What do you think?
Rate this book
The Red Abbey Chronicles #3
Listy Maresi
Bogatsza o wiedzę wyniesioną z Czerwonego Klasztoru Maresi wraca do swojej rodzinnej wioski, w której chce założyć szkołę dla dziewcząt. Ale Sáru to miejsce naznaczone biedą i niewiedzą, gdzie dziewczyna jest kimś obcym, a jej czerwony płaszcz budzi nieufność nawet u jej matki.
Chciwy władca podnosi podatki, a mieszkańcy kraju cierpią głód. Nikt nie czuje się na siłach, żeby im pomóc. Maresi jednak posiada moc, o jaką nikt jej nie podejrzewa, nawet ona sama nie jest jej świadoma. Czy będzie umiała użyć tej siły, by ratować swój lud, kiedy w sercu dziewczyny po raz pierwszy rodzi się miłość?
Przejmująca, mocna opowieść o sile kobiecego serca i walce o to, co naprawdę ważne.
Chciwy władca podnosi podatki, a mieszkańcy kraju cierpią głód. Nikt nie czuje się na siłach, żeby im pomóc. Maresi jednak posiada moc, o jaką nikt jej nie podejrzewa, nawet ona sama nie jest jej świadoma. Czy będzie umiała użyć tej siły, by ratować swój lud, kiedy w sercu dziewczyny po raz pierwszy rodzi się miłość?
Przejmująca, mocna opowieść o sile kobiecego serca i walce o to, co naprawdę ważne.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2018
29 people are currently reading
2359 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
September 4, 2019
But I am learning new things here, things that are not written in books.
I wish I had not had to learn this.
This has to be one of the most underrated fantasy series ever written. If my review of Naondel (still my favourite of the trilogy) didn't convince you to read this series, then I doubt I can say anything more here. But, hell, I'll try.
These Finnish imports are beautiful, dark, ugly novels about women trying to survive in a world run by tyrants who wish to use them and make them powerless. Maresi, the first book, is a strange introduction to the Red Abbey-- a safe haven for women in a world ruled by cruel men. Naondel, the second book but actually a prequel, gives us the rich and terrible backstory of the world and the Red Abbey. Red Mantle is a sequel to Maresi.
I can now say fairly confidently that this is the end of the trilogy, though I would love to see more books set in this world. This book sees Maresi going back home to Rovas after her time living and learning at the Red Abbey. She wants to open a school in her village and teach girls to read and write. She has big dreams of improving their lives through education.
She doesn't expect, however, to be met with so much resistance. The people of her village are skeptical of how literacy can help them, and they are afraid of change. But they are even more afraid of the ńador, a cruel governor who is raising taxes, and his soldiers, who are known to rape women from the village.
The story is unveiled through letters Maresi writes to her sisters at the Abbey. Turtschaninoff's writing (or, perhaps, the translation) is minimalist, and yet it is packed with so much emotion. She says a great deal with very few words, something which few writers can do. The battle against the tyrant is the main drive of the story, but there is also so much else going on.
I found it so astute, believable, and quietly sad that the author showed how Maresi begins to question if she should ever have left. She is now an educated woman, but she is also an outsider. She has knowledge, but she struggles to apply that knowledge in a way that can help her family. Perhaps ignorance is truly bliss. Perhaps if she had stayed, found a loving husband, worked hard like her parents, she could have been happier. I wonder how many aspiring feminists over the centuries have sighed and thought maybe I will be happier if I just play along. I wonder how many were right.
It's a fitting end, I think. A very dramatic climax followed by a final letter that had tears in my eyes. I only hope we can soon see more of the author's books translated into English.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
January 3, 2025
Such a wonderful fantasy series, and seems like only Emily and I have read it? For shame.
If you like Ursula K. Le Guin work, you must check these books out. In Le Guin's fashion, the Red Abbey books escape most of the YA fantasy tropes and are about things more tangible and important than fighting over some throne.
In Maresi Red Mantle, Maresi, after spending a decade at the Red Abbey, returns to her home village to share what she’s learned. She knows how important progress and knowledge are, but bringing change is impossibly hard. Maresi clashes with old traditions and set ways of life. Will she succeed?
There are so many things that just worked for me in this novel - depictions of village life, hard, but strangely satisfying; scenes capturing the beauty of nature; the story arc about understanding of the body’s desires; the idea of the importance of unity and mutual help is written in a powerful way. There is a also a character in the final part of the novel that reminded me of Megan Whalen Turner’s work in the very best way.
The only thing I feel Maria Turtschaninoff needs to improve on is adding dimensions to her villains. They do tend to be nuance-lessly evil.
