boy, and Ana, youngest girl and the one who saw him at the deathbed. She doesn't see Rasputin, but Calder's real form as solid.
Crossing to the land of the living has done more than shake Calder's dreams of Glory - he's unwittingly stirred up the Lost Souls. He's also landed in the turbulent years of the Russian Revolution of 1918, when the entire family of the Tsar is executed. By giving the Key to Alexis at his mother's request, Alexis survives - and Alexis pass the Key to Ana. Now Calder must protect Alexis and Ana and try to get back his Key, which has gone missing, while Lost Souls form demons to take out their anger on him.
It's a fairly interesting premise but not well executed. For one thing, Calder is a complete non-entity. He's the most dull, lifeless, slow-witted idiot I've ever come across as a protagonist - in spite of his actions. It's the way Whitcomb writes, a formal, slow prose that stifles action and emotion when it means to uplift it.
The only time when her prose worked perfectly was a lovely little scene in the background, when they're on the train in England sitting opposite a mother with a baby, and across the aisle is a depressed soldier. It's a poignant moment unhampered by excessive description, and speaks volumes of the emotional turmoil this couple is experiencing in the war. That's one little scene out of the entire book that succeeded like that.
Combining history with fantasy is quite common, but it can be tricky. Here we have the First World War, the Russian Revolution, the early days of the Movies, and three important characters - Ana, Alexis and Rasputin - who are incorporated into a story about angels and Heaven. It didn't work for me. I don't know much about Rasputin but he seemed an odd choice. It's easier working with Ana and Alexis because they're not larger-than-life historical figures, but they weren't fleshed out and I didn't care about them. There was very little in the way of romance except that now and then Whitcomb would remember that side of things and throw in a line about Calder feeling jealous about Ana's boyfriend Ilya and tucking a curl of her hair in his pocket: just sort of plopped in awkwardly. She didn't seem comfortable writing romance at all.
It took me a long time to read this because I had to force myself to pick it up and continue, and there was a loooooong break in the middle. It's a plodding story that travels the globe but doesn't really go anywhere. The Aisle was an interesting creation - if it borrows from anything I'm unaware of it - and I liked the idea of demons forming of Lost Souls that cooperate enough to make one. The biggest problems the book has are Calder and the prose style. The latter might click with others but for me it was stiff, stilted, lumbering and trying too hard, and a YA book has never gone so slowly.
February 12, 2009
apparently there are spoilers in this review because someone is whining about them and making grumpy faces. i read this book four years ago so frankly i have no idea at this point but if you're a whiny person who is afraid of spoilers, don't read this review. thank you.
a fetch is a death escort- someone who shows up to guide the dying to heaven. calder's been doing this for several centuries, and it's time for him to pick an apprentice fetch, if you will, by giving his fetch key to a dying soul.
however, at the deathbed of a young alexis romanov, calder falls in love with alexandra, wife of the tsar. so distracted is he that alexi, who is ready and wishing to die, remains alive. calder ends up trading places with dying man (rasputin) and gives alexandra his spirit key, which she gives to alexis, who shares it with anastasia (THE anastasia.) thus, alexis and anastasia don't quite die during the family execution, but hover somewhere in between. complications abound in the spirit world, and calder must put everything right.
gorgeous writing, complicated plot. i had some trouble keeping up and suspending my disbelief. the connection to the romanovs was cool, but as book characters they just didn't wind up being that interesting. recommended for older teens with long attention spans.
a fetch is a death escort- someone who shows up to guide the dying to heaven. calder's been doing this for several centuries, and it's time for him to pick an apprentice fetch, if you will, by giving his fetch key to a dying soul.
however, at the deathbed of a young alexis romanov, calder falls in love with alexandra, wife of the tsar. so distracted is he that alexi, who is ready and wishing to die, remains alive. calder ends up trading places with dying man (rasputin) and gives alexandra his spirit key, which she gives to alexis, who shares it with anastasia (THE anastasia.) thus, alexis and anastasia don't quite die during the family execution, but hover somewhere in between. complications abound in the spirit world, and calder must put everything right.
gorgeous writing, complicated plot. i had some trouble keeping up and suspending my disbelief. the connection to the romanovs was cool, but as book characters they just didn't wind up being that interesting. recommended for older teens with long attention spans.
December 4, 2008
Reviewed by Angie Fisher for TeensReadToo.com
Throw out any notion you have of the scary, scythe-bearing Grim Reaper and replace it with The Fetch.
A Fetch is a death escort, a comforting guide who waits while the soul chooses whether or not to leave its mortal body. Upon choosing death, and yes, it is often a choice, the soul is led by its Fetch through a door into the afterworld.
Calder was young for a Fetch, only three-hundred-and-thirty. Had he been doing death scenes a bit longer, say a couple hundred years longer, perhaps he would have recognized the warning signs. As it was, Calder was too preoccupied by the attractive woman he'd left behind on earth during a recent death scene to notice the dangerous path he was embarking upon.
When Calder can no longer stand to be apart from the woman he's named Glory, he sets in motion a series of events that upsets a delicate balance and the consequences are felt throughout Heaven and Earth.
Set in the time of the Russian Revolution, the author takes us on a journey literally around the world in search of the one key that can open the door to align the two worlds again. Part historical fiction, part paranormal/fantasy, and part love story, THE FETCH is a beautifully written tale of mistakes made and lessons learned, both in life and in death.
