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christinefolan's review against another edition
5.0
I am obsessed with this series. Beautiful narration and characters that are amazingly fantastic yet achingly realistic; if you love history and fantasy, you will love these books.
choieuni93's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.5
catherine_hopper's review against another edition
5.0
Rounding up from 4.5 stars. This series isn't my normal genre, but I'm really enjoying this fantasy/fairy tale set in Russia.
shannaw's review against another edition
Setting aside until winter for cozy season vibes.
ybagueera's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
kimmyannschultz's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this sequel more than the first. The characters were rich and the atmosphere was cold, bitter, and beautifully written. I kept putting off the sequel because I thought the first book was good but I wasn’t invested. This time around I’m more intrigued and I want to see what happens to Vasya and her frost demon. I’m not feeling the love story so much but I am feeling this cold and difficult time, stuck between the wild gods (charities) and the priests of a christian god. I can honestly say I’m excited to pick up the last book. It’s the perfect atmosphere as we head into the cold months here.
lyakimov's review against another edition
5.0
I am astonished at how brilliant this entire book was. I never expected to enjoy it as much as I did, and I’m so glad that I decided to continue on with this series.
Vasya is the epitome of a heroine. Time and time again, I read fantasy novels stating so much emphasis on how amazing and brave the heroine is, but never truly SHOW their heroics. This is not the case. Vasya is constantly shot down for her bravery and good deeds, looked down upon most of the time no matter what she does. And still, she does good things for those who treat her terribly because she’s truly a good person.
This story is so magical and the Russian fairytales are seamlessly integrated into the story. From the author’s note, I found it interesting that there is so little recorded history about this time period and that’s likely why I have not heard of any other Russian fairytale retellings (especially in Medieval Russia). I love Morozko, he’s such a unique presence and I was always wanting more of him.
The writing flowed very well and the pacing was perfect. The plot was great and, though I knew Cassian was evil; I was tense and anticipating all the while, and the way that the reveal panned out was extremely satisfying.
I like how there is a strong importance of Vasya’s relationships with her siblings in this series. I enjoyed the development of her relationships with Sasha and Olya, just like I loved seeing her with Alyosha and Irina in book one. The one thing I wished were in this book? Alyosha!!! I missed him so much and I understand why he was not in the book but I still missed him. I really hope he is in the third book because I need him and Vasya to reunite.
Vasya is the epitome of a heroine. Time and time again, I read fantasy novels stating so much emphasis on how amazing and brave the heroine is, but never truly SHOW their heroics. This is not the case. Vasya is constantly shot down for her bravery and good deeds, looked down upon most of the time no matter what she does. And still, she does good things for those who treat her terribly because she’s truly a good person.
This story is so magical and the Russian fairytales are seamlessly integrated into the story. From the author’s note, I found it interesting that there is so little recorded history about this time period and that’s likely why I have not heard of any other Russian fairytale retellings (especially in Medieval Russia). I love Morozko, he’s such a unique presence and I was always wanting more of him.
The writing flowed very well and the pacing was perfect. The plot was great and, though I knew Cassian was evil; I was tense and anticipating all the while, and the way that the reveal panned out was extremely satisfying.
I like how there is a strong importance of Vasya’s relationships with her siblings in this series. I enjoyed the development of her relationships with Sasha and Olya, just like I loved seeing her with Alyosha and Irina in book one. The one thing I wished were in this book? Alyosha!!! I missed him so much and I understand why he was not in the book but I still missed him. I really hope he is in the third book because I need him and Vasya to reunite.