I enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale when I read it almost exactly a year ago and I remember my excitement on discovering that it was actually the first in a planned trilogy. We haven’t had to wait too long for the second book, The Girl in the Tower, and I’m pleased to say that I loved it even more than the first.

Katherine Arden’s books are a wonderful mixture of history, folklore and fairytales with an atmospheric and wintry Russian setting. If you haven’t read The Bear and the Nightingale yet, I would highly recommend starting with that one – and I should warn you that there may be spoilers for the first book in the rest of this post.

At the beginning of The Girl in the Tower, our heroine Vasilisa Petrovna (Vasya) is fleeing her childhood village of Lesnaya Zemlya. Despite her efforts to rescue the villagers from a great evil, the way in which her father and stepmother died has caused Vasya to be branded a witch, regarded with suspicion and distrust. Accompanied by her magnificent stallion Solovey, Vasya sets off on a journey across northern Rus’ to Moscow, home of her sister Olga – a journey which will be filled with danger as Vasya encounters a group of bandits sweeping across the countryside burning villages and kidnapping children. First, though, she must pay a visit to Morozko, the frost-demon, in his fir-grove deep in the forest…

This novel has a much wider geographical scope than the previous one, in which the action takes place almost entirely in and around Lesnaya Zemlya. I liked this aspect of the book; medieval Moscow is an interesting setting and, with Olga’s family close to the Grand Prince, Dmitrii Ivanovic, we are given some insights into the political situation during this period of Russian history. At the time of the story, the Rus’, as it was known then, is still part of the domain of the Great Khan and the Golden Horde, but with their influence weakening as the Grand Prince grows in power, it seems that things could be about to change.

I was also pleased to see Vasya reunited with her siblings, not just Olga but also their brother Sasha, who is now a priest. Sadly, her relationships with both Olga and Sasha are very strained, partly because of what happened in Lesnaya Zemlya, for which Vasya is unable to give an adequate explanation, and also because of her behaviour on arriving in Moscow, which they consider unladylike and inappropriate. To the modern reader, Vasya is a wonderful character – brave, independent and rebellious – but her refusal to conform to the 14th century ideal of what a woman should be leads her into a great deal of trouble. In contrast, Olga has accepted her place in society and expects her young daughter, Marya, to follow the same course in life. Marya, though, appears to have other ideas!

I’ve said very little so far about the fantasy elements of the novel. We don’t see very much of the household spirits who played such an important part in The Bear and the Nightingale, but there are some appearances by intriguing new figures from Russian myth including the Firebird – and another, more sinister, character whose name I won’t give here so as not to spoil anything! I also enjoyed Vasya’s interactions with her magical horse, Solovey, who has begun to form a personality of his own. Last, but certainly not least, there’s Morozko, frost-demon and god of the dead.

There were hints in the previous book of a possible romance between Vasya and Morozko, and in this book their relationship is developed further. It’s definitely not a conventional love story and because of who Morozko is and the role he has to play in Russian folklore, he has a tendency to come and go throughout the novel. It’s frustrating but it worked for me and I found myself looking forward to the scenes they shared. I loved The Girl in the Tower – and the good news is that the third book in the trilogy, The Winter of the Witch, is expected this August!

First, a smol tip - if you have trouble recalling what went down in the first book, go and reread that, or read a summary of it, because, boy, was I lost at the beginning of this! The first few chapters concentrate on Sascha and Olga, and Vasya, the only character besides Morozko that I could recall fairly well, is barely even mentioned. I was... massively confused, y'all. I didn't know why we were forced to start the novel by reading about two characters who were not even that significant in The Bear and the Nightingale, and I was totally lost trying to remember what went down in book one.

THINGS I LIKED:

- Vasya was freaking FIERCE in The Girl in the Tower. She set out on her journey, knowing little about the world, but hungry for adventures and new experiences. She fought for others and saved lives even when the odds were against her, and she outsmarted fearful people. She went toe to toe with Morozko, and she would not let him (or anyone else) boss her around, or condescend to her. Her confidence in herself grew in huge ways, and I was very satisfied to see her developing into a smart, self-assured young woman.

"You are immortal, and perhaps I seem small to you," she sad at last fiercely. "But my life is not your game."

- It was very cool to find out more about Morozko! He's by far my favorite character, and so seeing him as something other than a divine being was great. I'm very much awaiting to see what will happen to him in the following book.