Throw out any notion you have of the scary, scythe-bearing Grim Reaper and replace it with The Fetch.
A Fetch is a death escort, a comforting guide who waits while the soul chooses whether or not to leave its mortal body. Upon choosing death, and yes, it is often a choice, the soul is led by its Fetch through a door into the afterworld.
Calder was young for a Fetch, only three-hundred-and-thirty. Had he been doing death scenes a bit longer, say a couple hundred years longer, perhaps he would have recognized the warning signs. As it was, Calder was too preoccupied by the attractive woman he'd left behind on earth during a recent death scene to notice the dangerous path he was embarking upon.
When Calder can no longer stand to be apart from the woman he's named Glory, he sets in motion a series of events that upsets a delicate balance and the consequences are felt throughout Heaven and Earth.
Set in the time of the Russian Revolution, the author takes us on a journey literally around the world in search of the one key that can open the door to align the two worlds again. Part historical fiction, part paranormal/fantasy, and part love story, THE FETCH is a beautifully written tale of mistakes made and lessons learned, both in life and in death.
May 10, 2011
TBR Reduce Challenge #23- 2011 (Morgan)
Okay, first off, I did actually enjoy this book, but I'm not even going to attempt to write a summary about what this is about. It's different, very different and I can definitely see why this isn't for everyone. I feel like I just came out of a trance, this book reads so dream-like.
The Fetch combines historical, spiritual, fantasy with a pinch of romance, but it took some effort for me to keep up. I never felt like I wanted to give up however, but it's not exactly an easy absorbing read. Still, I'm glad to have experience another Laura Whitcomb novel. Granted, I've only read one other book from her, but I absolutely love her writing style. She has such an incredible knack for creating these eerie atmospheres and emotions while adding originality to her storyline. So while I didn't love this like I loved her; A Certain Slant of Light, I still found the plot and her characters to be quite interesting and was surprised I liked it more then I thought I would once its said and done.
Overall, a decent read.
Once again, Whitcomb manages to make me feel like a sentimental sap afterwards. Which I love.
Looking forward to reading her next book, the much anticipated sequel; Under the Light!
Okay, first off, I did actually enjoy this book, but I'm not even going to attempt to write a summary about what this is about. It's different, very different and I can definitely see why this isn't for everyone. I feel like I just came out of a trance, this book reads so dream-like.
The Fetch combines historical, spiritual, fantasy with a pinch of romance, but it took some effort for me to keep up. I never felt like I wanted to give up however, but it's not exactly an easy absorbing read. Still, I'm glad to have experience another Laura Whitcomb novel. Granted, I've only read one other book from her, but I absolutely love her writing style. She has such an incredible knack for creating these eerie atmospheres and emotions while adding originality to her storyline. So while I didn't love this like I loved her; A Certain Slant of Light, I still found the plot and her characters to be quite interesting and was surprised I liked it more then I thought I would once its said and done.
Overall, a decent read.
Once again, Whitcomb manages to make me feel like a sentimental sap afterwards. Which I love.
Looking forward to reading her next book, the much anticipated sequel; Under the Light!
May 4, 2009
I wanted this to be a good book. The idea was good, very good idea, horribly executed. I really have no idea what the point of this book was, I was reading and finding myself drifting away from the book, it did not hold my attention for more than a few minutes at a time. i heard such great reviews about this book and i was so excited, cause I love the stories about the older eras and the wars that happened, but this book wasn't so great. i leapt into this book with high hope, only to be dashed down and buried. i really could have been an amazing book, the reviews I heard said it would be very similar to "City of Angels" a movie about an angel that falls in-love with a mortal woman, but it was nothing like it, the cover says Supernatural romance, there wasn't any and that's fine with me, but I loved "City of Angels" and was excited to read a book similar to it.
I thought it was strange how the main character took another's body and pretended to be them, only to talk to a woman, and then eh gets stuck in it.
In a nutshell, I was very very disappointed with this book.
I thought it was strange how the main character took another's body and pretended to be them, only to talk to a woman, and then eh gets stuck in it.
In a nutshell, I was very very disappointed with this book.
October 17, 2008
I was very excited about this title b/c I call A Certain Slant of Light a favorite of mine. I was a bit scared, though, b/c historical, be it fantasy or not, has never been my forte. Overall, I was pleased with The Fetch, but have to admit it had it's sour points.
The Good: The lyrical writing style Laura Whitcomb brings to the page is amazing. Sentences are formatted in such a way that even the most upsetting scene could be considered 'calm'. Her style isn't hard to get into, like others that could be considered lyrical, nor is it boring.
The storyline is intriguing and will grab you instantly, even if you have very little knowledge of the Romanov Family's history. Character wise, characters are fully developed and you really do feel for them very early on into the story. And romances... Laura Whitcomb writes them beautifully, though this romance doesn't come into play until the latter half of the book.
The Not So Good: As with her debut novel, there are bits of the story that seem both a bit rushed or a bit lagging. 60 percent into the book, I do feel that it dragged quite a bit and I found myself wishing that they would hurry up and get where they were going so a new plot device could be introduced.
Like I said, even-though The Fetch had it's flaws, it is still a good read. I recommend it to those who liked A Certain Slant of Light or think the premise looks good. Give it a try!
The Good: The lyrical writing style Laura Whitcomb brings to the page is amazing. Sentences are formatted in such a way that even the most upsetting scene could be considered 'calm'. Her style isn't hard to get into, like others that could be considered lyrical, nor is it boring.
The storyline is intriguing and will grab you instantly, even if you have very little knowledge of the Romanov Family's history. Character wise, characters are fully developed and you really do feel for them very early on into the story. And romances... Laura Whitcomb writes them beautifully, though this romance doesn't come into play until the latter half of the book.
The Not So Good: As with her debut novel, there are bits of the story that seem both a bit rushed or a bit lagging. 60 percent into the book, I do feel that it dragged quite a bit and I found myself wishing that they would hurry up and get where they were going so a new plot device could be introduced.
Like I said, even-though The Fetch had it's flaws, it is still a good read. I recommend it to those who liked A Certain Slant of Light or think the premise looks good. Give it a try!
October 12, 2009
A fetch is a heavenly messenger who acts a lot like the Grim Reaper. One of them comes when someone is dying, and ferries the soul over to the other side.
Calder has been a fetch for hundreds of years without a thought of ever of misbehaving. Until now, when he sees a beautiful red-headed woman tending to his next soul, a young boy dying of internal bleeding. Overcome by his emotions, Calder breaks all the rules, and encourages the boy to keep living.
Later, he learns just who those people were - the royal family of Russia. And he gets a chance to interact with them personally, thanks to being Rasputin's fetch. Ever wonder why Rasputin couldn't be killed? Here's one fanciful explanation.
I won't say too much more about the plot, other than it involves Anastasia and Alexis, a trip around the world, and a lot of unnecessary action to get the story where it needs to go. I'm sorry to say I thought it was an unsatisfying muddle of a plot. At least it wasn't all that long.
I found a lot of similarity here to Whitcomb's first book, A Certain Slant of Light, and I think she needs to get all the stuff about ghosts with a past that is haunting them out of her system before she writes another book. That, or just go with it, instead of trying to force a historical fiction overlay on top of what is really a redemptive ghost story.
Not a terrible mess, but not a good one, either.
Calder has been a fetch for hundreds of years without a thought of ever of misbehaving. Until now, when he sees a beautiful red-headed woman tending to his next soul, a young boy dying of internal bleeding. Overcome by his emotions, Calder breaks all the rules, and encourages the boy to keep living.
Later, he learns just who those people were - the royal family of Russia. And he gets a chance to interact with them personally, thanks to being Rasputin's fetch. Ever wonder why Rasputin couldn't be killed? Here's one fanciful explanation.
I won't say too much more about the plot, other than it involves Anastasia and Alexis, a trip around the world, and a lot of unnecessary action to get the story where it needs to go. I'm sorry to say I thought it was an unsatisfying muddle of a plot. At least it wasn't all that long.
I found a lot of similarity here to Whitcomb's first book, A Certain Slant of Light, and I think she needs to get all the stuff about ghosts with a past that is haunting them out of her system before she writes another book. That, or just go with it, instead of trying to force a historical fiction overlay on top of what is really a redemptive ghost story.
Not a terrible mess, but not a good one, either.
February 16, 2021
Since finishing this book I’ve thought about it a lot. The reason I gave it only 1 star is because while I think that the general concept was interesting, the execution wasn’t great. I believe this book needed a lot more work before being published, and had it been revised a bit more, then perhaps it would have been more successful.
I found it hard to connect to the characters, who all fell flat. In general we get descriptions of what they were doing and the actions they took to teach a common goal, but I never got a sense of heart behind their actions. There was a lot of “tell” and no “show.” I wish we got to know the characters a lot more, and I wish some of the excess descriptions and long, drawn out ideas were redacted. I truly believe this book could have been better.
I found it hard to connect to the characters, who all fell flat. In general we get descriptions of what they were doing and the actions they took to teach a common goal, but I never got a sense of heart behind their actions. There was a lot of “tell” and no “show.” I wish we got to know the characters a lot more, and I wish some of the excess descriptions and long, drawn out ideas were redacted. I truly believe this book could have been better.
December 1, 2009
First of all, disregard where it says "a supernatural romance" of the cover. If you go into this novel expecting a romance, you will be disappointed and it might ruin the novel for you. This book is not for everyone. The writing is very dense and it reads like a hazy dream. The plot and pacing of this novel is also very sporadic. However, I absolutely loved the originality of it, and it was very interesting. I managed to finish it in a single rainy afternoon. I recommend this to people who love fantasies with a touch of historical fiction mixed in, but I caution them to have an open mind.
April 27, 2009
I'm starting to get a little tired of books that are written just to showcase the author's talent, rather than for a specific audience. Just to name a few: Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (although, granted, using "talent" and Meyer in the same sentence is pushing it). This is another of those books. The writing is well-done, however, I don't know that any teenager will actually be interested in this book. The main character is Calder, a Fetch, someone who has died and who now escorts the newly dead to heaven. Calder is written as a quiet young man lacking in personality. One day, he falls in love with a woman while going to fetch a soul. He breaks his vows and a bunch of rules and convinces a soul not to leave and then claims a dead man's body in order to be near the woman. You'd think all this drama would be dramatic, right? The way a teen books should be, but not so much. Transatlantic travel, bloody shootings, poisoning, drowning, glowing, all occur, yet I was still bored. Even worse (spoiler alert) he doesn't end up with the girl.
The review journals loved it, but they're adults reviewing for teens, yet focused on style and skill, not on what a teenager wants.
