My Review: I finally finished this book, it didn't take me nearly as long as The Bear and the Nightingale but it still took longer than I expected. This is definitely a book that is meant to be read at a slower pace with all your focus on it. I was too easily distracted by other books that I was reading during the slower parts of the story. Some of the issue for me was the pacing, it would be really slow and things described in detail when there was not a whole lot happening and then when the action would pick up the description was gone and it went too fast. I did however enjoy Vasya's character development throughout this story and my favorite parts were when her and Solovey were together. I loved the bond that they had and the adventures they went on were exciting and dangerous yet honorable. While I did enjoy this story, I really feel like it could use some trimming down, I feel like not all the tangents throughout the book were not truly necessary even though they were tied in nicely. I am intrigued by the third story, hoping it will focus on Masha but by the time it has been released I may have lost interest.



My Rating: Like with the first book I really struggle to rate this book, the writing is beautiful but I was so easily distracted, I enjoyed parts of it but as a whole it isn't high on my list. I have to go with a middle of the road rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag. I really think that some readers will really appreciate the slow pacing of this book and it will definitely work better for readers who focus on one book at a time.

I put off reading this book for months. I loved the first book so much and I couldn't dream how Arden could pull off a second book that was anywhere near as good as the first. At some point, I finally knew I could put it off no longer, so I pulled out the first book again and did a reread. Oh. My. Gosh. I loved it even more the the 2nd time, so my anxiety (yes I sometimes have anxiety over books....don't judge me for that I won't judge you because you don't! #justsaying). I forced myself to start this book.

At 20% I was just...well....heck....what can I say...I was surprised....I was honestly loving it even more. I knew there was no way the 2nd book could be even has as wonderful as the first...yet somehow it was turning out EVEN BETTER!!!! I was terrified to ask my friends who loved the first book to read it...to see if they would feel the same way....I spent page after page wanting to rush and ask them to read this and the need to keep silent so I didn't jinx it...At about 30% the need to share my love won out...I let the world know I was in love! I was crushed with myself...I KNEW I had ruined it and jinxed the novel...that it would all go downhill quickly...At 70%I couldn't believe all of the emotions I was feeling...at 75% I had to stop reading and take a half day off from reading...I couldn't slow down enough to make sure I didn't miss anything...I was just loving it so much that I wanted to race heedlessly to the end...so I forced myself to set it aside for most of the day to calm myself...

What can I say? There's no way I can express all the wonder in this book. No way to explain why this is so much better than the first book. I don't even know why....well...sure...I mean, there's the part of spending more time with Vasya...and the Winter King...But seriously...I just can't do a review to put all of my feelings into words...So different from the first book...but also so much the same...less of a made-up fairytale feel and more of a real-life fairytale....yes perhaps that's it...instead of just wanting a warm cozy fire nearby reading the first book, this book I found myself snuggling deep within the covers...of both the book and my bed...Every time that Morozko spoke I felt the kiss of the cool fresh air of first light on cold winter's morn...

See, I am rambling...I am like some over stimulated child that has had too many sweets and too much excitement all in one day...

I loved this book so very much that I am ALREADY having anxiety through the roof about the third book...I just want to keep these characters near...I woke up with morning (after staying up past midnight to finish this novel!) knowing I had dreamt of horses and domovoi...

I just want to be one of those crazed fans and run out and meet Katherine Arden and thank her for the beauty she has brought into my world. For making me believe...well...in all the wonderful things this book brings to me...that magic does exist....that love is the greatest gift...that there are those that will sacrifice anything for the right cause....that loyalty can't be bought...nor sold...that kindness matters...the list goes on and on....and honey oat cakes...I want to bake her honey oat cakes over an open flame...and FFS I don't even know what those are!!!

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

While sequels can feel repetitive and dry, The Girl in the Tower was a powerful sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale and strengthened the story. Differing from the first novel, The Girl in the Tower has a fast-paced plot, mystery surrounding new and old characters, and the deepening of magic. I'm a sucker for romance, especially the forbidden and mysterious kind, and Arden has get this a-plenty with Morozko and Vasya. I guessed the ending easily due to some pretty typical plot conventions; however, I did not mind--the characters have depth and unique traits that kept me invested, even on the edge of my seat, as the action unfolded.

