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adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
realistically this was more, the first 100 pages were a 3 star read and the last 200 were 5 star. it was very very slow to start with and i felt as though i was being dragged through a whole story that i feel could definitely have been condensed a little; or at least sped up.
however, once it hit the 100 mark i struggled to put this down. the story is something incredibly unique and vasya was one of the most likeable heroines i’ve ever encountered. (and solovey was one of my favourite additions)
the gradual character arcs were brilliant, and i loved how intimate i felt with almost every character, like Konstantin, his thoughts were particularly gripping in a kind of morbidly fascinating way.
while i may not pick up the sequel straight away, i definitely will be attempting to finish this series as it was the begging of a fantasy story i would love more of.
however, once it hit the 100 mark i struggled to put this down. the story is something incredibly unique and vasya was one of the most likeable heroines i’ve ever encountered. (and solovey was one of my favourite additions)
the gradual character arcs were brilliant, and i loved how intimate i felt with almost every character, like Konstantin, his thoughts were particularly gripping in a kind of morbidly fascinating way.
while i may not pick up the sequel straight away, i definitely will be attempting to finish this series as it was the begging of a fantasy story i would love more of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Rape
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I picked this book up not knowing what I was getting into. And I couldn’t stop. I was glad that I had nothing else to do today, because I kept reading until I finished the book. The new year is just hours away and the cold air outside set the mood perfectly.
Normally I don‘t really read slow-paced books, but this one is special. It‘s like being transported into a cold winter night to the hearth of a home and listening to nearly forgotten tales.
I don‘t know how to describe this feeling but it was whimsical and nostalgic all the while keeping me entranced to this glorious piece of storytelling. I‘m completely speechless. I wasn’t expecting much and now I‘m left overwhelmed with the urgent need to get my hands on the next book.
It’s nearly 3 a.m. and I should probably go to sleep but I can still see the snow falling silently in a long winter’s night. Have you ever watched Narnia as a kid? I’m inbetween the trees and the coats and haven’t yet fully recovered my sense of reality.
So in case you are like me and can’t wait to be transported into a different universe, you should definitely go and read this book!
(While I‘m going to sleep)
Normally I don‘t really read slow-paced books, but this one is special. It‘s like being transported into a cold winter night to the hearth of a home and listening to nearly forgotten tales.
I don‘t know how to describe this feeling but it was whimsical and nostalgic all the while keeping me entranced to this glorious piece of storytelling. I‘m completely speechless. I wasn’t expecting much and now I‘m left overwhelmed with the urgent need to get my hands on the next book.
It’s nearly 3 a.m. and I should probably go to sleep but I can still see the snow falling silently in a long winter’s night. Have you ever watched Narnia as a kid? I’m inbetween the trees and the coats and haven’t yet fully recovered my sense of reality.
So in case you are like me and can’t wait to be transported into a different universe, you should definitely go and read this book!
(While I‘m going to sleep)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment
Minor: Body shaming, Child death, Rape
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
The Good:
• Fairytale-esque
• Dreamy prose
The Bad:
• Middle is a bit slow
You Might Like this if You Like:
• Russian folklore
• Naomi Novak
• Historical fantasies
• Witches
Vasilisa is a young girl growing up in the Russian wilds. With the ability to see household spirits, she is devoted to the old folk beliefs in spite of the growing influence of Christianity. Wild and carefree, she often chaffs at the confines that Russian culture puts on her.
Arden crafts a beautiful story that is at once historical fiction and fairytale. Folklore is woven beautifully throughout the narrative, highlighting what is lost through assimilation.
The story is deeply atmospheric, often haunting and very moody. The dreamy prose adds to this, making the story feel like a tale shared with the reader on a cold winter night by a fire.
