Reviews

The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden

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segotia's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

gabby_albers's review against another edition

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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? Yes

4.0

I loved the setting and the dark mythological themes. This book was a little slow for me, and I really wanted more from Frost and the other spirits than what was there. I appreciated the focus on religion and community and how sometimes, especially in the time the book is set, those things don't get along through no fault of the people involved. I think I just was looking for a little more fantasy and whimsy than it had. Still not sure if I'll read the other books in the trilogy, but I really did enjoy this book. Beautifully written, different enough to stay interesting.

charli734's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? No

3.0

adenwatt's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

i absolutely loved this book. it captivated me right away, and if i did not have work, i probably would have finished it in one sitting. it is the first book that i’ve consumed in less than 24 hours in ages.

i enjoyed the world building, the dynamics between vasya and her family, the chyerti and how they were affected by konstantin’s presence and his fearmongering.

katherine arden is a fantastic writer and i look forward to reading more of her writing. i highly, highly recommend this novel. i think it has earned a spot as my number one favourite book, honestly.

hypocretin's review against another edition

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I will maybe try to come back to this one. The writing and atmosphere is lovely, but parts of it just stray a bit far into the realm of exoticism and fetishization for my taste, and it made me feel squeamish and uncomfortable in a way that took me out of the narrative. Also, "special" main characters just bore me to tears lol