Note: This is the sequel to the adult fantasy THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE, which you can find my review here! (https://onewayoranauthor.wordpress.com/2017/08/28/arc-review-the-bear-and-the-nightingale-by-katherine-arden/) This review will contain slight spoilers.

Following the brilliance of THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE comes another tale of love and loss, fear and fortune, and the bravery of one witch-like girl who is ready to change all of Moscow. While I really enjoyed the first book, THE GIRL IN THE TOWER had some moments where I was a bit frustrated by the characters’ impetuous actions. Nevertheless, the pacing is much more quick and action much more tight. I can’t wait for the last book for this trilogy and to see where Vasya’s story ends up!

THE GIRL IN THE TOWER starts immediately after the epilogue in its predecessor. Readers follow two point of views that eventually converge. One follows Sasha, Vasya’s beloved brother who left home to become a monk and ended up being quite famous in his travels across Russia. The other follows Vasya as she heads out to find her own adventure as a response to people in her village being fearful of her witch-like behavior. They both end up in Moscow, the heart of the landscape, although under false pretenses.

“‘Should I run away? Go home? Never see my brothers again? Where do I belong? I don’t KNOW. I don’t know who I am. And I have eaten in your house, and nearly died in your arms, and you rode with me tonight and - I hoped you might know.”

My heart really went out to Vasya in this book. She’s very confused about where she belongs. She knows for sure that she does not want to marry or go to a convent - the two choices reserved for girls of her age at the time - but other than that, what can she do? A lot of what Vasya does in this book is rash and capricious, although I can’t really fault her for it. She’s just a lost character trying to find her way, and the interruptions with Morozko and other small fairy-tale figures don’t really help. Somehow, her brother and her end up in Moscow, unfoiling a plot set in motion to dethrone the Grand Prince, their cousin Dmitri. But all bets are off when secrets are spilled, and the city as Vasya knows it goes up into chaos.

“I wish you’d learn how to fight properly before you start getting into them, the horse said unhappily.”

The two things that really stick with me in Arden’s books are the themes and the writing. Arden’s a phenomenal writer and really captures a reader into her stories. I love the incorporations of Russian folklore that she adds so seamlessly, as well as the small bits of wit here and there in the dialogue. THE GIRL IN THE TOWER follows similar themes to the first book, of fear pushing people to the brink of madness and greed creating a clear path of manipulation. On the other hand, there’s also the manipulation done because of love and independence. But how are these two different when the end result is the same?

I didn’t quite enjoy this sequel as much as THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE, which makes my actual rating more of a 3.5 (although rounded to 4). The wonders of Moscow and political intrigue were fun to read, but I missed the quiet and mystery of the Russian wilderness that was such a huge setting for the first book. Although the end of this book is quite conclusive, I’m excited to see where Arden takes the final book. I’m also loving the progression of the covers, as each book in the series takes on a warmer color scheme. I would really recommend this trilogy for readers who hold fantasy in their hearts. The first book takes a bit to get into, but it’s really worth it! Arden’s writing is captivating and concise, making for gorgeous reads where the pages just fly by.

Content Warnings: public exposure, violence, mentions of rape, mass murders

As with The Bear and the Nightingale,Katherine Arden grabbed my attention, held on tight, and made my life just a little more interesting.

Personally I love this series, and I believe readers will, too.

The Girl in the Tower is the second installment of Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy and this trilogy has ALL the feels guys!

I loved this book from start to finish. Sometimes, I really wasn't sure who the girl in the tower was supposed to be, but overall, the story was phenomenal. As always Arden sucks you into her medieval world with vivid imagery and ghosts and fairy tales that will make you shudder and crave for more. I had so much fun reading this one, that I can't wait for the third part of the trilogy to be published.
I truly recommend this series to everyone who loves fairy tales, strong female characters and fantastic scenery with a historic touch.

Katherine Arden has studied Russian and it really shows how familiar she is with the time and places she writes about in her books. It is a pleasure to read fantasy that has a touch of real history in it. As I've studied Russian at high school, I had no problems following some of the vocabulary. But even if you don't know any slavic languages, the extensive glossary explains more words than I even though necessary.