The review journals loved it, but they're adults reviewing for teens, yet focused on style and skill, not on what a teenager wants.
December 4, 2008
FETCH takes equal parts of fantasy and history and deftly mixes the two to produce a reading banquet that feeds the readers imagination. Author, Laura Whitcomb takes us on a voyage that plunges us into a flight of fantasy as we accompany her protagonist, a death escort/Fetch named Calder into the chaos that befell Imperial Russia in days of the Russian Revolution.
It is there that Calder, while visiting a Death Scene, falls in love with the human he surmises is his "squire" and devises a horrific plan that involves his occupying the body of the notorious monk, Rasputin.
Whitcomb presents an intriguing hypothesis of what happened to Tsar Nicholas and his family. Her interpretation of why the remains of Anastasia and her brother Alexis were never found with those of the rest of the family makes for a most dramatic and compelling read.
Although this book is recommended for teens, the story will appeal to readers any age particularly those who love fantasy and romantic historical fiction.
It is there that Calder, while visiting a Death Scene, falls in love with the human he surmises is his "squire" and devises a horrific plan that involves his occupying the body of the notorious monk, Rasputin.
Whitcomb presents an intriguing hypothesis of what happened to Tsar Nicholas and his family. Her interpretation of why the remains of Anastasia and her brother Alexis were never found with those of the rest of the family makes for a most dramatic and compelling read.
Although this book is recommended for teens, the story will appeal to readers any age particularly those who love fantasy and romantic historical fiction.
Want to read
September 18, 2009OMG where has this book been hiding. Paranormal love story YA set in Imperial Russia. Yes, Please.
May 27, 2016
"We could be the stars/ falling from the sky/ shining how we want/ Brighter than the sun."
- Colbie Caillat
Trope Check
*forbidden love
*reckless screw-history globetrotting
*afterlife things
*purple prose emo-ness
2.5 stars
My feelings are similar to those with Dreaming Anastasia:
"If only there were no Romanovs."
The first part was good. Calder was surprisingly sympathetic and the biblical, rather than mythological, universe, is an original choice. However, I didn't get the symbolism of the Cell. There are definitely better ways to symbolize forgiving your sins.
The second part:
I didn't get what Laura Whitcomb has with "reddish-gold-hair. Alexandra had brown hair. Even in black-and-white, it's pretty obvious. From here, the writing took on a Golden-Compass-esque way-too-fast pace. I guess Whitcomb is trying to make it exciting, but it's not exciting when you don't know what's going on. Other than the pace, the writing could have gotten five stars. The other thing that kept it from two stars is that, as seen in my quiz it had a cliche of Romanov fiction, but fortunately only one.
However, I didn't get why Whitcomb waits until page 228 to say that "Ana" is Anastasia. That's not actually a legitimate nickname in Russia. I get it that "Asya" with its Russian pronunciation, sounds like an expletive, and "Nastia" and "Nastinka" sound less than desirable, but what about "Nastasya?" Anastasia is a bit of a mouthful with its Russian pronunciation (ah-na-STAH-see-a), but at least explain it's a nickname and use a legit one. I get why Rasputin has to die earlier than in actual history to explain why he was nearly un-killable during his assassination.
The plot, removed from the writing that makes this book addictive in a Princess-Diaries like way (only The Princess Diaries is an intentionally shallow book, while this one tries to be deep but ultimately fails), is really a wild goose chase.
Read this (I may have missed a few things.):
A death escort guy goes through weird magical doors to take people to heaven because somehow there is no hell and the hell-like place is where souls go when they fall down a crack thingy(?)
How is that fair?
In one death scene, he sees some pretty lady with a baby and thinks he's in love with her and after seeing her again in another death scene with the same boy and somehow thinks that's enough for him to fall madly in love with her and take her for his apprentice, or "star fetch." He's so madly in love that he takes the body of the next guy he sees that can take him to imperial Russia which breaks some of the gravest sins in the Fetch rule-book.
How much smarter is that than the Dauntless in Divergent?
Then he realizes this woman is married and not intended to be his apprentice thingy and he ends up with her youngest children whom supposedly have his key that will get him and them back to Heaven and solve everything. However, "Ana" was so unrealistically stupid and weak that she gave the key to her cliched soldier lover who really couldn't have been on the firing squad and not fire. After all, Helen Rappaport and a documentary filmmaker both state that several guards refused to shoot the family. Also, most of the last batch of guards were not exactly friendly.
Unfortunately this unrealistic soldier has gone to Los Angeles of all places to find his cousin who paints film sets, so they end up going from Vladivostok to Japan to California, with Rasputin's spirit, somehow in the Land of Lost souls (the place souls fall and don't reach heaven), where you can go anywhere in the world.
However, Ilya has no key, so they go to New York and then to London to find Anastasia and Alexis' relatives, when they realize they'll have to go back to Russia to find the key. Somehow, there's a guy crazy enough to take them there even when Europe's still a war zone with enemy ships everywhere.
Are our characters, especially the ones who have yet to die, somehow removed from all realism?
Honestly, the only good historical piece was the portrayal of Rasputin: Not evil magician or innocent holy man but a mix of both. In that respect, this beats Tsarina, but the latter's politics are a bit more realistic.
If only there were not Romanovs.
- Colbie Caillat
Trope Check
*forbidden love
*reckless screw-history globetrotting
*afterlife things
*purple prose emo-ness
2.5 stars
My feelings are similar to those with Dreaming Anastasia:
"If only there were no Romanovs."