Having loved The Bear and the Nightingale, I hoped that Katherine Arden’s sequel, The Girl in the Tower, would be the first book I previewed in 2018 but when the publication date was pushed up to early December instead of its original January release date, I simply didn’t have time to finish it and write a review before published. So instead, it is my first book review of 2018 and hopefully, will get me back onto a weekly (or possibly biweekly) book review schedule. Either way, in terms of material, The Girl in the Tower is a fantastic way to start 2018. Though sequels can be tricky, Arden’s follow up to The Bear and the Nightingale was everything I could have hoped and establishes a firm footing for the rest of this trilogy.

With her father and stepmother dead under mysterious circumstances and her village still reeling from the supernatural battle fought under their unsuspecting noses, Vasya has few options. Unwilling to submit to the choices offered by her family and society, Vasya flees and disguises herself as a boy in order to live the life she yearns to have. As her path takes her back into the lives of her beloved brother, Sasha, serving the Grand Prince, and her married sister, Olga, awaiting the birth of her third child, Vasya’s disguise comes under closer scrutiny with dangerous consequences if the truth of her identity should be discovered.

While I think I preferred The Bear and the Nightingale more at a thematic level for its exploration of civilization/organized religion and the older, wilder traditions of rural communities, The Girl in the Tower resonates in terms of how it depicts balances of power, especially those between the sexes. The contrast between what Vasya is capable of doing from the first novel to this second and what Vasya is permitted to do when she outwardly presents herself as male hits notes about double standards and the dismissal of women. The novel may feel heavy handed at times, but I think that is less due to the novel’s execution and more to what’s happening in current events. It isn’t meant to be subtle in the book, but it seems all the more obvious because the current international discourse on women’s issues has (or should have) us all more aware of such things in our everyday lives.

Structurally, I found The Girl in the Tower interesting. Rather than pick up immediately with Vasya, whom we’re most familiar with after The Bear and the Nightingale, the novel starts with her sister and brother, whom we met briefly in the first novel but didn’t carry much of that plot’s weight. In the first section of this novel, it becomes clearer that it was important to see them before as a means of gauging just how much Vasya has (and hasn’t) changed since she (and we) saw them last. Seeing the threads of this story come together felt cleaner but almost lost something in their predictability.

With the way this second novel ended, I’m fascinated—and devastated—by the prospect that there is only one more novel planned for this series. I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for news of when that book will be released and hope to get a galley copy (which I won’t delay starting by even a day) so I can finish and write it up before the publication date this time.

The Girl in the Tower is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy and I cannot wait for the third book. I’ve let my thoughts percolate for a while and my level of love for this series hasn’t diminished in the slightest. If you haven’t read The Bear and the Nightingale already, you should probably do that before reading the second book. You can check out my review for that one here. [link removed]

Before I go any further, here’s the blurb for The Girl in the Tower:

[Removed for NetGalley]

The second in the series moves Vasya right into the middle of political intrigue and incredible danger. And she rises to the occasion just like I knew she would. I cheered for her and cursed those who tried to hurt her. Throughout the book there was so much beautifully written action and complex relationships that I didn’t want it to end.

What I love the most about both books in the series is how gorgeous the writing is. Arden weaves tales that are not only interesting and fun and emotional but so lovely to read. There are always passages that I read over a few times simply because I don’t want to move on from the images or emotions the words have evoked. This woman can write. It doesn’t matter if she’s describing a tree or a person or a shoe (I don’t specifically remember a shoe being written about but you get what I’m saying), the language is beautifully done.

I suppose you can tell that I definitely recommend this book. I think everyone who enjoys action-packed fantasy or fairy tales with a kick-ass heroine should read this series. And everyone else, too.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a copy.

