"I will tell you . . . a story of magic and love, of daring and death, and one to comfort your heart. It will be the truest story I have ever told....
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reviews
Sep 28, 2011
Amanda
rated it: 
I can't even tell you how much I loved this book...made even more special because it will forever be the book that I read the day my mom died. And I think that was "meant to be". The way death (not the person) is treated in the book is so reverential and gave me a great perspective...like this passage:
"Tell me what it is like to die."
He dismounted from his horse, looking at me strangely the whole while, "You experience something similar ever More...
"Tell me what it is like to die."
He dismounted from his horse, looking at me strangely the whole while, "You experience something similar ever More...
2 comments
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(13 people liked it)
Jul 15, 2011
Tatiana
rated it: 
I have been such a Debbie Downer lately, moaning so much about lack of good books, that I completely forgot how much I enjoyed Keturah and Lord Death.
You know how some authors can infuse magic in their works using simple, everyday words? Their stories always have that fairy tale air about them. Robin McKinley is great at it, Laini Taylor, Erin Bow, Juliet Marillier. And so is Martine Leavitt.
Keturah and Lord Death is a simple enough novel with familiar fairy tale themes. More...
You know how some authors can infuse magic in their works using simple, everyday words? Their stories always have that fairy tale air about them. Robin McKinley is great at it, Laini Taylor, Erin Bow, Juliet Marillier. And so is Martine Leavitt.
Keturah and Lord Death is a simple enough novel with familiar fairy tale themes. More...
9 comments
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(23 people liked it)
Jul 25, 2011
Kate
rated it:
Almost Instantly this book made me feel just like a little girl (who in reality I am convinced only exists in movies) sitting curled up in front of a fire listening to a fantastical tale perfectly told by a practiced narrator.
I don't even like books like this, and I thought this was fabulous. The old fashioned fairytale style; young underprivileged girl who lives in a village near the woods with Grandmother and dreams of true love.....you understand, it's not my thing. That is how g More...
I don't even like books like this, and I thought this was fabulous. The old fashioned fairytale style; young underprivileged girl who lives in a village near the woods with Grandmother and dreams of true love.....you understand, it's not my thing. That is how g More...
4 comments
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(10 people liked it)
Mar 08, 2008
Bonnie Gayle
rated it:
Gah! This book was wonderful, and would be an automatic add to my favorites, except for 2 things. I know. Me and my 2 picky things, but they're big issues. Maybe eventually this will go in my favorites, but for now those 2 things are bugging me too much.
Keturah follows a beautiful deer into the woods one day, and after a long chase, discovers that she is lost and cannot find her way back. On the verge of dying, Lord Death comes to take her, but, Keturah, renowned in her small town fo More...
Keturah follows a beautiful deer into the woods one day, and after a long chase, discovers that she is lost and cannot find her way back. On the verge of dying, Lord Death comes to take her, but, Keturah, renowned in her small town fo More...
6 comments
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(12 people liked it)
Jun 18, 2008
Angie
rated it: 
This one has been getting lots of good press and was a National Book Award Finalist for 2006. Keturah and Lord Death is a sort of Scheherezade meets Beauty and the Beast meets the Persephone myth, in which a young woman is forced to spin a new tale each night to keep her captor from killing her. In this version, her captor is, in fact, Death himself (hence the Persephone connection), and he actually lets her go on the condition that she will return the following night with the end of the tale. S
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(6 people liked it)
May 21, 2008
Holly
rated it:
I read this YA fantasy novel set in early Middle Ages England all in one day. Quite easily, in fact. Like a lot of literature aimed at teens, it's a feather-light read, and it goes even quicker because I guarantee that you've read this all before. The story is riddled with cliches. A Faustian bargain made by an otherwise good character. Someone has to find true love on a deadline or they'll die. Buying time from the executioner by telling a story with no ending. Been there, done that. Utterly pr
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(7 people liked it)
Jul 23, 2008
Rachel
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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(4 people liked it)
Mar 25, 2008
Enna Isilee (Squeaky Books)
rated it:
A great fairy-tale like story about finding true love and the hidden side of Death. Simple, but nearly made me cry at the end. Definitely reccomend it.
