I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This goddamn book. I can't deal with how excellent a follow up this was to Arden's series. I am in love.

 The Girl in the Tower The Bear and The Nightingale. picks up from where we left off at the end of Vasya is sent on her way to begin exploring the world but the Winter King is never far from her side. I loved their relationship, I think Arden did a really good job of balancing Morozco's perception of Vasya's naivete with his growing emotional attachment to her. I think it layered in really well with the rest of the story.
 We follow Vasya to Moscow after she escapes from her village for fear of being tried as a witch by her village's people, and in a chance encounter falls into favour with the Grand Prince of Moscow disguised as a boy.
 I'm so glad that we get to see more of the urban medieval setting Arden is working with. We see more of Vasya's two older siblings Olga and Sasha - and get a first glimpse into looking at how her relationship with her older siblings has changed as she and they have grown older and wiser; they all feel more weathered by Russia the further into the novel we get, but that at the heart of their interactions lies their loyalty to one another and that's something I really appreciated.
 Vasya's time exploring the world also gives her a greater appreciation for how dangerous her behaviour is for those she loves and that her freedom carries with it a grave price. I appreciated her growth as a person - I think Arden did a good job of making Vasya learn about Russia. She grows to understand that her actions have consequences now that she is no longer sheltered by her father.
 Arden continues to blend history with fantasy and, although we are told that Moscow is decidedly less spiritual than the rural area Vasya is from we still get a mythical sprinkling of characters and folklore, it almost makes the shadows cast in every room Vasya enters all the more interesting, we are left to wonder, who might she meet here? We are also introduced to some new members of Russian folklore including a mysterious tower ghost and a magical and deadly fire bird.

 The plot moves steadily along, and I won't give too much away but if you liked the pacing of the first novel you will definitely appreciate the sequel. Again, the writing style lends itself to the reader being gradually fed bits of information and while some of it is predictable, or at the very least guessable I can appreciate the work that's gone into making the novel move how it does. I think it encourages the reader to really appreciate what kind of danger Vasya is in when she dresses as a boy and lies to the ruler of her country. 
 Still though, Vasya works to desperately hold onto what freedom she is given. She wants to explore and see a world she's only heard about in stories. She's incredibly stubborn and strong willed, and refuses to compromise who she is for a society that refuses to understand her.  At the heart of the story, Vasya's agency drives everything and Arden even goes as far to explore what happens when Vasya is the one taking another's choice away for her own sake. Vasya is selfish, and loving, and Arden did a great job of showing the reader how...complicated the pursuit of freedom can be, even when the premise is as simple as being who you are and doing what you want.
Our supporting cast is a strong one, although I thought the main antagonist was a pretty predictable choice, though I found their backstory and background really interesting. Sasha and Olga both feel weighed down by their roles in Russian society and I really appreciated the return of a certain creepy priest from the first novel. I like that Arden made his weakness apparent on his skin, that he has become as weak in the flesh as his personality is on the inside, and I wonder what else Arden has in store for our gullible, feeble friend?

In short, I loved The Girl in the Tower and I cannot wait to read the conclusion to the series. It cannot come around fast enough.

In this, the second of Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy we continue the story of Vasya. As a young orphaned girl who is suspected of witchcraft options are few- to enter a convent or let her sister arrange a marriage for her. Both options are anathema to her freedom loving spirit and she chooses her own path- to disguise herself as a boy and ride away on her horse into the forest.

The land is scourged by bandits, destroying villages and stealing the young girls. After coming across a devastated village she Vasya is determined to rescue three girls. This leads her down a dangerous path.

Fairytale? Folklore? History? This trilogy has them all. This second book is a worthy follow up to The Bear & the Nightingale. Vasya's character is continuing to capture the imagination. I can't wait for the finale. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me spend time in Vasya's time & place.

WOW, this truly lived up to the legacy of the first book. I felt Arden really excelled in her character writing, as the changes and progression that Vasya goes through flowed naturally and felt authentic to her character.

I absolutely adored the first book and was quite worried that the author couldn't replicate the same magic in her follow-up. I was thankfully dead wrong. Roll on book 3! Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A fantastic continuation of The Bear & The Nightingale. Vasya is becoming a woman, which is at odds with her appearance as she disguises herself as a boy in order to ravel freely. Far more action-packed and perilous than the first book, there feels less folklore and magic, but the ride is indeed still a beautiful, lyrical yarn.

There is so much to ‘The Girl in the Tower’ by Katherine Arden, follow-up to ‘The Bear and the Nightingale’. A strong female heroine, magical mystical Russian folklore, fighting, horses and danger. Vasya is an awkward teenage girl in the mythical Middle Ages of old ‘Rus who does not like her traditional choice of marriage or convent; in ‘The Girl in the Tower’ she is older and more defiant. You just know she is heading for trouble. She leaves home to wander and look at the world, refusing to worry about survival in the winter forest, and in so doing stumbles into banditry and violence that has implications for the power of the throne. I read the second half of this at a pace, wanting to know the outcome, not wanting it to end.
A faster-paced book than the first of the series, the two are tightly linked and so I hesitate to give away too much plot. Disguised as a boy, Vasya cannot help but attract attention despite the warnings of her magnificent stallion Solovey. Her exploits bring her to the attention of Dimitri, the Grand Prince of Moscow, and red-haired lord Kasyan Lutovich. Feted for her fearless fighting, Vasya’s disguise becomes more difficult to protect. Reunited with her brother Sasha, the monk who is Dimitri’s best friend and adviser, Vasya must maintain her disguise or risk the lives of her family. The secret must be kept at any cost.
It is a pleasure to read these books, confident that author Katherine Arden has a supreme hold on her material, the legends and the world she has created. And in Vasya she has a heroine who confronts evil in its many forms – the human sort of swords, ambition, bigotry and malicious words – and the superhuman sort of gods and demons, a firebird and magic jewels that confer control. Arden describes this world, and Vasya’s adventures, beautifully. In this second novel she grows from a teenager to a young woman, bringing with it an awareness of attraction and a kiss with a frost-demon. In parallels with heroes of other fantasy fiction – Philip Pullman, JK Rowling – Vasya shows respect for people and creatures which others may ignore and demean, so earning their loyalty and support at critical moments.
These are adult fantasy tales, complicated, dense and a rollicking read. A quite unusual combination. Can’t wait for the third in the series.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

“Vasilisa Petrovna, murderer, savior, lost child, rode away from the house in the fir-grove.”

“The Girl in the Tower” is the second in the Winternight trilogy. In it, Katherine has produced an extensive fantasy world that, from the first pages of the book, constantly provide hints of the depths of her creation that we only see glimpses of. As a reviewer I never had the privilege of reading the first book in the trilogy, however, the best works of fiction are just as capable of standing alone on a shelf as well as alongside their fellow works.

In “The Girl in the Tower”, a young highly capable woman called Vasya must choose between a life of marriage and child-bearing or life as a nun; essentially a choice between society’s expectations and life as a social outcast. She chooses the third option of her own making, and alongside the help of an unlikely companion, becomes entrapped in a web of lies and deceit that even she struggles to unravel while clinging to her hard-won freedom.

The book itself is exceptionally well written with a perfect balance between phenomenal detail and enthralling narrative. Even without the assistance of the previous instalment of the trilogy, the story has enough life in each aspect of writing to captivate the reader. As the pages go by, each character is fleshed out to make a genuine connection with the reader, prompting feelings of rage or sympathy at the author’s will.

This is a thrilling and captivating read which feels novel and utterly original from start to finish and is a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy.

Alex

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Fear not gentle reader, I am back with my Week in Review :) I thought I would give you a short break from my WIR and share two of my SPFBO 2017 reviews. I hope you enjoyed them. Keep your eye on the blog for reviews from my fellow Qwillery reviewers on what they thought of the books they read for the competition.

