Oh hey now…do you hear bells?

There are plenty of reasons to read this luminous, intimate, magical novel, the second in the Winternight Trilogy. You can read it for its badass female warrior, an anomaly in ancient Russia; you can read it for its impressive use of figurative language and unmatchable word-smithery; or you can read it because you love excellent fiction. The main thing is that you have to read it. I was overjoyed to be invited to read it in advance by Atria Books in exchange for this honest review; thanks also go to Net Galley for the digital copy. The book is available to the public tomorrow, December 5, 2017.

Vasya is no ordinary young woman. She sees and hears things few others do. Take, for example, the domovoi that guard the home; the priests discourage belief in such creatures, but they’re right there. She can see them. Then there’s the matter of her extraordinary horse, Solovey, who is nobody’s property and nobody’s pet, but who makes a magnificent friend and ally. And then of course there is the Frost Demon, a mentor and intimate acquaintance with whom she has a complicated relationship. But these are only parts of her story. The whole of it is pure spun magic that no review can adequately describe.

In ancient Russia, there are three kinds of women: some are wives; some are nuns; and some are dead. Vasya is determined to be none of these. Everyone that cares about her tries to explain how the world works so that she can make her peace with it. Her father is dead now, and so her brother, who is a priest, and her elder sister Olga both implore her to be reasonable. And even the Frost Demon wants her to face the facts. He tells her:

“Having the world as you wish—that is not for the young,” he added. “They want too much.”

Nevertheless, Vasya sets out into the winter woodlands with Solovey; she’s dressed as a man for the sake of safety. She learns that bandits have kidnapped the girls of a village that lies in her path, and everywhere she sees the depredations, the burned homes and ruined fortresses that have been laid waste by the Mongol invaders that have preceded her. She vows to rescue the girls and to seek vengeance, and as one might expect, she brings down a world of ruin and pain upon herself in the process.

A character like Vasya comes along perhaps once in a generation. Together with the first story in this trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale, it has the makings of a classic. My one small wish is not to see it become a romance rather than what it is now—brilliant historical fiction and deeply moving fantasy. At the same time, wherever Arden takes the third volume of her trilogy, I know she can be counted on to do it better than anyone else.

Can this book stand on its own if the first title isn’t available? Arden ensures that the reader has the basic information necessary to jump into the story, and yet I urge readers to get both books if at all possible. To disregard the first in the series is to cheat oneself.

This reviewer seldom keeps review copies on the shelves here at home. There are too many books and never enough space. This title (and the one before it) is an exception to this rule; I will love this series until I die.

You have to read this book.

"Come in, Vasya," Morozko said. "It is cold."

When last we left Vasilisa Petrovna in The Bear and the Nightingale she had left Leznaya Semlya on her beloved Solovey, the magnificent and magical stallion son of the great horse of Morozko. As the story in The Girl in the Tower opens we find ourselves in Moscow, with Vasya's sister Olya, and eventually again meet her brother Sasha and even the shameful priest who had harmed Leznaya Semlya's delicate balance between the old ways and the new. It takes a deliciously long while for us to find out what happened with Vasya arriving at the home among the tree grove that is Morozko's.

There is no magic. Things are. Or they are not.

In many ways, The Girl in the Tower is a deeper and more complex story than The Bear and the Nightingale. The complexity is both due to the interweaving of more folklore (we see other famous 'monsters' from the pantheon) than just that of Morozko in this book, but also deeper because of questions about mortality, immortality, love, truth, and magic. The relationship between Vasya and Morozko deepens and we find that Death is surprisingly kind. Vasya must deal with further strife in terms of how everyone, at times even Morozko want her to be. But the two most important male figures in her life- Morozko and her brother Sasha, seem to find some way, some space, to allow Vasya to always be herself, even as they fear for her safety. Their fears are well justified. Torn between fates that would be anathema to her- two different towers with both implying differing horrors if you are Vasya, she is also caught between Death and Deathless, for a time.

