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A review by j6sse
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
5.0
I've been mulling over what to say. I feel like this is hard for me; I feel all the passionate emotions but cannot find the words to represent just how much I loved this series and these characters.
I fell into this world so quickly and took a liking to Vasya so fast. I admire Katherine Arden's commitment to her agency, through all Vasya is put through in this trilogy she remains true to her wildness and recklessness and her passionate love for the world around her. In this book, characters we've long known are more fleshed out, adding a deeper layer to the world we think we already understand. I am so taken with the folklore and mythology and how well it's woven into the living world. Oh my god, I just love this story.
I couldn't imagine it getting much better after Girl in the Tower, but Winter of the Witch provides a Vasya that is whole and sure of herself, a character development so well done. She knows what she wants, refuses to subordinate to any of the powerful people or Gods around her, is strong as well as kind, and is steadfast in her resolve. Reflecting back on the wild, naive wood-sprite of a child she was in book one, I feel such deep nostalgia. It's like watching a loved one grow up.
Arden's converging plotlines and character arcs never bored me, and I never felt any of it was unnecessary. There is so much that happens in every book, but it all feels like it's meant to be there. Not to mention the writing, mythological and beautiful in itself. It felt like reading a fairytale, like being submersed in magic, while also keeping me on the edge of my seat and filled with terror for what might happen. The dialogue of the horses were such a delightful addition to the story. Vasya's siblings begrudgingly accepting her ability to see the unseen and her affliction to the magic of the world. That scene where Vasya and Sasha excitedly look to each other, thinking of their future in the house by the lake with their horses and their spirits. A love so palpable it transcends faith. Morozko, despite his proximity to humanity, never fully subverts his true purpose, staying true to his place in the world. I think I can just keep going, but I'll hold back.
For my own notes, what I didn't like:
The romance aspect, too much. Maybe because Vasya was still a little girl to me despite her growth. And her being 17, while Morozko is an immortal God - though this is not a new trope. I felt awkward in the bathhouse scene. I know this is a time period where it was normalized for children to be married off...so maybe in a backward way it was nice that Vasya got to experience her girlhood before falling in love. I just didn't feel connected to their romance like I felt I should be, maybe more to their stolen moments than the actuality of it.
Overall, I was entranced by this series. It has woven itself into my heart, and I can't wait to revisit these characters again in the future.
I fell into this world so quickly and took a liking to Vasya so fast. I admire Katherine Arden's commitment to her agency, through all Vasya is put through in this trilogy she remains true to her wildness and recklessness and her passionate love for the world around her. In this book, characters we've long known are more fleshed out, adding a deeper layer to the world we think we already understand. I am so taken with the folklore and mythology and how well it's woven into the living world. Oh my god, I just love this story.
I couldn't imagine it getting much better after Girl in the Tower, but Winter of the Witch provides a Vasya that is whole and sure of herself, a character development so well done. She knows what she wants, refuses to subordinate to any of the powerful people or Gods around her, is strong as well as kind, and is steadfast in her resolve. Reflecting back on the wild, naive wood-sprite of a child she was in book one, I feel such deep nostalgia. It's like watching a loved one grow up.
Arden's converging plotlines and character arcs never bored me, and I never felt any of it was unnecessary. There is so much that happens in every book, but it all feels like it's meant to be there. Not to mention the writing, mythological and beautiful in itself. It felt like reading a fairytale, like being submersed in magic, while also keeping me on the edge of my seat and filled with terror for what might happen. The dialogue of the horses were such a delightful addition to the story. Vasya's siblings begrudgingly accepting her ability to see the unseen and her affliction to the magic of the world. That scene where Vasya and Sasha excitedly look to each other, thinking of their future in the house by the lake with their horses and their spirits. A love so palpable it transcends faith. Morozko, despite his proximity to humanity, never fully subverts his true purpose, staying true to his place in the world. I think I can just keep going, but I'll hold back.
For my own notes, what I didn't like:
The romance aspect, too much. Maybe because Vasya was still a little girl to me despite her growth. And her being 17, while Morozko is an immortal God - though this is not a new trope. I felt awkward in the bathhouse scene. I know this is a time period where it was normalized for children to be married off...so maybe in a backward way it was nice that Vasya got to experience her girlhood before falling in love. I just didn't feel connected to their romance like I felt I should be, maybe more to their stolen moments than the actuality of it.
Overall, I was entranced by this series. It has woven itself into my heart, and I can't wait to revisit these characters again in the future.