Click here for a more detailed review
Click here for a more detailed review
2 comments
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(6 people liked it)
Aug 02, 2011
Isamlq
rated it:
It's a fairytale that reminds me of things I liked in Goose Girl, both written with simple language and told in a straightforward manner; neither of these things took from Keturah's story. Keturah is kind and will do anything to keep her people safe. Once loved simply for telling a story or for being around or for being pretty, things change when she loses her way in the forest and meets Lord Death. A bargain is struck and she allowed back, only once home, instead of the easy affection she'd com
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 23, 2011
BlueSky
rated it:
I read "Keturah and Lord Death" in about 2-3 days. It is a very easy read and I would have probably finished a lot faster if it wasn't for my homework and chores. To start off my review I will say that God is the only omnipotent being out there. God can or is everywhere at once. Therefore there are many angels of death because they can't be everywhere at once.
This story follows Keturah, her family (grandmother), two best friends, and her village people. Keturah is very mode More...
This story follows Keturah, her family (grandmother), two best friends, and her village people. Keturah is very mode More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jun 30, 2011
Jillian -always aspiring-
rated it:
"It is life that hurts you, not death."
The above quote was probably my favorite (of many quote-worthy lines) from Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt. It seems morbid, but isn't it true? Life is full of obstacles and trials, pain and sorrows, loss and grief. For one who has lived a full life with all of those things, death must be almost a relief, a balm to soothe the aches and scars life has granted.
But death is also the great unknown. To die is almo More...
The above quote was probably my favorite (of many quote-worthy lines) from Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt. It seems morbid, but isn't it true? Life is full of obstacles and trials, pain and sorrows, loss and grief. For one who has lived a full life with all of those things, death must be almost a relief, a balm to soothe the aches and scars life has granted.
But death is also the great unknown. To die is almo More...
7 comments
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(24 people liked it)
Oct 09, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt is one of the most unique and beautiful stories I have ever read. While not a direct fairy tale retelling, falling more into the category of fairy tale-esque, the book reads like a fairy tale, and elements from different tales and lore find their way into Keturah's story.
Keturah is the storyteller in her small village. She tells tales around the common fire each More...
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt is one of the most unique and beautiful stories I have ever read. While not a direct fairy tale retelling, falling more into the category of fairy tale-esque, the book reads like a fairy tale, and elements from different tales and lore find their way into Keturah's story.
Keturah is the storyteller in her small village. She tells tales around the common fire each More...
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(1 person liked it)
Mar 13, 2008
Meagan
rated it:
This book perfectly captures the entrancing nature of a perfectly told tale. My recommendation is to set aside a block of a few hours to read it, because if you start and are unable to finish right away (like me) you'll be so so sad to put it down. The main character, Keturah, has a talent for telling stories and so when she sees the beautiful hart at the edge of the forest, she follows it so she'll have a new story to tell. The hart leads her deep into the forest, where she becomes lost and
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0 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Mar 02, 2008
Mary-Beth
rated it:
When I picked this up I expected it to be fluff and I wasn't mistaken. If you're looking for some fluff then don't be scared away by my review. This book was decent for what it was, an odd combination of some fairy tale archetypes. It was a bit of a mixture of the storyteller from The 1001 Nights and those fairy tales where Death is present as a character.
The biggest problem I had with the story was its realism. But the way the thing was written, it was clear you weren't supposed to More...
The biggest problem I had with the story was its realism. But the way the thing was written, it was clear you weren't supposed to More...
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(3 people liked it)
Feb 17, 2008
Suzy
rated it:
My finger hovered over five stars so long, cramp seemed distinctly possible. But. Must not let weakness for men in black capes with nasty laughs (exclude Jack the Ripper) cloud my rating ethics.
