I read this book in one sitting, and was left speechless. I love Vera Nazarian's previous novels, but they pale in comparison to the utter perfection that is Cobweb Bride. It is quite simply one of the most beautifully written stories I have ever read.

The eerie descriptions paint a wintery world of shadow and breathless anticipation seemingly without effort. You know how in some books you find yourself skimming over the descriptions to get to the interesting part? Not in this book, you don't. The world is a living, breathing character.

In many ways, this story is a fairy-tale. A dark, shivery fairy-tale with an intensity that grabs hold and doesn't let go. I am having trouble describing the atmosphere, it is so different from other books. It is macabre and wondrous, beautiful and frightening, all at the same time.

I generally dislike books with multiple main characters and story-lines, but it didn't bother me for a moment in Cobweb Bride, so skillfully were they woven together. The murdered princess unable to die, the unappreciated daughter who finds purpose, the conflicted young knight...their unconnected lives suddenly inextricably bound together. I found it fascinating to watch everyone react to a world where people were suddenly unable to die. Wonder, horror, revulsion, fear, grief - everyone reacts differently.

The author does a wonderful job in explaining how important death is, in ways both obvious and unexpected. When suddenly no one and nothing dies, the world becomes, oddly enough, a scarier place. It is rare to find a fantasy novel of such depth.

I would recommend this book to pretty much everybody. I honestly can't think of a single complaint or flaw. This story can be enjoyed equally by men and women, teens and adults. It's the closest to a perfect book I've come across in a long time.

I received an advance e-galley through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.