I had a little pooch at NetGalley this week and was surprised by two books I had read last year but hadn't yet reviewed. Lately books have been available months before their publish date and then I get all excited about reading them. This time I had convinced myself that I had actually posted a review here but after some checking it transpired I hadn't left you a review so check out what I read.

The second book I would like to tell you about is The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden. This is the second in her Winternight Trilogy and follows not long after the events of book 1 - The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya is on the run. She has been cast out of her village following the death of her father and she faces either being married off - to become a girl in a tower - or joining a convent. Neither option appeals to her so when the opportunity presents itself she disguises herself as a boy and joins the Grand Prince of Moscow's retinue. When a mysterious and possibly magical force threatens the kingdom Vasya risks everything, including her freedom, to save the Prince, her family and her kingdom.

I can't believe that it is less than a year from the time that Arden released her debut The Bear and the Nightingale (check out my review here). Book 2 does not disappoint. In fact Arden has built upon the strengths of these characters and takes this from a mere fairy tale into some more like folklore. While this is fiction Arden has created characters who are credible, who make you believe they were actually alive, centuries ago. I have to admit I did spend a lot of the story thinking to myself 'poor Vasya' as things seem to go from bad to worse for our teenage heroine. She is forced to grow up quickly but at the same time stays innocent from how cruel the world can really be.

Again, this is another book that I could recount half the plot for you in this review but why would I ruin the journey that you need to take? Join Vasya on her journey of self discovery. Well done Arden, another great book. I can hardly wait for the final in this trilogy, The Winter of the Witch.

I wasn't a massive fan of the first book but felt that this one was equally enjoyable. It delved more into the characters and portrayed more of the world. I loved the vivid descriptions and the way Arden paints the world.

The Girl in the Tower is absolutely gorgeously written. This is a sequel that actually ends up better than it's predecessor. The story expands on the first, exploring the world laced with Russian folklore. Vasya will have you cheering. I truly cannot recommend Arden's beautiful writing enough.

Having loved the first one I was apprehensive about a sequel but it was just as brilliantly written and just as exciting. The storyline was gripping and Vasya is a character you root for the whole way through.

I love Katherine Arden's writing. I'm obsessed with how she manages to create an atmosphere and completely submerge readers into a different time and space. Her writing reminded me a lot of the Russian fairytales I grew up with. My grandma would tell them to me everynight and Arden's writing literally brought me back to that moment.

The Girl in the Tower continues the tale of Vasya and the fantastic adventure introduced to us in superb The Bear and the Nightingale. The Girl in the Tower is as good as Arden's first book. The writing and storytelling is still as magical as ever and the world building will immerse you in Arden's Russian fairy tale. If you have read the first book then you must read this one. If you haven't read the first book then you definitely should!

This series feels to me kind of like Tolstoy's works had a baby with Tolkien's - there is a fantastic feeling of an epic fantasy-ish adventure set on the backdrop of a Russia that is written in a way that makes it feel like historical fiction.

This combination really hit the spot for me for a bunch of reasons...
- there was something about the writing that I just can't put my finger on that made it feel like a traditional fairy tale - all lush and magical

- I am fascinated by the books set where a society is moving from the old beliefs to Christianity, and we get to see the tension between the two - the people almost converted but still a bit afraid to upset their traditional spirits, and the church saying that they are being punished for not being dedicated enough to God. And, in particular, the role of women in this time - where we see, for instance, healer women and accusations of witchcraft. This was something I also loved in Hannah Kent's The Good People, and am keen to read more about (please leave me some recommendations in the comments if you have any!)

- And, along the same lines, I'm really interested at the moment in fiction that examines the role of women in society - in this case these is the very clear expectation on Vasilisa that her future is either as wife and mother or in convent - and what happens when a women rejects both of these options (again with the 'witch' accusations).

In terms of reading challenges, this book met the criteria for one task on the Read Harder Challenge -
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa) - this being set in Russia.

Oh, and one more thing - I found it took me a little while to remember all the names and who was who when picked up the second book, so I'd recommend reading them together (although it all did come back to me pretty quickly). Quite a lot of Russian words pop up in the text, but there is a glossary, so make sure you check that out!