I liked this better than <i>The Bear and the Nightingale</i> which is a pretty mean feat. But I'm a sucker for political intrigue, of which there is plenty in the second half of the book. This book picks up soon after the end of the previous book, and Vasya decides to travel and explore the world. In true folktale fashion, she coincidentally meets up with her priest-soldier brother and helps stop a bandit gang.

The first half of the book was a bit slow for me - this wasn't terribly surprising as the first book was the same way. But the second half I finished in a few days, and probably would have finished sooner except I was traveling a lot.

Arden does a great job of recreating the feel of medieval Russia, and the deeply gender-segregated world of aristocratic Moscow. She continues to weave in Russian folk and fairy tales, to great success. And ends the book on enough of a cliffhanger that I want the next book (NOW!) but with enough ends wrapped up that it felt satisfying.

When's book 3 out?

The Girl in the Tower is a fantastic follow up to The Bear and the Nightingale. We leave the country for the city where spirits no longer have domain. Our favorite witch must navigate treachery and rely on her family to once again save Russia from the forces of evil.

Another strong effort from Katherine Arden. Readers of The Bear and the Nightingale will likely enjoy this continuation of protagonist Vasilisa's story.

Absolutely enchanting follow-up to The Bear and the Nightingale. Katherine Arden brilliantly continues Vasya's story in her newest novel of the Winternight Trilogy. The second novel in the series is just as magical and imaginative as the first. A historical fantasy novel influenced by Russian folklore, The Girl in the Tower is an extraordinary continuation of the book that readers all over the world fell in love with.

Fabulous book. Thoroughly loved. Highly recommend!

As dark and delicious and devastating as "The Bear and the Nightingale" this book more than delivers the goods. Katherine Arden has created a heroine for the ages in Vasya Petrovna the gutsy though somewhat misguided young woman who walks in two worlds. In the daylight she is the unfortunate looking last born daughter of a boyar from the Ruse wilderness who's intelligence and desire for independence might do worse than keep her from simply finding a husband. But by night she is the savior of the dying race of mystical and mysterious creatures from Ruse folklore and the beloved of the Winter King, a prince of death who protects and longs for her.

Arden has such a gift for description it is literally impossible not to feel the burning cold of a medieval Russian winter and marvel in its deadly beauty. Vasya remains a wonderful, strong (sometimes too strong) character though I would love it if she could catch a break at some point. I continue to love her relationships with her family, who love her but fight against her desires for independence and freedom from the staunch, restrictive societal laws they live with. Arden also skillfully walks the line of tolerance between Ruse's ancient pagan beliefs and the encroaching Christian church that, thankfully, isn't always seen as simply the horrible, repressive oligarchy stamping out everything "good" in its path.

What Arden does better than almost any other author I've read recently is tell a marvelous stand alone story while also setting up what I know will be an outstanding finale. Questions still remain about just who Vasya is and why she is so important to the old gods of Ruse. Will she be reunited with Morosko, the beautiful and cold prince of death who clearly loves her even if it means his own doom? Will she find the life she wants, one of freedom and adventure far away from towers and drunken lords who want to use her power for their own ends?

I can't wait to find out.

The continuation of Vasya’s story from “The Bear and the Nightingale” was extremely enjoyable and action packed. In fact, it was so action packed that it was surprisingly different from the first book. Where “The Bear and the Nightingale” was a slow, more atmospheric build, “The Girl in the Tower” was briskly paced and went from one action piece to another. This isn’t a complaint, although I wouldn’t have minded a few more moments to slow down and get to know the characters better. Outside of Vasya, I didn’t feel that the characters were as fully developed and real as they were in the first book. There were a lot of times that Arden seemed to fall back into a generalized description to give us the outline of the personality, especially for Sasha and Dmitrii. It wasn’t something that was super noticeable during the reading, but as I got to the end, I realized that all I knew about Dmitrii was that he was a prince, and acted thusly, and Sasha was a brave monk, and acted as such. Really, those are small quibbles that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Arden does a good job of protecting the mysteries of the book while helping us to follow Vasya’s adventure. Looking forward to the next book!