The writing style was vivid and moved the story forward in a really nice manner. Even though this is a plot-driven book, none of the characters come short in my opinion. Though I would have liked to read even more about them at some point as I'm usually more interested in character than plot. Either way, the characters are so relatable and well-written that I've already fallen in love irrevocably with some of them *cough Morozko cough*. If you should ever find yourself wanting hot chocolate, don't waste your time and chocolate on TV. Read The Girl in the Tower and your drink will be the best you ever had.

This is just an amazingly well written series with a great plot. The writing is simply beautiful and lures you in to a fairytale. Just great!

A wonderful follow-up to The Bear and the Nightingale; raw, riveting. I will definitely be recommending this at my the library; breathlessly waiting for Katherine Arden’s next book - though this one will be hard to top!

The Girl in the Tower nicely moves forward from the ending of The Bear and the Nightingale, with an older, but just as adventurous Vasya. In this second installment, Vasya is accused of withcraft because of her ability to see and communicate with creatures that other people can't, but that people still fear. Superstitions, fear of the unexplained, and suspicion of anyone who may be different put Vasya in actual physical danger if she doesn't choose to either be controlled by a husband or the Christian church through the structure of a convent. Vasya chooses to run and that's where things take off.

The Girl in the Tower is much more adventure and action than world building which moved the story along really well. Although Arden does give the reader more character development for Vasya, we get more of her family connections and new characters are introduced, I did have one small disappointment. I really enjoy Morozko (Frost) as a main character and we don't get as much from him in this one. I am torn on whether that is actually a disappointment or not. Since Vasya really is the central character that everything else revolves around, it's only fair that most of the focus is on her development.

Although The Girl in the Tower felt more like a YA story than The Bear and the Nightingale to me, I did enjoy it and will be happy to get my hands on the next installment. If you haven't read book one yet, I recommend reading it first before jumping into this one. These are great books to pick up now that it's getting colder and the nights are longer. Winter is the perfect backdrop for this series.

It’s become quite clear that I will read anything Katherine Arden writes. Her debut The Bear and the Nightingale was one of my favourite reads of last year. I dare say that Bear is a mere drop in the ocean when it comes to Arden’s writing and clever plot twists in The Girl in the Tower.

Following on from the ending of Bear, Vasya is branded a witch and because she's not content with just being some man’s wife or living in a convent as a nun for the rest of her life, she leaves her village with Solovey. Vasya braves the cold wilderness and doesn't look back, she wants to see the world and experience life but the only way to do this is to disguise herself as a Russian boy.

There was a real sense of adventure in Girl, Vasya finds herself embroiled in a brewing political war between the Moscow royal family and the Khan of Mogul. Vasya cannot stand by while villages are burning and children are being kidnapped and instead risks her life, battling bandits with nothing but her cunning mind and tenacious nature.

Vasya is reunited with her brother Sasha, a priest and right hand man of Prince Dmitry and Olga a Russian princess who is sequestered in a tower with her children and terem. I loved the complex relationship Vasya had which each sibling and how they each battled with the internal struggle of religion and what was expected of women and their role within society compared to their wild sister. As always Arden’s abilitiy to carefully craft a book filled with religion, history, politics and fairytales is truly genius.

I didn’t think it was possible to enjoy Girl more than Bear but I was wrong. Between the stunning prose, the lush world building and a slow burn budding romance, I was completely hooked and found myself reading long into the night. I was absolutely delighted to see Arden include yet more Russian myths and legends, such as the fire bird, Polunochnitsa and I particularly loved reading about Kaschei the deathless.... and of course my beloved Morokzo. The elusive Frost-Demon is just as thrilling and enticing as always, there weren't enough pages with him in to satisfy my shameless obsession with him!

The Girl in the Tower is a bewitching sequel, with magical writing and stunning prose that transports you to medieval Russia, you would swear you could feel the winter frost nipping at your fingers while reading. Arden takes readers on a thrilling adventure, elegantly weaved with gorgeous Russian history and folklore that keeps you in its thrall until the very end. The Girl in the Tower was easily one of my favourite books of the year and although I really don’t want this series to end I can’t wait for book three!