The first part was good. Calder was surprisingly sympathetic and the biblical, rather than mythological, universe, is an original choice. However, I didn't get the symbolism of the Cell. There are definitely better ways to symbolize forgiving your sins.
The second part:
I didn't get what Laura Whitcomb has with "reddish-gold-hair. Alexandra had brown hair. Even in black-and-white, it's pretty obvious. From here, the writing took on a Golden-Compass-esque way-too-fast pace. I guess Whitcomb is trying to make it exciting, but it's not exciting when you don't know what's going on. Other than the pace, the writing could have gotten five stars. The other thing that kept it from two stars is that, as seen in my quiz it had a cliche of Romanov fiction, but fortunately only one.
However, I didn't get why Whitcomb waits until page 228 to say that "Ana" is Anastasia. That's not actually a legitimate nickname in Russia. I get it that "Asya" with its Russian pronunciation, sounds like an expletive, and "Nastia" and "Nastinka" sound less than desirable, but what about "Nastasya?" Anastasia is a bit of a mouthful with its Russian pronunciation (ah-na-STAH-see-a), but at least explain it's a nickname and use a legit one. I get why Rasputin has to die earlier than in actual history to explain why he was nearly un-killable during his assassination.
The plot, removed from the writing that makes this book addictive in a Princess-Diaries like way (only The Princess Diaries is an intentionally shallow book, while this one tries to be deep but ultimately fails), is really a wild goose chase.
Read this (I may have missed a few things.):
A death escort guy goes through weird magical doors to take people to heaven because somehow there is no hell and the hell-like place is where souls go when they fall down a crack thingy(?)
How is that fair?
In one death scene, he sees some pretty lady with a baby and thinks he's in love with her and after seeing her again in another death scene with the same boy and somehow thinks that's enough for him to fall madly in love with her and take her for his apprentice, or "star fetch." He's so madly in love that he takes the body of the next guy he sees that can take him to imperial Russia which breaks some of the gravest sins in the Fetch rule-book.
How much smarter is that than the Dauntless in Divergent?
Then he realizes this woman is married and not intended to be his apprentice thingy and he ends up with her youngest children whom supposedly have his key that will get him and them back to Heaven and solve everything. However, "Ana" was so unrealistically stupid and weak that she gave the key to her cliched soldier lover who really couldn't have been on the firing squad and not fire. After all, Helen Rappaport and a documentary filmmaker both state that several guards refused to shoot the family. Also, most of the last batch of guards were not exactly friendly.
Unfortunately this unrealistic soldier has gone to Los Angeles of all places to find his cousin who paints film sets, so they end up going from Vladivostok to Japan to California, with Rasputin's spirit, somehow in the Land of Lost souls (the place souls fall and don't reach heaven), where you can go anywhere in the world.
However, Ilya has no key, so they go to New York and then to London to find Anastasia and Alexis' relatives, when they realize they'll have to go back to Russia to find the key. Somehow, there's a guy crazy enough to take them there even when Europe's still a war zone with enemy ships everywhere.
Are our characters, especially the ones who have yet to die, somehow removed from all realism?
Honestly, the only good historical piece was the portrayal of Rasputin: Not evil magician or innocent holy man but a mix of both. In that respect, this beats Tsarina, but the latter's politics are a bit more realistic.
If only there were not Romanovs.
April 1, 2010
Calder is a Fetch, a soul who escorts people on their journey to heaven. One day he shows up at a Death Scene, waiting to see if an infant chooses to die or not. The woman holding the baby takes his breath away. She's beautiful and has a kind, caring, sad face. He can't get her out of his thoughts, and his work begins to suffer for it.
The Fetch was okay, I just felt like I never really connected with anyone. I'm beginning to wonder if I really don't like third-person narratives and just never noticed before. Here, I just felt like I was told a lot of stuff and not really shown anything. I'm told that Calder has always felt like he shouldn't be a Fetch because he has trouble with obedience, but the little I see before the story really starts shows a guy who honestly tries his best. Eventually I was told that he's in love with someone, but I didn't really see it happening. Maybe the author was trying to keep the story short, but I felt like this book should have been longer to show me everything that was happening rather than just telling me and hoping that I accepted it.
At the beginning, Alexis is a whiny, bratty teenager. I freely admit that if I'd gone through what he'd gone through, I would have easily out-whined him. But I have very, very little tolerance for angsty teenagers, so he really turned me off.
There were times that I just wanted to shake Calder and tell him to start thinking. He finds out that there are two things he has to do. One of them was obvious to me from the beginning. It took him forever to figure it out.
Calder ends up on a journey that lasts most of the book, and it ultimately felt like there was absolutely no point to it. No point at all.
There were things I liked. I liked the author's ideas and descriptions of what happens on the journey to heaven. The only thing I knew about this was what I read in my aunt's review, and she's always great about not giving too much away, so I had no idea when the story took place or who it involved. I really liked both, but I won't tell you any more than that. And that's a shame because it makes it look like there were more things I disliked than otherwise. This really was about half and half, but I don't want to give anything away.
The subtitle for this is A Supernatural Romance. If that appeals to you, and you know that you don't mind being told things rather than shown, go ahead and pick it up. It really was a unique story with a lot of promise, it just didn't quite live up to what I expected.
