These Mortals

by Margaret Irwin

There was once a powerful Enchanter of the name of Aldebaran, who had wearied of playing with the lives of men and retired to a palace he had built at the edge of the sea. The palace was of black marble with a green vein, which made it appear as though green serpents were crawling over it. But this slightly unpleasant impression was corrected by the beautiful shape of the palace, which rose in domes and minarets like a cluster of pomegranates, of black pomegranates, green-veined, each one barbed as with a crown.It is a popular superstition that all enchanters are old, crooked, and hideous, and it is true that many of them do not attain their highest powers until they have outworn all that makes power worth while. But Aldebaran was of such dignified stature and ageless appearance that it was held, first that he was a King who had abnegated his royal power for one yet more extensive, and second, that he had discovered the Elixir of Eternal Youth. He admitted this last, but with a gesture towards his daughter, Melusine, for he had discovered that in her, more than in all his spells, lay the secret of eternal youth.

Genres: Fantasy

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1925

About the author

Born in 1899 and educated at Oxford, Irwin was recognized as a novelist of well-researched and occasionally heart-breaking historical fiction. She is best known for her trilogy about Elizabeth I: Young Bess, Elizabeth Captive Princess, and Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain. Young Bess was made into a movie starring Jean Simmons.

Irwin also wrote passionately about the English Civil War, causing generations to fall in love with the ill-fated but charismatic Earl of Montrose.

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read a fairytale since I was young and it was fun to delve back into that old magic. These Mortals is a cute and charming read. It was easy to get into and there were many chuckle worthy moments sprinkled throughout the tale. As much as I enjoyed the story overall, the naivety of the main character did become grating at times and the last quarter of the book strained the believability of the plot. At the end of the day, this was a fun read and I would recommend.

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachael F · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

These Mortals is a fairy-tale novel, first published in 1925, about an Enchanter’s daughter, Melusine who lives in a world between the Earth and the Moon, and one day descends to Earth to discover more about the planet.

The story was fairly interesting; Melusine captures the entire court with her looks and personality, only to have them turn against her. It was also an interesting parable about human nature, Melusine has no experience with manners or dealing with other people, so common etiquette and the way people interact with others is foreign to her. Despite being written 90 years ago, I could still relate to a lot of the bizarre behaviour that people exhibited back then. If anything, it shows how human nature doesn’t change. However, I could feel the story start to drag on, and then suddenly it got quite confusing, and by the end I was struggling to understand what was going on.

There are some interesting characters, the Princess and her family were fairly memorable, as Irwin had highlighted the bizarre complexities of people through them. A few of the Princess’ comments brought a smile to my face with how applicable they were in the modern era. However, Melusine was dull to follow; I think Mary-Sue would be an apt term here. Perfect in description, and perfectly dull.

Overall, this novel was much like Melusine; beautiful, intelligent, but ultimately a little dull.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enchanting, sweet and amusing story about the ethereal and mermaid-like Melusine, who leaves her father and travels to a royal court. Melusine has to cope with a lot of rather nasty people here, such as a princess and a seducer. Luckily, she has the help of a raven, a cat and a snake, and she has the ability to walk on moonbeams. Her real troubles begin when she falls in love with the handsome man in the palace dungeon...

I found this difficult to read at times because the lengths of the sentences didn't vary much. However, I am not used to reading fantasy. However, I was pleased to get away from my problems for a while and escape to the splendid palace with Melusine. Historical novels were definitely Margaret Irwin's forte. I recommend her trilogy about Princess Elizabeth.

[Juli Rahel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt in the need for something different, something magical and something old. And Margaret Irwin delivered all of this with These Mortals. First published in 1925, These Mortals tells a magical story, all while commenting on humanity with a sharp insight. Also, this novel reminded me once again why parables are actually fascinating reads, when well done. I almost wish I had read this as a child, but adult me is also very pleased to have discovered it now. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Irwin's These Mortals is a parable, a didactic story which illustrates certain principles or lessons. Think of most Bible tales, such as 'The Return of the Prodigal Son', or famous tales like 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. They are relatively straight to the point and at the end you've been taught a lesson. Although perhaps nothing could sound drearier, parables make for some of the most fascinating and long lasting stories. They can be absolutely beautiful and iconic and authors have created true masterpieces. Andersen's 'The Emperor's New Clothes' comes to mind here. Irwin's These Mortals is much more similar to Andersen's tale than to Bible tales. She writes a lyrically beautiful story about a half-fairy, half-mortal maiden who encounters the human world and all it brings with it for the first time. Melusine, naive in a way that is charming rather than annoying, encounters deceit, love, heartbreak, fashion and betrayal for the first time and Irwin takes each of these and uses them to comment on the nature of humans. Many of the characters around Melusine are quite despicable at times, and yet their behaviour is also so recognisable to us mere mortals that we can't help but understand them. There is an incredible skill behind writing about humans like this, and Irwin makes it seem easy. She also makes it seem beautiful. These Mortals is steeped in beautiful images, with fairies that are half snake, shells that get turned into ships, and maidens who dance on moonbeams. I'm still thinking about these moments.

I absolutely adored Margaret Irwin's writing. There is something beautifully enchanting about how she weaves her words together. The pace of the novel is very calm, taking its time with Melusine's experiences in the human world, stepping aside for the experiences of the other characters, and never rushing ahead to a big twist or turn. To be cliche, These Mortals runs like a smooth river, delightfully refreshing and invigorating. Irwin also delights in commenting upon her characters in a way that reminded me almost of Jane Austen. Many first time Austen readers mistake her for being sugary sweet and quaint, missing the almost biting observations she makes between the lines. Please read the opening line of Pride & Prejudice with a sarcasm-heavy voice and tell me again it is not meant to be sarcastic. Similarly, Irwin is constantly commenting on her characters, bringing to light the things they would probably prefer to leave in the shadows, thereby actually managing to discuss those 'ever-puzzling paradoxes of human behaviour' while also being a funny read. I will definitely be reading more of Margaret Irwin's work.

I adored Irwin's These Mortals. It is beautiful and other-worldly, digging into humanity with charm and humour. Irwin creates enchanting images and never questions both the cruelness and the magic of the human world. I'd recommend this to fans of fairy tales and fantasy, as well as those interested in exploring parables.


For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2...