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valpyre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
one of my fave authors reviewed this, so i had to check it out for myself and i'm so glad i did. this was a really refreshing read.
i'm not super familiar with russian mythology and folklore, and i appreciated the way this wasn't just a beat for beat retelling of a fairy tale. the way magic was intertwined with the way of life in the country, and with the main character in particular, just made sense -- i never felt too overwhelmed by new information, but there is a glossary at the end for reference.
i wasn't sure how to feel when i saw that the narrative involved multiple pov's but i really appreciated them all in the end as they lent sympathy to all the characters. the chapters/sections of different pov's were also brief enough that i appreciated the information i was learning, as opposed to just wanting to get back to the main character. even the omniscience of the prose was so smoothly written that it didn't break flow for me.
i'm really interested to see the development of the mc's magic so i'm diving right into the second book!
i'm not super familiar with russian mythology and folklore, and i appreciated the way this wasn't just a beat for beat retelling of a fairy tale. the way magic was intertwined with the way of life in the country, and with the main character in particular, just made sense -- i never felt too overwhelmed by new information, but there is a glossary at the end for reference.
i wasn't sure how to feel when i saw that the narrative involved multiple pov's but i really appreciated them all in the end as they lent sympathy to all the characters. the chapters/sections of different pov's were also brief enough that i appreciated the information i was learning, as opposed to just wanting to get back to the main character. even the omniscience of the prose was so smoothly written that it didn't break flow for me.
i'm really interested to see the development of the mc's magic so i'm diving right into the second book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Death, and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
anna_the_literasaurus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Body horror, Child death, and Death of parent
furreverreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
So good!
Chilling, exciting, atmospheric. A perfect mix of frustrating characters, and lovable characters; villains and heroes.
Arden wrote it beautifully, incorporating the Russian language and traditions well I think. I was not ready for it to end, but do think she ended it well.
Ugh! So far definitely the best book I’ve finished in 2024.
Chilling, exciting, atmospheric. A perfect mix of frustrating characters, and lovable characters; villains and heroes.
Arden wrote it beautifully, incorporating the Russian language and traditions well I think. I was not ready for it to end, but do think she ended it well.
Ugh! So far definitely the best book I’ve finished in 2024.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, and Death
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, and Animal death
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
4.5
Sometimes too descriptive but this was mostly only in the beginning to set the background, introduce everyone, etc. That made it hard to get into the story but finally around 65 pages I was intrigued!
Who is this stranger? What does he want with Vasya? I was hooked and didn’t want to put the book down! I loved the folklore and “spirits” throughout the story. It was very atmospheric and tense! The characters were confusing at first and it would’ve helped to have a guide to everyone’s names and their nicknames to keep track. I got used to it after awhile luckily!
Overall an exciting and interesting tale 😍 I can’t wait to continue the series and see what happens with the characters!
Overall an exciting and interesting tale 😍 I can’t wait to continue the series and see what happens with the characters!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexism, Grief, Gore, Animal death, and Religious bigotry
megan_pristineprose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is very dark. Not as whimsical as I had hoped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Misogyny, Death, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Gore and Physical abuse
Minor: Murder, Child death, and Infidelity
ceebee_1993's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
From me, The Bear and the Nightingale gets 4.5 stars!🥳🥰
This was an interesting reading experience 🧐..due to the holiday rush ( cleaning, baking, hanging out with friends), I read this book in 2 sittings that were days apart!🤣😅🤷♀️...thankfully, it didn't affect my opinion on it!😌
We follow Vasya and her family as they live at the edge of the Russian wilderness, where winters last most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses.
After our MC's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, the stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits, but Vasya, sensing that more is hinged upon these rituals, refuses to give them up!
CW: gore, death, murder, horror ( supernatural) and other triggers specific to fairy tales 🙃
This book is first and foremost a tribute to Russian folklore with lots of atmosphere and beautiful descriptions.