There was a passage in the first book in which Solovey rebuts Vasya's saying he is not a bird with the comment "You do not know what you are; can you know what I am?" Although, yes, we can call Vasya a witch, I'm not sure, still, even at the end of this book, that we know exactly what Vasya is or what has been passed down to her from Tamara's mother to Tamara, then to Marina to Vasya and even Masha. We are left with strong suspicions, however. It will be interesting to see what Vasya can rebuild from what she has destroyed. And what little Masha will become.

This was a masterful second novel and an entirely satisfying middle book in the Winternight trilogy. I cannot wait to see what Katherine Arden has in store for us in the final book, "The Winter of the Witch."

The Girl in the Tower is a superb fantasy novel—one of the best books I’ve read this year.

To fully enjoy this book, you must first read The Bear and the Nightingale, the previous volume in Arden’s Winternight series. In that novel, the heroine Vasya uses her ability to see chyerti—the spirits of Russian folklore—to help her defeat Medved, a demon who feeds on fear and suffering. She does so with the assistance of Lord Morzoko, the spirit of winter and death, who seems overly interested in Vasya’s life.

Following Medved’s defeat, Vasya dresses as a boy and run away on her magical stallion Solovey to escape accusations of witchcraft in her home village. In spite of the harshness of life on the road, Vasya is thrilled to be free to see some of the world, something well-born girls are not allowed to do. Then she happens across a village that has been burned by a seemingly untraceable pack of Tatar bandits who are wantonly killing villagers and stealing away girl children. Vasya rescues three of those girls and earns the acclaim of her cousin Grand Prince Dmitrii. But the attention of princes can be dangerous, especially if you are a woman who must pretend to be a boy. While Vasya and her siblings Sasha and Olga are endangered by their lies to the grand prince about Vasya’s identity, that’s not the only danger facing them, as a mysterious lord comes to the Moscovite court pursuing his own intrigues. And then there’s Lord Frost, who continues to help Vasya but refuses to explain the connection between them, something that makes Vasya increasingly puzzled and upset.

One of the biggest strengths of this book is how gritty Arden’s worldbuilding is. Arden’s medieval Russia is cold, dirty, and frequently brutal. It’s a world where even a princess may have rotted teeth, and a prince may be both admired and cruel. We sometimes romanticize the past in fantasy novels, but there’s none of that here. Arden’s world feels real, in spite of the fantastical adventures Vasya experiences.

The folkloric elements are similarly dark. While the chyerti may choose to be helpful, they are frequently capricious and may as easily do harm. Morozko is not evil, but he is constrained by his nature to act as the avatar of Death. That brings its own darkness to the story, because dying is all too easy in Vasya’s world.

Yet, in spite of the inherent darkness of both the real and spirit worlds of the book, this is no grimdark fantasy tale. The brightness at the core of the story is Vasya, a fierce force for good who pursues what she believes is right no matter the personal cost. Even when the world conspires to snuff her vital spirit, Vasya refuses to be quenched. One thing that is abundantly clear in this book is how cruelly constrained the lives of even wealthy women were in medieval Russia. Marriage and the convent are the only options presented to Vasya, but she is completely unsuited for either and finds a way to forge her own path, difficult as it may be.

I’m really looking forward to the third book in the series. It promises an answer to the source of Vasya’s supernatural abilities as well as a resolution to the romance blossoming between Vasya and Morozko. Even though I’m hoping for a happy ending for their story, it’s hard to see how they’ll get one, since happy endings seem in short supply in Arden’s world.

I highly recommend this series. If you aren’t already reading it, do yourself a favor and get copies of both books so you can immerse yourself in Vasya’s story and the brutal magic of medieval Russia.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Katherine Arden has done it again! The Girl in the Tower was a mystical, enchanting, and mesmerizing novel. This book was an exquisite follow up to The Bear and The Nightingale

This book took place in Moscow, which was a beautiful setting for the characters to be in. I loved how detailed the description was of each building, horse, and snowflake. The author truly transported me to Moscow and made me the discover the beauty and intrigue of Moscow. I could read this author describe a blade of grass and I would be utterly entranced. She is a genuinely a gifted writer.

The plot of this book was addicting and full of mystery and intrigue. There was never a dull moment in this story! I was glued to the pages and never wanted to stop reading. I was able to predict some of the mysteries, but I was completely absorbed.