I read The Bear and the Nightingale back to back with this sequel and it was a stellar experience. The Girl in the Tower started out with a bang and never faltered! I am highly anticipating the third book in this series.

Fans of Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy and its first novel, The Bear and the Nightingale, will be pleased and excited at the publication of the second novel in the series, The Girl in the Tower, so quickly after the first was published less than a year earlier. And they will not be disappointed. The Girl in the Tower melds together the genres of historical fiction, fantasy, and mythology just as beautifully as the first novel did but in a different way.that is equally enjoyable. The novel continues the adventures of Vasya Petrovna in 14th century medieval Russia in a different way and introduces fascinating new characters to the mix. Here is how the novel begins: “Moscow, just past midwinter, and the haze of ten thousand fires rose to meet a smothering sky. To the west a little light lingered, but in the east the clouds mounded up, bruise-colored in the livid dusk, buckling with unfallen snow. Two rivers gashed the skin of the Russian forest, and Moscow lay at their joining, atop a pine-clad hill. Her squat, white walls enclosed a jumble of hovels and churches; her palaces’ ice-streaked towers splayed like desperate fingers against the sky. As the daylight faded, lights kindled in the towers’ high windows.” Vasya is a young woman who can see the spirit world full of creatures from Russia folktales and mythology. In the first novel, she acquires a magic horse, Solovey, when she is caught up in a battle between two gods from Russian folklore and her life is changed forever. No longer content to stay in her provincial area and live out the restrictive life of a woman in medieval Russia, Vasya disguises herself as a boy to protect herself, and sets off to see the world. It is a fascinating time in Russian history when pagan lords control part of Russia and Grand Princes control other portions. Along with the Grand Princes the church is spreading Christianity. Women have extremely restrictive and roles in this society where men rule. As Vasya sets out, she is helped by the frost demon, Morozko, who teaches Vasya how to fight and helps her survive. Morozko tries to distance himself, but feels a fatally human attraction to Vasya. Vasya comes across a group of bandits that is burning villages to the ground and kidnapping young girls. Vasya and Solovey rescue some of the young girls and they cross the path of Vasha’s brother, Sasha, who left to become a monk years earlier, and their cousin Grand Prince Dimitri. Sasha has been busy advising and protecting Dimitri and has not completely retired into a monastery. They, too, are trying to find these elusive pagan lords/bandits that are causing such destruction. Dimitri has never met Vasya, so does not see through her disguise. When the Grand Prince engages the bandits in a skirmish, Vasya plays a key part in their success and becomes part of his inner circle and he insists on taking Vasya back to Moscow. Vasya has never been there and Sasha warns her that it will be hard for her to carry off her disguise there. In Moscow, Vasya is also reunited with her older sister, Olga, living the restrictive life of an aristocratic wife and mother. Olga and Sasha both know that if Vasya’s true sex is every found out—their entire family will be ruined. In Moscow, Vasya has encounters with the spirit world and tries to help protect the Grand Prince and his subjects while keeping her real identity hidden. It was a riveting read, and I am eagerly looking forward to the third and final volume in the series. Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book and for allowing me to review it.

atherine Arden has done it again in the second of her Winternight series, after such a strong start with The Bear and the Nightingale. Our heroine Vasaya, last seen fleeing on her hourse Solovey from angry villagers who want to burn her as a witch, makes her wayto her frost demon Morozko, only to be sent to make the choice between two towers - one as a nun, the other as wife. So Vasya chooses life as a man and ends up advising the Grand Prince of Moscow.

The book bravely mixes elements of Russian folklore, fairy tale, religion, art and history into a great and glittering work. Arden's crystalline, stylized prose makes an entirely seductive world of harsh winters, luxurious Muscovite palaces, endless dark forests with creatures who lurk waiting, and cities full of more wordly dangers. Vasya is a strong heroine who still has much to learn, and her relationship with her siblings is believable. Her bond with her horse is the fulfilment of every horse mad reader's dreams! The growing and tangled attraction between her and Morozko is tantalizingly developed and yes, left unfinished. Hopefully Arden will continue her epic work and give us another beautifully unique and seductive work where her ribbons of plot will make another beautifully woven piece of art.