The Fetch was okay, I just felt like I never really connected with anyone. I'm beginning to wonder if I really don't like third-person narratives and just never noticed before. Here, I just felt like I was told a lot of stuff and not really shown anything. I'm told that Calder has always felt like he shouldn't be a Fetch because he has trouble with obedience, but the little I see before the story really starts shows a guy who honestly tries his best. Eventually I was told that he's in love with someone, but I didn't really see it happening. Maybe the author was trying to keep the story short, but I felt like this book should have been longer to show me everything that was happening rather than just telling me and hoping that I accepted it.
At the beginning, Alexis is a whiny, bratty teenager. I freely admit that if I'd gone through what he'd gone through, I would have easily out-whined him. But I have very, very little tolerance for angsty teenagers, so he really turned me off.
There were times that I just wanted to shake Calder and tell him to start thinking. He finds out that there are two things he has to do. One of them was obvious to me from the beginning. It took him forever to figure it out.
Calder ends up on a journey that lasts most of the book, and it ultimately felt like there was absolutely no point to it. No point at all.
There were things I liked. I liked the author's ideas and descriptions of what happens on the journey to heaven. The only thing I knew about this was what I read in my aunt's review, and she's always great about not giving too much away, so I had no idea when the story took place or who it involved. I really liked both, but I won't tell you any more than that. And that's a shame because it makes it look like there were more things I disliked than otherwise. This really was about half and half, but I don't want to give anything away.
The subtitle for this is A Supernatural Romance. If that appeals to you, and you know that you don't mind being told things rather than shown, go ahead and pick it up. It really was a unique story with a lot of promise, it just didn't quite live up to what I expected.
July 6, 2009
It's one thing to create a supernatural fantasy tale. But creating a supernatural fantasy tale that involves famous historical figures? That takes NERVE, man. NERVE.
Calder has been dead for 300 years. He is a "Fetch" -- a person who personally escorts the newly deceased into the afterlife, in an elaborate ceremony that Whitcomb creates in fanciful, atmospheric prose. At the deathbed of a young boy, Calder becomes infatuated with who he assumes is a governess -- but who turns out to be the Czarina of Russia, circa 1914. Later on, Calder manages to inhabit the newly dead body of Rasputin, and becomes further involved in the life of the Romanov family, eventually granting the gift of immortatlity to Alexandria and Alexis.
Okay -- up to this point in the plot, I was mighty intrigued, expecting a juicy court politics story with perhaps an explanation of Rasputin's legendary ability to evade death, or how Alexandria could have evated execution. But after this, the story kinda meanders all over the place. Calder, Ana, and Alxis travel all the way around the world in search of something that turned up in the place they started; threatening "lost souls" repeatedly appear and turn out to be not-so-threatening. The end of the story is wrapped up with Calder solving a mystery from his own past, with a bit of forbidden/starcrossed love thrown in.
In other words, the fact that the plot involves famous historical figures becomes almost irrelevant, and doesn't seem to inform the narrative in any way. Why include the last fragments of the Russian court if so little of the story has to do with Russia?
Calder has been dead for 300 years. He is a "Fetch" -- a person who personally escorts the newly deceased into the afterlife, in an elaborate ceremony that Whitcomb creates in fanciful, atmospheric prose. At the deathbed of a young boy, Calder becomes infatuated with who he assumes is a governess -- but who turns out to be the Czarina of Russia, circa 1914. Later on, Calder manages to inhabit the newly dead body of Rasputin, and becomes further involved in the life of the Romanov family, eventually granting the gift of immortatlity to Alexandria and Alexis.
Okay -- up to this point in the plot, I was mighty intrigued, expecting a juicy court politics story with perhaps an explanation of Rasputin's legendary ability to evade death, or how Alexandria could have evated execution. But after this, the story kinda meanders all over the place. Calder, Ana, and Alxis travel all the way around the world in search of something that turned up in the place they started; threatening "lost souls" repeatedly appear and turn out to be not-so-threatening. The end of the story is wrapped up with Calder solving a mystery from his own past, with a bit of forbidden/starcrossed love thrown in.
In other words, the fact that the plot involves famous historical figures becomes almost irrelevant, and doesn't seem to inform the narrative in any way. Why include the last fragments of the Russian court if so little of the story has to do with Russia?
March 10, 2010
After reading A Certain Slant of Light by this author, I had high expectations for this book. I was so disappointed that this book met none of them. This is the first time I've ever given a book two stars, because I usually find something good about the story that can bring the rating up to three. There was nothing in this novel that convinced me it was worthy of three stars, much less four or five.
I spent much of this novel a little confused. The spirit world and the real world are so closely intertwined that I wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. Time passes for the characters in quick jolts, and I thought the pacing was terrible.
The characters were the one thing that made me consider giving this book a three. Some of them were developed well, but others were cast aside and given little thought. The main character, Calder, seemed a little flat to me. Nothing about him stood out, and although I didn't dislike him, I didn't feel any connection with him.
On the front cover of this novel, it says that this book is "a supernatural romance." And in the synopsis, it says that he falls in love with a mortal girl. Not one bit of true romance enters the book until the very last chapters. I kept forcing myself to continue reading because I was so sure that the story would become interesting if I could just get to the next chapter. No such luck.
This is one of the very few books that I won't be recommending. I will say that I still like this author, and if she could just write more novels like A Certain Slant of Light (which I highly recommend), she would be one of my favorites.