Maybe I've spent too much time with dense works like the Dark Jewels trilogy to appreciate this kind of vapid...fluff. Where the former paints the scene with heavy bloody strokes, this book flirts around the edges like a skittish filly.
As attractive as he is in all that dark gear More...
Maybe I've spent too much time with dense works like the Dark Jewels trilogy to appreciate this kind of vapid...fluff. Where the former paints the scene with heavy bloody strokes, this book flirts around the edges like a skittish filly.
As attractive as he is in all that dark gear More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jul 09, 2008
JoLee
rated it: 
Keturah gets lost in the forest, and there she faces Lord Death. She is well-known for her story-telling, and she calls on this talent to buy herself some time. Scheherezade style, she refuses to tell Lord Death the ending of the story until the next night, and he gives her another day to live.
The language and style of this book read like an old fairytale. Like in the old fairytales, the characters are rather two-dimensional, and the reader is always held at a distance--unable t More...
The language and style of this book read like an old fairytale. Like in the old fairytales, the characters are rather two-dimensional, and the reader is always held at a distance--unable t More...
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(1 person liked it)
Feb 01, 2012
Kay
rated it:
Keturah and Lord Death is an intriguing story told in a simple, fairytale style. The concept is familiar enough: Keturah loses herself in the woods for three days, and on the brink of starvation, Lord Death postpones her demise in exchange for a story. The prose is like that of a child's fairytale—flowy and descriptive, but not burdened with the grittier realities of life. However, despite the simplicity of prose and plot, the story is deceptively multi-layered. The concept of death is cen
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 07, 2010
Michelle
rated it:
Short and Sweet Review, by Michelle:
Just like the stories that her character Keturah tells, Martine Leavitt tells a beautiful story of love, but most importantly, of life. Through Keturah’s experiences with Lord Death, she starts seeing the world through a different set of eyes. It’s a beautiful lesson that I think old and young alike can appreciate and learn along with Keturah. The love story and Keturah’s passion to find her true love are the driving force throughout the novel and just More...
Just like the stories that her character Keturah tells, Martine Leavitt tells a beautiful story of love, but most importantly, of life. Through Keturah’s experiences with Lord Death, she starts seeing the world through a different set of eyes. It’s a beautiful lesson that I think old and young alike can appreciate and learn along with Keturah. The love story and Keturah’s passion to find her true love are the driving force throughout the novel and just More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jun 17, 2011
Cami
rated it:
Keturah, a 15 yr old maiden in the small village in Tide-by-Rood, follows a hart into the forest. She becomes lost for three days and as she knows she is nearing death, who should appear before her, but Lord Death himself, determined to take her with him. However, Keturah wants to live, to marry for love and have a child of her own. She persuades Lord Death with her fine story telling to give her one more day to find her one true love...
This was beautifully romantic tale with a touch of th More...
This was beautifully romantic tale with a touch of th More...
Jan 06, 2009
Alice
rated it:
While doing an internet genealogy search on a family name (my great grandmother, Keturah Alice Reeves), I kept running into this title. Keturah is an uncommon name, so my interest was piqued. This Keturah's story ended up being in one of my favorite genres: the retold fairy tale.
Cover art aside, this is a chaste young adult tale that courts the two questions, "What is death?" and "What is love?" Echoing the Persephone myth, plus the plot of the 1001 Arabian night More...
Cover art aside, this is a chaste young adult tale that courts the two questions, "What is death?" and "What is love?" Echoing the Persephone myth, plus the plot of the 1001 Arabian night More...
4 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Nov 20, 2011
Bt
rated it:
Horrible, horrible book! I read all the good reviews and thought this was going to be quality, but serioiusly? The characters have no personality, and the dialogue is completely unrealistic. The writing seems like it's for second graders. I find the whole idea for the plot kind of morbid, but I was willing to accept it if the author could pull it off. But she couldn't. Not by a long shot! After the first chapter, I was a combination of sick and trying not to burst out laughing. I could've predic
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Nov 12, 2011
Brandi
rated it:
If you could ask anything of Death, what would you ask for? For one more day, to finalize your life and say goodbye? An eternity - one hundred years of love, sadness, and laughter? Or perhaps, to go swiftly, to leave your life the way it is? Would you ask for a long life for someone else - a friend, a stranger, an innocent man, woman, or child?
