Scan barcode
oofie's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book continues the story of Vasilisa Petrovna (Vasya). In this story, she leaves behind the village she grew up in and her siblings there, and revolves to travel. She is aided by Morozko, the spirit of death and frost, who is not as impartial as he pretends to be.
She quickly comes into contact with her monk brother, Sasha, who is hunting bandits burning down towns. He is with the Grand Prince of Moscow. To protect herself in a world that cages women away, Vasilisa Petrovna becomes Vasilii Petrovich, Sasha's "brother". She helps them find the bandits they struggled finding and further complicates her and her brother's situations when she returns to Moscow as a guest of honor.
Her secret remains hidden, especially with the help of her sister Olga, who also lives in Moscow, but as Vasya remains the firebrand she is, how long is that tenable? And then there's the other host of questions: what does Morozko want of her? Who were the bandits? Who is this red-headed lord who joined them on their hunt against the bandits? What is women's true role in society; ought they be sequestered away, or seen and heard?
I liked this book. Arden is good at tension and making bad things pretty unbearable, and at the climax of the book, I'll admit I was a ball of anxiety. In a society that is so cruel to women, the stakes are extremely high.
It also made me just...sorrowful, I guess? 'Sorrow' is not a word I use often, but I truly do feel sorrow for the women of medieval Russia. They were hidden away, unable to leave their towers, married at young ages, and seemingly used basically as broodmares. It's a terrible fate, one that makes me both grateful to be a woman in an age that affords women so many more rights, and makes me sad for women like Vasya, who simply cannot stand for the confinement and restriction of freedoms. She, most of all, desires freedom, whether in the first book or this one, and being a man gives her that freedom. Marriage is continually used as a shackle in these books, and it's hard to not agree with that categorization.
Again, I liked this book. I liked looking into the world of medieval Russia, with its spirits, rules, orthodoxy, etc. Arden is a great writer and I look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.
She quickly comes into contact with her monk brother, Sasha, who is hunting bandits burning down towns. He is with the Grand Prince of Moscow. To protect herself in a world that cages women away, Vasilisa Petrovna becomes Vasilii Petrovich, Sasha's "brother". She helps them find the bandits they struggled finding and further complicates her and her brother's situations when she returns to Moscow as a guest of honor.
Her secret remains hidden, especially with the help of her sister Olga, who also lives in Moscow, but as Vasya remains the firebrand she is, how long is that tenable? And then there's the other host of questions: what does Morozko want of her? Who were the bandits? Who is this red-headed lord who joined them on their hunt against the bandits? What is women's true role in society; ought they be sequestered away, or seen and heard?
I liked this book. Arden is good at tension and making bad things pretty unbearable, and at the climax of the book, I'll admit I was a ball of anxiety. In a society that is so cruel to women, the stakes are extremely high.
It also made me just...sorrowful, I guess? 'Sorrow' is not a word I use often, but I truly do feel sorrow for the women of medieval Russia. They were hidden away, unable to leave their towers, married at young ages, and seemingly used basically as broodmares. It's a terrible fate, one that makes me both grateful to be a woman in an age that affords women so many more rights, and makes me sad for women like Vasya, who simply cannot stand for the confinement and restriction of freedoms. She, most of all, desires freedom, whether in the first book or this one, and being a man gives her that freedom. Marriage is continually used as a shackle in these books, and it's hard to not agree with that categorization.
Again, I liked this book. I liked looking into the world of medieval Russia, with its spirits, rules, orthodoxy, etc. Arden is a great writer and I look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.
anna_tag's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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? No
4.25
anusaamy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
as120's review against another edition
4.0
Overall I really enjoyed this book. There was a big gap between my reading of the first and second one which I think put a bit of a dent in my ability to enjoy it. I did take a while to get into the book but from about the halfway point I started to be really invested and began to love the characters again.
My favourite thing about this book (aside from the characters) is how grounded it feels in its historical context. The way its grounded makes the characters thoughts and actions feel believable, like Vasya's siblings who love her but don't understand her actions. The tension between Christianity and the old Gods is also an aspect I enjoyed. I also really want to try honey cakes, and have been trying to figure out what the modern equivalent could be.
The other thing I love is the characters, specifically Vasya, her siblings, and her neice. They all feel so real, and I love how much love exists between them, and it does feel like its the bond between siblings that is at the centre of these books. I hope that continues in the final book. Vasya is a great character, she knows what she wants (or at least what she doesn't want), and even though she is frustratingly reckless at times (especially in the eyes of her siblings) that is aprt of what makes her such a good character. She also rebels against the expectations of her time in a way that feels realistic, and the consequences are also clear, and she is aware of those consequences, and worries about the effect it could have on her siblings.