- I'm a tremendous fan of Vasya and Morozko's together, so I was incredibly happy to see them reaching various milestones in their relationship. Like I mentioned, Vasya finally stood up to Morozko, and demanded to be treated as his equal. Moreover, she pushed him until he finally revealed the much awaited truth about some super-important things concerning the both of them. ALSO, they worked like one kickass team close to the end, which makes me hopeful for their relationship in the sequel.

THINGS I DISLIKED:

- This is a "it's not you, it's me" kinda point, buuut I could never fully get lost in the plot. See, I love guessing who is good, who is bad, who is in-between, and I especially love speculating about what will happen next. In The Girl in the Tower there was very little chance to do that. The "bad guys" were overly suspicious from the get go, and, as the story progressed, it really baffled me why none of the characters realized who was the enemy. I don't suppose the Grand Prince or one of his closest advisers, Sascha, got where they are by being so incredibly daft. Moreover, in many cases, the readers are straight out told MASSIVE things way before the characters could realize it. I know that this is not a mystery novel, the point of it is not to be mysterious, but I've never been overly fond of this type of story-telling.

- I've thought long and hard about including this next thing, because it is freaking impossible to word it well, but whatevs, this is my review. I love action packed books where the stakes are high, honest! However, it does bother me when I spend the whole book stressed the hell out, because I can see the shitshow coming from the very beginning. And like, everything is building up to that, there is nothing else (plot-wise) to concentrate on. So, yes, that was annoying, and made the whole reading experience kinda terrible for me. At the same time, I KNOW OTHERS WON'T FEEL THE SAME WAY!! The reviews have been really positive so far, as well, so this is another case of "it's not you, it's me."

- I was... uncomfortable reading about how the Grand Prince's wife was shit-talked. Was it realistic for the era? Yes. So, did I mind it being in the book? Not necessarily. What I did mind was that Vasya, a girl who would literally rather die than become a quiet, meek wife, was totally okay with how carelessly the Grand Prince and others discussed the wife. The wife was referred to much like a brood mare, which, again, is very realistic for the era, but I would have expected Vasya to feel at least a tiny bit of compassion for this unknown woman. Instead, Vasya chose to concentrate on feeling compassion for the Grand Prince, because he has a huge weight on his shoulder. Um, okay, sure, true, but WHAT ABOUT THE WIFE?

- Don't hate on me after this point, because, yes, I may be nit-picking a tiny bit here, but hear me out! I ship Vasya and Morozko together, and I did like to see them go into romantic-relationship territory. BUT!! Back in The Bear and the Nightingale I wasn't even sure they'd ever hit it off, their relationship was that platonic, and so the sudden switch to this very romance-y relationship in The Girl in the Tower was a bit weird.

- It was hard to watch Vasya develop so much, and then still act like a child when it came to her sister. I cannot go into detail without spoilers, so I'm not going to say more than this: what Vasya did was awful, and the fact that it was just brushed under the table at the end.... yikes.

OVERALL, I am conflicted! On the one hand, yay, this was good! I still love the Russian elements and mythology - though this certainly felt less magic-filled than the first book. On the other hand, there are obviously more negatives in this post than positives, so I cannot give this more than three stars. *shakes head sadly* That said, I am excited for the third book!

I find it difficult to write my thoughts on this one after loving the first one so much... and having so much trouble with the second. I think a lot of the fairytale elements were taken out in this one, and things got a lot more political. The way Vasya is treated made me deeply uncomfortable, and I was confused about her actions quite often. The best moments for me were between Morozko and Vasya (though her actions there still confused me), and when Vasya starts teaching her little niece about the different beings and helping her along with the things she was seeing.

I think I will still read the third book, but this one was difficult for me.

Have you ever read a book so rich, so vivid and so beautifully told that your heart races at the danger and excitement, you can almost feel the chill of the snow around you and the heat of the fire, and you never want it to end? This is such a book. Even if you haven't read The Bear and the Nightingale, there is enough context to make this understandable and you quickly get immersed in the richness of this luscious fairytale full of bravery, betrayal and magic. By far one of the most beautiful stories I have had the joy to read, and I hope there is more to come.

5 Stars

thank you to netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I liked reading the first book in this series and loved it and so I was excited to read this one and continue the story and see if it was as good as the first or if not better, well I can now say that this book is slightly better than the first but they are both good.