P.S. This book hasn’t come out in the US yet, but I got a U.K. copy for about $6 on eBay.
If you like Ursula K. Le Guin work, you must check these books out. In Le Guin's fashion, the Red Abbey books escape most of the YA fantasy tropes and are about things more tangible and important than fighting over some throne.
In Maresi Red Mantle, Maresi, after spending a decade at the Red Abbey, returns to her home village to share what she’s learned. She knows how important progress and knowledge are, but bringing change is impossibly hard. Maresi clashes with old traditions and set ways of life. Will she succeed?
There are so many things that just worked for me in this novel - depictions of village life, hard, but strangely satisfying; scenes capturing the beauty of nature; the story arc about understanding of the body’s desires; the idea of the importance of unity and mutual help is written in a powerful way. There is a also a character in the final part of the novel that reminded me of Megan Whalen Turner’s work in the very best way.
The only thing I feel Maria Turtschaninoff needs to improve on is adding dimensions to her villains. They do tend to be nuance-lessly evil.
P.S. This book hasn’t come out in the US yet, but I got a U.K. copy for about $6 on eBay.
March 18, 2021
Najsłabsza część z serii, lecz nadal warta uwagi przez ważne tematy. Jestem team "Naondel"
August 25, 2019
Something different for Women in Translation month - translated fantasy from Finland (written in Swedish) - I only realized near the end that I was reading book 3 of a series, whoops! But I got enough of the back story along the way. Maresi has returned from the Abbey (on a female-only island dedicated to the goddess, inspired by the author's trip near Mount Athos where women are not allowed) to start a school in her village but arrives to a suffering community, and has to figure out what to do on her own. The novel is told in letters to the Sisters and Mother at the Abbey.
Read
December 19, 2022So What’s It About?
For Maresi, like so many other girls, the Red Abbey was a haven of safety in a world ruled by brutal men. But now she is a young woman and it is time for her to leave. She must take all that she has learned from her sisters and return to her childhood home to share the knowledge she has gained.
But when Maresi returns to her village, she realises all is not well - the people are struggling under the rule of the oppressive Earl, and people are too busy trying to survive to see the value of her teachings. Maresi finds she must use all the terrible force of the Crone's magic to protect her people, but can she find the strength to do so when her heart is weakening with love for the first time?
What I Thought
The bad news is that there are no more Red Abbey books for me to read. The good news is that this was absolutely beautiful and powerful in the same way that each of the books in this series has been.
Turtschaninoff truly excels at writing gorgeous descriptions of nature and what it is like to live in a deep relationship with nature. Everything from the changing seasons to Maresi’s tasks and chores, the quiet details of life Rovas, the festivals and rituals and songs and the many descriptions of food is incredibly evocative and creates a strong sense of location and the beauty of daily life.
Maresi is also a very strong character, and her story is one of standing up to injustice and making a positive change in her world that is immensely satisfying. People in her village judge her for being different and dismiss her attempts to build a school at first, but through what I’ve come to call “vindication catharsis,” she manages to show her community the power of education and bring her people together in a powerful, effective rebellion against tyranny.
I love every bit of how she settles back into her home village, from becoming something of an idol and mentor to a girl who was assaulted to navigating her developing sexuality. I’m very fond of the man she ends up with, Karun, who has chosen gentleness and kindness instead of cruelty, takes her goals seriously when no one else does, and actually builds her an entire school. Interestingly, Maresi makes something of a fool of herself in the initial stages of getting to know him, partially because of how little experience she has had with men at the Abbey and how traumatic most of that experience has been. This is all written very well; I just wish that there had been more of their relationship.
Her relationships with her family members are also really interesting, especially the way that different people have varying and complex feelings about her going away, coming back, and being so strange and educated when she returns. Maresi thinks that her mother resents her nonconformity but in reality, her mother is struggling between regret for having sent Maresi away and awe for her new power (which her mother recognizes before Maresi does). Her sister Naraes is jealous of Maresi and all the opportunities she got, and she gets incredibly angry when she feels that Maresi is squandering her learning and settling into an unremarkable life instead of pursuing her goals. Together her family and community face tragedy and loss and hardship, and together they make it through time and again. And in Maresi’s final letter back to the Abbey, written decades later, we see the amazing difference she has made in the lives of her loved ones and in her world. It is a beautiful ending to a beautiful book and a beautiful series, and I can only hope that Turtschaninoff’s upcoming works will be translated into English as well.
For Maresi, like so many other girls, the Red Abbey was a haven of safety in a world ruled by brutal men. But now she is a young woman and it is time for her to leave. She must take all that she has learned from her sisters and return to her childhood home to share the knowledge she has gained.