I spent much of this novel a little confused. The spirit world and the real world are so closely intertwined that I wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. Time passes for the characters in quick jolts, and I thought the pacing was terrible.
The characters were the one thing that made me consider giving this book a three. Some of them were developed well, but others were cast aside and given little thought. The main character, Calder, seemed a little flat to me. Nothing about him stood out, and although I didn't dislike him, I didn't feel any connection with him.
On the front cover of this novel, it says that this book is "a supernatural romance." And in the synopsis, it says that he falls in love with a mortal girl. Not one bit of true romance enters the book until the very last chapters. I kept forcing myself to continue reading because I was so sure that the story would become interesting if I could just get to the next chapter. No such luck.
This is one of the very few books that I won't be recommending. I will say that I still like this author, and if she could just write more novels like A Certain Slant of Light (which I highly recommend), she would be one of my favorites.
March 4, 2016
This is a very odd young adult fiction book--I almost used "bizarre" as the adjective. Calder, who died at 19 in the 1500s, is a "fetch"--he appears at the side of dying people and, if they choose death, escorts them into the afterlife. He crosses the line and becomes personally involved when he meets Empress Alexandra of Russia in the early 1900s. Her two youngest children, Anastasia and Alexis, can mysteriously see Calder and possess other unique qualities. In 1916 Calder returns to Russia and takes over the body of the faith-healer Rasputin, then after "dying" and being buried travels to Siberia and retrieves Ana and Alexis from their grave. They journey (trudge/plod, which is how it feels to readers) across the entire world trying to find Calder's special key. If this sounds strange, it is even stranger to read. Many of Whitcomb's concepts of the afterlife are intriguing and clever. However, they are also overly complex and difficult to grasp. And, she tends to repeat herself. I almost set this down after the first couple of chapters--I don't enjoy fantasy that's so elaborately constructed it takes pages to describe and then breaks all the rules (spoiler: Calder is surprisingly absolved of all his sins and errors after turning heaven upside down and causing enormous chaos)--but persevered to the end.
September 7, 2009
I'm giving this one 4 stars just for sheer imagination. It was totally unpredictable & not what I was expecting at all. I love unpredictability - after all, if I can tell what's coming next, I might as well have written the book myself. But this one kept me guessing and went to places & situations I never would have imagined ... Calder is a Fetch - a death escort. He has been a Fetch for 330 years, since his own death at the age of 19. His job is to comfort & escort the soul on its way to the afterlife. One day, in Russia, 1904, he walks thru a door to a death scene & falls in love with a beautiful young woman holding a child who is dying. She touches his heart like no one ever has before, and his Fetch life is forever changed... That's all I'll say, since I don't want to spoil anything. The author has a beautiful way with words and even though the story got a little monotonous at one point for me, I did enjoy this book. You'll find this one in the Young Adult section, if interested.
July 29, 2009
Well hey! Surprisingly, I enjoyed this. Fans of Russian history and Christianity will, too. (mainly why I was surprised *I* liked it)
Calder is a Fetch, a Death-escort, and not a very good one in his own opinion. He breaks his holy Vows to pursue a human woman and ends up running away from demons (mostly of his own making) while circumnavigating the globe. It is a story of love, forgiveness, sacrifice and mainly, doing the right thing--or what you think is the right thing at the time.
When I first read the premise, I thought, "Cheese." Whitcomb uses speculation about Rasputin and the youngest Romanov children (Alexis and Ana) as a framework for the story, but surprised my by carrying it off well. It intermixes with her Fetch story in such a way that one enhances the other in a decidedly non-cheesy way. Phew.
I'm leaning up to 5 stars on this, but somehow can't quite get there. I don't think it helped that I was on a very long plane ride when I read this.
Calder is a Fetch, a Death-escort, and not a very good one in his own opinion. He breaks his holy Vows to pursue a human woman and ends up running away from demons (mostly of his own making) while circumnavigating the globe. It is a story of love, forgiveness, sacrifice and mainly, doing the right thing--or what you think is the right thing at the time.
When I first read the premise, I thought, "Cheese." Whitcomb uses speculation about Rasputin and the youngest Romanov children (Alexis and Ana) as a framework for the story, but surprised my by carrying it off well. It intermixes with her Fetch story in such a way that one enhances the other in a decidedly non-cheesy way. Phew.
I'm leaning up to 5 stars on this, but somehow can't quite get there. I don't think it helped that I was on a very long plane ride when I read this.
February 10, 2009
Before I go into this book, I must say, my expectations were quite high as I loved A Certain Slant of Light. When my sister gave me this one to read by the same author I was expected to be drawn in to the character's live in the same manner, but unfortunately it was not to be.
I could not connect with anyone in the book at all and had a hard time feeling any of the peril or urgency that the characters must have been going through in order to complete their journey. I was not emotionally invested in the time either as the main character Calder wasn't really invested in anything. I understand that was the point the character, but because of that, I did not care what happened to him as he never seemed to care about anything either.
I wish I could have loved the book more, but maybe next time.
I could not connect with anyone in the book at all and had a hard time feeling any of the peril or urgency that the characters must have been going through in order to complete their journey. I was not emotionally invested in the time either as the main character Calder wasn't really invested in anything. I understand that was the point the character, but because of that, I did not care what happened to him as he never seemed to care about anything either.
I wish I could have loved the book more, but maybe next time.
