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readingoverbreathing's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'll be honest, even though I read The Bear and the Nightingale only a year ago, I'd forgotten a lot of the details already. But it seemed appropriate to dive into this as winter was coming to a close, and before my memories of the first book became too far gone.
Thankfully, though still a bit fuzzy, those recollections did slowly come back to me as I reoriented myself in this world. I did find the first half rather frustrating — Vasya is missing for the first 100 pages, and then we get vaulted into the past to see what she had been up to in the meantime. I didn't at all understand the point of this; simply moving back and forth between perspectives would, I think, have been perfectly adequate here. But once the group emerges out of the woods, with the initial threat seemingly conquered and still half the book to go, the intrigue really picked up, and so did my interest in the story.
Arden's writing is truly lovely, lush and descriptive, and really does make this seem like you're reading a fairytale. But I think because of that fairytale framework, there is very little here that feels original. The characters are all barely disguised stereotypes, and while the world of spirits and demons that only Vasya can see is interesting, it's nothing I haven't come across before. I remember a lot more of the domovoi and other spirits in the first book; while they do play some part in the plot here, there was not as much interaction with them as I would have liked. The generic, snowy Russian setting of these books is certainly atmospheric, but, again, just not original.
I did enjoy this, so I am willing to still give it four stars, but to be honest, I am just not invested enough to continue any further with this series. The end to this installment was dramatic and definitive enough that I feel pretty satisfied to go no further. I would definitely, however, be interested in exploring more of Arden's work outside of this series and seeing if she has developed her creativity to live up to the exquisite flow of her writing.
Thankfully, though still a bit fuzzy, those recollections did slowly come back to me as I reoriented myself in this world. I did find the first half rather frustrating — Vasya is missing for the first 100 pages, and then we get vaulted into the past to see what she had been up to in the meantime. I didn't at all understand the point of this; simply moving back and forth between perspectives would, I think, have been perfectly adequate here. But once the group emerges out of the woods, with the initial threat seemingly conquered and still half the book to go, the intrigue really picked up, and so did my interest in the story.
Arden's writing is truly lovely, lush and descriptive, and really does make this seem like you're reading a fairytale. But I think because of that fairytale framework, there is very little here that feels original. The characters are all barely disguised stereotypes, and while the world of spirits and demons that only Vasya can see is interesting, it's nothing I haven't come across before. I remember a lot more of the domovoi and other spirits in the first book; while they do play some part in the plot here, there was not as much interaction with them as I would have liked. The generic, snowy Russian setting of these books is certainly atmospheric, but, again, just not original.
I did enjoy this, so I am willing to still give it four stars, but to be honest, I am just not invested enough to continue any further with this series. The end to this installment was dramatic and definitive enough that I feel pretty satisfied to go no further. I would definitely, however, be interested in exploring more of Arden's work outside of this series and seeing if she has developed her creativity to live up to the exquisite flow of her writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Child death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual assault
Minor: Trafficking, Rape, Vomit, and Violence
collettem27's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Rape
mmefish's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
3.5
Witch. The word drifted across his mind. We call such women so, because we have no other name.
This one... isn't as great as "The Bear And the Nightingale".
I still love Katherine Arden's writing and the way she shapes her characters but this book feels way less... mature? The beginning is fine and the middle section is great (I was anxious the whole time) but the ending felt rushed, unnecessary and trope-ish.
What I mean by unnecessary is, for example, this:
-
-
-
And by tropes I mean: Vasya is special, "plain" (so many time it's mentioned that she's ugly and not a beauty, we get it), everyone falls in love with her; Vasya is good/better at whatever; lack of communication, specifically people starting telling something and just... deciding not to (I hate it so much); the "twist" (
It read a little bit too much like YA.
Also, I'm really sick of
Overall, "The Girl in the Tower" is definitely not terrible but still feels like a letdown after such a strong first book.
_______________
Edit: decided not to finish the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Blood, and Sexism
Moderate: Gore, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, Slavery, and Rape
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, rape mention, descriptions of blood and corpses, still birth
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden is the second book in the Winternight trilogy. I loved Vasya in the first book and I love her just as much in this one! This was also a perfect read for this cold snap we were having. This is a very winter atmospheric read.
We started off a little slow by beginning with Vasya's older brother Sasha's pov. We pick up with him going to Moscow to tell his cousin the Grand Prince about the raids and kidnapping of girl children in the villages by Tartars. He stops by the Savra to rest when a boy on horseback demanded they open the gate and had three girl with her.
Surprise! It was Vasya the while time. Then we find out what happened to Vasya. I love how fierce and independent she is and stubborn to boot. We get a bit more slow burn from her and Morozko, although we don't really get a happy ending. I still love the fairytale feel of this series and the Russian folklore. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say more. I'll just say Solovey is one of my favorite characters.
This is a very feminist take on a fairytale. Though there is a slow burn happening, it doesn't consume Vasya. She just wants to experience the world and be treated as she was when she was being Vasilii Petrovich instead of Vasalisa Petrovna. She doesn't want to get married. She just wants a horse farm of her own.
Can't wait to get my hands on the last book and conclude this adventure.
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden is the second book in the Winternight trilogy. I loved Vasya in the first book and I love her just as much in this one! This was also a perfect read for this cold snap we were having. This is a very winter atmospheric read.
We started off a little slow by beginning with Vasya's older brother Sasha's pov. We pick up with him going to Moscow to tell his cousin the Grand Prince about the raids and kidnapping of girl children in the villages by Tartars. He stops by the Savra to rest when a boy on horseback demanded they open the gate and had three girl with her.
Surprise! It was Vasya the while time. Then we find out what happened to Vasya. I love how fierce and independent she is and stubborn to boot. We get a bit more slow burn from her and Morozko, although we don't really get a happy ending. I still love the fairytale feel of this series and the Russian folklore. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say more. I'll just say Solovey is one of my favorite characters.
This is a very feminist take on a fairytale. Though there is a slow burn happening, it doesn't consume Vasya. She just wants to experience the world and be treated as she was when she was being Vasilii Petrovich instead of Vasalisa Petrovna. She doesn't want to get married. She just wants a horse farm of her own.
Can't wait to get my hands on the last book and conclude this adventure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Child death
Moderate: Slavery, Blood, and Death
Minor: Rape
woolgathering_jane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
“Think of me sometimes," he returned. "When the snowdrops have bloomed and the snow has melted.”
I never thought I could like the 'not like other girls' trope until I started this series. The main character, Vasya, is not like other girls. And it's a major inconvenience for everyone, including herself. Vasya is not very lovable at first, but she has grown on me as her story progressed. She messes up, then messes up again, but she always wants what she thinks is best for her and her loved ones. And of course, her relationship with Morozko is probably my favourite thing about the book. I just love these two so much.
The plot was fine. Nothing life-changing, I guessed who the main villain was the moment they were introduced, but I didn't mind. Stronger qualities of the story would be the beautiful wintery mood and the folklore. The pace was nice, it didn't feel stuck at any point.
But the finale! I read the last hundred pages in one sitting, and it was a wild ride. I was even more worried about the characters because of the prophecy said in the first book. The only thing I didn't like was that some points weren't fully fleshed out, they were just there and you weren't supposed to question how.
Overall, very enjoyable read and perfect for the autumn/winter months.
The plot was fine. Nothing life-changing, I guessed who the main villain was the moment they were introduced, but I didn't mind. Stronger qualities of the story would be the beautiful wintery mood and the folklore. The pace was nice, it didn't feel stuck at any point.
But the finale! I read the last hundred pages in one sitting, and it was a wild ride. I was even more worried about the characters because of the prophecy said in the first book. The only thing I didn't like was that some points weren't fully fleshed out, they were just there and you weren't supposed to question how.
Overall, very enjoyable read and perfect for the autumn/winter months.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Sexism, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Rape
the_chaotic_witch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.25
346 pages; 2017, 4/5 stars; 8.29 CAWPILE; spoiler-free
I did not review the first book in this series for personal reasons, and when I reread it - which I indeed will at some point - I will review it properly, suffice it to say that I absolutely loved it!
For the sequel, I headed in shortly after finishing the first book, already loving the writing style, the world-building, the plot development. I will not summarize here, as this is a sequel, but I highly recommend it, anyway.
An issue that for Me continued from the first book and will draw into the last (and that is not actually an issue with the book or the plot) is that I am a character-driven reader. And this is a plot-driven book. Of course, the characters here are still developed, deep and multi-dimensional, and I dearly love them, but they are not the story's focus.
As for the story and the plot itself, I highly enjoyed it. I had no idea what to expect from this book since the first felt so very complete for Me. And I still have that sentiment. I still think the second needn't have been there, but I am glad it is.
I am not only deeply in love with the characters and their multitudes in opinion, motivation, background, and character traits, but in their relationship to one another and their environment.
While it is sometimes painful to read this due to the historical accuracy of how people (probably) thought and acted back, then I would consider this a comfort read still.
Here I would like to state clear trigger warnings:
- sexual assault
- violence
- blood
- transphobia? (if it can be counted as that)
- misogyny!!
- sexism!!
- talk of rape
- emotional abuse
- child trafficking
- fire
- mentions of vomit
The strategic elements never cease to amaze Me, the thoughtfulness and coherence of the plot as well. While this is set in an entirely different culture and time-period from my own, I still felt like I understood the people and their customs, fell in love with their magical world, and cared deeply about how the story would end. I can't say anything about the accuracy of their displays, but I can say that the text drew Me in and, I am sure, kept a piece of Me when I finished reading.
A fairy-tale of the cold, Russian winter, full of magic, political intrigue, and strong relationships. What more could you ask for?
I did not review the first book in this series for personal reasons, and when I reread it - which I indeed will at some point - I will review it properly, suffice it to say that I absolutely loved it!
For the sequel, I headed in shortly after finishing the first book, already loving the writing style, the world-building, the plot development. I will not summarize here, as this is a sequel, but I highly recommend it, anyway.
An issue that for Me continued from the first book and will draw into the last (and that is not actually an issue with the book or the plot) is that I am a character-driven reader. And this is a plot-driven book. Of course, the characters here are still developed, deep and multi-dimensional, and I dearly love them, but they are not the story's focus.
As for the story and the plot itself, I highly enjoyed it. I had no idea what to expect from this book since the first felt so very complete for Me. And I still have that sentiment. I still think the second needn't have been there, but I am glad it is.
I am not only deeply in love with the characters and their multitudes in opinion, motivation, background, and character traits, but in their relationship to one another and their environment.
While it is sometimes painful to read this due to the historical accuracy of how people (probably) thought and acted back, then I would consider this a comfort read still.
Here I would like to state clear trigger warnings:
- sexual assault
- violence
- blood
- transphobia? (if it can be counted as that)
- misogyny!!
- sexism!!
- talk of rape
- emotional abuse
- child trafficking
- fire
- mentions of vomit
The strategic elements never cease to amaze Me, the thoughtfulness and coherence of the plot as well. While this is set in an entirely different culture and time-period from my own, I still felt like I understood the people and their customs, fell in love with their magical world, and cared deeply about how the story would end. I can't say anything about the accuracy of their displays, but I can say that the text drew Me in and, I am sure, kept a piece of Me when I finished reading.
A fairy-tale of the cold, Russian winter, full of magic, political intrigue, and strong relationships. What more could you ask for?
This is Me signing off. Be kind, especially to yourselves. Bye ♥
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit
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