Scan barcode
aksmith92's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I binge-read this beauty of a book over a weekend filled with SNOW! It was perfect. Truly. There is nothing like reading Russian folklore that takes place in a tiny town centuries ago in northern Rus', where mid-winter is an integral part of their culture, and I get to read while looking out my window with snowflakes falling. I highly recommend doing it this way if you can plan for it!
The setup: This tale begins with a Russian fairy tale. A few children are huddled around Dunya, a nursemaid, hearing the story of the frost-king, a mythical being who controls the winter but can also be death itself. We pivot outside the story to learn about a family living in a small town in Rus' (pre-dates Russia, my friends) where Pyotr, the patriarch, overseas this land and community. He has a wife he loves, Marina, and a handful of children. Marina becomes pregnant again and notes how important this birth will be - Marina comes from a line of magical women. Unfortunately (no spoiler!), Marina dies in childbirth, and Vasya, her daughter, is left without her birth mother.
During the novel, we follow the family as children grow up and the patriarch remarries. There is a blend of "old ways," versus the growing Orthodox religion. A common theme throughout the novel is the replacement of the old ways/chyerti (gods) and the shunning of those who still practice the old ways. In addition to that prevalent idea, there is this fantastical element of the fairy tale itself around the frost-king and Vasya being connected to this magical line. Katherine Arden poetically combines Russian folklore and history into a magical realism/fantasy novel.
What I liked: The prose and writing style differed from what I am used to, especially since Arden tried to stay realistic with Rus' language at the time. However, it made it unique and compelling. I found this writing to be atmospheric in its own way, and not only was it interesting, but I had a blast reading it. I also loved many of the characters. So many were flawed, including Pyotr, Vasya's father, and Anna, Vasya's stepmother. Each character was unique and exciting in their own way. Lastly, I loved this fairy tale retelling. I know little Russian folklore and fairy tales, but this seemed original. It was something I hadn't read much about before (except for Uprooted by Naomi Novik), and it just had the vibes of a lovely winter read.
What fell flat: Not much! But it was a bit slow (for me). There was so much character development and setup, which I usually love, but at times, it did drag just a little. Additionally, this was hard to read at times because of all the misogyny in this culture and the blatant sexism that accompanied the time period (which I have no doubt is factual). And, you know, I have to mention it even though I know this fits the "time period," but I disliked that the main female character was 15, yet she was acting older, and there may be pieces of the plot in the future books that have her doing very non-15-year-old things! I don't want to elaborate because I don't want to give anything away, but you know how I feel about teenage girls in fantasy novels!
However, this was beautiful storytelling, and I cannot wait to read the next ones in the series!
The setup: This tale begins with a Russian fairy tale. A few children are huddled around Dunya, a nursemaid, hearing the story of the frost-king, a mythical being who controls the winter but can also be death itself. We pivot outside the story to learn about a family living in a small town in Rus' (pre-dates Russia, my friends) where Pyotr, the patriarch, overseas this land and community. He has a wife he loves, Marina, and a handful of children. Marina becomes pregnant again and notes how important this birth will be - Marina comes from a line of magical women. Unfortunately (no spoiler!), Marina dies in childbirth, and Vasya, her daughter, is left without her birth mother.
During the novel, we follow the family as children grow up and the patriarch remarries. There is a blend of "old ways," versus the growing Orthodox religion. A common theme throughout the novel is the replacement of the old ways/chyerti (gods) and the shunning of those who still practice the old ways. In addition to that prevalent idea, there is this fantastical element of the fairy tale itself around the frost-king and Vasya being connected to this magical line. Katherine Arden poetically combines Russian folklore and history into a magical realism/fantasy novel.
What I liked: The prose and writing style differed from what I am used to, especially since Arden tried to stay realistic with Rus' language at the time. However, it made it unique and compelling. I found this writing to be atmospheric in its own way, and not only was it interesting, but I had a blast reading it. I also loved many of the characters. So many were flawed, including Pyotr, Vasya's father, and Anna, Vasya's stepmother. Each character was unique and exciting in their own way. Lastly, I loved this fairy tale retelling. I know little Russian folklore and fairy tales, but this seemed original. It was something I hadn't read much about before (except for Uprooted by Naomi Novik), and it just had the vibes of a lovely winter read.
What fell flat: Not much! But it was a bit slow (for me). There was so much character development and setup, which I usually love, but at times, it did drag just a little. Additionally, this was hard to read at times because of all the misogyny in this culture and the blatant sexism that accompanied the time period (which I have no doubt is factual). And, you know, I have to mention it even though I know this fits the "time period," but I disliked that the main female character was 15, yet she was acting older, and there may be pieces of the plot in the future books that have her doing very non-15-year-old things! I don't want to elaborate because I don't want to give anything away, but you know how I feel about teenage girls in fantasy novels!
However, this was beautiful storytelling, and I cannot wait to read the next ones in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Blood, Gore, Child death, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Grief, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Murder, Vomit, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Pregnancy
Sexual assault happens on page, albeit briefly - unwelcomed forced touching and kissing.itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I remember seeing a lot of hype surrounding this book. While I'm not the type to fall for hype after reading the blurb, I came to the conclusion this book wouldn't have the same tired old problems as books that tend to get hyped (glorification of abusive relationships, gender bioessentialism, characters that act like walking tropes) and should give it a go. I was mostly right.
I think if you read books purely for vibes and you enjoy richly described dark fairy tales you'll probably enjoy this boom greatly.
What I liked:
I think if you read books purely for vibes and you enjoy richly described dark fairy tales you'll probably enjoy this boom greatly.