Keturah asks for all of these things during her many encounters with Lord Death. And he grants her all of these wishes, save but one. Why, do More...
Keturah asks for all of these things during her many encounters with Lord Death. And he grants her all of these wishes, save but one. Why, do More...
Jul 16, 2011
Margaret Boling
rated it:
7/15/11 ** Absolutely phenomenal book. I was out with no book, so stole one from my husband's bag, though I'd never heard of it. Keturah lives in the poorest village in the kingdom and is known for her storytelling skills. When she wanders into the forest and gets lost, she meets Lord Death and, using her storytelling magic, convinces him to spare her life for one day. If she can find her one true love, he'll spare her life entirely.
Keturah is selfless; she seems to create her own happ More...
Keturah is selfless; she seems to create her own happ More...
Jul 15, 2011
Miakoda
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jun 26, 2011
Tara
rated it:
This book is a reason why I can't read fiction books too often. I start reading and then I can't put them down and everything is neglected, including children. :)The story is a mix of fantasy and realism. It is set during the middle ages with commoners, lords, and kings. By far, my favorite part was the ending, even though it left me with confused emotions. The personification of Death was hard to wrap my mind around at first, and yet the author does an excellent job blending this fantastica
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Jun 17, 2011
Natalie
rated it:
This book is beautiful and strange and sad. It reads like a fairytale with a young girl lost in the woods, meeting a handsome, dangerous stranger. She convinces him to let her go for a day so she can find her true love, but what if her true love is nowhere to be found?
Keturah is sweet and somewhat naive and occasionally downright foolish. She struggles for true love, not understanding that it is not something that can be won but has to be given. Through the story, she grows in More...
Keturah is sweet and somewhat naive and occasionally downright foolish. She struggles for true love, not understanding that it is not something that can be won but has to be given. Through the story, she grows in More...
May 27, 2011
Nancy
rated it:
I am currently reading Thomas Cahill's "Mysteries of the Middle Ages," and I wanted a medieval sort of novel to read; Martine Leavitt's "Keturah and Lord Death" fit the bill exactly precisely. Keturah, the 16-year-old storyteller of her village, wanders into the forest and meets Death, who asks her to be his bride. But when Keturah learns that her whole village is doomed from the coming plague, she turns Scheherazade and bargains with Death: she will tell him a story, and s
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May 10, 2011
Winnie
rated it:
Keturah and Lord Death
When you are facing with your Death, would you be brave enough to bargain with him for your life? Or would you just sit on the ground shivering and being speechless? The heroine in Keturah and Lord Death, Keturah, has do both of the above when she is facing with her Death. She fears, still she is strong. This is how attractive this character is and the whole book. This is a love story does not emphasise on sweet phrases. Instead, this book is a great combination of f More...
When you are facing with your Death, would you be brave enough to bargain with him for your life? Or would you just sit on the ground shivering and being speechless? The heroine in Keturah and Lord Death, Keturah, has do both of the above when she is facing with her Death. She fears, still she is strong. This is how attractive this character is and the whole book. This is a love story does not emphasise on sweet phrases. Instead, this book is a great combination of f More...
May 06, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
Rarely do books make me cry. Keturah and Lord Death is sad, beloved, and endearing. It's morbid, depressing, and never once happy, although there are plenty of happy endings abound. Be sure to have lots of laughs between each read, and each chapter, because you won't find it in here--ever. Leavitt has written a solid and solemn historical paranormal romance that sates the pre-Nicolas Sparks in all of us.
Keturah is very easy to like, and to relate to. She is a storyteller. One day, she More...
Keturah is very easy to like, and to relate to. She is a storyteller. One day, she More...
