A review by sustainably_lucia
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I struggled to get a handle on the story and characters in the beginning but then I settled into it nicely. This is the first book in a trilogy so it makes sense to take time to set things up. The ending was awesome! Vasya is a badass heroine and I love her!
The synopsis makes it seem like Anna is the villain when it is Konstantin who does much of the damage. They are both afraid of what they do not understand and take it out on others. Pyotr is a little misguided but he loves and cares about his children and wants them to be happy, even if he doesn’t understand them.

Themes: People choose to believe what makes them feel safe even if it is harmful. They also push away and villainize what they do not understand.
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