This richly layered tapestry of early Russia reveals a deeply researched history which flows smoothly into the supernatural fantasy world of early fairy tale and fable. Even with a fully embraced religion, the beautifully decorated orthodoxy of Russia, the harsh weather and life of the times demanded its own explanations of nature. Into this background is introduced a cast of complex characters, many of whom we met in Book 1, but who are now adults (or older adults) rather than children. The second book stands well on its own; you are probably going to prefer to read the books in order, however, to enjoy the full vision of author Katherine Arden (think Tolkien!).

Among other topics explored, although somewhat subtly, is gender identity and what it meant to be a woman in medieval Rus' (we are well pre-Russia!), including cloistering of noblewomen in a terem with limited access to the outside world. But largely this is a novel of adventure and exploration of both the seen (the frozen rivers as highways for six months of the year!) and unseen (household figures such as domovoi--a pagan concept seen in many cultures (think Roman lares or "Anglo-Scottish" brownies), and the connections between them.

As with the first novel in the series, "The Bear and the Nightingale," I was enthralled cover to cover, including the endnotes which discuss Russian naming conventions and give definitions for various words. Give yourself time to enjoy this many-textured, fully imagined tale.

Disclaimer: There was no doubt in my mind, having read book one, that I would search out book two (and three!) so I happily requested it from Netgalley as soon as it became available.

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2018 March 22

BOOK REPORT for The Girl in the Tower (Winternight Trilogy #2) by Katherine Arden

Careful, Sweetie: spoilers! This is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy, so if you haven’t read The Bear and the Nightingale, you should probably hop back in the TARDIS and go curl up in the library by the pool with the first book before continuing.

Cover Story: Montell Jordan
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: Like A Fine Wine
Bonus Factors: Cross-Dressing, Loyal Pets, Family, Magic
Anti-Bonus Factor: Terem
Relationship Status: To The Ends Of The Earth

Cover Story: Montell Jordan



This cover is as pretty as a classical painting hanging in an art museum. The colors are rich and warm and there are so many callbacks to actual things in the book. It blends in perfectly with the first cover, too, which had a much colder and darker aesthetic. Also, shout-out to the title, which works in so many ways.

The Deal:

A girl and a horse, wandering the wilderness, with only a Frost Demon keeping watch over them. A monk, too restless to stay humble inside a monastery, who instead dines with a prince and brings light to the hopeless. A woman, smarter than any man will ever give her credit for, sequestered away from the public eye, as is custom. And a crowded, bustling city, in danger of crumbling under the Khan.

Multiple stories converge together to build upon the world we were introduced to during The Bear and the Nightingale. Rus is fighting for its freedom against a tyrannical ruler; the old, magical ways are fighting against progress and the rise of Christianity; and Vasya and her family are fighting right in the middle of it all.

BFF Charm: Yay



Vasya is a girl born in the wrong time. She cannot be content, like her sister, to be hidden away in the terem of Moscow. In the previous book, we knew her as a headstrong, wild-like creature of the forest, and this is her journey of accepting who she is, societal pressures be damned. I’d love to be Vasya’s friend if only to be near her true BFF: her horse, Solovey. (Does he have any siblings?)

Swoonworthy Scale: 8

Morozko is drawn to Vasya for reasons neither she nor we are completely privy to when the novel begins. Vasya is, understandably, kind of a badass, so I don’t blame him for taking to her, or for wanting to protect her when she (foolishly) assumes she’s got this travel thing on lock. And on Vasya’s side, I can totally get the attraction of an icy Frost Demon who seems to melt only for you. We all love a bad boy, even ladies from ancient Russia. The romance in this book is the perfect kind for this type of fantasy; it’s subtle, forcing you to read between the lines, but what you do pick up, whew. Prepare yourself.