Despite the fairytale elements, the characters feel rich and nuanced. Their relationships are complex and feel realistic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
I picked up "The Bear and the Nightingale" (TBatN) based on some recommendations after wanting a cozy book for the winter holiday season. I was not disappointed. Katherine Arden builds a fantastical winter fantasy that is shaped by quite of bit of Russian lore. I didn't know much of anything about traditional Russian beliefs, so I greatly appreciated the glossary at the back of this novel. TBatN tells the story of Vasilisa (I also had to look up pronunciations for a lot of Russian names), a headstrong young girl who values the 'old ways' of her people and her own freedom above the spread of Christianity and the typical path for women. Obviously, I would like this main character. Her family members are also very loveable characters. As Vasilisa grows up, she must make the difficult decisions to protect her family and her people, often resulting in her own ostracization. But there is more to this story, and ancient magic, household spirits, vampires (called upyr), and the wintery personification of death himself are there to help, or harm, Vasilisa. This is the first of a trilogy, all of which are published, and I plan on continuing it in the future. TBatN was an emotional and adventurous fantasy that I really enjoyed reading!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse
adventurous
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
How do I say "nope" in Russian? Because that's how I felt the entire time I read this. I wanted to love it. I really, REALLY wanted to love it. I adore folklore and I enjoy medieval European stories, but this just missed the mark for me in almost every way, which was a huge bummer.
There's a part of me that wonders if I would have enjoyed it more in a physical format. I listened to the audiobook and kept getting lost with the truly expansive list of characters (some of which had very similar-sounding names) and the accents. I think if I had just been visually reading, I would have been able to follow everything a bit more and would've found myself getting sucked into the story. Instead, I just kept wondering when it would end.
This is a slow book. And I mean it's molasses. There are so many tiny details and simultaneous plots happening and if you aren't paying close attention, you're going to miss it all. It would take ages for certain things to be explained and it drained my energy really quickly.
My hope is to read the remaining books in a physical format to see if that changes my opinion. I really hope that it does because I want to like these so badly!
There's a part of me that wonders if I would have enjoyed it more in a physical format. I listened to the audiobook and kept getting lost with the truly expansive list of characters (some of which had very similar-sounding names) and the accents. I think if I had just been visually reading, I would have been able to follow everything a bit more and would've found myself getting sucked into the story. Instead, I just kept wondering when it would end.
This is a slow book. And I mean it's molasses. There are so many tiny details and simultaneous plots happening and if you aren't paying close attention, you're going to miss it all. It would take ages for certain things to be explained and it drained my energy really quickly.
My hope is to read the remaining books in a physical format to see if that changes my opinion. I really hope that it does because I want to like these so badly!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Murder
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
I will preface this by saying I don’t know a lot about Russian myths or fairytales.
At first glance, I assumed this was a cross between Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast. It’s so much more than that though. There’s definitely elements of both, but it doesn’t follow a predictable plot.
I listened to this on audio. First, great choice in narrator. Kathleen Gati really puts the reader in the story. Second, it felt like an oral tradition — a story being told on a cold winter night in front of the fire just waiting for spring to come. Just beautiful
At first glance, I assumed this was a cross between Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast. It’s so much more than that though. There’s definitely elements of both, but it doesn’t follow a predictable plot.
I listened to this on audio. First, great choice in narrator. Kathleen Gati really puts the reader in the story. Second, it felt like an oral tradition — a story being told on a cold winter night in front of the fire just waiting for spring to come. Just beautiful
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Yes
This is the best winter read.
The family is so full of love and a great story for younger girls finding their place in life. It is a story most of us know, either Greek names or European names, Russian or Spanish, there is a version of it in most languages. But the writing is so beautiful and if its not winter where you are you will feel the cold while reading it.
Below my original review:
It took me two tries to get into this book, yes it is a slow start but I would have been more willing to push through the first time if I knew it was so similar to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Any fans of her writing and that story will LOVE this one.
The family is so full of love and a great story for younger girls finding their place in life. It is a story most of us know, either Greek names or European names, Russian or Spanish, there is a version of it in most languages. But the writing is so beautiful and if its not winter where you are you will feel the cold while reading it.
Below my original review:
It took me two tries to get into this book, yes it is a slow start but I would have been more willing to push through the first time if I knew it was so similar to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Any fans of her writing and that story will LOVE this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Religious bigotry, Colonisation
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Sexual harassment