What I liked:
- Vasya was a realistic protagonist who was easy to empathise with. Though set mostly in the Russian countryside, I think anyone growing up on the fringes of society in some capacity can relate to Vasya's struggles as our world seems to be heading in a darker direction and we're expected to keep our heads down and not question anything.
- I also enjoyed Vasya's family's dynamics with each other.
It really paid off when Dunya died and eventually came back as a thrall of The Bear, and Pyotr chose to sacrifice himself to bind The Bear. Dunya's ghastly resurrection was especially hard to read. Vasya did not end up in any last minute unnecessary romantic relationships or forced by the plot to "find the right man". I don't know if she is explicitly aromantic, asexual or aromantic asexual but it was depressingly refreshing to have a female lead whose freedom from romantic or sexual relationships was seen as a good thing. It would have been so easy to have her hook up with the Frost King at the end and major kudos to Arden for not going there. More MCs like this please! The bar is subterranean!
What I didn't like:
- I feel like the bulk of the plot was backended towards the last third of the book. While it was necessary to build up
the village's conversion to Christianity through fear and the consequences of ignoring the demons that used to help them the same things kept happening and got very repetitive to the point of it being accidentally comedic. Seeing how this is Arden's debut novel, I'm sure she can improve her pacing in later novels. - Some of the characters do end up feeling kind of tropey. While this is to be expected in fairy tales, said characters feel more like a means to progress the plot rather than be organic characters or twists on the trope they were embodying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Death of parent, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Animal death, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
valpyre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
one of my fave authors reviewed this, so i had to check it out for myself and i'm so glad i did. this was a really refreshing read.
i'm not super familiar with russian mythology and folklore, and i appreciated the way this wasn't just a beat for beat retelling of a fairy tale. the way magic was intertwined with the way of life in the country, and with the main character in particular, just made sense -- i never felt too overwhelmed by new information, but there is a glossary at the end for reference.
i wasn't sure how to feel when i saw that the narrative involved multiple pov's but i really appreciated them all in the end as they lent sympathy to all the characters. the chapters/sections of different pov's were also brief enough that i appreciated the information i was learning, as opposed to just wanting to get back to the main character. even the omniscience of the prose was so smoothly written that it didn't break flow for me.
i'm really interested to see the development of the mc's magic so i'm diving right into the second book!
i'm not super familiar with russian mythology and folklore, and i appreciated the way this wasn't just a beat for beat retelling of a fairy tale. the way magic was intertwined with the way of life in the country, and with the main character in particular, just made sense -- i never felt too overwhelmed by new information, but there is a glossary at the end for reference.
i wasn't sure how to feel when i saw that the narrative involved multiple pov's but i really appreciated them all in the end as they lent sympathy to all the characters. the chapters/sections of different pov's were also brief enough that i appreciated the information i was learning, as opposed to just wanting to get back to the main character. even the omniscience of the prose was so smoothly written that it didn't break flow for me.
i'm really interested to see the development of the mc's magic so i'm diving right into the second book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Death, and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
geminisoul's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was just so immersive. I couldn't help but fall in love with Vasya and enjoyed watching her grow into herself. I can't wait to read the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
pitchblackkoi's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault
tlbignerd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
It has a little slow start, but information that was needed for the story. Everything came together incredibly well, and I can't wait to read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
the_rabble's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is all vibes and worldbuilding. The next books are now on my "to read" list.
Takes until about halfway through to get going, but you've been primed with so much lore you're still having a good time before some of the set up action hits.
When it does hit, it's hard to put down and stays true to the style of the book.
I'm not big on kid protagonists, but this was like if Anne of Green Gables was a horse girl who had a cadre of friends from Russian folklore and maybeGilbert's an ominous, timeless embodiment of winter with questionable motivation.
Narrator: the Kathleen Gati recording is really clean. Voice acting was good- deploys Russian accents in dialogue. The pace could have been faster at times in prose. She's got an excellent fairy tale quality to the read.
Who I Wouldn't Rec This To: Misogyny and casual domestic violence is part of the setting, so if you're not in a headspace to deal with that allll the way through, wait on reading this one.
Takes until about halfway through to get going, but you've been primed with so much lore you're still having a good time before some of the set up action hits.
When it does hit, it's hard to put down and stays true to the style of the book.
I'm not big on kid protagonists, but this was like if Anne of Green Gables was a horse girl who had a cadre of friends from Russian folklore and maybe
Narrator: the Kathleen Gati recording is really clean. Voice acting was good- deploys Russian accents in dialogue. The pace could have been faster at times in prose. She's got an excellent fairy tale quality to the read.
Who I Wouldn't Rec This To: Misogyny and casual domestic violence is part of the setting, so if you're not in a headspace to deal with that allll the way through, wait on reading this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
janieboucher's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death of parent and Child death
Minor: Body shaming
furreverreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So good!
Chilling, exciting, atmospheric. A perfect mix of frustrating characters, and lovable characters; villains and heroes.
Arden wrote it beautifully, incorporating the Russian language and traditions well I think. I was not ready for it to end, but do think she ended it well.
Ugh! So far definitely the best book I’ve finished in 2024.
Chilling, exciting, atmospheric. A perfect mix of frustrating characters, and lovable characters; villains and heroes.
Arden wrote it beautifully, incorporating the Russian language and traditions well I think. I was not ready for it to end, but do think she ended it well.
Ugh! So far definitely the best book I’ve finished in 2024.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, and Death
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, and Animal death
zeddy_s's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood and Death