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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
good soup. VERY good soup. also Morozko had me giggling and kicking my feet. teehee…
This book just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I found it difficult to connect to the characters which made me disassociate a lot which is why I had to keep putting the book down. The storyline and the concept was good but it just wasn’t for me.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book - it practically read itself. The story was magical, an amalgam of ideas from Russian folklore adapted beautifully
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Bear and the Nightingale is a rewriting of a Russian folk tale, told first by the fire by an old grandmother. A girl is wooed by winter and wins treasure, but when a jealous/greedy mother sends her daughter to the woods in hopes of the same treasure, the girl is left to freeze.
The rest of the book is a novel full of door trolls, barn guardians, river nymphs and witches.
Vasya is the youngest daughter of Pyotyr and Marina, a large, well-off family that owns land and wealth in the North. Vasya has the gift of sight, and can see things others can't. Her mother has this gift too.
A lot happens in the opening: child birth, death, marriages in Moscow, a son joining a monastery, horse training, a fanatical priest, and lots of magic. Also there is a lot of snow.
It's a lovely escape. As I read it, I thought it would make a great graphic novel or manga. The good are very good, and the bad are horrid. It is the first of three books, but stands nicely on its own.
The rest of the book is a novel full of door trolls, barn guardians, river nymphs and witches.
Vasya is the youngest daughter of Pyotyr and Marina, a large, well-off family that owns land and wealth in the North. Vasya has the gift of sight, and can see things others can't. Her mother has this gift too.
A lot happens in the opening: child birth, death, marriages in Moscow, a son joining a monastery, horse training, a fanatical priest, and lots of magic. Also there is a lot of snow.
It's a lovely escape. As I read it, I thought it would make a great graphic novel or manga. The good are very good, and the bad are horrid. It is the first of three books, but stands nicely on its own.
9/12/23
Somehow even better than the first time!
Katherine Arden is a fantastic author!
Absolutely gorgeous.
5 stars
Somehow even better than the first time!
Katherine Arden is a fantastic author!
Absolutely gorgeous.
5 stars
I couldn't get on with the writing style.
*** 4.5
i went into this book with pretty low expectations— it certainly blew those completely out of the water.
this had some gorgeous writing and characters. the strength of the fmc was *chefs kiss* and i wasn’t even mad that she was so young because it MADE SENSE. we watched her grow and it was fantastic. basically every single character had amazing characterization, to the point where even the characters i absolutely detested, i completely understood. that’s good writing!
plot wise, she COOKED. like that was FIREEEE.
i could say sm more but im excited to read book 2 but im nervous… i really hope i enjoy it even mostly as much as this one.
i went into this book with pretty low expectations— it certainly blew those completely out of the water.
this had some gorgeous writing and characters. the strength of the fmc was *chefs kiss* and i wasn’t even mad that she was so young because it MADE SENSE. we watched her grow and it was fantastic. basically every single character had amazing characterization, to the point where even the characters i absolutely detested, i completely understood. that’s good writing!
plot wise, she COOKED. like that was FIREEEE.
i could say sm more but im excited to read book 2 but im nervous… i really hope i enjoy it even mostly as much as this one.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Minor: Pedophilia, Religious bigotry