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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
While I appreciate how hard Katherine Arden must've worked on this series, to weave in elements of Russian fairy tales with the historical background of the impending battle to save Russia, I felt like this book's pacing didn't quite work out for me.
The book begins explosively, with the people of Moscow hunting Vasya down as a witch as they learned that she had (accidentally) caused the blaze that nearly imperiled the whole of Moscow. The mob is led by Father Konstantin, a thorn on Vasya's side that becomes extremely dangerous in this book as he is beguiled and comes under the Bear's influence. And the Bear has only returned because Morozko has freed him in exchange for his help to ensure that Vasya survives the mob's attempt to burn her alive. In exchange, Morozko is now imprisoned somewhere.
Vasya survives without the Bear's assistance and has fled into the Country of Midnight, a amorphous land where she attempts to strategize on how she may rescue Morozko from his imprisonment while also ensuring that Moscow can survive the Bear's machinations. For the Bear intends to spread chaos and there's no better way to do that than to bring Russia into conflict with the Tatars.
Personally, while I felt like the writing continues to amaze with its lyricism and Vasya's character has been developed into a woman with her own mind, it felt like there were far too many side-quests and historical moments that Arden wanted to introduce in this book. The pacing dragged a little as Vasya's path to Morozko meanders into her family's personal history to explain Vasya's heritage.
Moreover, the Tatars continue to march on and their strength can easily overcome the Grand Prince's forces. It feels like the battle between the mortals was intended to be a major reason for the book's setting but by the time I got to it, I wasn't as invested in Russia's survival as I ought to be. This was simply because it felt like another inevitability and that the mortals would largely survive unscathed, considering how Vasya has triumphed over all the odds both in the magical and mortal realm.
The book begins explosively, with the people of Moscow hunting Vasya down as a witch as they learned that she had (accidentally) caused the blaze that nearly imperiled the whole of Moscow. The mob is led by Father Konstantin, a thorn on Vasya's side that becomes extremely dangerous in this book as he is beguiled and comes under the Bear's influence. And the Bear has only returned because Morozko has freed him in exchange for his help to ensure that Vasya survives the mob's attempt to burn her alive. In exchange, Morozko is now imprisoned somewhere.
Vasya survives without the Bear's assistance and has fled into the Country of Midnight, a amorphous land where she attempts to strategize on how she may rescue Morozko from his imprisonment while also ensuring that Moscow can survive the Bear's machinations. For the Bear intends to spread chaos and there's no better way to do that than to bring Russia into conflict with the Tatars.
Personally, while I felt like the writing continues to amaze with its lyricism and Vasya's character has been developed into a woman with her own mind, it felt like there were far too many side-quests and historical moments that Arden wanted to introduce in this book. The pacing dragged a little as Vasya's path to Morozko meanders into her family's personal history to explain Vasya's heritage.
Spoiler
The romance between Vasya and Morozko is one of the major plot points, as he's amnesic when she first finds him and he only fully remembers her after they've slept together. And even after Morozko is successfully rescued and the Bear is captured, it turns out that Vasya's decision was not the right choice since it has only perpetuated the brothers' centuries-long animosity and failed to unite them. The book felt a little more circuitous than the earlier novels.Moreover, the Tatars continue to march on and their strength can easily overcome the Grand Prince's forces. It feels like the battle between the mortals was intended to be a major reason for the book's setting but by the time I got to it, I wasn't as invested in Russia's survival as I ought to be. This was simply because it felt like another inevitability and that the mortals would largely survive unscathed, considering how Vasya has triumphed over all the odds both in the magical and mortal realm.
What an enchanting trilogy! Perfect reads for the winter season.
I highly recommend these novels to readers that enjoyed Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver & Uprooted as well as C.S. Lewis's Narnia series
I highly recommend these novels to readers that enjoyed Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver & Uprooted as well as C.S. Lewis's Narnia series
This whole series is so good and you should buy the entire trilogy right now !! I think that the combination of Russian folk tales with some elements of family, magic and feminism make for such a great series!! Vasilisa from her birth is powerful and she bows to no one
The whole series is very good, but this book…this one is great.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes