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french_cat'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Like the first book in the trilogy, this novel moves at a fast pace. It is told from different viewpoints at the beginning, until the characters and story converge, which I thought was a good way to introduce the reader to new characters, or those we haven't seen for a while.
I love how the author shows the audience the lives, beliefs, roles, and traditions of this time. A very rich picture is built for the reader,which makes the characters' motives and actions understandable.
I raced to the finish of this book. It was exciting and engrossing from start to finish.
I love how the author shows the audience the lives, beliefs, roles, and traditions of this time. A very rich picture is built for the reader,which makes the characters' motives and actions understandable.
I raced to the finish of this book. It was exciting and engrossing from start to finish.
tlbignerd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? No
4.75
Love the second book, possibly more than the first. The story does along, though I did feel like I had general ideas on what might happen in the story. But it still kept me going.
The last 100 pages were almost impossible to put down.
The last 100 pages were almost impossible to put down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Trafficking
thepaperbackplanner's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“The Girl in the Tower” is the excellent second novel in Katherine Arden’s “Winternight” trilogy, and again we find Vasya up to some shenanigans in the spirit world and our world. This time, she’s making her way from her small village to larger cities and beyond, hoping to see all the magic that exists in her lands. But here’s the thing — she can’t stand by and let innocent people suffer, so she finds herself once again embroiled in multilayered conflict. I loved this as a second novel in a trilogy. I felt the story expanded comfortably from book one without suddenly feeling much too big for itself, if that makes any sense. While the plot may have moved to Moscow, a place bigger than Vasya has ever seen, she quickly learns that a city can feel just as stifling as a small village where everyone thinks you’re a witch. I also gotta say that I’m getting some real Eowyn/Dernhelm vibes from my girl Vasya in this novel, which is a lovely bonus. A few final points before I wrap up: 1. The horses continue to impress. 2. Love to feel bad for a villain because you can completely understand how they got where they are, especially while we live through These Times. 3. Finally, extremely here for a kind of ambiguous confusing relationship between an ancient immortal being and a stubborn brave human because I’m trash :)
thelibraryofklee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
oofrie'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