But when Maresi returns to her village, she realises all is not well - the people are struggling under the rule of the oppressive Earl, and people are too busy trying to survive to see the value of her teachings. Maresi finds she must use all the terrible force of the Crone's magic to protect her people, but can she find the strength to do so when her heart is weakening with love for the first time?
What I Thought
The bad news is that there are no more Red Abbey books for me to read. The good news is that this was absolutely beautiful and powerful in the same way that each of the books in this series has been.
Turtschaninoff truly excels at writing gorgeous descriptions of nature and what it is like to live in a deep relationship with nature. Everything from the changing seasons to Maresi’s tasks and chores, the quiet details of life Rovas, the festivals and rituals and songs and the many descriptions of food is incredibly evocative and creates a strong sense of location and the beauty of daily life.
Maresi is also a very strong character, and her story is one of standing up to injustice and making a positive change in her world that is immensely satisfying. People in her village judge her for being different and dismiss her attempts to build a school at first, but through what I’ve come to call “vindication catharsis,” she manages to show her community the power of education and bring her people together in a powerful, effective rebellion against tyranny.
I love every bit of how she settles back into her home village, from becoming something of an idol and mentor to a girl who was assaulted to navigating her developing sexuality. I’m very fond of the man she ends up with, Karun, who has chosen gentleness and kindness instead of cruelty, takes her goals seriously when no one else does, and actually builds her an entire school. Interestingly, Maresi makes something of a fool of herself in the initial stages of getting to know him, partially because of how little experience she has had with men at the Abbey and how traumatic most of that experience has been. This is all written very well; I just wish that there had been more of their relationship.
Her relationships with her family members are also really interesting, especially the way that different people have varying and complex feelings about her going away, coming back, and being so strange and educated when she returns. Maresi thinks that her mother resents her nonconformity but in reality, her mother is struggling between regret for having sent Maresi away and awe for her new power (which her mother recognizes before Maresi does). Her sister Naraes is jealous of Maresi and all the opportunities she got, and she gets incredibly angry when she feels that Maresi is squandering her learning and settling into an unremarkable life instead of pursuing her goals. Together her family and community face tragedy and loss and hardship, and together they make it through time and again. And in Maresi’s final letter back to the Abbey, written decades later, we see the amazing difference she has made in the lives of her loved ones and in her world. It is a beautiful ending to a beautiful book and a beautiful series, and I can only hope that Turtschaninoff’s upcoming works will be translated into English as well.
July 31, 2020
Review originally published at Fantasy Literature.
Maresi told the story of the Red Abbey — a feminist, goddess-worshipping sanctuary for women — and the young novice whose special powers helped her save it from invaders. The sequel, Naondel, was really a prequel, going back to the founders of the Abbey and explaining how they came together to form it. Red Mantle (2018), the conclusion of the RED ABBEY CHRONICLES series, returns to Maresi, the heroine of the first book, as she enters young womanhood and ventures into the world beyond the isle of Menos.
Red Mantle is an epistolary novel, told through Maresi’s letters home to the Abbey. This structure works well, giving the novel an intimate feel. It also often allows us to see events from several different angles, because what Maresi writes to her teacher Sister O is different from what she writes to her best friend Jai, and different from what she writes to her friend Ennike, who has become the priestess of the Rose and thus of sacred sexuality.
Maresi has left the Abbey for her homeland of Rovas, where she plans to start a school for girls and teach the knowledge she learned from the sisters. There is a joyous reunion with her family. But Maresi finds that she doesn’t quite fit in with her village anymore. It’s like that experience where you go away to college, and then go back to your hometown and people think you’re a space alien for having gone. There’s a painfully realistic conflict between different types of knowledge; Maresi has book learning that the villagers distrust, and the villagers have wisdom they’ve learned through experience that Maresi doesn’t fully grasp at first.
Also painfully realistic are the obstacles to Maresi’s school. What happens when you can’t get your project off the ground because there’s too much day-to-day work to do? What happens if the money earmarked for it is needed for a more urgent purpose? What if your original vision of it needs to be rethought, because it would have excluded many people who could benefit from it?
Looming over everything is the threat of the nádor, the local governor, who is oppressing the people of Rovas with ruinous taxes, taking advantage of widespread illiteracy to lie about what the law says. His soldiers destroy farms and sacred groves, and sexually assault young women. Maresi does her best to protect her village from the nádor, but eventually she will have to confront him head-on if she wants her reforms to have any lasting effect.
