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basil_touche's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.25
This book certainly fulfilled the expectations I had from the previous book. Arden's writing style flows best in this final installment of the Winternight Triology, where chyerti and man alike join forces to protect their home. Chyerti appear much more in the plot here than last time, with the introduction of Midnight being a fascinating way of introducing more of Russian folklore (I was particually fond of Deb Grib, love that he was insistent that he was Vasya's first ally) and a new means of transportation for the protagonist, though not an easy one at first.
I have to admit though, I didn't really care for the romance between Vasya and Morozko. Their relationship felt underdeveloped for most of the novel but as characters I felt that they were still great. It just felt to me that there wasn't much build up to it.
I was surprised when they defeated Medved and the narrative still went on, however I quite like that Vasya freed Medved to assist her in fighting the war. He casually tries to make her lose her mind but they do have a somewhat begruding comradeship by the end (Medved's sly comments at everybody that made me smirk a fair bit).
There were some things that I felt were too quickly explained and others where I wished there were more details about but overall this is a fine conclusion to the triology.
There were some things that I felt were too quickly explained and others where I wished there were more details about but overall this is a fine conclusion to the triology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, War, Death, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual content, Gore, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia
micallab's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Torture and Vomit
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: violence, misogyny, self-harm, torture, sexual content, blood, death, animal death
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden is the third and final book in the Winternight Trilogy. This series is so freaking good. Every time I read one these books, I'm struck by beautiful prose and the unflinching way she wrote the MC Vasya. This book devasted me, cranked up the stakes, and then pat me on the head in the end with a morally gray message.
We pick up with Sasha, Dimitri, and Vasya after the events of the previous book. When Vasya set the golden mare free, she accidentally set fire to Moscow, making the inhabitants, goaded by that self-loathing jerk Konstantin, mob Vasya and try to burn her for a witch. All the while Konstantin is being aided by Medved, The Bear. A lot happens, there is tragedy. Now Vasya must escape and bind Medved again for good and thwart the priest, but when that is done, a whole new enemy awaits.
Looking back, a lot happened in this book! At it's heart this book was about unity. Unity for all of Rus' and unity for the chyerti. Vasya is sort of a bridge between worlds, an equalizer. She is the definition of morally gray. I love how wild she is and how wild she stays. Nothing changes that, not even the romance with the Winter-King. She's such a great character. I'm also gonna need some short stories about my mushroom buddy Ded Grib. He's adorably fierce, and I love him.
This is a great series set in medieval Russia, and examines through historical fiction the coexistence of Christianity and paganism. It also gives us a look at what things might have been like politically during the time of the Tartars invading Russia. We get so much Russian folklore about hearth spirits, forest spirits, and Baba Yaga. There are even really creepy vampire creatures.
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden is the third and final book in the Winternight Trilogy. This series is so freaking good. Every time I read one these books, I'm struck by beautiful prose and the unflinching way she wrote the MC Vasya. This book devasted me, cranked up the stakes, and then pat me on the head in the end with a morally gray message.
We pick up with Sasha, Dimitri, and Vasya after the events of the previous book. When Vasya set the golden mare free, she accidentally set fire to Moscow, making the inhabitants, goaded by that self-loathing jerk Konstantin, mob Vasya and try to burn her for a witch. All the while Konstantin is being aided by Medved, The Bear. A lot happens, there is tragedy. Now Vasya must escape and bind Medved again for good and thwart the priest, but when that is done, a whole new enemy awaits.
Looking back, a lot happened in this book! At it's heart this book was about unity. Unity for all of Rus' and unity for the chyerti. Vasya is sort of a bridge between worlds, an equalizer. She is the definition of morally gray. I love how wild she is and how wild she stays. Nothing changes that, not even the romance with the Winter-King. She's such a great character. I'm also gonna need some short stories about my mushroom buddy Ded Grib. He's adorably fierce, and I love him.
This is a great series set in medieval Russia, and examines through historical fiction the coexistence of Christianity and paganism. It also gives us a look at what things might have been like politically during the time of the Tartars invading Russia. We get so much Russian folklore about hearth spirits, forest spirits, and Baba Yaga. There are even really creepy vampire creatures.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Blood, and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual content and Torture
aunessa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
A very good last book of the trilogy, very challenging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Animal death
Moderate: Torture and Violence
emtees's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.5
This was an amazing end to this trilogy. Definitely my favorite of the three books.