«The Girl in the Tower» was an even better continuation to Vasya’s adventures. It felt much more fast paced than the first book and Katherine Arden’s lyrical writing did not stop to amaze me page after page.

There were so many passages that I wanted to highlight just for the sake of beautiful descriptions, like this one:

«Moscow, just past midwinter, and the haze of 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».


Instantly, I could picture the fires and the hill, the whole paisaje, vivid before my eyes. That and retellings of Russian folklore that I grew up listening to, made it an unbelievable experience.

In the previous book we saw Vasya grow up and struggle against the customs and beliefs of her family, against the way of living. Where have you seen a maiden to not behave like one? Who didn’t want to get married, who just wanted to be free. Unfortunately, that was not an option, not in the medieval Rus’.

«”Because I do not wish to marry,” Vasya finished. The words sounded strange even as she said them. A woman married. Or she became a nun. Or she died. That was what being a woman meant. What, then, was she?»

As Vasya is forced to live her home and family behind, her free spirit finally gets the outburst it so deeply desires. She can be anyone she wants, she can go anywhere, there is only her and a vast mysterious world, with Solovey always by her side.

Speaking of Solovey - Vasya’s horse, I loved the playful dynamic between them. Jokes back and forth. The uncontained love and care. Solovey was not a regular horse, he became one of the characters, and the one I cared deeply about.

In the very beginning of the book, Olga - Vasya’s sister, tells the story of Snegurochka, the snow-maiden. The fairy tale every child hears from the very young age. «’You are made of snow’, Morozko the frost-demon warned her, when she met him in the forest. ‘You cannot love and be immortal’». This tale, as we understand later on, is a preset to some events that take place later in the book, very heart-breaking events I must add!

Besides the carefully described family relations, intricate love interactions and never-ending well of emotions, we got to see much more of history side as well, especially Mongols and their dominion over Rus’ and political games that were part of their fragile relationship. Described so vividly and interesting that I went right into googling more historic facts.

Vasya really is a great protagonist and Arden keeps you on the edge of your seat. There's just enough unknown about this world of fairy tale alive that you're not sure how the human politics will interact with it. I found myself quite confused sometimes with the politics in a way that the folklore did not confuse me so that's interesting.

I really enjoyed Girl in the Tower - it was hugely atmospheric and really well plotted, I read it very quickly.

A lot of reviews are from people who are were already big fans of The Bear and the Nightingale and were eagerly anticipating Girl in the Tower. Though I'd heard of Bear and the Nightingale I'd never read it, and didn't initially realise Girl in the Tower was the second in a trilogy. I'd seen online that it could be read as a standalone so decided to read them out of order and put that to the test!

Knowing nothing about the series or characters, I didn't find it hard to follow what was happening in the least. It's easy to understand what's going on, and even when I didn't know specifically what was being referred to, I didn't really feel like I was missing any critical information to help me understand or enjoy the story.

I went back and read Bear and the Nightingale after I finished Girl in the Tower - reading out of order meant I knew in broad strokes what would happen in that story, but spoilers aside I found that the first story only served to enrich the second.

If anyone is hesitant to pick up Girl in the Tower because they haven't read Bear and the Nightingale I can say from experience you can enjoy one without the other and it really does work as a standalone.

The biggest cause for confusion was the character of Konstantin - you don't understand his significance so miss out on some of the tension there - but even that was easy enough to follow when it mattered most.

Vasya is a wonderful character and one of the things I really admired in the story was that her decisions had consequences - things weren't simply happening TO her, she was making decisions (sometimes the wrong ones) and those all had an impact on what happened. I so often get frustrated by stories that seem to magically resolve themselves and that didn't really happen with Girl in The Tower. Overall a great book and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

This is the second instalment in the Winternight trilogy. Based on Russian folk lore and fairy tale, this follows Vasya as she traverses her tricky world of court politics and religion. Born of a prophecy and markedly different from other young girls, she refuses to allow the conventions of society and the historical time period she is born into dictate her actions or her future. Especially when bandits are pillaging villages and there is a vast world to go and explore!

