A review by bklassen
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

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

5.0

HOT DOG this was an action packed and fraught book filled with suspense and heartbreak and joy. Vasya leaves Moscow wiser and sadder now, seeing how she put others and herself in danger for acting rashly, as well as having experienced great loss. Now is time to wrap up the other subplots of this series, including the Tatar army, Medved’s return to power, their fraught relationship with the prince of Moscow, and Vasya’s relationship with the Winter King. And boy, does Katherine Arden deliver.

There are many forces against Vasya in this book, but she is tenacious, determined, clever, and resourceful. You get to see all the growth from book 2 come into play and change how she approaches problems, as well as find lasting and positive change for Russia.

Absolute banger of a wrap up to this trilogy, which I couldn’t recommend highly enough for whimsy, character growth, and some fantastic villains who seemed destined to win given how much the scales tilted in their favor, but watching Vasya think around them or receive favors or help from others who received a small good dead from her was A+.