I dont want to say what the book is about as I feel that so many reviews have already done this and I will only be echoing what they have said.

Katherine Arden has done yet another great job in keeping me interested in this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed continuing the journey of the characters and feeling as though i was right there on the page living their lives with them. (Yes I know that the story is made up and no I am not going mad!) What i will say though is if you like people's reviews of this series so far read it for yourdelves and make your own mind up about the story.

I cannot wait for the third book in the series and highly recommend this book and also the first one. Book One "The bear and the Nightingale" was voted one of the best books for 2017 and I can see why. It maybe a bit early in this year to say but I think that book Two in the series which is this one could possibly one of the best books of 2018.

After the death of her father Vasya is taken in by the Frost-King but she is eager to see the world. As she travels south she comes across villages that have been raided by bandits, left to burn and the young girls taken. Meeting her warrior-monk brother and her cousin Dmitri, crown prince of Moscow, Vasya hides as a boy and helps defeat the bandits. However for a girl in medieval Russia the choices are stark, marriage or a convent, but if you believe in magic and talk to horses and spirits then you could burn as a witch. Vasya needs to save both herself and Moscow from unseen enemies.

I loved Arden's first book and this one is even better. The whirling mix of folklore and medieval history, the setting in a cold Russia and the understanding of life in that time are blended beautifully. Part fairy tale and part a really enjoyable read, this book is magic!

This is the first review I’ve ever started BEFORE I’ve read the book... but these initial thoughts are important I think. I’m excited. Really excited. I have high expectations here. This is what happened...

Me: I will make a start on reading the 10 books I’ve had next to my bed since my daughter was born 7 months ago. I will not log into NetGalley until they have been read. Need to clear this backlog first and fix my blog so it’s all ready for the next...
Mind (interrupting me): “I wonder what Ebury Publishing / Penguin Random House UK have out at the moment... let’s take a peek. I won’t request anything...”

BAM. Katherine Arden. Vasya. The Girl In The Tower. I saw the picture of the front cover and instantly knew what that was. And I nearly missed it thanks to being up to my neck in nappies! That was close! Up you go Katherine Arden, to the front of my reading queue!

And I also need to take a moment to say: The Bear And The Nightingale is part of a TRILOGY?!? I did not know this or I would have been googling part 2 since the moment I finished the first book! I’m thrilled! I was only thinking about this last week and lamenting over how few authors write fairytales for grownups. The ones that are based on legends and kids stories. Marillier is obviously one and she has been a firm favourite of mine for nearly 20 years. And now Katherine Arden... in one book she managed to climb up and stand next to my favourite author of 20 years and force her to share the “favourite author” title. Because she has “IT”, she writes exactly what I have been looking for, what I crave. And even if there had only ever been one book she would still be top spot in my mind. Not many people can successfully write books like this and Katherine Arden is brilliant at it. And now there is a 2nd book. Which I am just about to start... I’ll check back when I’m on the other side!
***
So, as you can see from the above I had very high expectations for this book. So it would have been very easy to disappoint me. I was NOT disappointed. If anything, The Girl In The Tower was better than The Bear and The Nightingale. And I don’t say that lightly - book 1 was incredible.
This saw the return of many of the much loved characters from the first book, and saw them grow individually, learn tolerance of each other and gave the reader a lot more insight into each person through the depth of character in the book. This will be extremely difficult to write without spoilers of either book (mainly because I want to gush about the events that took place in each) but I will do my best.
The darkness in this book took it up a notch whilst changing the setting to Moscow and so including more of the “real world” history in the story. But through that I gained more of an understanding of the difficulties facing Vasya - and all of the people who held on to the pagan beliefs of the time. Obviously the inclusion of the priest in book 1 went some way into exploring the subject but seeing the city life and the behaviour of the people who dwelled within it, made it clearer that this was a time of changing beliefs. And persecution for those who didn’t.
The sense of danger in this book was incredible - especially at the end! I found I was holding my breath for a lot of it.
And oh, the love story. The beautiful, torturous, impossible, love story. I am rooting for them. I fell in love with them. I fell in love with people I didn’t expect to in this book. That, I suppose, is one of the things that sets this apart from other books. In others you can love the story, you can note that it was tense, or romantic, or scary. But this book made me FEEL. I felt hatred and anger and fear and love just as if I were Vasya.
The moment it finished I said “Nooooo!” aloud. Because I was so sad that there were no more pages. I wanted the book to continue forever if I’m honest. And immediately took to google to find out when I could read book 3. August apparently. Which is sooner than I expected but still feels like a torturously long time. I will be counting the days.
If you’ve been looking for something new to read and obsess over - this is it. Or even if you’re not looking for something new to read, because you have a huge pile of books to read, this is still “it”. You need to know this story. I’ve already sent my sisters to buy copies of both books because I can’t stand not being able to talk about this with someone.

