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

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is my 2nd read in less than a year and I loved it even more on a re-read. It is a coming of age story about a girl in Medievil Russia who can see the characters of folklore Cheroti who are household/ nature spirits and pagan deities. Christianity is sweeping through Russia and her village starts to be told they cannot be Christian and leave offerings to the household spirits. Vasya tries to build a bridge between these two worlds whilst trying to save her family from darkness that resides in humans and some folklore characters. But society feels Vasya should take her place in the world as she is no lo get a girl but a woman. Vasya is her own person she makes her own path and her freedom is important not only for herself but for all those who need protecting.

The writing in this is so immersive you are pulled into the world of both a historical Russia and a fantastical world of folklore. The strength of Vasya is astounding. The relationships between her family members are either beautiful, heart breaking or hurtful. I love the characters, human and Cheroti the villainous ones are excellently drawn. It's a slow burn book, but the simmering heats up and the time taken to get their means your understanding and affection for the characters is more heartfelt. Fantastic scene setter for an amazing trilogy. 
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