Talky Talk: Like A Fine Wine

The Bear and the Nightingale was slow and very atmospheric, and The Girl in the Tower expertly builds on that foundation, giving us more action, more politics, and more intrigue, yet it never forgets to dazzle you with its sense of place. This is the kind of series that I want to savor, swirling it around on my tongue and taking small sips because I never want it to stop. There’s a mystical quality to the world but the characters themselves are very much grounded in reality as full actualized people with good and bad traits alike. It's times like these where I really feel the wait between installments. Give it to me noooooow (though it seems the third book is coming out this year, so perhaps it's not that long of a wait at all!).

Bonus Factor: Cross-Dressing



It’s a shame that the only way women could get things done way back when was to dress up like a man. Vasya is particularly incensed to realize what a life she could have had in Moscow if she had only been born with a swinging appendage between her legs.

Bonus Factor: Loyal Pets



Solovey is the son of Morozko's own mare. He’s just what you would want from a talking, magical, equine sidekick: the practical, wry sense of an animal and the unwavering loyalty of a true companion.

Bonus Factor: Family



We don’t return to Vasya’s little village and her family there, but instead we get to see more of the two siblings she loved dearly and hasn't seen since she was but a child: Olga and Sergei. They’ve both grown into very political, world-wise and -weary beings, and I loved seeing Vasya through their eyes and them through hers. Their reunions are hard-won and heartbreaking as they all begin to realize Vasya isn’t the same child they left behind.

Bonus Factor: Magic



The magic is subtle but masterfully woven into everything, making you wonder what will happen next—what else can Vasya do? What is going to come to fruition or potentially fade away before the end of the series?

Anti-Bonus Factor: Terem



Terem are the towers where the high-born women from the city would live, away from the eyes of anyone except the men of the family. They were unable to travel about the city except on special occasions. Sadly for the women of the time, this was common practice until the early eighteenth century.

Relationship Status: To The Ends Of The Earth

I know you’re always down for an adventure. Where are you headed this time, Book? I need only a few moments time to gather up my travel gear, sell all my worldly belongings, and make sure I’m bundled up good for the cold weather ahead. Let’s meet out back and I’ll follow wherever you lead.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Del Rey. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. The Girl in the Tower is available now.

This book ROCKED. Fairy tale fantasy adventure at its best!!

I had to go and read the first book in this series as I had not done so. This is a wonderful sequel. It is just as captivating at the first.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Truly excellent. If Arden's previous book was a fairy tale, this follow-up is about the consequences of the fairy tale. It is more grounded, and doesn't shy away from harsh realities for all that it revels in magic and fantasy too. Vasya's journey continues, in wonderful and terrible ways, and we see a lot more of her extended family and of old-timey Russia now that she has left home.

This installment has different subtextual concerns too. Where the first mainly took on religion and spirituality, this one zeroes in more on heroism, responsibility, and gender. I am getting a little tired of the "girl must disguise herself as a boy" trope, but the way it's done here at least makes a great deal of sense given the prescribed role of women in the time and place depicted. And (thank goodness!) Arden does not throw any "confused romance" into the mix. That is to say, there is no pining after any boy who thinks Vasya is also a boy. There is an entirely different sort of romance at play here.

I found myself gasping and laughing and yelling at this book, I was so affected. I didn't want it to end!

As the second book the The Bear and the Nightingale, I wasn't sure what to expect. But after reading it, I can tell you that if you liked the first one, you'll like the second too! Highly imaginative and colorful, if you are looking for a story that will make you smile, you've come to the right place.

Thank you for the opportunity to review.

This was a wonderful book in a great series. Can't wait to read the next one!

So excited to read this sequel! Did not disappoint.

This is the direct sequel to “The Bear and the Nightingale”, and resumes where the latter left off, following both Sasha and Vasya from that point onwards.

I’m a little torn about this book. While still calling upon Russian folklore and legends, these didn’t play as much of a part as they did in the first book, and I was a little disappointed to see them take the backburner. (Morozko was still here, but I don’t know if it was so good for him, all things considered when it comes to the ending.) Paradoxically, this time, I also liked that the focus shifted more towards city politics, with the characters having to grapple with ‘what consequences will our actions have in the grand scheme of things’, for instance Dimitrii re: the Golden Horde. And that, I think, ties into one of the big themes of the story, a.k.a it’s well and all to want your independence, but finding ways to achieve it with minimum damage should be part of your focus as well.

