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A review by hanarama
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Book at a glance:
• Historical fantasy
• Medieval Russia
• Folklore, Witches, and old gods
• Coming of Age
• War
• Final Installment
Again branded as a witch, Vasilisa must escape Moscow. Grieving the death of her stallion, Solovey, she makes her way on the road through midnight.
Mustering forces amongst the chert, Vasilisa soon realizes that she will need to take part in two wars. And unless she can resolve the battle between Morozko and Medved, she will be unable to bring the worlds of the chert and men together to save Russia from the Golden Horde.
What I liked:
Vasya really comes into her power in this book. Embracing her abilities as a witch, she is ready to grow her skills and to fulfill her destiny.
Arden's atmospheric writing makes the threat of dual wars feel grand and epic, larger than life. Based on the real conflict between Dmitry Donskoy and Mamai or the Golden Horde, The Winter of the Witch feels like a historical epic. While the first book felt like a fairytale, this one feels like a legend. Vasya is a hero for the ages.
What I disliked:
While the previous book was mostly downtime, this one feels like it has too little. With the plot coming to a head, there is so much happening that there is little chance to sit and breathe.
Additionally, there are moments where some of the more powerful chert have to spell things out for Vasilisa. With how clever she was through most of the books, and how far she's come, it feels like she should have been able to figure things out without the help.
• Historical fantasy
• Medieval Russia
• Folklore, Witches, and old gods
• Coming of Age
• War
• Final Installment
Again branded as a witch, Vasilisa must escape Moscow. Grieving the death of her stallion, Solovey, she makes her way on the road through midnight.
Mustering forces amongst the chert, Vasilisa soon realizes that she will need to take part in two wars. And unless she can resolve the battle between Morozko and Medved, she will be unable to bring the worlds of the chert and men together to save Russia from the Golden Horde.
What I liked:
Vasya really comes into her power in this book. Embracing her abilities as a witch, she is ready to grow her skills and to fulfill her destiny.
Arden's atmospheric writing makes the threat of dual wars feel grand and epic, larger than life. Based on the real conflict between Dmitry Donskoy and Mamai or the Golden Horde, The Winter of the Witch feels like a historical epic. While the first book felt like a fairytale, this one feels like a legend. Vasya is a hero for the ages.
What I disliked:
While the previous book was mostly downtime, this one feels like it has too little. With the plot coming to a head, there is so much happening that there is little chance to sit and breathe.
Additionally, there are moments where some of the more powerful chert have to spell things out for Vasilisa. With how clever she was through most of the books, and how far she's come, it feels like she should have been able to figure things out without the help.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexism, and War