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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: Animal cruelty, Death, and Sexism
Minor: Rape
sarahsbooklife's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
ehmannky's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
The middle book of a trilogy often feels like the weakest, and usually takes me the longest to get through. Not so here. "The Girl in the Tower" picks up right where the first of the Winternight Trilogy leaves off, with Vasya riding towards Morozko and to a life away from the constraints of her small time village life. Then, we shift towards finding out how Olga and Sasha, Vasya's older siblings, are faring in Moscow, with a slow build towards bringing Vasya into the center action. It feels like that would be an off-putting start to a novel, but Arden's meticulous worldbuilding feels so necessary to creating the full story of Vasya and her family.
Also, I have never hated a character as much as I have hated Konstantin. Every time he is on the page I want to scream.
Also, I have never hated a character as much as I have hated Konstantin. Every time he is on the page I want to scream.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Minor: Xenophobia and Vomit
beholderess's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Absolutely adored the first book, but this one lost most of the magic, and the heroine is much less competent than she used to be
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Self harm, Slavery, and Kidnapping
aseaoftomes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
This is the second installment in the Winternight trilogy, and my feelings change a bit on this reread. While I still really enjoyed it, I didn't like it as much as the first one (but not by much).
This book picks up mostly where the first book left off, at least with Vasya's storyline, but we also follow some of Vasya's family members; her brother Sasha and her sister Olga and meet some new characters in the process. This book focuses more on the humanity and Christianity aspect than the spirits of the old religion and takes place in cities and towns more than the country. We're primarily in Moscow in this book It's looking at the opposite end of the spectrum from the first book.
As with the first book, the setting and atmosphere of the world is excellently and expertly written. It really transports you there and you live it. It was no different here, but I missed the extra atmosphere of being in the wilderness vs. the city. And the historical aspects were also really interesting and well done. Once again, Katherine Arden does her research and while we don't have a ton of documentation on the time period, I loved what she did with it and how she wove in the tales.
The writing was also still fine. A little less engaging at times, but not overly so. I was just more interested in certain characters and their storylines than others at different times.
The plot was also fine. It's pretty much Vasya deciding she wants to travel and learning about the world and how different it is compared to how she grew up. And also her reuniting with family members we only got glimpses of in the first book like Sasha and Olga. There was also an added part of the plot where Vasya is posing as a boy for a large part of the book and how that all plays in to everything.
Finally, the characters. My feelings on Vasya were pretty much the same as my thoughts on the first book. Her arc and actions are driven by those around her, so she feels flat at times, but I still really enjoy her anyway. I loved getting to see Sasha more in this book and Olga was also interesting at times. I loved two of the new characters we also got to meet - Kasyan and Marya. Marya is probably my favorite of the new characters. But honestly, the characters that shine the most for me are the spirits - Morozko remains my favorite (and probably always will - I have such a soft spot for death gods in books). The relationship between Vasya and Morozko is also great (idiots to lovers anyone?)
All in all, a great second installment and one I'll definitely reread again (also in a snowy setting - that's how you read these books. Wait for a snow storm!).
This book picks up mostly where the first book left off, at least with Vasya's storyline, but we also follow some of Vasya's family members; her brother Sasha and her sister Olga and meet some new characters in the process. This book focuses more on the humanity and Christianity aspect than the spirits of the old religion and takes place in cities and towns more than the country. We're primarily in Moscow in this book It's looking at the opposite end of the spectrum from the first book.
As with the first book, the setting and atmosphere of the world is excellently and expertly written. It really transports you there and you live it. It was no different here, but I missed the extra atmosphere of being in the wilderness vs. the city. And the historical aspects were also really interesting and well done. Once again, Katherine Arden does her research and while we don't have a ton of documentation on the time period, I loved what she did with it and how she wove in the tales.
The writing was also still fine. A little less engaging at times, but not overly so. I was just more interested in certain characters and their storylines than others at different times.
The plot was also fine. It's pretty much Vasya deciding she wants to travel and learning about the world and how different it is compared to how she grew up. And also her reuniting with family members we only got glimpses of in the first book like Sasha and Olga. There was also an added part of the plot where Vasya is posing as a boy for a large part of the book and how that all plays in to everything.
Finally, the characters. My feelings on Vasya were pretty much the same as my thoughts on the first book. Her arc and actions are driven by those around her, so she feels flat at times, but I still really enjoy her anyway. I loved getting to see Sasha more in this book and Olga was also interesting at times. I loved two of the new characters we also got to meet - Kasyan and Marya. Marya is probably my favorite of the new characters. But honestly, the characters that shine the most for me are the spirits - Morozko remains my favorite (and probably always will - I have such a soft spot for death gods in books). The relationship between Vasya and Morozko is also great (idiots to lovers anyone?)
All in all, a great second installment and one I'll definitely reread again (also in a snowy setting - that's how you read these books. Wait for a snow storm!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, and Physical abuse
thebookfinch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty and Religious bigotry
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