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therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A girl finds that she can see creatures out of forgotten folklore. This, she keeps secret so that nobody accuses her of acts against their new religion and god. Later, a combination of forgetting the old myths and one man’s need to feel exalted above all others leads to deadly trouble that only she is positioned to deal with .
I love books like this, that use existing mythology and folklore. This book uses Russian folklore to create a magical setting filled with helpful spirits that tend the home or stable, or steward the forest, all only visible to certain lucky people. There's a lot of religious scapegoatting in this book, and overall the book didn't capture my attention as well as I thought it would, but I enjoyed it well enough. I gave it a 4 star review, but ultimately felt so-so about it.
I love books like this, that use existing mythology and folklore. This book uses Russian folklore to create a magical setting filled with helpful spirits that tend the home or stable, or steward the forest, all only visible to certain lucky people. There's a lot of religious scapegoatting in this book, and overall the book didn't capture my attention as well as I thought it would, but I enjoyed it well enough. I gave it a 4 star review, but ultimately felt so-so about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization
kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Once I got used to the narrative voice of this book, I really enjoyed listening to this one on audio. It was definitely an immersive experience, with some moments near the end getting pretty creepy, TBH. While I did like this book a lot, I didn't love it on the level of, say, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, which I was sort of expecting to based on reviews I'd heard. I think I'll pick up the next book in physical copy, just to see if perhaps this is something that needs to be enjoyed more quickly than the realities of my life allow for with audiobook listening. But overall, Katherine Arden has created a gorgeous world, with both loveable and love-to-hateable characters. The plot is very much fairy tale-esque, so if a more whimsical narrative isn't your style, I would say to steer clear of this one. I'm excited to see where we go with (hopefully) Vasya in the next installment!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Violence
mitzireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I felt transported while reading this. The layer upon layer that was given to the story was phenomenal.
I haven't read a book like this before and it honestly took my breath away. The details described give the characters such depth that even by the middle of the book you feel like you have know them your whole life.
I haven't read a book like this before and it honestly took my breath away. The details described give the characters such depth that even by the middle of the book you feel like you have know them your whole life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Misogyny, and Mental illness
spiritedfaraway's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Are you going to save us, then?”
“If God gives me strength, I will save you.”
“I am only a country girl,” said Vasya. “I have never seen Tsargrad, or angels, or heard the voice of God. But I think you should be careful, Batyushka, that Gad does not speak in the voice of your own wishing. We have never needed saving before.”
This book flows really well even with all the different point of views and it just keeps you reading until you look up and realize that the sun has come back up and that the book is, unfortunately, finished.
The Bear and the Nightingale takes place in a fantasy version of historical Russia and tells the story of Vasya and her family. It reads like a fairytale and is absolutely beautifully written. Vasya is a wild child with a touch of magic and a willingness to be brave. The different relationships she has with her family are wonderful and feel very real. And her friendships with the spirits are lovingly written.
The few problems I had mostly had to do with the fact that there wasn't a lot that actually happened until almost the very end of the book. This is definitely a character driven story and if you love plot more then this might not be the book for you. I enjoyed reading this immensely though.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Miscarriage and Mental illness
Minor: Animal cruelty
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