It followed that I liked Vasya less in this second instalment. On the one hand, I sympathised with her plea of not wanting a life where she’d be locked up in the terem most of the year, and forbidden to do what she loved (riding Solovey, for instance) because ‘it didn’t become a woman’. Because not having a choice is the lot of most people, doesn’t mean we have to always accept it meekly without fighting (I mean, if everybody did that, we’d still work 14 hours a day and send children to the factory at 12 or something, I suppose); and that she’d see her niece doomed to the same kind of fate was painful. On the other hand, more than in the first volume, Vasya’s desire to travel and not live under restraint like her sister caused even more problems, likely because of the stupid ways she often approached this, and/or completely ignored any other character’s warnings. One extremely obvious example: if you aim at passing for a boy, cut your hair first thing, don’t just hide it under a hood. I think this is one detail that kept baffling me every time Vasya’s hair was mentioned, because it was so illogical to me. Getting giddy with the feeling of freedom and making mistakes? Okay, understandable. But other problems could’ve been avoided with a little common sense.

I’m interested in the third book, to see how all this will unfold, but I definitely hope Vasya will have learnt from her mistakes this time.

A fantastical journey with a fierce, independent protagonist. A great read for lovers of fairy tales, historical fiction, and epic fantasies. This book is written with the most beautiful storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat as well as drags you in with its' prose.

As I said after the first book, The Bear and the Nightingale, I am not a big fantasy reader, but i would classify this book also as folktale/mythology/history. I was looking forward to this book in the trilogy and even though I did not enjoy it as much as the first, it was still a very strong story and moved along quickly.

Medieval Russian superstitions are the backbone of this trilogy, with many of the same chyerti (spirits and/or demons) in this book as the first as well as some new ones. Vasya (Vasilisa) has the sight passed down to her by her mother and grandmother before her. Unfortunately, she has been labeled a witch, so unless she wants to be sent to a convent or marry someone she doesn't love, she hops on her magical horse, Solovey, dresses up like a boy, and heads off into the world for adventure. Running into bandits who are burning villages and stealing young girls to sell as slaves, she escapes to a monastery with 3 of the girls and runs into her brother and the Crown Prince of Moscow. Her brother agrees to keep the secret of her gender so she is off to experience battle, camaraderie, and more. Once again, the winter king, Morozko, the man made of ice and snow, with his chilling pale blue eyes, comes to her aid many times. He also comes as death welcoming those who are leaving the earth. Vasya makes many decisions and choices that affect not only herself but family and others who have befriended her. Whether these decisions are the right ones or not will be revealed as you read this story.

Katherine Arden has done a great job creating the time period and introducing us to the various magical creatures and the power they possess. This story is quite a bit darker with more violence than the first in the series. There is magic, family, folklore, the arising power of the church, battles, adventure, political uprisings and coups as well as bandits and the culture of the time. This was a very harsh and uncertain time for those in power as well as the individual lords and their villagers. The weather, especially the descriptions of the winter, make you feel what those living there are going through. There are pieces in the story that give us more information about the family that explain more about Vasya's gift. The ending is a surprise and leaves you wanting more. I am looking forward to the last book in this trilogy. The author's notes at the back give information about the folklore, the characters and her desire to stay true to the history of this period. I recommend this book to anyone as there is something for any book lover.

This second book in the series, the first being the enchanting The Bear and the Nightingale, surpassed my expectations. It was every bit thrilling as the first. This second book finds Vasya choosing her own path of adventure over marriage and leaving behind an uncertain relationship with Morozko. While some readers may be pining away for their union, I loved that she stayed true to her character and set out on her own path with her trusted friend, Solovey. The dangers they face and the choices she's forced to make in this second installment makes the tension all too real, Arden masterly portrays the inner conflicts Vasya and the other characters struggle with. What the heart wants vs what is the right thing to do. You see their flaws and commiserate with them. It wasn't just the characters that made this book memorable, I was enthralled by the 14th century Russia that Arden created, from the frozen forest Vasya traveled through to the historical setting and political intrigue that was Moscow. This is definitely one I will recommend over and over.