Katherine Arden, you smashed it. I loved it from the first word to the last - and everything in between. I can’t wait until August!

Last year I read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden and it was one of my favourite books of the year; The Girl in the Tower is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy.
This review contains minor spoilers for The Bear and the Nightingale.

The Girl in the Tower picks up pretty much immediately after the events of The Bear and the Nightingale - Vasya, our heroine, is accused by her village of being a witch, and is faced with imminent death or being forced to join a convent. She decides instead to choose her own path, and runs off into the forest with her magical horse, Solovey. In her travels, she meets back up with her sister Olga and brother Aleksandr, is introduced to the Grand Prince Dmitri, all while Morozko the frost-demon lurks in the background. 

This is a really strong second novel, which is great as notoriously the second book in a series is where you get a quality dip (that middle book syndrome). 

Vasya goes through a lovely character arc in this book and grows a lot as a person. We also welcome the return of her brother Aleksandr, who was one of the characters I loved in the first book but sort of disappeared midway through. Well, he's back, and he's got a sword. Solovey the horse continues to be brilliant. 

The magic is even more magical, the folk setting is even more folkier, and the badassery is even more...badasserier. The setting is very much of a time and place that is so far removed from what you usually read about, and Arden does so well to give it such a strong sense of itself. 

Can I also just point out how gorgeous these covers are? *fans self*



Verdict: Excellent continuation of a unique fantasy trilogy. 

Read if you like: Eastern European folklore, beautiful and atmospheric setting, developed female characters

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden: ★★★★

I adore this series. Arden is an incredible writer and possesses the ability to recreate the feeling of an old Russian master with the flair of a nouveau writer.

The author combines the magic and essence of Russian folktales with the creativity of high fantasy, and lets the reader experience the darkness of old tales told in front of fires and the power of ancient myths.

At the end of the first part of the trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale, we left Vasya grieving for her father and protected by Morozko. In this second part she decides she wants to travel the world, to discover things beyond her village. Thanks to the new local priest everyone thinks she is a witch, which means she is a pariah and in danger.

So begins her venture into a world of rules, fear and cruelty. One Morozko would rather she didn’t experience at all, even if she has been gifted with a magical stallion, who will protect her. He struggles with his emotions towards Vasja and the inevitability of their separation.

In both books the author has made a point of shedding a light on the inequality between men and women, and how it impacts those who are deemed to be less equal than others. Part of Vasja’s drive to be free is connected to the limitations she experiences as a woman. The title is very apt in that sense. There is no freedom, but plenty of restrictions, and any deviation from the rules can ruin a reputation.

Once again Arden balances the mystical with exceptional storytelling and leaves the reader with the feeling of reading a Russian classic. It feels timeless and ancient.

I am really looking forward to The Winter of the Witch, the third part of this trilogy. Katherine Arden has proven herself to be a writer and storyteller of great skill, and I wager a few decades from now her Winternight trilogy will receive the recognition it truly deserves

In the Girl in the Tower, we move to Moscow – not yet the city it is today but still the home of the rulers of Rus’ and also of Vasya’s married sister, Olga. This is a vastly different world – women are confined to their luxurious homes, apart from visits to church, and politics and intrigue are at the front of everyone’s mind. Religion is of great importance – Olga is waiting for the return of her favourite brother, now a sort of warrior priest – and the old ways are nowhere to be seen. Into this world bursts Vasya who has run from her home, dressed as a boy, after tragic events have left her without most of her family and accused of witchcraft. Her actions against a group of bandits who are roaming the countryside, burning villages, stealing young girls and then vanishing, bring her to the attention of Dmitri – the Grand Prince of Moscow and, coincidently, her cousin. He assumes she is a boy, as does everyone else aside from Sasha (the warrior monk brother), and brings her back to Moscow as a reward. Sadly, dark forces once again follow Vasya and worse, she falls foul of Moscow’s strict gender rules when her true identity is discovered.