The characters went through some incredible development throughout this story. Vasya's siblings, Sasha and Olga, changed a lot since the first book and it interesting to see the growth they had. I was glad to see them present in this book and see them become even more developed characters. One of my favorite characters in this series is Morozko, and I LOVED the development he had. This book showed there is a lot more to Morozko that meets the eye, and that he does have some deep feelings. Morozko isn't as perfect and controlled as he seemed to be, and it was wonderful to see that. I CANNOT wait to see more of him in book two!

Vasya grew so much in this book, and it made my heart SO HAPPY AND PROUD. Vasya grew into a mature, wise, cunning, and brave woman. I loved how she was a woman who learned from her mistakes and was not ashamed of that. Every mistake was a learning experience and she took that in stride. She was a strong woman who was independent and in charge of her own destiny, which I was LIVING FOR.

This book isn't heavy on the romance, but as the romance lover I am, I OF COURSE SHIP SOMETHING. The tension that was present between Vasya and Morozko in the first book was even more prevalent in this novel. I WAS THRIVING. There were little moments between Vasya and Morozko, but I cherished every single one of those moments. Their connection continued to develop slowly and I cannot wait to see how it develops further in the third book. BRING ON THE STEAMY ROMANCE!!!!

Overall, this was another addicting and magical novel in The Winternight Trilogy. I would recommend this book and series to everyone and anyone.

5 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

A Dark, Magical, Russian Winter

In this sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale, Vasya is off on an adventure. Accused of witchcraft by her village, she rejected the choice of marriage or a convent, and, disguised as a boy, took off on her magical horse, Solovey. In her travels she helps defeat a group of bandits who are destroying villages and taking the young girls to sell. She meets the Grand Prince of Moscow and wins his respect as a fighter, but must be careful to keep him from learning her sex. In Moscow, she reunites with her brother, Sasha, and her sister, Olga, and helps defend the city from a political war that threatens its existence.

As in the previous book, the text is filled with lyrical descriptions of the countryside, fairy tales, and courageous escapades. The deep winter and tales of spirits, weave a dark tapestry against which the action occurs. I loved the fairy tales, but I found the descriptions of medieval Russia more interesting. This book is faster paced with more action than the first book, but the spell is still captivating.

Vasya has grown in this book. She’s no longer a child and faces adult challenges. She finds difficulty reuniting with her family, particularly her sister, Olga.

This is an excellent sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale. If you love atmospheric stories with good characters, this is a book you’ll enjoy.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

I've been looking forward to The Girl in the Tower since January, and luckily the wait wasn't too long. I was primarily excited for it because of how much I enjoyed reading the first book in the series, The Bear and the Nightingale. That book had a semi-open ending, and I wanted to know where Arden would take the story since there were so many possibilities. And indeed, The Girl in the Tower picks up shortly after the end of The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya made her choice, and she intended to stick to it.

By no means was I disappointed by The Girl in the Tower, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous book. I still liked the story, but the first couple of chapters didn’t immediately draw me in the same way The Bear and the Nightingale was able to do. However, once the point of view shifted to Vasya, the story took on a familiar fairytale-like tone, which I was an absolute fan of. It quickly became apparent that this was the dark, icy, and magical sequel I was hoping for.

One of the things I like about Arden’s writing is how atmospheric it is. I particularly enjoyed the historical aspects of the book because of how detailed and real the characters and setting seemed to fit with the time period. She perfectly captured the landscape, weather, and dangers of the setting and society. The folklore is something to be noted too. There are a lot of old tales incorporated into Vasya’s story, which tied in with the magic. It was one of the things I enjoyed so much about The Bear and the Nightingale, and I was glad to see that it carried over into the second book.

That brings me to the characters. While Vasya’s story was the focus, I liked that the secondary characters had personality. They were present in the story, not just there as background noise. Then, there was Vasya. I liked her strength and determination. She learned a lot through her mistakes, and that made her character arch all the more interesting. Morozko—I don’t have much to say about the frost demon, because that would be a spoiler. What I will say is that he's one of my favorite characters in this series, and I appreciated the scenes he was in but wish he would have been more present in the story.