May 26, 2009
My expectations of "The Fetch" were very, very low - practically non-existent in fact... Which is probably why I couldn't help but be positively surprised. I was fascinated by the story and had a really hard time putting it down, although now that I'm looking back at it, I'm hard pressed to say why. It was definitely more the writing style and the atmosphere than the people and the plot that caught my attention.
The book does have its problems though. It can't seem to decide on a genre and keeps switching back and forth between fantasy, historical fiction and paranormal fiction; the plot is very flimsy and the characters 2-dimensional at best. It's marketed as YA but will probably be more likely to appeal to an older audience.
The basic premise was enjoyable, but the execution could definitely have been improved.
The book does have its problems though. It can't seem to decide on a genre and keeps switching back and forth between fantasy, historical fiction and paranormal fiction; the plot is very flimsy and the characters 2-dimensional at best. It's marketed as YA but will probably be more likely to appeal to an older audience.
The basic premise was enjoyable, but the execution could definitely have been improved.
May 16, 2009
This story is about a fetch, who is someone that is dead, and they accompany people who have died through the Aisle which has different "rooms" to the Captain who sails the souls to "Heaven". This particular fetch makes a mistake and develops an emotional attachment to someone he encounters at one of his deaths. This story takes place during the reign of Tsar Nicholas, the last Tsar of Russia and involves the family and the matter of their assassinations.
I was disappointed. I did read the entire thing and enjoyed the last quarter of the book more than the first three quarters. It just didn't seem like much was going on. I liked the characters and the premise is intriguing but I felt bored through much of it.
I was disappointed. I did read the entire thing and enjoyed the last quarter of the book more than the first three quarters. It just didn't seem like much was going on. I liked the characters and the premise is intriguing but I felt bored through much of it.
November 18, 2010
"After 350 years as a Fetch, or death escort, Calder breaks his vows and enters the body of Rasputin, whose spirit causes rebellion in the Land of Lost Souls while Calder struggles to convey Ana and Alexis, orphaned in the Russian Revolution, to Heaven." From Library Catolog
Basically, this starts love story between Calder and a woman he is called to escort into death. However,it becomes a love story between Calder and Ana (if I'm remembering correctly) as he goes through much trouble to get she and Alexis to heaven. This is a great Historical read, especially if you're into 19th Century History. I learned a lot about Russia and Rasputin all while reading a cool book.
Basically, this starts love story between Calder and a woman he is called to escort into death. However,it becomes a love story between Calder and Ana (if I'm remembering correctly) as he goes through much trouble to get she and Alexis to heaven. This is a great Historical read, especially if you're into 19th Century History. I learned a lot about Russia and Rasputin all while reading a cool book.
May 21, 2009
I had a literature professor who kept a notebook where he would keep track of the books he read. He'd record the title and author, the first line of the book, and then any other quotes from the book that stood out to him. I really liked this idea and I do it from time to time. This book had one quote that really stood out to me.
"Better to be good than gentle. A good soul gives his dog half his food and loves his friends even when they're far away and forgives the ones who hate him. A good soul sings in the face of sorrow and stands up and lives every morning he's given."
"Better to be good than gentle. A good soul gives his dog half his food and loves his friends even when they're far away and forgives the ones who hate him. A good soul sings in the face of sorrow and stands up and lives every morning he's given."
April 11, 2009
I wasn't sure at first what to make of The Fetch. It was odd, yet enticing. I kept reading and stumbled across a massive (or at least it was to me) twist in the plot. From that point on, I really fell in love with this story.
Laura Whitcomb is a brilliant writer, if not a bit different in what she chooses to write about. I read A Certain Slant of Light and liked it and I liked The Fetch. It's a good read.
Laura Whitcomb is a brilliant writer, if not a bit different in what she chooses to write about. I read A Certain Slant of Light and liked it and I liked The Fetch. It's a good read.
June 20, 2009
Ranting time!
Reasons why I didn't like this book:
The characters made no sense.
The author made all kinds of assumptions that I didn't get.
Apparently it was classified a romance novel because he decided he loved a random lady and started stalking her for 2 weeks, but then he figured out that he didn't love her after all.
Then he fell in love with her daughter?!
Don't read this book... it was boring, confusing, and had a very simple/predictable plot.
Reasons why I didn't like this book:
The characters made no sense.
The author made all kinds of assumptions that I didn't get.
Apparently it was classified a romance novel because he decided he loved a random lady and started stalking her for 2 weeks, but then he figured out that he didn't love her after all.
Then he fell in love with her daughter?!
Don't read this book... it was boring, confusing, and had a very simple/predictable plot.
April 1, 2010
I don't think it's accurate to call this book a "supernatural romance" when the romance part is so little (and really doesn't start until almost page 300). Mooning after someone, as the main character is doing in the beginning, does not make a romance.
Also, I would have liked this much better if the author didn't try to pull in famous historical figures and just went with ordinary people as the characters. Fantasy only stretches so far for me.
Also, I would have liked this much better if the author didn't try to pull in famous historical figures and just went with ordinary people as the characters. Fantasy only stretches so far for me.
February 10, 2010
A little too strange...a weird combination of spiritual meanding combined with history and I think the author wanted a romance in there somewhere but that failed in my eyes. It made we want to look us Rasputin to find out more but other than that...not a real page turner. The author has wonderfuuly descriptive writing though the plot needed some help.
August 2, 2012
I didn't like it. OhKay so I didn't even finish it. Just no.
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