Woven into all of this are the events of Maresi’s personal life. There are births and deaths in her family. She discovers sex and love for the first time. This shakes her up, as she had always assumed her life would be entirely devoted to the Crone, goddess of death and wisdom, and that she would never marry.
The novel builds to a terrific climax that is beautifully done. I had wondered how Maresi, who despite her education is essentially a peasant, would be able to make a stand against the nádor and his army. What happens works really well, and builds on everything that Turtschaninoff has set up throughout the series, and is deeply emotional too.
I think Red Mantle hits the sweet spot for this series in terms of how much time is covered. Most of the second half of Maresi takes place in a day, and I wished I’d had more time to spend with the characters. Then, with Naondel, I found myself thinking that maybe decades were a bit much, especially when almost everything that happened in those decades was tragic. Red Mantle unfolds over two years (with one last letter years later), and the pacing is smooth. I won’t say fast — it’s a more contemplative book than that — but with a consistent forward momentum. And there’s a good mix of joy and sorrow, triumph and tragedy.
There’s one odd little mystery that comes up in the history and legends of Rovas that is not explained, but what I figured out later is that this period is covered in two other books by Turtschaninoff, Arra and Anaché, which are not yet available in English. It appears that translator A.A. Prime is currently working on Arra, which is great news. Her translations of the RED ABBEY CHRONICLES have been lovely.
Red Mantle finishes the trilogy on a high note. In my opinion, it’s the strongest of the three, and the whole series is excellent. The writing is evocative and the characters “real,” and there’s a throughline about the power of compassion, knowledge, and courage as forces against tyranny.
Maresi told the story of the Red Abbey — a feminist, goddess-worshipping sanctuary for women — and the young novice whose special powers helped her save it from invaders. The sequel, Naondel, was really a prequel, going back to the founders of the Abbey and explaining how they came together to form it. Red Mantle (2018), the conclusion of the RED ABBEY CHRONICLES series, returns to Maresi, the heroine of the first book, as she enters young womanhood and ventures into the world beyond the isle of Menos.
Red Mantle is an epistolary novel, told through Maresi’s letters home to the Abbey. This structure works well, giving the novel an intimate feel. It also often allows us to see events from several different angles, because what Maresi writes to her teacher Sister O is different from what she writes to her best friend Jai, and different from what she writes to her friend Ennike, who has become the priestess of the Rose and thus of sacred sexuality.
Maresi has left the Abbey for her homeland of Rovas, where she plans to start a school for girls and teach the knowledge she learned from the sisters. There is a joyous reunion with her family. But Maresi finds that she doesn’t quite fit in with her village anymore. It’s like that experience where you go away to college, and then go back to your hometown and people think you’re a space alien for having gone. There’s a painfully realistic conflict between different types of knowledge; Maresi has book learning that the villagers distrust, and the villagers have wisdom they’ve learned through experience that Maresi doesn’t fully grasp at first.
Also painfully realistic are the obstacles to Maresi’s school. What happens when you can’t get your project off the ground because there’s too much day-to-day work to do? What happens if the money earmarked for it is needed for a more urgent purpose? What if your original vision of it needs to be rethought, because it would have excluded many people who could benefit from it?
Looming over everything is the threat of the nádor, the local governor, who is oppressing the people of Rovas with ruinous taxes, taking advantage of widespread illiteracy to lie about what the law says. His soldiers destroy farms and sacred groves, and sexually assault young women. Maresi does her best to protect her village from the nádor, but eventually she will have to confront him head-on if she wants her reforms to have any lasting effect.
Woven into all of this are the events of Maresi’s personal life. There are births and deaths in her family. She discovers sex and love for the first time. This shakes her up, as she had always assumed her life would be entirely devoted to the Crone, goddess of death and wisdom, and that she would never marry.
The novel builds to a terrific climax that is beautifully done. I had wondered how Maresi, who despite her education is essentially a peasant, would be able to make a stand against the nádor and his army. What happens works really well, and builds on everything that Turtschaninoff has set up throughout the series, and is deeply emotional too.
I think Red Mantle hits the sweet spot for this series in terms of how much time is covered. Most of the second half of Maresi takes place in a day, and I wished I’d had more time to spend with the characters. Then, with Naondel, I found myself thinking that maybe decades were a bit much, especially when almost everything that happened in those decades was tragic. Red Mantle unfolds over two years (with one last letter years later), and the pacing is smooth. I won’t say fast — it’s a more contemplative book than that — but with a consistent forward momentum. And there’s a good mix of joy and sorrow, triumph and tragedy.
There’s one odd little mystery that comes up in the history and legends of Rovas that is not explained, but what I figured out later is that this period is covered in two other books by Turtschaninoff, Arra and Anaché, which are not yet available in English. It appears that translator A.A. Prime is currently working on Arra, which is great news. Her translations of the RED ABBEY CHRONICLES have been lovely.