The perfect book for a winter evening! This was fabulous, as good, if not better, than The Bear and the Nightingale.
This book is the perfect blend of historical fiction, with a touch of magic.
Highly recommended!

The story of Vasya and her horse Solovey continues from the first novel. In this one, there is a little less of the folklore that I loved in the first but the interaction with Morozko continues and we learn more about the sapphire and their relationship to each other, although leaving one eagerly wanting to know where their story will go.. A solid read, filled with action and adventure with historical medieval Russia as its background. It's not heavy on history although steeped in it and can be read entirely as a fantasy novel..

This book is everything I wanted from the first book and more. Vasya is now a young women in a world of men. Her options are marriage or a convent, so she chooses neither and decides to travel the world. But she's quickly pulled into the political struggles of Moscow and in a moment of quick thinking, pretends to be a boy.

I'm not sure why I struggled so much with the first book, perhaps it was that Vasya was so young for a good portion, or perhaps it was that I listened to it and stumbled over all of the Russian names. But the description of this book lured me in and I'm so glad I gave it a go, because I adored this second installment.

I loved seeing more of Sasha after being disappointed when he didn't appear again in the first book, also Vasya's relationships with her older siblings and dealing with how her decisions affect them. Plus, I can't get enough of this world and it's magic; there are not enough words for my love of Morozko.

I can't wait for the next book. I'll just be waiting impatiently.

Loved The Bear and the Nightingale and was looking forward to this one. I am so glad that this was just as good as the first. Now the wait for the third book! I love fairy tales and this doesn't disappoint!

Vasya is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She has few options, at least none that she’d want. She decides to flee, instead of settling for marriage or becoming a nun, and finds herself at the door of the frost demon’s home.

Morozco, the frost demon, is one of my favorite parts of this series. Can you fall for a frost demon? All I know is I sure have. He is limited by his role and his immortality and even magic itself but something about Vasya stirs feelings in him and I loved how he wrestles with this.

This book marks a new aspect to Vasya’s relationship to him. Whereas they danced around a possible romance in The Bear And The Nightingale, here they start to explore it. But what hope of a future can a girl and a frost demon have together? Once winter ends, he’ll go away until it returns. And anyway, Vasya wants adventure and freedom. No matter her confused feelings about Morozco, she sees marriage as something that will chain her down.

Understandably so. This second book makes it even more clear how limited the options are for girls and women, especially in Moscow. There’s no hiding from the sexism and misogyny that permeates the culture and whereas most people say, “this is just the way it is,” Vasya refuses to accept it. She wants to travel and explore and to have a future of her own determination. She takes more and more ownership of her life and in the process, she gains a better understanding of who she is and what her gifts are.

Morozco advises her to disguise herself as a boy while traveling so she’ll stay safe and this leads to the kind of adventures and battles she’d never even imagined. She is ultimately reunited with her brother and sister, who are scandalized by her disguise even if they admire what she was able to accomplish. But she’s still expected to toe the line, no matter the troubles surrounding the Grand Prince of Moscow or how she can help. This was so frustrating to see! I wanted Vasya to get the recognition and admiration she deserved, not in spite of being a girl but because of it.

I really enjoyed The Bear And The Nightingale but Girl In The Tower exceeded my hopes for where Arden would take her story. Vasya and Morozco are such compelling characters in and of themselves. Neither can be fully contained, albeit for different reasons, and Vasya’s burgeoning awareness of her strengths and abilities was marvelous. I loved how they were connected to one another, how they didn’t fully understand how they should relate to each other and whether there could or should be something more. Nothing is really as it seems in this world and that adds another layer of intrigue to the whole story. Plus, I continue to love how Russian fairy tales and folklore are woven in.

Arden again explores the divide between good and evil, the power of love, and the importance of women having ownership in their lives and futures. The feminism permeating the pages was so empowering. The character growth was incredible and I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens to Vasya and Morozco next.