A review by ehmannky
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The middle book of a trilogy often feels like the weakest, and usually takes me the longest to get through. Not so here. "The Girl in the Tower" picks up right where the first of the Winternight Trilogy leaves off, with Vasya riding towards Morozko and to a life away from the constraints of her small time village life. Then, we shift towards finding out how Olga and Sasha, Vasya's older siblings, are faring in Moscow, with a slow build towards bringing Vasya into the center action. It feels like that would be an off-putting start to a novel, but Arden's meticulous worldbuilding feels so necessary to creating the full story of Vasya and her family. 

Also, I have never hated a character as much as I have hated Konstantin. Every time he is on the page I want to scream. 
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