Red Mantle finishes the trilogy on a high note. In my opinion, it’s the strongest of the three, and the whole series is excellent. The writing is evocative and the characters “real,” and there’s a throughline about the power of compassion, knowledge, and courage as forces against tyranny.
September 9, 2018
"Trots att detta är mitt hemland känner jag mig inte hemma här än. Det är ofta svårt att komma ihåg att kalla det ”hemma”. Jag känner mig som ett skepp utan ankare och hamn som guppar omkring på okända farvatten och när som helst kan stöta på grund.”
”Innan jag åkte var allt mycket enklare. Jag passade in. Nu är mitt huvud alltför fullt av frågor och tankar. Jag tror inte att jag hade haft dem om jag inte åkt.”
”Han har ett långsamt leende, det är som en soluppgång över skogens rand – långsamt ljusnar hans allvarliga ansikte, mer och mer, och så häver sig solen över trädens toppar och plötsligt badar allt i ett gyllene ljus.”
Det ska erkännas att jag var lite skeptiskt inställd till fenomenet brevroman, men det fungerar finfint och spänningen byggs upp ändå. Karaktärerna är mångsidiga och jag känner starkt för Maresis känsla av att inte riktigt passa in någonstans. Fin fortsättning på en eminent serie!
”Innan jag åkte var allt mycket enklare. Jag passade in. Nu är mitt huvud alltför fullt av frågor och tankar. Jag tror inte att jag hade haft dem om jag inte åkt.”
”Han har ett långsamt leende, det är som en soluppgång över skogens rand – långsamt ljusnar hans allvarliga ansikte, mer och mer, och så häver sig solen över trädens toppar och plötsligt badar allt i ett gyllene ljus.”
Det ska erkännas att jag var lite skeptiskt inställd till fenomenet brevroman, men det fungerar finfint och spänningen byggs upp ändå. Karaktärerna är mångsidiga och jag känner starkt för Maresis känsla av att inte riktigt passa in någonstans. Fin fortsättning på en eminent serie!
May 21, 2019
Lukisin Punaisen luostarin kronikoita vaikka viisi kappaletta lisää. Tähän maailmaan on ihana upputua.
Maresin voima alkaa pienestä ja kasvaa suuriin mittoihin. Olin liikuttunut lopusta, mutta samalla minusta tuntui, että kirja hätiköi lopussa. Tässä olisi ollut tarinaa vielä ainakin sata sivua lisää.
Maresin voima alkaa pienestä ja kasvaa suuriin mittoihin. Olin liikuttunut lopusta, mutta samalla minusta tuntui, että kirja hätiköi lopussa. Tässä olisi ollut tarinaa vielä ainakin sata sivua lisää.
April 8, 2025
2,75/5
Meh meh meh
Przez większość książki było to coś nudnego. Nie wciągnęło mnie, a wręcz momentami fabuła mnie irytowała. Chyba ta część nie była dla mnie:(
Końcowa ocena: 5,5/10
Meh meh meh
Przez większość książki było to coś nudnego. Nie wciągnęło mnie, a wręcz momentami fabuła mnie irytowała. Chyba ta część nie była dla mnie:(
Końcowa ocena: 5,5/10
November 4, 2018
Pidän edelleen Maresista ja Turtschaninoffin luomasta maailmasta. Tässä on edelleen tunnelman osalta paljon samaa kuin Le Guinin töissä, maailma on jotenkin sensuuntainen. Maresi on sankari, mutta hyvin mielenkiintoisella tavalla: Maresin sankaruus on sitä, että suojellaan, turvataan ja opetetaan.
Kirjeromaanimuoto toimii tässä hienosti; eikä tämä edes ole varsinaisesti kirjeenvaihtoa, kun Maresi vain kirjoittelee kirjeitä ja vastauksia tulee vain muutaman kerran koko kirjan aikana, koska etäisyydet olivat pitkiä ja kirjeet kulkivat tiensä hitaasti.
Hieno kirja tiedon, tahdon ja rakkauden voimasta.
Kirjeromaanimuoto toimii tässä hienosti; eikä tämä edes ole varsinaisesti kirjeenvaihtoa, kun Maresi vain kirjoittelee kirjeitä ja vastauksia tulee vain muutaman kerran koko kirjan aikana, koska etäisyydet olivat pitkiä ja kirjeet kulkivat tiensä hitaasti.
Hieno kirja tiedon, tahdon ja rakkauden voimasta.