The action takes place before the fall of Constantinople and is very focused on the human experience : custom, role of men and women in society, food, beliefs, dress and conduct, the struggle between responsibility / duty and dreams....and finally...the role of religion 😙
I truly enjoyed the characters in this novel! Both Vasya and Anna were very dear to me, as they mirror each other and give you both perspectives on something essentially ingrained in the way of life : myths / folklore.
As always, discussion on religion/ beliefs are a weakness of mine and Konstantin pov was appreciated.
The author manages to bring you sufficiently close to each character ( according to their importance to the plot) while maintaining a distance specific to fairy tales.
I also enjoyed reading from the perspective of Pyotr, Alyosha, Konstantin and Morozko, and I strongly believe that getting only Vasya 's pov would have been a mistake ☺️
All this personalities coupled with different circumstances, getting into the same 'pot' to cook while the sauce is wintery....perfection 🥰👌
Soooo..if you love retellings energy with magical realism and character based plot...I highly recommend you try this one!
This was an interesting reading experience 🧐..due to the holiday rush ( cleaning, baking, hanging out with friends), I read this book in 2 sittings that were days apart!🤣😅🤷♀️...thankfully, it didn't affect my opinion on it!😌
We follow Vasya and her family as they live at the edge of the Russian wilderness, where winters last most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses.
After our MC's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, the stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits, but Vasya, sensing that more is hinged upon these rituals, refuses to give them up!
CW: gore, death, murder, horror ( supernatural) and other triggers specific to fairy tales 🙃
This book is first and foremost a tribute to Russian folklore with lots of atmosphere and beautiful descriptions.
The action takes place before the fall of Constantinople and is very focused on the human experience : custom, role of men and women in society, food, beliefs, dress and conduct, the struggle between responsibility / duty and dreams....and finally...the role of religion 😙
I truly enjoyed the characters in this novel! Both Vasya and Anna were very dear to me, as they mirror each other and give you both perspectives on something essentially ingrained in the way of life : myths / folklore.
As always, discussion on religion/ beliefs are a weakness of mine and Konstantin pov was appreciated.
The author manages to bring you sufficiently close to each character ( according to their importance to the plot) while maintaining a distance specific to fairy tales.
I also enjoyed reading from the perspective of Pyotr, Alyosha, Konstantin and Morozko, and I strongly believe that getting only Vasya 's pov would have been a mistake ☺️
All this personalities coupled with different circumstances, getting into the same 'pot' to cook while the sauce is wintery....perfection 🥰👌
Soooo..if you love retellings energy with magical realism and character based plot...I highly recommend you try this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gore
Moderate: Murder and Classism
chloebaboey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal death, Death, Violence, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Blood, and Sexism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Animal cruelty
ninariella's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Violence, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry
aksmith92's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? Yes
4.5
I binge-read this beauty of a book over a weekend filled with SNOW! It was perfect. Truly. There is nothing like reading Russian folklore that takes place in a tiny town centuries ago in northern Rus', where mid-winter is an integral part of their culture, and I get to read while looking out my window with snowflakes falling. I highly recommend doing it this way if you can plan for it!
The setup: This tale begins with a Russian fairy tale. A few children are huddled around Dunya, a nursemaid, hearing the story of the frost-king, a mythical being who controls the winter but can also be death itself. We pivot outside the story to learn about a family living in a small town in Rus' (pre-dates Russia, my friends) where Pyotr, the patriarch, overseas this land and community. He has a wife he loves, Marina, and a handful of children. Marina becomes pregnant again and notes how important this birth will be - Marina comes from a line of magical women. Unfortunately (no spoiler!), Marina dies in childbirth, and Vasya, her daughter, is left without her birth mother.
During the novel, we follow the family as children grow up and the patriarch remarries. There is a blend of "old ways," versus the growing Orthodox religion. A common theme throughout the novel is the replacement of the old ways/chyerti (gods) and the shunning of those who still practice the old ways. In addition to that prevalent idea, there is this fantastical element of the fairy tale itself around the frost-king and Vasya being connected to this magical line. Katherine Arden poetically combines Russian folklore and history into a magical realism/fantasy novel.
What I liked: The prose and writing style differed from what I am used to, especially since Arden tried to stay realistic with Rus' language at the time. However, it made it unique and compelling. I found this writing to be atmospheric in its own way, and not only was it interesting, but I had a blast reading it. I also loved many of the characters. So many were flawed, including Pyotr, Vasya's father, and Anna, Vasya's stepmother. Each character was unique and exciting in their own way. Lastly, I loved this fairy tale retelling. I know little Russian folklore and fairy tales, but this seemed original. It was something I hadn't read much about before (except for Uprooted by Naomi Novik), and it just had the vibes of a lovely winter read.
What fell flat: Not much! But it was a bit slow (for me). There was so much character development and setup, which I usually love, but at times, it did drag just a little. Additionally, this was hard to read at times because of all the misogyny in this culture and the blatant sexism that accompanied the time period (which I have no doubt is factual). And, you know, I have to mention it even though I know this fits the "time period," but I disliked that the main female character was 15, yet she was acting older, and there may be pieces of the plot in the future books that have her doing very non-15-year-old things! I don't want to elaborate because I don't want to give anything away, but you know how I feel about teenage girls in fantasy novels!
However, this was beautiful storytelling, and I cannot wait to read the next ones in the series!
The setup: This tale begins with a Russian fairy tale. A few children are huddled around Dunya, a nursemaid, hearing the story of the frost-king, a mythical being who controls the winter but can also be death itself. We pivot outside the story to learn about a family living in a small town in Rus' (pre-dates Russia, my friends) where Pyotr, the patriarch, overseas this land and community. He has a wife he loves, Marina, and a handful of children. Marina becomes pregnant again and notes how important this birth will be - Marina comes from a line of magical women. Unfortunately (no spoiler!), Marina dies in childbirth, and Vasya, her daughter, is left without her birth mother.
During the novel, we follow the family as children grow up and the patriarch remarries. There is a blend of "old ways," versus the growing Orthodox religion. A common theme throughout the novel is the replacement of the old ways/chyerti (gods) and the shunning of those who still practice the old ways. In addition to that prevalent idea, there is this fantastical element of the fairy tale itself around the frost-king and Vasya being connected to this magical line. Katherine Arden poetically combines Russian folklore and history into a magical realism/fantasy novel.
What I liked: The prose and writing style differed from what I am used to, especially since Arden tried to stay realistic with Rus' language at the time. However, it made it unique and compelling. I found this writing to be atmospheric in its own way, and not only was it interesting, but I had a blast reading it. I also loved many of the characters. So many were flawed, including Pyotr, Vasya's father, and Anna, Vasya's stepmother. Each character was unique and exciting in their own way. Lastly, I loved this fairy tale retelling. I know little Russian folklore and fairy tales, but this seemed original. It was something I hadn't read much about before (except for Uprooted by Naomi Novik), and it just had the vibes of a lovely winter read.
What fell flat: Not much! But it was a bit slow (for me). There was so much character development and setup, which I usually love, but at times, it did drag just a little. Additionally, this was hard to read at times because of all the misogyny in this culture and the blatant sexism that accompanied the time period (which I have no doubt is factual). And, you know, I have to mention it even though I know this fits the "time period," but I disliked that the main female character was 15, yet she was acting older, and there may be pieces of the plot in the future books that have her doing very non-15-year-old things! I don't want to elaborate because I don't want to give anything away, but you know how I feel about teenage girls in fantasy novels!
However, this was beautiful storytelling, and I cannot wait to read the next ones in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Gore, Animal death, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Murder, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Pregnancy
Sexual assault happens on page, albeit briefly - unwelcomed forced touching and kissing.