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A review by kaabtik
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
How do you make a story this good?
This is my first question to my irl who read this book before I did and even then, she was speechless. From the characters to the writing, The Bear and the Nightingale truly is a wonder to read. It's written in a way that sets the tone of the story from the get go. It's something that can be read like a fairytale, but is grounded, in a way.
It's not written to be difficult to read, like the words flow together really well, almost melodic. The conversations between the characters aren't stilted, and takes you into the story moreso than making you just watch it unfold. The action scenes were surprisingly really easy to read and imagine, and I had no trouble being immersed in the final show down.
The characters !!! I just love how each one of them is fully fleshed out, though some are not shown too often. The tiny details the author gives them makes you remember the characters themselves—not just in their role of furthering the story. So much care and effort has been lain down for this book and I cannot thank the author enough for giving us such a great experience in reading this.
Konstantin has got to be one of the most intriguing characters in the cast. His relationship with his faith and how he looked down upon the people he was supposed to serve really brings up a lot into the conversation of Christianity and the holy men that preach it. Speaking only from my own experience with it and how I grew up, I especially love Vasya's confrontation and her telling him that the people are listening only because he is instilling them with fear. In that little conversation they had, she laid bare the essentials of the faith I had shed: where reverence came because of fear. The way he loathed and was enamoured and compelled by Vasyato the point of having offered up Anna was a raw take on how blind faith can drive you past the very morals you claim to uphold.
Pyotor is definitely my second favorite character, second only to Vasya. His devotion to his family and the way he loved them all in equal ferocity was a breath of fresh air to the common asshole-but-loves-you father trope. And I love that we were given slivers of his life with Marina prior to the events of the book.
This is my first question to my irl who read this book before I did and even then, she was speechless. From the characters to the writing, The Bear and the Nightingale truly is a wonder to read. It's written in a way that sets the tone of the story from the get go. It's something that can be read like a fairytale, but is grounded, in a way.
It's not written to be difficult to read, like the words flow together really well, almost melodic. The conversations between the characters aren't stilted, and takes you into the story moreso than making you just watch it unfold. The action scenes were surprisingly really easy to read and imagine, and I had no trouble being immersed in the final show down.
The characters !!! I just love how each one of them is fully fleshed out, though some are not shown too often. The tiny details the author gives them makes you remember the characters themselves—not just in their role of furthering the story. So much care and effort has been lain down for this book and I cannot thank the author enough for giving us such a great experience in reading this.
Konstantin has got to be one of the most intriguing characters in the cast. His relationship with his faith and how he looked down upon the people he was supposed to serve really brings up a lot into the conversation of Christianity and the holy men that preach it. Speaking only from my own experience with it and how I grew up, I especially love Vasya's confrontation and her telling him that the people are listening only because he is instilling them with fear. In that little conversation they had, she laid bare the essentials of the faith I had shed: where reverence came because of fear. The way he loathed and was enamoured and compelled by Vasya
Pyotor is definitely my second favorite character, second only to Vasya. His devotion to his family and the way he loved them all in equal ferocity was a breath of fresh air to the common asshole-but-loves-you father trope. And I love that we were given slivers of his life with Marina prior to the events of the book.
I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing
- Vasya Petrovna