July 19, 2019
Przepiękne zakończenie wyjątkowej serii. Musicie to przeczytać!
June 18, 2023
Czuć że jest to młodzieżówka, ale tak dobra młodzieżówka, że po prostu żal nie przeczytać.
January 23, 2019
Mulla ei juuri nyt ole sanoja kuvata tätä kirjaa. Mulla on vain se tyytyväisyyden tunne, joka tulee kun lukee viimeisen sivun erittäin hyvästä kirjasta. Tämä taisi olla juuri sitä mitä tarvitsin juuri nyt.
Read
June 17, 2024Luin uudelleen vuosien jälkeen. Edelleen vaikuttava fantasiatarina, jossa limittyvät yliluonnolliset elementit, köyhän kansan arki ja tunnistettava kuvaus siitä, mitä on palata lapsuudenkotiinsa ja huomata olevansa muukalainen. Maresin hahmossa yhdistyvät ihanasti kuolemaan kytkeytyvän jumalattaren antamat voimat ja kuitenkin tarve nimenomaan suojella ja kasvattaa. Kirjemuotoinen kerronta ei mielestäni tuonut oikein mitään lisää tarinaan, mutta eipä tuo toisaalta haitannutkaan. Toivottavasti Maresin äidin tarina kuullaan vielä joskus.
May 28, 2023
Jedna z najpiękniejszych serii jakie czytałam
September 9, 2020
No nyt sain jatkoa Mareesin tarinaan mutta jostain syystä ei iskenyt tai no kolmosen verran eli semi ok. Taas jaariteltiin hirveän pitkään ilman tapahtumia ja lopussa sitten ne muutamat tapahtumat. Aikakin tuntuu kuluvan todella hitaasti, paitsi yhtäkkiä Mareesi onkin jo vanha ja lapsia ja kaikkea. Miten olis kultainen keskitie... Pidin siitä, että tarinaa kerrottiin kirjeiden muodossa. Kirjoitustyyli oli kyllä mukaansa tempaava vaikka tarina kulkikin hitaasti. Sekoilin taas samantyyppisten erikoisten nimien kanssa, mikä ei tietysti ole hyvä. Olisin toivonut ympyrän niin sanotusti sulkeutuvan ja että tarinaa olisi vielä kerrottu luostarista. Mutta kyllä tämä ihan ok oli vaikka ei nyt ihan täysiä lähtenytkään.
Koko sarjasta. Osa 1 oli kaikkein paras mutta silti ihmettelen sen saamaa suosiota. Osa 2 oli irrallinen ja ei oikein liittynyt mitenkään koko Mareesin tarinaan vaan luostarin tarinaan jossa ei koko sarjassa oltu kuin yhdessä osassa. Osan 1 ja 2 olisi voinut jotenkin yhdistää, vaikka niin että Mareesi olisi luostarissa ollessaan lukenut 2 osan naisista ja niiden tekemisistä. 3 osa olisi voinut olla sitten toisena heti Mareesin tarinan jälkeen. Luostariajasta olisi saanut kirjoittaa enemmän.
Koko sarjasta. Osa 1 oli kaikkein paras mutta silti ihmettelen sen saamaa suosiota. Osa 2 oli irrallinen ja ei oikein liittynyt mitenkään koko Mareesin tarinaan vaan luostarin tarinaan jossa ei koko sarjassa oltu kuin yhdessä osassa. Osan 1 ja 2 olisi voinut jotenkin yhdistää, vaikka niin että Mareesi olisi luostarissa ollessaan lukenut 2 osan naisista ja niiden tekemisistä. 3 osa olisi voinut olla sitten toisena heti Mareesin tarinan jälkeen. Luostariajasta olisi saanut kirjoittaa enemmän.
January 26, 2020
Cried my eyes out reading the last letter in the book. The ending captures so well the bittersweet beauty of life. How a realistic happy ending does not come without some sad parts.
My favourite things about this book is once again the beauty and power of nature and the relations of the characters to it, the multifaceted aspects of being a woman in a world built for cisgendered men and the journey of Maresi from girlhood to womanhood. I also think part of what made me love this book so much was how relatable some aspects of it is to me personally. The girl who travels from her small hometown to seek knowledge in a far away country and who then finds it difficult to fit back in, in her home village. All the little things were just do accurate and I found myself constantly thinking oh yeah I know this feeling.
A beautiful and satisfying ending to Maresi's story , I would recommend this book to everyone I know to be honest.