Unfortunatly, me and this book just did not get on, I started reading and liked it at first, but unfortunatly i got bored with it :(
It just did not have - for me - have that [ull to want to read it.

Another perfect blend of fairytale, Russian historical tidbits and strong characters in Katherine Arden’s second of the Winternight Trilogy.

The Girl in the Tower picks up where book one finished, having been cast out of her village and branded a witch Vasya is fleeing from her home with Solovey, her immortal black stallion and trusted friend. As a young woman few choices are open to her and both end up with her being stuck in a Tower, granted of her own volition, but still, a Tower - convent or marriage, marriage or convent? Vasya chooses neither and opts instead to continue her travels, albeit as a boy. And so the adventure begins.

The second book in a trilogy sometimes suffers from being the ‘glue’ that holds the 1st and 3rd book together, not this one, this one is fast paced, full of the spirits from Russian folklore and a treat to read from start to finish. I am in awe of Katherine Arden, her stories are masterfully crafted, pure indulgence and just splendid.

A heartfelt thank-you to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book. This trilogy. I defy anyone not to love this astoundingly rich book with it's beautiful characters, amazing story all steeped in an enchanting history. At its heart this book is a fairytale, but really it's something so much more.

The Girl in the Tower picks up where The Bear and the Nightingale left off, with Vasya determined to carve her way in the world. The wonderful and surprising Morozko features heavily in the book, his character coming more to life with each appearance he made as he attempts to save Vasya from herself. The story is still fill with the wonderful chyerti, described so perfectly that you can envisage them with your mind.

Throughout The Bear and the Nightingale I always was left wanting more of Sasha and Olga, and The Girl in the Tower does not disappoint. Vasya journeys to Moscow and it allows the story to take on a whole other side, moving away from the dazzling winter in the forests to the wonder of a city life.

I would hate to spoil this book for anyone, so I can't talk about all of the amazing things that makes me love it so. I feel like I'll be spending the whole of the next year waiting for the final book to come along, and at the same time, so sad that it will all be over.

I am aware of being in a minority with my opinion and I should have probably seen it coming considering The Bear and the Nightingale didn't do it for me, but the sequel didn't work its magic on me, either.

The Girl in the Tower picks up right where the predecessor left us: when Vasya is facing the choice between living in a convent or in marriage, she decides to disguise as a boy and leave her home in northern Rus' to travel to Moscow, where her sister Olga and brother Sasha live. Surprise, surprise, things don't go as planned and it doesn't take long for Vasya to become part of Moscow's even grander twisted schemes.

Vasya is no longer the child we have met her as, but slowly becoming a woman. While adulthood comes with more knowledge, options and choices to make, to me she remained a stubborn and impulsive character whom it wouldn't hurt to think twice about what she's saying. Yes, she might be headstrong and fierce, but a lot of her willpower came across as that kind of pubertal give me independence, I don't care kind of thinking that's more reckless than brave.

Possibly it was my failure to connect to Vasya as a character that made me struggle to feel anything for this story. Morozko, the Frost Demon, who played an important figure in the first book, was possibly one of the more intriguing characters in this novel. He pops up every now and then to guide and give advice, and it becomes clear that his affection for Vasya is of a deep and conflicted nature - as to love her, he would have to give up immortality, yet the receiver of his love acts snarky and alienating.



On a more positive note, The Girl in the Tower merges fantasy and historical facts together well. The world is cold, frosty and atmospheric and while the writing style itself occasionally annoyed me with it's overbearing use of adverbs, it does paint the picture of a 14th century Moscow that was grim, dangerous and plainly unhygienic.

To sum up, I am certain that people who loved The Bear and the Nightingale will have a lot of fun with this one, too. For I wasn't one of them, The Girl and the Tower wasn't able to change my mind about this series.

The first book in the Winternight series, The Bear and the Nightingale, was one of my favourite books of 2017 so it’s safe to say I had high expectations with book two in the series, The Girl in the Tower. Thankfully it did not disappoint. I raced through it in two days and loved every page. It’s just as dark, atmospheric and full of twisty plot as I wanted. And the descriptions, they are so vivid, you feel like you’re in deepest, darkest, coldest Russia. As for the characters, I adore everything about feisty Vasya and was angry, happy and scared along with her. Finally I love the Russian folklore that’s woven through every chapter. This book is a special historical fiction novel and deserves to be lauded as it has been. Simply put it is so so good.

Overall? This book lives up to my expectations and more. Sure it has some frustrating part, but considered the middle-book syndrome second books usually have in most of trilogies, this is the least severe case I’ve read. It is magical yes, filled with Russian setting and folktales, magic and war, bravery and strong family ties. This is an amazing book and I can’t wait to read the final book!

The first thing to note about The Girl in the Tower is it is the second in series. I was not aware of this fact when I first started to read it. While that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book (I loved it!), it meant I didn’t know the characters back stories and was confused at moments when they clearly reference the first book. Read the first book first!

That, however, was my mistake and thankfully did not detract from my enjoyment of this one.

Vasya has run away from home with her magic-horse who can understand man’s speech. She is determined to see the world, even if the winter-king and frost-demon, Morozko, tries to persuade her otherwise. But danger is strife and Vasya soon enters a world of deception and politics, where being revealed as a girl could cost her not only her life, but her brother’s, Sasha, also.

I loved Vasya as a character: she has depth but isn’t infallible. She has a gift of sorts, but she is a young woman determined not to be caged by either a covent or a husband. She is determined to do what it is right to protect people – first, the missing girls, then her own family – even if it costs her everything.

Sasha, however, claimed the spot in my heart for favourite character. A warrior-monk, he risks everything on a lie to protect his little sister and despite his Godly nature, no bandit is going to escape him. The reader gets to know Sasha first, so I think missing the first book is why I connected initially to his character.

The Girl in the Tower is, mainly, a book about family. Vasya will risk everything to protect her siblings. Sasha lies to protect his sister. And Olga – another sister – forgives and welcomes Vasya into her home despite mistrusting her. The bond between siblings is powerful and is a message that, despite magic and rumours and dangerous priests, nothing is stronger than family.

The pacing is varied throughout. I found the beginning to be relatively slow – there felt like there was a lot of manoeuvring the characters before the main story unfolds. I felt it dragged despite not knowing the characters – I imagine if you had read the first book, this would have been frustrating. The second half, however, is much faster, with the tension mounting and the stakes being raised with every chapter.

I wouldn’t say there was anything that particularly caught me by surprise, but there are a few twists along the way that kept me engaged and interested. The one thing that threw me off slightly, however, was all of the Russian names and nicknames – I couldn’t pronounce some and it made it harder to keep track of people to start with. I found you get used to it as the tension builds, however. At least, you stop noticing!

A thoroughly enjoyable book, full of magic and adventure. I’d recommend it – but read the first one first!

Girl in the Tower was *ENCHANTING*

*Received this book off Netgalley in exchange for an honest review- but the gushing you’re about to see is all me*

And dark, and scary and made me feel all tingly. For anyone that doesn’t remember all the way back to December, I fell absolutely head over heels for Bear and the Nightingale, the first in the Winternight Trilogy. So when I received a last minute ARC for the second one, there was actual screaming, guys. And when I got to the end of this, well, let’s just say this raised my love to practically fever pitch.

Straightaway I was plunged into Arden’s atmospheric world. With stunning visuals, chuckle-worthy dialogue and mysteries building, I found myself sucked straight back in. Most of my notes devolved to just “WOW” and “AMAZING” pretty quickly. Cos let me tell you, everything about Arden’s writing is wonderful. The haunting style made me shivery and weak at the knees.

From the outset, I felt a creeping sense of dread and that didn’t let up until the crazy-dramatic end. You know that cliché “I hadn’t realised I’d been holding my breath”- well I exhaled (loudly) when I got to the end and I hadn’t realised I’d been holding my breath- so there you go, proof it actually happens. I was so absorbed in the good old fashioned storytelling that I didn’t notice. Nor I did I notice the night ticking away until it was Crazy O Clock in the morning and the story was done (whoops).

Timeless and magical, the plot loops round, playing with strands of the story and then joining the threads. When I could finally see the full tapestry, my face cracked into a smile of pure joy– it’s been a while since I’ve seen chronology twisted so successfully. This seemingly slight touch allowed minor characters to step more into the spotlight, which was excellently done. Carefully, characterisation through the eyes of others and through the smallest of gestures, brought the world more vividly to life. Little things, like the humorous horse character, made my toes curl in pleasure.

And speaking of pleasure, the romance in this book melted my heart. There were only hints of romance in the previous book and, even though I discussed it offline, I’d been scared of scaring it away- but man I wanted this. I don’t know where it’s going, since there’s a terrifying combination of miscommunication and magic involved, but I’m loving the slow build so far. Arden sure knows how to take her time.

I also loved the direction Vasya took in this book. She’s certainly grown into an increasingly wonderful heroine. As with the last book, I loved her unconventionality, her cleverness and how unusual she was (including her looks). She’s such a great role model for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider. And what made her even more powerful was the presence of a truly killer villain. He both mirrored her and reflected back her goodness with darkness… and I won’t say any more for fear of spoilers. But he’s a good un (well, technically bad 😉 )

What was incredible was how much more complexity and scope there was to Girl in the Tower. There were multiple layers to the story and I felt like there was so much more under the surface, waiting to be discovered. I honestly don’t feel like one review could do it justice (I can already see that I would benefit from rereading this story). One thing I will say that I enjoyed the most about this book was the elements of appearance vs reality. The hidden world of folklore, tucked out of sight for most people, gave the impression that there was more to this reality than meets the eye. I really appreciated how that theme bled into the narrative, the character’s gestures even and the portrayal of different beliefs. I marvelled how the unseen and the seen blurred together at moments, in a way that screamed UNCANNY and UNSETTLING. I revelled in what could be regarded as a clash of civilisations.

Ultimately, this book took everything about the first book and made it better. No middle book syndrome here- only pure, unadulterated bliss. I’d read a few reviews and thought “pff could it be better?”- the answer is yes, yes it could and it was. And I must say it was perfect with hot chocolate and Bailey’s after an exhausting day 😉

Rating: 5/5 bananas

It's back to the winter wonderland that is medieval Russia in the second instalment of the Winternight trilogy and despite the cold and ice, it is a real pleasure to find myself in the world of magic again. This second novel tells the continuing tale of Vasya, a young girl with the ability to see the Domorovoi (house spirits) and her relationship with Morozko, a frost demon. While I had a few issues with the pacing of the first book, those problems have been rectified here as the plot moves along nicely, giving us the time to digest each new aspect without becoming too bogged down in minutiae. Arden re-creates a visceral world, full of blood and war but always with an exquisite eye for beauty and her descriptions of the landscape are so good - you can feel the cold! Once again, there is a fairy tale quality to the narrative, with murderous villains and heroes, but each character is subtly drawn to ensure nuance, making them far more compelling. Once again, magic permeates the world but there is enough grounding in the muck and bullets of medieval life to satisfy the realist. All in all, this is a great book and I'm looking forward to the conclusion.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Verdict: Again, not for me.

After Vasya leaves her village to dispel rumours of her being a witch, she ventures through the woods, facing demons, bandits, and death itself. To survive as a lone traveller, she disguises herself as a man and unintentionally gains the attention of the Grand Prince. She must keep her true gender a secret to protect herself and her family.

I'll be honest with you all: I received this title without knowing it was book two of a series. When I realised, I read book one, my heart sinking with every page. I didn’t like it one bit, and I don’t enjoy writing low reviews either. I would never have requested the book to review if it had been clearly labelled as book two of a trilogy I had not yet started. But I agreed to review it in exchange for a copy, and I am grateful to receive it, so here is my review.

It actually started out a lot better than I expected. The narrative flits between Vasya facing the harsh wilderness, barely surviving, and her brother Sasha, the monk, who rides alongside the Grand Prince as he faces the bandits threatening his villages. The story is spread across the years so it feels like every moment matters, and the overarching plot comes together much clearer. It pulled me into Vasya’s world in a way that book one never could.

I liked how Vasya got to express herself a bit more, venturing through the woods, saving people, challenging badies – yet at the same time, I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t trying to keep a low profile. I suppose if she had played it smart, we wouldn’t have a story, but it certainly had predictable and frustrating qualities to it. I think that’s why towards the middle I felt restless, wanting the story to just get on with it already. I felt like I already knew how it would play out, and there wasn't anything particularity surprising in the end.

At some point, I lost all interest despite feeling the build-up of Vasya’s bold moves and knowing the trouble she was stirring up. The writing style just isn’t my thing, and I can’t force myself to like it, though I’ve tried. To me, the writing felt long-winded in every sense. I felt like the story wasn’t moving along as quickly as my brain was piecing it together to the point that most of the narrative between the dialogue felt useless and I probably could have skipped a couple of chapters and just reading the ending.

I think here is where me and this series part ways.

Source: With thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley.com.