So, while the ending was a little abrupt, The Girl in the Tower was still a solid addition to the series. And if you enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale, then this is a must read. Now begins the wait for book three.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Del Rey) via Netgalley for this review.

This book blew me away. There’s no sophomore slump here. The Girl in the Tower is full of political intrigue and love, and is as magically lyrical as the first. I will say that trigger warnings for this book do include sexual assault and mentions of human trafficking.

This book starts out with a glimpse as to what happened at the end of The Bear and the Nightingale before jumping into a few chapters that serves to introduce a cast of characters we will see more of in this story. We have met them before in the first book, but it was much earlier on in the story. So, if you’re looking to see what happens to Vasya and Morozko, their story beings in chapter six. I admit, those two were who I most looked forward to when I started this book, but the beginning is also very important, so do pay attention to them.

Like the previous book, this book is built on layers. But by now, we have a foundation of a story to work with, so there’s less introduction needed into who Vasya is, and we are left to focus on trying to decipher all the characters and their motivations. This is a story that takes place outside of Lesnaya Zemlya, once Vasya’s home until she was driven out for fear of her safety. Vasya is on the road, wishing to travel and see the world. But the world is not kind to young girls, especially a girl traveling on the back of a great stallion.

She does well on her own for a short while, with Solovey the stallion to keep her company. Solovey, for his part, is still hilarious and darling as ever. The conditions are harsh on the roads, and she has taken to traveling dressed as a boy despite the frost-demon Morozoko telling her to return back to Lesnaya Zemlya. Things are not well in Russia as bandits who leave no footprints are setting villages aflame and taking young girls with them. It is here that she chances upon the good graces fo the Grand Prince of Moscow, Dmitrii Ivanovich, and her brother Sasha, who since has become a monk also known as Aleksandr Peresvet.

The story takes on new layers as each character is introduced into the storyline, and secrets unfold slowly, then all at once near the end of the book. There are great many fights and battles when action calls for it. There are also quieter moments that manages to tug at the your heartstrings.

Vasya is young still and has a world for adventure in a world that would keep their women locked away and hidden from the eyes of men. She sees and speaks to the domovoi still, the spirits who care for many things – like the bath houses, a home’s hearth, and the gates of the city. Then, there is Morozko, a frost-demon who should be indifferent to all manner of things, for he is the death-god.

I’m going to need a second to talk about Vasya and Morozko. I already was very much taken by the mysterious Morozko in the first book, but only as a character, you know? Not necessarily shipping Vasya and Morozko together by any means (Vasya was a young child then anyways). But this book? I found myself highlighting all their interactions together and I am so in love with these two. Vasya is strong-willed and Morozko doesn’t know what to do when interacting with someone who dares to talk back to him. He seems like a precious cinnamon roll (of DEATH, I suppose).

Morozko would never do anything to put Vasya in harm’s way, but when he begins to think that he might develop feelings for her, I can’t say that he makes the smartest decisions when it comes to Vasya in order to protect her from the world. I know this book isn’t in the romance genre, but can Vasya and Morozko somehow get their happy ending in the next book? There’s a few obstacles (because, hello, death-god and all), but I would love to see a HEA very much. ❤

The Girl in the Tower is magical from beginning-to-end with an air of mystery surrounding the newcomers in this story. The writing is gorgeous and has the feeling of being whisked away into a land where a child’s fairy tales can be a very real thing indeed. This story, thankfully, does not end on quite a cliffhanger as the first book, but does leave open a few questions about a few characters and what’s next for Vasya. I absolutely cannot wait to read book three, The Winter of the Witch!!!

***Thanks to Penguin Random House for providing me an ARC for review***

It seems that Vasya has run away from home to become Wonder Woman. Without weapons or protection she can unkidnap girls from a group of marauders, kill men without a backward glance, and kiss the Winter King/Death. Wow! Then the author says the book is historical fiction. It seems to me that this could be historical fiction or it can be a fairytale, but it can't be both.

Book Talk…12/8/17
Traci Kenworth

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Ardeen. Ballantine/Del Rey. 2017 Netgalley.

A remarkable young woman blazes her own trail, from the backwoods of Russia to the court of Moscow, in the exhilarating sequel to Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale.

Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch.

Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey.

But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.

Advance praise for The Girl in the Tower

“Arden’s lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all.”—Booklist (starred review)

“[A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don’t get better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Vasya or Vasilisa is thought to be dead by the priest who raised a village against her in The Bear and the Nightingale but she appears while her brother, Sasha, and the Grand Prince are out seeking bandits that have been burning villages. She is dressed as a boy and Sasha reluctantly agrees to keep Vasya’s secret identity while trying to get the truth of her as to what happened to their father and why she is not at home still. She tells him an abbreviated version of the truth: their father is dead, she fled the village as the people thought her a witch.
Through this, Vasya is the only one to catch a glimpse of the bandit’s leader as they root out the bandit camp. When Kasyan joins their group and helps them to fight the bandits no one suspects he is hiding a secret as well. As they return home, to the Grand Prince’s palace and her sister is drawn into the lie about Vasya, those that would take Moscow for themselves begin to seed distrust about Vasya, Sasha, and her sister’s husband, also a prince. Can they save the Grand Prince and his people before it is too late?

Oh, this tale was magnificent! The secrets abound especially with a witch in the tower and Vasya’s niece able to see her though she’s a ghost. Katherine Ardeen’s tale is lush and bold and tells the story of a land I don’t personally know much about Russia, but it is intriguing. It’s told as though a fairytale and that really brings the story across as fresh and lovely as can be. All the characters play their parts well from the outrage at Vasya being dressed as a boy to a priest being reminiscent of a soldier. The setting is breathtaking though I wouldn’t want to live in their land of snow and ice. I get enough of that here in Ohio, lol.

I give the story *****

The rare sequel that not only builds on the first story but also has its own strong story in its own right. The author does a great job capturing the old world snowy atmosphere that it makes you feel so cold that you need to be bundled up to read. I'm anxiously awaiting book three!

4 stars!

*

The Girl in the Tower is just as magical and intriguing as its predecessor. The chilling and tense atmosphere draws on Russian folklore to deliver a story that sets readers on edge. Favorite characters come back to face new and more dangerous obstacles, filling the story with action, heartbreak, hope, and love.

Katherine Arden once again enchants with her beautiful writing. The steady pace and multiple POVs give the book the perfect fairytale feeling, as does her fresh take on old folk tales. There is some frustrations towards some characters’ choices, but they continue to be very well-developed and complex. The stakes are higher in this novel, and Arden makes us feel every bit of it.

This was by far one of my most anticipated 2017 reads. I totally fell in love with The Bear and the Nightingale when I read it at the beginning of this year, so I had really high expectations for The Girl in the Tower. The novel mostly managed to meet all of them and it reminded me why I love retellings so much.

The writing and steady pace are just as great as ever. Katherine Arden has grown a lot as a writer, and that definitely shows in this book. There are a lot of actions scenes that are leave you on the edge of your seat, as well as the little sprinkles of romance throughout the story. These characters have grown up a lot from the last time we saw them, and it is wonderful to read about them as they develop even more.

I do have to say that Vasya is super frustrating as a character this time around. Her wildness continues to define her, but it makes for a huge character flaw in the world she finds herself in now. I honestly think she doesn’t make one wise choice throughout the entire novel, and instead makes decisions that only lead her or people she loves into trouble.

The way the plot develops and the revelations are brought to light throughout the novel make me very curious for what is to come next. Some questions from the previous installment are answered, but they only lead to more mysteries. Vasya’s world is a lot bigger, now I’m curious to see what is going to happen as her story progresses.

In the end, The Girl in the Tower makes for an eerie, tense, and beautiful novel. The fairytale aspect that is so prevalent in the series continues to shine through in new and exciting ways. The characters are complex and interesting; the mysteries they bring are just as intriguing as ever. I definitely recommend this to all Fantasy fans, especially those who love mythology and folklore.

A slow start, an epic middle and a bittersweet end describe The Girl in the Tower.

When I read the first book in the Winternight Trilogy last year, I hadn’t realized it was a series, but enjoyed it enough to request a copy when I realized there was a book 2, and it was on NetGalley.

The opening was loaded with gorgeous prose and historical detail, but it was a long time before I got to read a chapter from the hero’s (Vasya’s) point of view. However, once she showed up in the book, she swept me away like wind from a wild winter storm and hardly let me put the book down an end that almost made me cry.

While the historic setting was detailed and well researched, it was also incredibly frustrating. I wanted to punch almost every male in the story at one point or another for being misogynistic jerks. The difference is the way Vasya was treated when people thought she was a boy versus new she was a girl really captured the sexism of the time period. However, since this book was also laden with magic and folklore, I kept waiting and hoping for that historically accurate sexism to be subverted.

I liked that Vasya put on her pants in the wild woods long before she re-entered human society. It made her character and identity feel more genuine. However, my problem with female characters that “cross-dress” or “pretend” to be boys when live in a society like this makes wonder if they do that because their culture’s view of women is oppressive, or if it is simply because of who they are. If Vasya lived today, would she still want to play the role of a man? Or would she be content a woman?

I’m always looking for books with human characters that subvert gender binaries, but historical fiction can blur or even invalidate that because it is so hard to tell how much of the character’s desire to cross-dress is internal and how much is external.

Either way, I still love how wild and determined Vasya is, curse her when she makes bad decisions, and root for her to in. I can’t see how she can find peace and be alive in the world she lives in, but now that I know it is a trilogy, I am okay with the way things ended in this book, but I do not expect any kind of happy ending where she survives the end of the trilogy.

If you are looking for a darker fairytale or historic fantasy, then you will enjoy this, but don’t pick it up if you want a disney-worthy happily ever after.

<i>"You are immortal, and perhaps I seem small to you," she said at last fiercely. "But my life is not your game.”</i>

this book is that rare second-in-a-trilogy novel that aspires to be more than just a bridge of clockwatching filler between two points. it actually does what the second-in-a-trilogy book <i>should</i> do, but rarely accomplishes - it progresses the action and allows the character some elbow room in which to grow; to <i>become</i> what the challenges of the third book will require them to be. many middle books seem content to wallow, bloated, twiddling their thumbs, waiting to cash that third-book paycheck, but this one allows for tremendous growth in vasya’s character, presents a situation steadily increasing in danger and complexity, and it is fiery and ferocious as all hell.

i loved this one every bit as much as [book:The Bear and the Nightingale|25489134]. it is perfect historical fantasy, which is not a genre i read overmuch, but you don’t have to be an expert in a genre to identify when it is being pulled off perfectly - where the historical details are as quietly compelling as the mythological or fantastical ones, and the writing is lushly detailed in both the gauzy romantic moments and the grit and filth and boredom of the less-embellished realities of 14th century russia. boring for highborn women, anyway, who <i>must live and die in towers</i>.

the book is a perfect balance of classical and modern storytelling; descriptions pretty and poetic:

-<i>Men lived too near the bone in winter to bother with things that did not concern them.</i>

-<i>Her fear was a wild thing's fear when the dogs are running.</i>

heroine feminist and fierce:

<blockquote>Sudden anger burned out Vasya's gathering hurt. She pushed back her chair and stood again. "I am not a dog," she snapped. "<i>You</i> may tell me to go home, but I may choose not to. Do you think that is all I want, in all my life - a royal dowry, and a man to force his children into me?”</blockquote>

vasya is a firecracker. accused of witchcraft, doomed by tradition to the confines of marriage or the convent, she decides “nahhhh, imma dress like a dude and ride a magic horse and boss around a deity and have badass adventures instead!*”

she’s had to leave so much of herself behind, but she really expands to fill her own heroic storyline. and yeah, having a deus ex machina on retainer does alleviate some of the personal risk, but it wasn’t an overused "out", and the vasya/morozko relationship has its own awkward learning curves:

<i>"How did you take the rabbit?" she asked, turning the meat with deft, greasy hands. Nearly ready. "There was no mark on it."

Twin flames danced in his crystalline eyes. "I froze its heart."