In The Girl in the Tower, Vasilisa Petrovna saved Moscow and its Grand Prince, Dmitrii Ivanovich, from the Tartar invasion and the scheming of the sorcerer Kasyan Lutovich. But in the process, she was revealed to be a witch and she almost got the city burned to the ground. Thanks to her recklessness and mistakes, her old enemy, the mad priest Konstantin, is able to rouse the people of Moscow against her, and to escape being burned to death, Vasya is forced to flee to the lands of Midnight, a sort of world-between-worlds. There, she finds out the truth about her family’s mysterious heritage and learns that, by rejecting the offers of both Morozko the Winter King and his brother, Medved the Bear, she has set herself up as a third power in their eternal war. Whoever she sides with will have a huge advantage, but some of the chyerti, the Russian folk spirts, believe that Vasya should forge her own third path, not just for herself but for them. Meanwhile, back in Moscow, Vasya’s disgraced brother, the warrior monk Sasha, is fighting to protect the Rus from the growing Tartar threat. It is a war that will eventually require the help of all Russians: Christian and pagan, human and chyerti.
This book went in all kinds of directions that I wasn’t expecting. It had all the strengths of the previous books in the series - interesting magic, good use of Russian folklore and history, a main character who is complicated and makes lots of mistakes but is easy to root for, unconventional romance alongside a lot of important non-romantic relationships - but it took the series up a step with the twists and the themes it was exploring. I was a little confused when I got halfway through and it seemed the main plotline had been resolved, but instead, Arden introduced new threats and a lot more moral ambiguity. Vasya’s destiny was not what she thought it was; instead it was something a lot messier and more painful, but also better for both her and her people, Russian and chyerti. Her relationship with Morozko in this book was really strong and interesting; I took a while to care about them in the earlier books in the series but this time I was definitely rooting for them. And I continue to really love her sibling bonds with Sasha and Olga. The book also introduced a couple new characters; my favorite was Ded Grib, the mushroom chyerti, who may be small and of limited skill but is really proud of being Vasya’s first follower.
This book was the most emotional of the three. There were some painful deaths (Sasha! Solovey, even though he came back! And I cannot believe the book actually made me feel for Konstantin ), a lot of emotional challenges for Vasya, and strong character growth. Vasya’s story has always been about trying to find her way between the obligations she feels towards her family and country and her desire for a life free of the restrictions imposed by both. In this book she finds her way to a compromise that works for her, but not without cost. It sounds weird to say about a fictional character, but I was proud of her.
The book ends with an author’s note that explains the aspects of Russian history that Arden used in the series, which enhanced my appreciation for the series.For example, that Sasha and Chelubey were based on real people who did die in single combat against each other, explaining why Sasha had to break my heart by dying in this book. And I had no idea that the compromise between Christian and pagan religion that Vasya works out in the story wasn't just a fanciful idea, but the actual way religion worked in Russia for most of it's history. That's neat.
There were a few minor things in the book didn't work for me, mainly in the revelations about Vasya's family, which were paced oddly and didn't end up seeming as important as they were set up to be. But overall I loved this series and especially this very satisfying conclusion.
In The Girl in the Tower, Vasilisa Petrovna saved Moscow and its Grand Prince, Dmitrii Ivanovich, from the Tartar invasion and the scheming of the sorcerer Kasyan Lutovich. But in the process, she was revealed to be a witch and she almost got the city burned to the ground. Thanks to her recklessness and mistakes, her old enemy, the mad priest Konstantin, is able to rouse the people of Moscow against her, and to escape being burned to death, Vasya is forced to flee to the lands of Midnight, a sort of world-between-worlds. There, she finds out the truth about her family’s mysterious heritage and learns that, by rejecting the offers of both Morozko the Winter King and his brother, Medved the Bear, she has set herself up as a third power in their eternal war. Whoever she sides with will have a huge advantage, but some of the chyerti, the Russian folk spirts, believe that Vasya should forge her own third path, not just for herself but for them. Meanwhile, back in Moscow, Vasya’s disgraced brother, the warrior monk Sasha, is fighting to protect the Rus from the growing Tartar threat. It is a war that will eventually require the help of all Russians: Christian and pagan, human and chyerti.
