Picking up from where we left her in The Bear and the Nightingale, Vasya Petrovna, disguised as a boy, makes her way to Moscow with the help of the frost demon Morozko and her faithful horse Solovey. Moscow is her first stop on her quest to see the world, and where she hopes to be reunited with her sister, Olga. However, trouble is never far behind, and Vasya finds herself rescuing a few maidens along the way. Meanwhile, Vasya’s brother, Sasha, urges the Grand Prince Dmitrii to deal with the roving bandits that have been kidnapping girls and burning villages across Russia. Once in Moscow, Vasya enters a world utterly different from village she left. The grandeur of the city is like magic, and yet the magic Vasya knows holds little power there. She is also torn by the admiration she receives while masquerading as a boy, while knowing the fate that awaits her as a young woman: marriage or a convent. On her journey, Vasya learns more about her family and her ties to Morozko, while a new dark power threatens to overtake Moscow.

There are several plot threads woven through The Girl in the Tower, and Arden brings them together beautifully. As in the previous book, Arden’s lush prose transports the reader to medieval Russia, and her strong grasp of history and creative adaptation of folklore again makes for a winning combination. The story unfolds through the eyes of several characters, which enriches our understanding of them and the world they inhabit. Vasya is still as brave and strong-willed as ever but, thanks to the new setting and characters, she continues to grow as a character. The development of her relationships with her siblings and Morozko is lovely. I can’t wait to see where she goes from here, and I’m sure readers will be champing at the bit for the next book!

Brave Vasya, older and wild as ever, is faced with a choice to either marry or live in a convent as a nun. Neither choice seems applicable to her and she would rather die riding in the frozen wintry forest than be stuck living a life that doesn’t fit her. She’s been deemed a witch and questions still loom regarding her father’s death. Vasya needs to discover who she is and as she embarks on a journey alone with her horse Solovey against Morozko’s wishes, she takes risks, experiences danger with violent bandits, witnesses burned and destroyed villages, meets the Grand Prince, and even reunites with family. Only time will tell if she’s made the right decisions and the commitment may be more than she can bear.

This second installment has more action and adventure, the addition of new characters, and clues that offer insight to some of the events in the first book. It’s just as enchanting and a little darker than the first. I enjoyed the characters and relationships, especially Vasya’s relationship with Morozko and her horse Solovey. When I first began reading, I felt as though I was right back in the first book again and had to remember a few of the characters. It doesn’t take long to pick up and as Vasya’s traveling begins, there’s no telling what will happen next and the book is far from predictable.

The Girl In The Tower is written in the same enchanting prose as The Bear and the Nightingale and I did enjoy it, but it didn’t captivate me as much as the first. As this book closed with an unexpected ending, I’m even more excited for the third. 4 ****

I’d like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

Keep in mind that a 5-star rating from me does not mean a perfect book; rather that at the time I read this book I enjoyed it immensely. And I did, taking a break from Classics & Nonfiction, this was a perfectly delightful book to read. I love the Russian Fairy Tale atmosphere that Arden creates.

Call them what you will. Fairy tales, old wives’ tales, fables or just plain stories passed down through the generations. I know different sections of the world have different stories of unknown and often dubious sources. This novel is a work of art, taking the reader back to olden times in the region of Russia. To appreciate this story fully one should first read “The Bear and the Nightingale” by this same author, where the reader will be introduced to the characters, the spirits and the chimeras. With vivid descriptions of the harsh weather, the primitive means of living during the times and the struggle to survive; the story has many characters but the most captivating would be a young lady, masquerading as a young man. Nothing to do with sexual implications but simply a spirited youth living on her own, having been cast out as a witch. In the near past the description of tomboy would be apt. The youngster and her splendid horse arise to hero status only to fall harshly into shame and loathing. The heroics of this young lady in guise as a young man are a story within a fascinating tale of wars, pillaging and plundering and burning villages, killing the inhabitants and abducting the young females to be sold into slavery. It is also the continuing saga of the family first introduced in the afore mentioned “The Bear and the Nightingale”, which upon completing I hoped for a sequel, and now having completed the sequel I am again hoping for continuation in the future. I rate this book as a five-star read and would gladly assign more stars if allowed. Praise to the author for this fascinating work.

What an utter disappointment. The magic of The Bear and the Nightingale burst from its charm and uniqueness; there is little to distinguish The Girl in the Tower from every other YA book burdening store shelves.

Vasya’s likeability plummets in this sequel. Rather than understand her frustration as a young, adventurous girl breaking norms in a heavily patriarchal society, I was incredibly irritated by her attitude. How little she thinks of the consequences of her actions, how little she thinks of how her actions will affect people other than herself. Oh yeah, and she’s a total Mary Sue. Other characters cannot stand on their own—they only appear to move Vasya’s story along in incremental movements. (I remember Konstantin being a fascinating villain in the previous novel—this is no longer the case!)

The plot and the writing failed me too. I could literally predict what would happen on the next page before I read it. How is that fun? This story is in desperate need of depth, which is where I thought the first novel excelled. This just felt like action scene after action scene (not even particularly well-written action scenes!) with little world-building and even less character development. And the actual plot? Oh, was that something you wanted? Look elsewhere.

I’m sad. The Bear and the Nightingale was such a joy to read. I had to force myself to finish The Girl in the Tower.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a digital ARC of “The Girl in the Tower” by Katherine Arden. The first book in this series is beautiful and magical. This second installment was just as wonderful. The world building is just gorgeous and the historical references are quite intriguing. The author has such a way of telling the story that I found myself wondering if the part I was reading was an old fairy tale. The plot and story structure has an old feeling that pulls you in and lets you live there for a while. This book is perfect for those who loved fairy stories as a child.

This sequel to The Bear And The Nightingale does not disappoint!

Though different in a few ways, this charming, magical story still holds the same enchantment as the first in the series.
In this installment, however, we get more adventure, more action, more daring, and much more bravery!

This time we get to follow Vasya as she leaves all that she knows behind and travels across the deadly frozen landscape of Russia. Running from the memory of her dead father and a village accusing her of being a witch, Vasya finds hope in her dream of freedom.
Refusing to be confined by marriage or a convent Vasya disguises herself as a boy and rides her horse off into the woods and towards adventure!

And there was so much adventure in this book!

We get to brave snowstorms, fight bandits, race horses, encounter even more spirits, meet The Grand Prince of Moscow, be reunited with lost family, and attempt to save the Kingdom from danger.

And of course there's plenty more of Morozko the winter demon/God too!

This is less of a cosy tale of family, snow and folklore such as The Bear And The Nightingale, and more of a grand, daring, frosty adventure.
It still contains plenty of magic, but has a healthy dose of danger too!

If you enjoyed the first book in this series then I think you'll be more than thrilled with The Girl In The Tower!
Get ready for magic, folklore, adventure, and lots of snow!

In The Girl in the Tower, Katherine Arden whisks the reader back into the magical and haunting world she created in The Bear and the Nightingale. I was captivated by the fairy tale-feel of the story. With strong characters, bound by love for each other and dedication to preserving ancient beliefs, the author builds what is sure to be a bestseller. I hope there will be another book in this series!

With prose just as beautiful and lush as The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden continues her rich, imaginative narrative following Vasya and her siblings through medieval Russia. With her faithful horse, Solovey, and a grit unheard of in most women of the time, Vasya will travel through cities and countryside, meeting princes, saving maidens, and discovering more about the ties that bind her to Morozko, the Winter King. Arden's retelling of Russian fairy tale is absolutely enchanting and utterly exquisite!