Vasya shuddered and asked no more.</i>

so, not all hearts and flowers (and necklaces) and rescuing a (secret) damsel in distress. i appreciate that their interactions are shaped enough like romance to please romance fans without alienating me and my preferences for horseback battles and derring-do.

i’m unwilling to write a detailed review of this one. with two books on the table, it’s too easy to attract one of those “i am unclear about what constitutes an actual spoiler, but i’m going to scold you tirelessly about it for hours anyway!" folks. i will say that there was some foreshadowing in this one (carried over from the first book) that’s already got me bracing myself for despair.

which i welcome. i am ready for book three, whatever the emotional cost.

this was a buddy-read with tadiana and steven! here are their reviews:

tadiana: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2047695806

steven: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1906379775


* not, obviously, an actual quote. it’s not <i>that</i> modern.

***********************************

in what is certainly the most difficult decision anyone has ever had to make - i have been salivating for this book, and i was thrilled when i got approved to read it through netgalley at the beginning of the month, but i am only reading horror for october and i keep worrying about it over there waiting for me, thinking i am not interested in it, but i AM! i'm coming for you soon, book! after the horrors!

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Arden's second novel based on the fairy tales and folklore of Russia is a masterpiece. I alternated between reading frantically, and having to put the book down when things turned south for Vasya. The author does an excellent job weaving the folklore into facts about medieval Russian life, and it was so entertaining that you may not even realize you're learning something. This is a fantastic series, and I look forward to the final book!

This book gives me all the heart eyes. I LOVED book 1 and anxiously awaited The Girl in the Tower. It even made my list of releases to get excited about. Book 2 picks up as Vasya is on the run from her village because they think she is a witch. She decides to travel the country with her magical horse. Set in medieval Russia, a girl can’t really travel on her own, so she travels as a boy. She ends up near Moscow and finds herself as a favorite of the Grand Prince of Moscow. She has to keep up the facade of being a boy because of this and makes life difficult for herself and her siblings that are now important people in Moscow as well. Throughout this storyline, there is also a magical subplot that leads to the big ending. If you like fantastic characters, great writing and worldbuilding all while having an underpinning of magic, this series is for you. Don’t let the magic scare you away. For the most part, the magic is more about how the world works rather than spells and the like.

First line: A girl rode a bay horse through a forest late at night.

Summary: Vasya has been cast out of her village as a witch. She does not want to spend her life behind a convent walls or trapped in a marriage. She wants freedom and adventure. With the help of the frost demon, Morozko, and her loyal horse, Solovey, she sets out on her own dressed as a boy. When she wanders into a burned village and discovers that bandits are raiding the countryside and stealing young girls she sets out to save the missing children. After her rescue mission, she gains the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow. With the help of her elder siblings, she keeps her gender hidden from the elite of Moscow. However, with the mysterious arrival of an unknown lord, Vasya starts to worry that the danger has worked its way into the courts of Grand Prince.

Highlights: Atmospheric. I can feel the cold of a Russian winter while reading the adventures of Vasya. Vasya is a wonderful heroine. She is not beautiful. She wants more out of life than the traditional trappings of her gender. I love the frost demon, Morozko. He is complicated and intriguing. I am glad that we got to see more of his relationship with Vasya. The writing is poetic and beautiful. I love that the author provides a glossary at the end to help the reader understand the terminology and characters. This one was filled with action and danger. I loved the first book and the second did not disappoint.

Lowlights: Nothing.

FYI: The second book in The Winternight Trilogy.

This was a great continuation to this series. The first book "The Bear and the Nightingale" took me a while to get used to the Russian names and get the background for the story. This was just a fun read. I really loved to see Vasya's story continue and I loved her relationship with Solovey. I look forward to reading the last book in the series.

What can I add to the other reviews? This is a terrific piece of magical realism with a young heroine who would be a terrific YA crossover read. Vasya is one determined woman- she doesn't like her choices so she makes her own. 14th Century Russia was clearly not an easy place for anyone, let alone Vasya, who has set out alone. This is a fairy tale and yet it seems very real. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I very much enjoyed the first book (if you haven't read it, you'll be fine with this as a standalone but if you like this one, you'll really like it) and now I'm looking forward to the third.

Katherine Arden’s The Winternight Trilogy is one of the most captivating series I’ve ever read. I fell in love with the series last winter when I read the first book, The Bear and the Nightingale. Filled with lush worldbuilding, a feisty heroine, fascinating Russian folklore, and a touch of the supernatural, The Bear and the Nightingale entranced me from the first pages and I just fell in love with everything about the story. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second book, The Girl in the Tower, and was thrilled to be approved for an advanced copy to review on my blog.

