Scan barcode
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
elisabeth_g_mark's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-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? Yes
5.0
This became my favourite trilogy of the last year. Every character is alive, has depth, evolves and has a role to play. The setting is vibrant, you feel the cold, the darkness and the summer heat.
The love story is a side plot, because for our MC her own growth, searching for her own way, is more important than a man. But it's still important to her, home and in the end, she needs it all - her love, her friends and allies, her enemies and faith in herself.
I'll miss this world and will reread it next winter. Katherine Arden became quickly a favourite author with this 5-star trilogy.
The love story is a side plot, because for our MC her own growth, searching for her own way, is more important than a man. But it's still important to her, home and in the end, she needs it all - her love, her friends and allies, her enemies and faith in herself.
I'll miss this world and will reread it next winter. Katherine Arden became quickly a favourite author with this 5-star trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Grief, Violence, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Suicide and Torture
Minor: Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
erwikka's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is by far the best finale I have read. It was a perfect culmination of the series as a whole. I won’t say much because obvious spoilers but I loved every minute of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Animal death
maximauve's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Torture and Rape
maeverose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Honestly, after sitting with it for a while, I wouldn’t be surprised if I bump this up to a five star upon re-read.. (I initially gave it a 3.75) but here’s my review from goodreads (a bit edited):
I feel like this review is going to sound really negative but I did really like it overall (obviously, based on my rating). I was a bit disappointed initially after finishing it. I didn't enjoy reading it quite as much as the other two. To start, this one is very bleak. More-so than the first two, that is. Especially at the beginning and the end. Which obviously is no fault of the book; I think those things made perfect sense for the story, it just wasn't as fun to read. I was also disappointed with how little Morozko was in this one, being as he's one of my favorite characters. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the team up with medved at the end, personally In the end I really like how everything wrapped up and I don't have any issues with how the story played out, I think it actually worked out really well. I just didn't have as much fun reading it. I did cry at the end though so that counts for something I guess. Also Ded Grib must be protected at all costs. Smol precious boy.
I feel like this review is going to sound really negative but I did really like it overall (obviously, based on my rating). I was a bit disappointed initially after finishing it. I didn't enjoy reading it quite as much as the other two. To start, this one is very bleak. More-so than the first two, that is. Especially at the beginning and the end. Which obviously is no fault of the book; I think those things made perfect sense for the story, it just wasn't as fun to read. I was also disappointed with how little Morozko was in this one, being as he's one of my favorite characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and War
Moderate: Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexual content, Death, Misogyny, Suicide, and Torture
stllyltc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Added to my all-time favorite series of books. I could not believe it actually ended. The feeling's still surreal. When I first started reading the novel, I absolutely had no idea what I was getting myself into-Russian folklore, religious affiliation, political warfare, marriages, historical adaption, and such with a heroine that grew up to find herself a future not dictated by others. The characters were all so beautifully created that I am deeply attached to them, especially to Solovey, Vasya's mare. The storytelling wasn't grandiose in a way, but its world building was so captivating that it incessantly creates various images, bountiful at that with its back and forth movement of the plot. It's one I can always get back to when I feel like rereading a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Torture, Blood, Death, Gore, Animal death, Violence, and War
decembermagpie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Death, Grief, Murder, Violence, and War
Minor: Self harm, Pregnancy, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
pvbobrien's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy, Torture, War, Murder, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual content
galactic_gigi'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
5.0
I‘m not gonna lie, this was a wild ride. Don‘t get me wrong, I loved every single part of this series and finished every book in one sitting! But now I‘m left with this feeling of emptiness, wanting to know more about Vasya and Rus and all the potential stories that could follow while she‘s fully accepting her new role.
I really adored the fact that the people in this series weren’t divided into just good and just bad characters. They were all very well written characters, apart from if I liked them or not. I was able to understand their motivations and feelings and therefore was invested into their storyline.
Throughout the series I really got to know Vasya and I basically watched her growing up and maturing and making mistakes, because even though she has the best intentions she is not able to anticipate every single outcome of her actions. She always stood up for her beliefs, but in this book she was facing her greatest fear and standing up to herself.
The two main conflicts were really interesting and during the second one I was more than once on my toes, hoping and praying that this book wouldn‘t destroy me in the end. It did, but just a little.
It was a delight to read these books and I‘m left a little sad that it’s over. I would love to visit this world again!
I really adored the fact that the people in this series weren’t divided into just good and just bad characters. They were all very well written characters, apart from if I liked them or not. I was able to understand their motivations and feelings and therefore was invested into their storyline.
Throughout the series I really got to know Vasya and I basically watched her growing up and maturing and making mistakes, because even though she has the best intentions she is not able to anticipate every single outcome of her actions. She always stood up for her beliefs, but in this book she was facing her greatest fear and standing up to herself.
The two main conflicts were really interesting and during the second one I was more than once on my toes, hoping and praying that this book wouldn‘t destroy me in the end. It did, but just a little.
It was a delight to read these books and I‘m left a little sad that it’s over. I would love to visit this world again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Misogyny, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent, Rape, and Vomit
szuum's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault and Torture