Vasya is such a compelling character. I adore reading of fictional females breaking the bonds of historical and societal restraints, and she is by far one of my favourites to do so. She is such a fierce individual who was not built for birthing children, staying locked in a tower, or entering the convent. And if her female sex disallows her to travel the world and to fight, then she will mask her identity and continue to do so, anyhow!

Her horse companion, Solovoy, was given as much charm as his owner. Animals in books, who are gifted with their own personalities, always compel me, but Arden showed a special prowess in curating both an authentic character, with bearing on the plot, whilst still allowing his animal nature and tendencies to show through. This seamless blend made him instantly lovable and had me fearing for his safety during every flight, feud, and fight.

This book had a more political and religious focus than the previous instalment and I adored it all the more for it. Instead of perceiving life as lived on the fringes of society, this was largely based in Moscow. The city is entering a period of change, and the old way of rule and the old beliefs that reigned are being overtaken. It was poignantly troubling getting an insight into the death of one belief system for an alternative one, which was humanised for ultimate impact. The fate of the old religion as it gets replaced by the new is already stated as precarious and I can imagine this taking an even larger focus in the next book, which I am already eager to get to.

Last year's The Bear and the Nightingale was one of my favourite reads of the year: a feel-good adventure story about a young girl overcoming a threat to her village with the help of the fairies and other mythical beings that live near her Russian home. The Girl in the Tower (review copy from Penguin Random House) is the sequel, and second book in the trilogy.

The Girl in the Tower picks up straight after the events of the first book. Mourning her family and lacking a place in the world, Vasya decides to try her luck in the world, riding out dressed as a boy and with a pocket full of silver. She finds herself on the trail of bandits burning villages, before accidentally meeting up with her brother Sasha, travelling to Moscow and finding herself pitted against another of Morozko the frost demon's bitter enemies.

This is a classic - and winning - formula. A tomboyish girl fighting against the gendered conventions of her time, a magical horse, adventure, peril and a happy ending. Arden ups the stakes in this sequel, with Vasya also fighting to save her niece from a cloistered life as a Russian noblewoman within the even more constrained environment of the Moscow court. Vasya continues to be impulsive, wilful and an utter delight.

Tremendous fun.

Goodreads rating: 4*

The highly anticipated sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale does not disappoint. The second book in Arden's Winternight series achieves the rare and amazing feat of actually being better than its predecessor. 

In this book we see more of the grown up Vasya, and she takes more of a hero's journey, having left the comfort of her village she now ventures out in to the world, with the intent to explore. She is an active, courageous heroine, always seeking to do good. 

In order to survive in her society Vasya must assume the identity of a boy, 'Vasilii' in order to roam free in a world which restricts the behaviours of women. In this role she can be an active hero, and she becomes uncomfortable with her female self, not to mention how she becomes a victim of assault as a female. Vasya's plight illustrates not only the historical, but current injustices girls face within society. 

Arden's series is redefining the fairy tale form - this is the book I wish I could have had in my teens. Unlike the Bella Swans of before, Vasya seeks adventure, takes initiative and is a skilled horserider and whisperer. She does not spend her days pining after a man, but instead after the freedom of men. 

As a feminist fairytale it isn't totally perfect - Morozoko's history with 'maidens' is problematic as are some of the ideas around consent and sexual assault. However, the very fact that this deals with these kinds of assault lays bare the violence that was then done to women, and highlights how we still struggle to deal with those today. 

The world-building in the novel is fantastic, it is easily readable and wonderfully magical. The accompanying glossary is barely necessary as the world Vasya encounters is so understandable. The characters are well developed and rounded and the plot is unbelievably compelling. You will race through this book, cheering and lamenting for Vasya at every turn. 

I highly recommend this series and cannot wait for the final installment, The Winter of the Witch later this year!

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.