This book went in all kinds of directions that I wasn’t expecting. It had all the strengths of the previous books in the series - interesting magic, good use of Russian folklore and history, a main character who is complicated and makes lots of mistakes but is easy to root for, unconventional romance alongside a lot of important non-romantic relationships - but it took the series up a step with the twists and the themes it was exploring. I was a little confused when I got halfway through and it seemed the main plotline had been resolved, but instead, Arden introduced new threats and a lot more moral ambiguity. Vasya’s destiny was not what she thought it was; instead it was something a lot messier and more painful, but also better for both her and her people, Russian and chyerti. Her relationship with Morozko in this book was really strong and interesting; I took a while to care about them in the earlier books in the series but this time I was definitely rooting for them. And I continue to really love her sibling bonds with Sasha and Olga. The book also introduced a couple new characters; my favorite was Ded Grib, the mushroom chyerti, who may be small and of limited skill but is really proud of being Vasya’s first follower.
This book was the most emotional of the three. There were some painful deaths (
The book ends with an author’s note that explains the aspects of Russian history that Arden used in the series, which enhanced my appreciation for the series.
There were a few minor things in the book didn't work for me, mainly in the revelations about Vasya's family, which were paced oddly and didn't end up seeming as important as they were set up to be. But overall I loved this series and especially this very satisfying conclusion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death
simp_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.0
I loved this series. Book 3 had a lot going on and I got a little bogged down by it, hence the four stars instead of five.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, War, and Violence
remib's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Violence
thebookkeepers's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
I love this series! This book was probably my least favorite of the trilogy, but still a great read. I felt like Vasya’s magic in this one came out of nowhere and was a convenient tool for the author to advance certain parts of the story and since it didn’t feel woven into book 1 & 2 (that I noticed), it just didn’t quite do it for me. That said I love how there were many unexpected twists and reveals within the story I didn’t see coming. I love all the cherty and domovoi and the horses ❤️🩹. Great historical fiction/fantasy blend and one I’ll remember.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
happy_book's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and War
lisa_m's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was the perfect conclusion to the trilogy! It truly got better and better. I really liked the first book, loved the second and this one was just amazing.
I don't think I understand every theme that was explored in this book so I won't even try to analyse it. I just read this book for pleasure so I didn't make notes or anything. I can say that there is definitely loads of things to analyse and think about though.
I loved the way the myths were mixed with real events and people. It just feels like an alternative universe.
This series is officially one of my all time favourites. The writing is amazing, as is the storytelling. The characters range from good, to horrible, to amazing, to very morally ambiguous. The exploration of good & bad and if there even is such a thing in the first place was done so well. This book had a twist I truly did not expect. After the 3rd big chapter I thought everything was over (because in every other fantasy book, that is how the story ends), everything that came after was just so unexpected and amazing. I can't say more without saying too much and spoiling the book so I won't. This is truly a series you should know as little as possible about before reading.
Also I was surprised by how fresh this book felt. I have read so many fantasy books by now and I can enjoy a book while still realising how tropy and cliquee it is. This book felt like something new and exciting though.
I can only highly recommend this book! Especially if you are interested in russian folklore :)
I don't think I understand every theme that was explored in this book so I won't even try to analyse it. I just read this book for pleasure so I didn't make notes or anything. I can say that there is definitely loads of things to analyse and think about though.
I loved the way the myths were mixed with real events and people. It just feels like an alternative universe.
This series is officially one of my all time favourites. The writing is amazing, as is the storytelling. The characters range from good, to horrible, to amazing, to very morally ambiguous. The exploration of good & bad and if there even is such a thing in the first place was done so well. This book had a twist I truly did not expect. After the 3rd big chapter I thought everything was over (because in every other fantasy book, that is how the story ends), everything that came after was just so unexpected and amazing. I can't say more without saying too much and spoiling the book so I won't. This is truly a series you should know as little as possible about before reading.
Also I was surprised by how fresh this book felt. I have read so many fantasy books by now and I can enjoy a book while still realising how tropy and cliquee it is. This book felt like something new and exciting though.
I can only highly recommend this book! Especially if you are interested in russian folklore :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Body shaming, Death, Torture, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Violence, Kidnapping, and Sexism