My favourite things about this book is once again the beauty and power of nature and the relations of the characters to it, the multifaceted aspects of being a woman in a world built for cisgendered men and the journey of Maresi from girlhood to womanhood. I also think part of what made me love this book so much was how relatable some aspects of it is to me personally. The girl who travels from her small hometown to seek knowledge in a far away country and who then finds it difficult to fit back in, in her home village. All the little things were just do accurate and I found myself constantly thinking oh yeah I know this feeling.
A beautiful and satisfying ending to Maresi's story , I would recommend this book to everyone I know to be honest.
September 29, 2020
Ale mi się ta cześć dłużyła...
Z całej trylogii uważam, że ostatnia cześć jest najnudniejsza. Początek ciekawy, cała podróż Maresi do domu i pierwsze spotkania z rodziną po latach mnie ciekawiło i czytałam z przyjemnością. Za to środek książki, nuuudaa. Dopiero na końcu zaczęło się coś dziać, na tyle że chciałam te książkę w ogóle skończyć. Obiektywnie książka jest dobra, mocna, żeńska bohaterka, która jest nieustraszona i nie poddaje się sugestii innych, chociaż miewa wątpliwości. Robi to co uważa za słuszne, mimo że inni czasami krzywo na to patrzą, ale ostatecznie przekonują się do działań Maresi. Czuć w treści tej serii mocne girls power i dobrze, niech się pojawia więcej takich bohaterek w książkach dla młodzieży i nie tylko.
Z całej trylogii uważam, że ostatnia cześć jest najnudniejsza. Początek ciekawy, cała podróż Maresi do domu i pierwsze spotkania z rodziną po latach mnie ciekawiło i czytałam z przyjemnością. Za to środek książki, nuuudaa. Dopiero na końcu zaczęło się coś dziać, na tyle że chciałam te książkę w ogóle skończyć. Obiektywnie książka jest dobra, mocna, żeńska bohaterka, która jest nieustraszona i nie poddaje się sugestii innych, chociaż miewa wątpliwości. Robi to co uważa za słuszne, mimo że inni czasami krzywo na to patrzą, ale ostatecznie przekonują się do działań Maresi. Czuć w treści tej serii mocne girls power i dobrze, niech się pojawia więcej takich bohaterek w książkach dla młodzieży i nie tylko.
dnf
July 23, 2019Written in letter format can work, but not here, I got annoyed by her use of nickname for the person she wrote to. And also I never got into the story this way
So she is gonna start a school, only girls, ok good, but this freaking place has no schools at all. And she wonders why her brother got upset
No
So she is gonna start a school, only girls, ok good, but this freaking place has no schools at all. And she wonders why her brother got upset
No
September 7, 2018
Den här boken är så otroligt fängslande och bra. Tack Maria Turtschaninoff för ytterligare en fantastisk läsupplevelse.
Längre recension finns här: https://michaela.fi/blogg/2018/9/5/bo...
Längre recension finns här: https://michaela.fi/blogg/2018/9/5/bo...
February 8, 2019
A solid 4+ stars (started a bit slow and I wasn't wild about the letter format), but I'm rounding up anyway because I JUST LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH. What I wouldn't have given to have had these books as a kid. But I'm very glad to have them now and glad for all the kids who do as well!
October 21, 2018
Turtschaninoff’s books just keep getting better. Can’t wait to see what she will write next!
August 25, 2019
JAAAAA!! Bästa boken i trilogin. Helt makalös.
January 6, 2020
2.5 Stars.
I was sent this review copy for free by Pushkin Children's Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.
Trigger/Content Warnings under spoiler tags because there are quite a few of them.
Having loved Maria Turtschaninoff's previous books in The Red Abbey Chronicles, Maresi and the prequel, Naondel, I was really excited for the final installment, Maresi Red Mantle. But while it was an enjoyable read, I was disappointed on the whole.
The story follows Maresi in the two years after her return to her home in Rova after being at the Red Abbey for eight years. But with her return it is almost a return to normal, everyday life. The writing is as engaging as it has always been, but not a huge amount happens, really. Maresi is much changed from the girl she once was; she is educated, and has her own traditions and religious affinities, that are at odds with those of Rova. They think her strange and different, and an outsider, even though they are her people. Even her mother is uncomfortable around her, and dislikes whenever Maresi talks about anything to do with the Red Abbey.
And so the story goes. She helps out on her family's farm, and she tries to start up the school she returned for. However, no-one sees any reason for the children to be taught to read or count over 20. They are farmers, their children will be farmers after them, there is no other life, so what's the need? But Maresi knows so many more options are open to them if they're educated - at the very least, the joy of reading books! The feelings of the people change when her ability to read manages to get the nádor. the governor of Rova's foot of their neck, at least temporarily, and her school slowly grows. And Maresi experiences the joys of sex, and then slowly falling in love, over her two years.