I love the folklore that runs all through this book, it is enjoyable, fascinating and in a way sadness at the loss of this dying world. I feel like I learnt a lot about Russian folkore through reading this book.
I am looking forward to the final book, I'll try not to leave such a big gap this time!
My favourite thing about this book (aside from the characters) is how grounded it feels in its historical context. The way its grounded makes the characters thoughts and actions feel believable, like Vasya's siblings who love her but don't understand her actions. The tension between Christianity and the old Gods is also an aspect I enjoyed. I also really want to try honey cakes, and have been trying to figure out what the modern equivalent could be.
The other thing I love is the characters, specifically Vasya, her siblings, and her neice. They all feel so real, and I love how much love exists between them, and it does feel like its the bond between siblings that is at the centre of these books. I hope that continues in the final book. Vasya is a great character, she knows what she wants (or at least what she doesn't want), and even though she is frustratingly reckless at times (especially in the eyes of her siblings) that is aprt of what makes her such a good character. She also rebels against the expectations of her time in a way that feels realistic, and the consequences are also clear, and she is aware of those consequences, and worries about the effect it could have on her siblings.
I love the folklore that runs all through this book, it is enjoyable, fascinating and in a way sadness at the loss of this dying world. I feel like I learnt a lot about Russian folkore through reading this book.
I am looking forward to the final book, I'll try not to leave such a big gap this time!
kneecole's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
j6sse's review against another edition
5.0
WOW, wow, wow! if the first book struck me, this one did even more. katherine arden’s world is so alive with wonder and strife. vasya is such an incredibly compelling character, not entirely girl or boy, and strong. i feel so connected to her and morozko. this has ghibli-esque vibes when it comes to the chyerti and vasya’s ability to speak to horses, and yet subverts you from that wonder-filled world and throws you into adrenaline, fear, and sadness for these beloved characters. hats off!!! seriously!!!
indigoblue777's review against another edition
5.0
Wow... I just finished this book and I don't know what to feel right now... I have a serious book hangover.
When I first started this book, I was uncertain if it would live up to its predecessor's success. I need not have worried. The Girl in the Tower was just as amazing as The Bear and the Nightingale. I will be counting the days until the arrival of the final book in the Winternight Trilogy.
Also, Morozko owns my heart <3
When I first started this book, I was uncertain if it would live up to its predecessor's success. I need not have worried. The Girl in the Tower was just as amazing as The Bear and the Nightingale. I will be counting the days until the arrival of the final book in the Winternight Trilogy.
Also, Morozko owns my heart <3
banjo_bunny's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
valpyre's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
the fact that i have to wait 11 weeks until i get a copy of the third book is a travesty
this book made me feel the biggest feelings. once again, i am in awe of how arden writes the omniscient pov, especially as we haven't seen or heard from sasha and olga since the first book. their roles in moscow and their characters were really refreshing and made the setting more immersive. and much like vasya, their minds are always at work, detecting and deducing, so i as the reader always felt like the story kept moving.
i took a really big break from the book around 75% (ish) in, mostly due to life stuff, but also the story itself -- i wasn't totally surprised by the reveal that happened, but i was hoping it wouldn't and it was a lot of secondhand embarrassment for me to handle. i got right into it again when i came back to it though, and everything wrapped up a bit quicker than i expected, but with so much foreshadowing that i just want to know what happens next.
also obsessed with vasya and the frost demon. ive never highlighted a book more.
this book made me feel the biggest feelings. once again, i am in awe of how arden writes the omniscient pov, especially as we haven't seen or heard from sasha and olga since the first book. their roles in moscow and their characters were really refreshing and made the setting more immersive. and much like vasya, their minds are always at work, detecting and deducing, so i as the reader always felt like the story kept moving.
i took a really big break from the book around 75% (ish) in, mostly due to life stuff, but also the story itself -- i wasn't totally surprised by the reveal that happened, but i was hoping it wouldn't and it was a lot of secondhand embarrassment for me to handle. i got right into it again when i came back to it though, and everything wrapped up a bit quicker than i expected, but with so much foreshadowing that i just want to know what happens next.
also obsessed with vasya and the frost demon. ive never highlighted a book more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Child death