I didn’t think it was possible to top the gorgeous storytelling in the first book, but Arden proved me wrong. As much as I adored The Bear and the Nightingale, I thought The Girl in the Tower was even more amazing! It has all of the same wonderful elements as the first book – the magic, the Russian folklore, beloved characters like Vasya, her horse Solovey, and the Frost Demon. But then, there’s just also so much more to love.

In The Girl in the Tower, Vasya has really come into her own in terms of character growth. She is still a free spirit who refuses to bow down and do what society expects young women to do, but now she is also more mature and a bit wiser because of what she went through in the first book.

The Girl in the Tower picks up right where The Bear and the Nightingale left off. Because of what happened to Vasya in the first book, there are rumors swirling around her village that she is a witch. Faced with the choices before her – either marrying someone she doesn’t love or being sent to live in a convent -- Vasya decides to create her own destiny and runs away from home. When the story opens, we meet Vasya traveling, disguised as a boy, with only her horse, Solovey, by her side.

The roads she travels on are rugged and unsafe, but Vasya’s journey ultimately takes her to Moscow where she is reunited with her monk brother, Sasha; her sister, Olga, who is now a princess; and her cousin Dmitrii, who is the Crown Prince of Moscow. Desperately trying to conceal her true identity, Vasya gets caught up in a web of deception, lies, and political unrest and finds herself faced with extremely dangerous choices everywhere she turns.

How will she get out of her predicament and what will happen to her if her true identity is revealed?

LIKES

As with the first book, the atmospheric quality of The Girl in the Tower was one of my favorite parts of the novel. As soon as I began reading, I felt as though I had been transported to Vasya’s world. Arden masterfully paints a medieval Russian landscape and skillfully dots this landscape with a fascinating mix of supernatural elements and Russian folklore. Her descriptions are so vivid that I could practically hear the snow crunching under Solovey’s hooves as he and Vasya traversed the snowy landscape, just as I could easily envision the tiny magical spirit guardians hidden in each building Vasya entered.

Vasya is of course still a major favorite of mine. I admire her bravery and her feistiness and the fact that she doesn’t want to be forced into marriage or into a convent. She has no interest in society’s expectations for women and, instead, wants to be an adventurer and travel the world. Vasya has a spirit that cannot be tamed, and I couldn’t help but cheer her on, even though I know it’s likely to be dangerous for her.

In addition to Vasya, another favorite character of mine is her stallion, Solovey. Solovey and Vasya can communicate with each other, and some of their exchanges are truly hilarious. I love Solovey for his loyalty, his sassiness, and for his fierceness. You’ll want a Solovey of your very own after reading this story. He’s the perfect companion for Vasya.

And, of course, I can’t leave out an unexpected favorite character, Morozko, the Frost Demon. Arden adds layers and layers of complexity to Morozko in this second book and I just fell in love with him even more than I did in the first book. The details of his history, along with his connection to Vasya, are what truly take this story to the next level, and even though I probably shouldn’t ship Vasya and Morozko, I totally do. I just can’t get enough of the two of them together!
I also loved that this story seemed a little darker and a little more grounded in reality than the first story because of the focus on political unrest in Moscow. It added a layer of danger and intrigue that really made for an exciting and fast-paced read.

DISLIKES/ISSUES

The only issue I had while reading this book was that it started out a little slow for me. It may have been because it took a few pages to actually get to Vasya’s story, but I’m actually going to chalk it up as a personal issue because I was trying to start the book while riding on a train and was constantly distracted. Once I got home and continued reading where there were less distractions, I devoured the rest of the book in less than 24 hours.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Girl in the Tower is a tale that is beautiful yet dark, enchanting yet also horrifying. With its gorgeous prose, memorable characters, and intricate storytelling, it has also secured itself a spot on my Top Reads of 2017 list. Katherine Arden has truly captivated me with this series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the final installment. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a strong, feisty, independent heroine and good solid storytelling, as well as to anyone who is interested in Russian folklore. You won’t be disappointed!

RATING: 5 STARS