And not a huge amount happens otherwise until near the end. There is some magic at times over the course of the story, and there's a sense that the story is building to something quite big, but even that was quite anti-climatic. While it is a pretty big deal, it lasts for only a few pages and then is over.
As I said, the writing is engaging, and so beautiful, so I was compulsively reading. And I did enjoy the fact that the lives of the farmers felt quite Pagan in how they followed the earth's cycles, and seemed to celebrate at least some of the same sabbats, which I have been learning about in my spiritual path. And there's even the Red Abbey's service to the First Mother and her aspects of Maiden, Mother, Crone, which is pretty much the same as the Pagan Triple Goddess.
But, overall, there just isn't a huge amount in the way of plot as with the previous two books. And it's such a shame, because I absolutely adored the first books! I kind of wish she'd stayed at the Red Abbey, to be honest. Life in Rova just wasn't as eventful. However, if you have read the previous books in the series, do read some other reviews before deciding whether or not to read Maresi Red Mantle.
I was sent this review copy for free by Pushkin Children's Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.
Trigger/Content Warnings under spoiler tags because there are quite a few of them.
Having loved Maria Turtschaninoff's previous books in The Red Abbey Chronicles, Maresi and the prequel, Naondel, I was really excited for the final installment, Maresi Red Mantle. But while it was an enjoyable read, I was disappointed on the whole.
The story follows Maresi in the two years after her return to her home in Rova after being at the Red Abbey for eight years. But with her return it is almost a return to normal, everyday life. The writing is as engaging as it has always been, but not a huge amount happens, really. Maresi is much changed from the girl she once was; she is educated, and has her own traditions and religious affinities, that are at odds with those of Rova. They think her strange and different, and an outsider, even though they are her people. Even her mother is uncomfortable around her, and dislikes whenever Maresi talks about anything to do with the Red Abbey.
And so the story goes. She helps out on her family's farm, and she tries to start up the school she returned for. However, no-one sees any reason for the children to be taught to read or count over 20. They are farmers, their children will be farmers after them, there is no other life, so what's the need? But Maresi knows so many more options are open to them if they're educated - at the very least, the joy of reading books! The feelings of the people change when her ability to read manages to get the nádor. the governor of Rova's foot of their neck, at least temporarily, and her school slowly grows. And Maresi experiences the joys of sex, and then slowly falling in love, over her two years.
And not a huge amount happens otherwise until near the end. There is some magic at times over the course of the story, and there's a sense that the story is building to something quite big, but even that was quite anti-climatic. While it is a pretty big deal, it lasts for only a few pages and then is over.
As I said, the writing is engaging, and so beautiful, so I was compulsively reading. And I did enjoy the fact that the lives of the farmers felt quite Pagan in how they followed the earth's cycles, and seemed to celebrate at least some of the same sabbats, which I have been learning about in my spiritual path. And there's even the Red Abbey's service to the First Mother and her aspects of Maiden, Mother, Crone, which is pretty much the same as the Pagan Triple Goddess.
But, overall, there just isn't a huge amount in the way of plot as with the previous two books. And it's such a shame, because I absolutely adored the first books! I kind of wish she'd stayed at the Red Abbey, to be honest. Life in Rova just wasn't as eventful. However, if you have read the previous books in the series, do read some other reviews before deciding whether or not to read Maresi Red Mantle.
March 15, 2025
Czytając pierwsze dwa tomy, uważałam, że ta trylogia jest przeciętna i może nawet overhyped. Ale ta książka zmieniła moje zdanie. Każdy list igrał z moimi emocjami. Jest to powieść o kobietach, ich sile, o ważności edukacji i brutalności polityki; o mocy wiary i społeczeństwa, o inności i akceptacji, a także o prawdziwej miłości platonicznej i romantycznej; o trwałej miłości rodziny i o śmierci. Pokochałam tę część całą sobą. Uważam “listy Maresi” za niesamowicie ważną historię z jeszcze ważniejszymi lekcjami. Autorka nie owija w bawełnę. Czytelnikom daje ciepły kocyk, subtelnie opisując trudy życia, brutalność ludzi i bolesne straty. Przede wszystkim kocham ją za feminizm i ukazanie, czemu kobiety walczą o swoje bezpieczeństwo i prawa. Kocham ją za uświadomienie mi, jaką potęgą jest nauka. Kocham ją za emocje, które we mnie wzbudziła (w szczególności ostatnim listem). Ta historia zostanie ze mną do końca mojego życia, głęboko w moim sercu. Dziękuję autorce za stworzenie czegoś tak pięknego.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews