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raptorq's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
uselesspirateraven's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Blood, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
alexijai98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I love you Vasya I love you Morozko
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Torture
amp18's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
"There are no monsters in the world, and no saints. Only infinite shades woven into the same tapestry, light and dark. One man's monster is another man's beloved. The wise know that." - The Bear
I like that Vasya is a heroine that is sometimes hard to root for.
I like that Vasya is a heroine that is sometimes hard to root for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and War
valpyre's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
i love ded grib. i would die for ded grib.
cws for animal death, child death, suicide.
god, this was such a bittersweet experience. it was a stunning conclusion to a trilogy i never wanted to end. i'm still thinking about vasya and what adventures she will be going on after this -- taking care of the lake, going to the sea, perhaps even back to her childhood home.
i cried a lot at the start of this, understandably. the grief and despair and panic that saturated much of the first half of the book was palpable for me -- i was agonized over the loss and also that vasya just had such little time to grieve. and then when she was safe at the lake, ded grib's eventual and steadfast faith in vasya had me in my feels.
vasya coming into her magic was so satisfying -- i was so curious throughout the first two books as to when that would happen. also learning and getting some answers as to vasya's heritage was so fun, even if tragic.
konstantin had me feeling actual rage -- this guy sucks! i did think his and the bear's relationship was very interesting though. when i saw i was only about halfway through the book at a very climactic moment with the bear, i was so intrigued. i like that the relationship with the bear and morozko (and the rest of the chyerti) wasn't just good vs. evil. i think the story was stronger for it.
also, vasya and morozko. i love them, i want so much more of them. i so enjoy how much they care for each other and it's not easy, and they both feel so complicated about it, but they feel it deeply, and they always find their way back to each other.
arden's writing, as always, captivated me. the details of the world never truly overwhelmed me, and i've always admired how she weaves and holds the more magical parts effortlessly with a society more familiar (at least to me) to a reader. the dry humour throughout the book was also a delight.
cws for animal death, child death, suicide.
god, this was such a bittersweet experience. it was a stunning conclusion to a trilogy i never wanted to end. i'm still thinking about vasya and what adventures she will be going on after this -- taking care of the lake, going to the sea, perhaps even back to her childhood home.
i cried a lot at the start of this, understandably. the grief and despair and panic that saturated much of the first half of the book was palpable for me -- i was agonized over the loss and also that vasya just had such little time to grieve. and then when she was safe at the lake, ded grib's eventual and steadfast faith in vasya had me in my feels.
vasya coming into her magic was so satisfying -- i was so curious throughout the first two books as to when that would happen. also learning and getting some answers as to vasya's heritage was so fun, even if tragic.
konstantin had me feeling actual rage -- this guy sucks! i did think his and the bear's relationship was very interesting though. when i saw i was only about halfway through the book at a very climactic moment with the bear, i was so intrigued. i like that the relationship with the bear and morozko (and the rest of the chyerti) wasn't just good vs. evil. i think the story was stronger for it.
also, vasya and morozko. i love them, i want so much more of them. i so enjoy how much they care for each other and it's not easy, and they both feel so complicated about it, but they feel it deeply, and they always find their way back to each other.
arden's writing, as always, captivated me. the details of the world never truly overwhelmed me, and i've always admired how she weaves and holds the more magical parts effortlessly with a society more familiar (at least to me) to a reader. the dry humour throughout the book was also a delight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry and War
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
kukazashi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death and Torture
thebankofbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Child death
bookycnidaria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
aksmith92's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Thank you, Katherine Arden, for writing a wintery and blustery book so I can sit in my warm house while it's cold and snowy outside and read my little heart out.
The setup: Vasya needs to go into hiding. The Girl in the Tower, the second book in the series, left off with those in Moscow in a rage after a fire nearly destroyed their home, and they believe a witch to be the culprit. Vasya is now left with one goal only: to care for her family. Her brother Sasha, her sister Olga, and Olga's daughter Marya are all in Moscow, piecing together what happened the night before with Vasya, the frost demon, and Kaschei.
However, those in Moscow want someone accountable for their suffering, and Vasya is an easy target. We follow Vasya as she faces many obstacles, including an angry mob, a vengeful demon, and a forgetful ally. She feels the weight of not only Moscow on her shoulders but all of Rus' and her beloved chyerti - the spirits she has called family her whole life. Can she bring together her people of Rus' - those who vehemently believe in the one God, and those of the spirit world, who seem to fade the more people forget about them and move on to another religion? Can she keep her family safe from the Tatars, those trying to take the rule of Rus'? The world seems to weigh heavy on Vasya's shoulders with these questions, and we watch her continuously battle for peace, not only for those in her country but for herself.
What I loved: Katherine Arden is a phenomenal writer to me - her work is unique, poetic, and her version of atmospheric. She takes 14th-century historical Rus' customs and somehow integrates them into her writing, both from a prose perspective and a literal historical take (one battle scene near the end is essentially a retelling of an actual battle in 1380 Rus' - read the author's note at the end, it's pretty lovely!). The intersection between fantasy and historical fiction continues to amaze me, and it is one of the most vital reasons why I can't help but feel this book is so fantastic.
As typical in this series, I loved Vasya and her strength, resilience, and grit. While the poor thing went through it in this book (even more so than the others), she was incredible. She was strong, powerful, and intelligent. Yet, she was imperfect and flawed. She had to continue making incredibly challenging decisions and understood that only some things would always work out. I think that is what I loved most about this book: Vasya learned from those around her, her environment, and herself to make better decisions in the future instead of just ~always knowing~ what to do, like other fantasy books I have read. I loved her character and what she tried to do for both the spirit world and Rus'.
I also thoroughly enjoyed many of the other characters - Sasha, Olga, Morozko (I'm glad we dove a little bit deeper into his character on this one, albeit I was still itching for more!), the Grand Prince Dmitrii, and I just loved Polunochnitsa (Lady Midnight) and the Bear. I had no intention of laughing during this book because it seemed so bleak and dark, but Polunochnitsa and the Bear truly helped provide (very minimal) comedic relief and were much more layered than I had anticipated (especially the Bear). My favorite secondary character was Ded Grib, the chyerti, a lil mushroom. Konstantin continued to be a unique, morally grey character that I also learned to enjoy, even if he was the worst. He was complicated, and you couldn't help but empathize with him.
Somehow, Arden did a brilliant job of making all characters nuanced and beautiful while juggling two plots without losing anything. I was so impressed by how much Arden could put into this under-400-page book because it packed such a punch, but it wasn't overwhelming. I just loved it. And somehow, like the first two, I read this under some snowy skies - something I didn't think would happen in early March, and I read this through Libby.
I'm a sucker for some political intrigue which was why I enjoyed the second book in this trilogy so much, but I liked this one even more because of the magical elements in it - less politics, more chyerti. I was impressed that Arden could do both so well.
Anything that could have made this a 6-star read? While I rated this a five because of Arden's beautiful ability to intertwine so many interesting plots and characters and the overall unique storytelling of Russia's history and Russian fairytales, this was imperfect, and others may have some criticism for it. For one, 90% of this book seemed to have no hope. Anything wrong that could happen seemed to have occurred, even if there were a few quick wins in the plot throughout the process. It was dreary. I swear that Vasya had eight broken ribs throughout this book and plenty of ample scars and concussions. It was hard to read because it just felt so BAD. Because of this constant dread, I felt the book read just a bit choppy, especially in the middle.
However, I had a blast with this and shed a few tears at the end. While sad, there was finally a dash of goodness and hope, and the ending was quite fitting. I look forward to reading more from Katherine Arden in the future!
The setup: Vasya needs to go into hiding. The Girl in the Tower, the second book in the series, left off with those in Moscow in a rage after a fire nearly destroyed their home, and they believe a witch to be the culprit. Vasya is now left with one goal only: to care for her family. Her brother Sasha, her sister Olga, and Olga's daughter Marya are all in Moscow, piecing together what happened the night before with Vasya, the frost demon, and Kaschei.
However, those in Moscow want someone accountable for their suffering, and Vasya is an easy target. We follow Vasya as she faces many obstacles, including an angry mob, a vengeful demon, and a forgetful ally. She feels the weight of not only Moscow on her shoulders but all of Rus' and her beloved chyerti - the spirits she has called family her whole life. Can she bring together her people of Rus' - those who vehemently believe in the one God, and those of the spirit world, who seem to fade the more people forget about them and move on to another religion? Can she keep her family safe from the Tatars, those trying to take the rule of Rus'? The world seems to weigh heavy on Vasya's shoulders with these questions, and we watch her continuously battle for peace, not only for those in her country but for herself.
What I loved: Katherine Arden is a phenomenal writer to me - her work is unique, poetic, and her version of atmospheric. She takes 14th-century historical Rus' customs and somehow integrates them into her writing, both from a prose perspective and a literal historical take (one battle scene near the end is essentially a retelling of an actual battle in 1380 Rus' - read the author's note at the end, it's pretty lovely!). The intersection between fantasy and historical fiction continues to amaze me, and it is one of the most vital reasons why I can't help but feel this book is so fantastic.
As typical in this series, I loved Vasya and her strength, resilience, and grit. While the poor thing went through it in this book (even more so than the others), she was incredible. She was strong, powerful, and intelligent. Yet, she was imperfect and flawed. She had to continue making incredibly challenging decisions and understood that only some things would always work out. I think that is what I loved most about this book: Vasya learned from those around her, her environment, and herself to make better decisions in the future instead of just ~always knowing~ what to do, like other fantasy books I have read. I loved her character and what she tried to do for both the spirit world and Rus'.
I also thoroughly enjoyed many of the other characters - Sasha, Olga, Morozko (I'm glad we dove a little bit deeper into his character on this one, albeit I was still itching for more!), the Grand Prince Dmitrii, and I just loved Polunochnitsa (Lady Midnight) and the Bear. I had no intention of laughing during this book because it seemed so bleak and dark, but Polunochnitsa and the Bear truly helped provide (very minimal) comedic relief and were much more layered than I had anticipated (especially the Bear). My favorite secondary character was Ded Grib, the chyerti, a lil mushroom. Konstantin continued to be a unique, morally grey character that I also learned to enjoy, even if he was the worst. He was complicated, and you couldn't help but empathize with him.
Somehow, Arden did a brilliant job of making all characters nuanced and beautiful while juggling two plots without losing anything. I was so impressed by how much Arden could put into this under-400-page book because it packed such a punch, but it wasn't overwhelming. I just loved it. And somehow, like the first two, I read this under some snowy skies - something I didn't think would happen in early March, and I read this through Libby.
I'm a sucker for some political intrigue which was why I enjoyed the second book in this trilogy so much, but I liked this one even more because of the magical elements in it - less politics, more chyerti. I was impressed that Arden could do both so well.
Anything that could have made this a 6-star read? While I rated this a five because of Arden's beautiful ability to intertwine so many interesting plots and characters and the overall unique storytelling of Russia's history and Russian fairytales, this was imperfect, and others may have some criticism for it. For one, 90% of this book seemed to have no hope. Anything wrong that could happen seemed to have occurred, even if there were a few quick wins in the plot throughout the process. It was dreary. I swear that Vasya had eight broken ribs throughout this book and plenty of ample scars and concussions. It was hard to read because it just felt so BAD. Because of this constant dread, I felt the book read just a bit choppy, especially in the middle.
However, I had a blast with this and shed a few tears at the end. While sad, there was finally a dash of goodness and hope, and the ending was quite fitting. I look forward to reading more from Katherine Arden in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Rape, and Sexual content
Minor: Child death, Vomit, and Death of parent
Child death/death of parent = mentioning previous books, not on page. Rape is not detailed or even implied, but there are threats of it. Sexual assault and harassment is on page but not heavily descriptive or long.mary_stormageddon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.75
This was so close to being a 5 star read for me. If it hadn't slowed down a bit about 2/3rds through, it would have been. This is the best book in the series, and I will be recommending it to any and everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail