This is an incredibly epic conclusion to this trilogy. I can’t believe I was lucky enough to get an advanced readers copy of this.This is much darker than the other two books and sometimes hard to read. It broke my heart and I actually teared up and a couple times said, “nooooooooo!!!!!!”
My husband was like, “what is going on?!”
Me, “Oh nothing, just having my heart ripped out.”

This book is a wonderful end to the series. It will make you cheer with relief, gasp in surprise, and probably weep with sadness.

I just finished The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden and I give it 5 stars. This is the third book in the Winternight Trilogy, and what a book to end the series! No spoilers here, but it definitely keeps the story going with the reader on the edge of their seats. I would say this was darker than the previous two books and leans more toward adult rather than young, since it’s considered YA. I love the blend of Russian history and Russian fairy tales, it was truly delightful, exciting, a little scary and altogether entertaining.
One thing I would want to mention is that demons/devils are talked about, but not in the way western culture views them.

This Russian Fairytale-like Winternight Trilogy has brought me such enjoyment the past three winters, I’m sad that it has come to an end! So much real Russian history with the added elements of demons and mythical creatures just took me over in The Bear and The Nightingale (my favorite)
The Girl in The Tower was also very enjoyable!

In this latest/last book, Vasya, Morozko, The Bear and many other magical/mythical creatures work together to save Russia. It was a little slower for me then the first two books with all the warring going on,but it still ended well.

3.5 rounded up for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing -Ballantine for the early copy of the book!

The effort Arden put into the third installment of this trilogy doesn't go to waste--The Winter of the Witch is clearly well-researched and well-written, and a natural extension of the excellent mythology laid out in books 1 and 2. (I actually wish we'd gotten more of this book's mythology sooner.) The trilogy ends on a satisfactory (and slightly predictable) note, but it just took this book FOREVER to get there.

The Winternight Trilogy has been one of my favorite series, so in many ways I’m sad to see it come to a conclusion. Not that feeling that way was enough to stop me from jumping at the chance to read The Winter of the Witch.
Reading this series has been a highly enjoyable experience for me. I loved so many of the details strewn about, and that I was given an opportunity to immerse myself in a culture I don’t know as much about as I’d like.
The Winter of the Witch concludes the epic tale of Vasya. There has been so much at stake for her this whole time, and she’s been carrying ever so much on her shoulders. Here we see her continue to learn about her heritage and her culture, while also trying to save those that won’t always be willing to listen.

Warnings first: There is some animal death in this novel. One of them is significant, and I’m not ashamed to say that it made me cry, and even forced me to put the book down for a day or two. You can see the scene coming though, so you can skip it if needed. However, be aware that they reference that moment several times, as it is very important to Vasya.
The Winter of the Witch was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. Words cannot properly convey how much I loved this novel. At a certain point I found myself dreading the end of the book – simply because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet.
Vasya’s tale and the world she’s lived in has captivated me since day one. I love learning more about the beings that only she seems to be able to see. It’s been fascinating getting to see a bit more of Russian lore in this context.
Along with getting to read about Vasya’s varied friends, it was nice to see her again as well. I know this is said frequently, but Vasya has to be one of the strongest characters I’ve ever read about. She’s constantly being put up against these impossible odds, and instead of letting it break her she just takes it all in stride. More though, it seems like when she’s fighting for those she loves she can do so much more, and that’s a beautiful thing to be capable of.
The romantic dance that has been going on this whole series was finally giving the conclusion it deserves – and no, I refuse to say more than that. This is one of those things where you’re going to have to see it all in the moment, as the context is so very vital to it all.
The writing for the Winter of the Witch flowed beautifully. It felt at times like I was reading a longer ballad, especially when considering all the epic events and moments that this one novel alone carried within it.
I’m sad to have to say goodbye to The Winternight Trilogy, but honestly I’m looking forward to seeing what Katherine Arden will write about next. I know that whatever it is, I’ll be reading it.

The Winter of the Witch is the final book in Katherine Arden's The Winternight Trilogy. I read "The Bear and the Nightengale" and "The Girl in the Tower" so was thrilled to get an ARC. You definitely have to read the first two books to make any sense of this one - but please do. This is a unique, very well-written series.

Here we find Vasya Petrovka trying to escape Moscow after she caused the burning of the city by releasing the Firebird. The narcissistic priest, Konstatin Niconovich, whips the citizens into a frenzy that culminates in the capture and burning of the witch girl, Vasya. She is rescued and healed by various chyerti, (spirits of Russian folklore) and with their help she frees the winter god of death, Morozko. Morozko and Vasya have fallen in love over the course of the three books and their love is finally acknowledged. She needs his help to capture his twin, the Bear (god of chaos) who has been controlling the priest, Konstatin, and intends to raise an army of the dead to over take Moscow. No sooner do they succeed and say reluctant goodbyes then Vasya is compelled to help her brother, the monk Sasha, and her cousin, Prince Dimitri battle the Tatars for Russia's freedom using all the magic she has mastered and relying on the help of the Bear, Morozko, and the chyerti she befriended..

Arden has taken actual events in Russian history and combined them with Russian folklore and a big helping of magic to spin a fabulous tale. It was at once compelling,suspenseful, entertaining and heartbreaking. I encourage readers to read the trilogy in order and to pick up "The Winter Witch" as soon as possible. The Russian names were confusing at first, but the author includes a explanation as well as a glossary. The story is so good you soon forget any difficulty you had in the beginning.

I was sad to say good by to these characters. I'd love to see them in other novels. I am very grateful for the ARC and the chance to share my love for the book.

I recieved this eArc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Arden captivated me with her novel, <i>The Bear and the Nightingale</i> and she managed to make me love her writing style even more with this finale to the trilogy.

<i>The Winter of the Witch</i> shows very little of the innocent child, Vasilisa, roaming through the forests of Rus' and happening upon spirits and demons that we saw in the first book. Vasya has seen the things wicked men do for power as well as the waning of the house spirits as Rus' forgets its pagan origins. Vasya takes it upon herself to try and merge the two worlds, to attempt to prevent the chertyi from vanishing while war is whispered among men.

She has many hurdles to cross over to try and accomplish her task; one being the fact that the priest, Konstatin, who used his gilded tongue to sway her village against her is in the capital city of Moskva , preaching the same words he had before. Only this time he has the shadow of the Bear, Medved, over his shoulder who feeds of chaos and fear. We left them in <i>The Girl in the Tower</i> facing the aftermath of the burnt city and Vasya's identity revealed that she was a girl instead of a young boy.

In the third book, Vasya manages to escape the mob carting her off to be burned as a witch and ventures into the Midnight roads. It is there that she finds pieces of her heritage and chertyi allies to help her survive. She must do things she never thought were possible to do in order to not only save the spirits, but to prevent Rus' from being conquered and destroyed--which would also lead to the destruction of the chertyi.

The novel is a roller coast of emotions and left me flying through the pages to see if Vasya would be victorious. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful series and I highly recommend the series to all who love fantasy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Now THAT is how you do a trilogy. Excellent work, Katherine Arden!

Arden has created a beautiful world, full of magic and men. She's brought historical Russia to life in the minds of readers, and she has given us a strong and amazing protagonist who gets things done, lives life on her own terms, and is chock full of character agency that other authors struggle to give but Arden does with panache.

This trilogy will lead you through the wild darkness of Midnight, the mystical land of the cheyrti, and the pastoral lands of old Rus'. It'll take you through the heights and depths of human experience, and show you the good and bad side of people and spirits.

Honestly, Arden's first trilogy is a masterpiece, and you'd be doing yourself a disservice as a reader to skip it. I had no interest in Russian folklore before reading these, and she's intrigued me with her depth of knowledge on the subject and her ability to incorporate those legends and myths into her stories so seamlessly.

Five stars. Top notch trilogy. Pick them up!!!!

Moscow is saved, but the actions Vasya took to achieve it have left the city in a state of panic, which her enemies are quick to use against her. Stripped of her allies and struggling to control burgeoning new abilities, Vasya must navigate perilous lands and treacherous alliances to save not only herself but also her people, both human and chyerti, the mythical race of spirits and beings that live on the edge of the human world.

Katherine Arden has done something masterful here: successfully written a conclusion to the Winternight trilogy which is both epic in scope, but does not lose itself or the strength of the previous books in overambitious set pieces or plot twists. Each of the hints and mysteries of the first two books comes to a satisfying resolution, often in ways that subvert or flip the expected resolution. Vasya continues to be a strong heroine, who never loses agency or is diminished by plot points, charging ahead in spite of dangers or consequences, but the narrative also allows space for her to be complicated and wrong, to explore the complicated morality of the situations, rarely reducing characters to flat one-dimensional renderings. Instead, Arden seems to delight in exploring all of the facets of her supporting characters, creating an interesting set of side characters with motives, histories, and complexities of their own. Her interweaving of Russian historical figures and battles was well done and sparked an interest in an area I may not have ever read up on otherwise.
Altogether, the most disappointing part was realizing that the trilogy was over. I am eager to see what Arden will do next!

This book, this series, is just so good.

It's almost hard to articulate how good this series is without spoiling anything, but I will do my best. Because I want anyone who likes well written interesting and unique books to read this. (so, everybody)

Vasya goes through hell, quite literally, in this book. She faced many hardships over the course of this series but this book is when her power is really tested. What she endures at the start of this book would make most people detest others, but she holds no grudge directly against the ones who hurt her but to the person who encouraged the action.

Kostantin, the priest, is somewhat of an antagonist for most of the book, while he is spurred on by The Bear, the decisions he makes are of his own free will. And in his desperate attempt to be his version of Holy, he encourages people to do acts of evil.
I feel like I should want to sympathize with him in a way because we know that The Bear is manipulating him, but at the same time, he had the capacity to do what he did with or without The Bear's help. So it's hard to feel bad for him in the end.

The plot has a lot going on, but it for me it never feels like chaos. There are loose ends that need to be tied up and, for the most part, they are. There are some small things that I would have liked answered, but that might just be me. There are so many great characters, even though I struggled pronouncing most of them, being Russian names and all. I was never confused over who these characters were, as they are still all so distinct.

There is so much to say about this book, but so little of it is spoilers, and with this being the third book I am trying so hard to make this book sound as fantastic as I can without spoiling things.
But I say, just read the series. It's fantasic. The characters, the world, the writing.

THIS IS WHY I READ.

I LOVE THIS SERIES.

YOU SHOULD READ THIS SERIES.

I was beyond ecstatic to receive an e-ARC of this book because I didn’t know if I could wait til it came out! It was the perfect winter read and had everything a brilliant fantasy should have.

First of all, the action starts immediately. I was whisked away to Moscow in such a rush that it was hard to put the book down. They’re an immense amount of raw emotions that Vasya feels that will break your soul in two. And what’s even better it wasn’t a one and done kind of setting. It takes time to come to terms with her story and Vasya felt so real because you could understand her on a personal level.

Y’all, watching a death-God and a Winter Witch deal with feelings was a big highlight of this book for me. IT WAS SO PRECIOUS. Morozko and Vasya’s relationship continues to grow, but they still remain their own people. I love the stubborness to be with each other, and to taking care of their own stories. Their relationship is passionate and sincere and I am here for “evil” characters trying to swim through emotions.

The antagonists of this trilogy get a lot more spotlight. I actually came around to appreciating the Bear (and his totally witty one-liners) and understanding the plot in a whole new light. The other ambiguous characters were entertaining. It was a lively bunch that kept me on my toes because they themselves were constantly choosing new directions.

This was a completely satisfying ending (minus a few tragedies, ya know, Russia in war and all). The combination of watching characters turn their flaws into strengths, the teeth-clenching action and the swoon-worthy cheyrti [devils] make for a trilogy that deserves a lot more attention.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy/Historical fiction
Romance: a light love scene, some kissing
Violence: magic, knives, war, suicide
No language
Trigger Warnings: suicide

In The Winter of the Witch, Katherine Arden has masterfully concluded her Winternight Trilogy. I am a person who never before enjoyed Russian literature but am now intrigued by the mythology and fairy tales that Ms. Arden has incorporated into her stories. As a strong female character who must deal with the misogyny and traditions of her class and times, Vasya is realistically conflicted and confident in her choices. Konstantin perfectly embodies the delusional, self satisfied priest intent on forwarding his own agenda. The two drive the story forward to a near apocalyptic ending. Bravo Ms. Arden. Thank-you for the ride.

I love the world that the author has created, and I love the main characters. I love all of this so much, in fact, that I just thoroughly enjoy every minute of time that I spend reading these books. I also feel like this book did a good job wrapping up the story of the series. All that being said, this volume seemed a little haphazard to me. The pacing and the organization did not always make sense, and she brought in some details that felt like afterthoughts, if that makes sense. .

This is the third and final book in the Winternight trilogy. I got a copy of this book from NetGalley to review. This was an amazing conclusion to this Russian folklore based fantasy tale. I absolutely loved it and thought it was just perfect!

Vasya is in trouble, she’s been accused of being a witch and is on the run. The Bear has been released again and Vasya needs Morozko’s help to trap the Bear before he destroys Moscow. Can Vasya help to save Moscow and still have happiness for herself as well?

This was an amazing conclusion to this trilogy. It continues to be incredibly well written and I loved how Vasya pulled together all the folklorish powers of Russia to help deal with both the Bear and the Tartars. So many amazing things happen in this book, it was impossible to put down and amazing to read.

Overall this was one of my favorite series that I read this year and this installment in it was the most amazing of all. I absolutely loved it to pieces and would highly recommend if you enjoy beautiful fantasy writing with folklore/fairy tale themes.

“There are not, said the Bear at last. ‘There are no monsters in the world, and no saints. Only infinite shades woven into the same tapestry, light and dark. One man’s monster is another man’s beloved. The wise know that.’”

In the stunning conclusion to Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy, Vasya journey ends much where it began, yet everything about her has changed. Where we met Vasya as a young woman, confused about her special powers and her ability to talk with things that her family could not see, we see a much more confident and dangerous woman in Arden’s last installment. The folklore and the fairytale continue in this book, where Arden weaves a tale that brings together the elements of orthodoxy and paganism in a fresh retelling of Russian history. As readers can expect from Arden’s work, the world is complicated and messy, and the writing is gorgeous and pulling.

The book begins slowly and continues as such for longer than some might be willing to handle, but if readers are drawn in by the characters and relationships in this series, they will want to follow Vasya’s journey until the very end, where her friends the Bear and the Winter King appear throughout the novel. Vasya makes new spirit-realm friends that lighten a relatively dark book, and Vasya’s family are a constant throughout. Girl in the Tower is a perfect precursor to this last installment, where Vasya’s confusion and inability to make a decision are replaced with a new resolve about what Vasya has come to accomplish and what she holds most dear.

Where this final installment is dark and bittersweet, the realization that Vasya is now a woman and no longer a child, it is also full of fiercely joyful moments that have stuck with me in the aftermath of this series. Arden is apt at balancing moments of grief and loss with instances of great happiness and triumph. Vasya’s journey is accompanied by the mysterious Winter King and the reckless Bear, shadow versions of sides of Vasya she would rather ignore. This triangle of magic forces is at the forefront of the novel, and ends up being much more important than readers may have assumed at the offset of the series.

For fans of LEIGH BARDUGO, ROSHANI CHOKSHI, and NAOMI NOVIK, this final installment in the Winternight trilogy is a midnight ride through snow-filled stories, a fantasy that pulls at your heartstrings and aims to have you question your loyalties throughout. A worthy end for our Vasya, leaving readers wondering what magic Katherine Arden has in store for us next.

“Love is for those who know the griefs of time, for it goes hand in hand with loss. An eternity, so burdened, would be a torment. And yet -- He broke off, drew breath. “Yet, what else to call it, this terror and joy?”

In the final installment of the Winternight trilogy, Vasya finds herself feared and hated in the aftermath of the fire that ravaged Moscow when she set the firebird free. What the enraged mob doesn't know is that Vasya also saved the city that night. Narrowly escaping death, Vasya escapes Moscow and embarks on a journey to save her family and her people from the invading Tatars while also protecting the chyerti, the spirits and magical creatures only she and a few others can see.
I enjoyed this entire trilogy, and The Winter of the Witch was a satisfying conclusion. At times I was frustrated with Vasya, but that ended up serving as a reminder that she is only a teenager who has had a huge burden put on her at a young age. There was one new element to her character that was introduced in this book that seemed to come somewhat out of nowhere and was a bit underdeveloped, but it did not detract from the overall story. As with the other books there was a lot of good character development, even for the more peripheral people. I highly recommend this series for those who like fairy tales and fantasy novels.

I love the feeling I get when I finish reading a great book. The feeling is rewarding and bittersweet because I am tied to this journey just as much as the main characters are but there is a part of me that doesn't want the story to end. This feeling is magnified when it's an epic series. The Winter of the Witch is my favorite book this year and I loved reading the entire trilogy. I have enjoyed reading about Vasya and watching her grow. Katherine Arden has created a fascinating trilogy with wonderful, well crafted characters and The Winter of the Witch is an amazing conclusion to Vasya's story. I highly recommend this book and the entire trilogy to anyone looking for an adventurous fantasy story. I look forward to reading future novels by Katherine Arden and I wish that Vasya's story comes to life either as a series of movies or a television series.

Fairytale retellings have been part of culture for as long as there have been fairy tales. Their characters are recast, their stories adjusted to suit current sensibilities, their settings adjusted to someplace new and exciting. What many of these retellings lack, however, is the sense of wonder and strangeness inherent in the old stories. Fairy tales recorded by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Giambattista Basile, and others show us an uncanny world where strange figures lurk just out of view and you might find that the road you have walked every day of your life has suddenly delivered you to the realms of Faërie. The journey does not guarantee adventure. The Hidden Folk, the Twylyth Teg, the Chyerti– regardless of their names, they can be benevolent in one moment and threatening the next. But whoever or whatever a mortal encounters in these perilous realms, they do not arrive home the same as when they left. Encountering the denizens of fairy tales changes a person forever. Whether that is for good or for ill depends upon the person.

Throughout The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, the first two books of Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy, we have watched Vasilisa Petrovna change from a little girl playing in the woods and offering bread to the strange creatures she found there to a young woman who has faced peril and survived it, but still doesn’t know what her place in the world is meant to be. She cannot stay in her childhood home, where the villagers would persecute her as a witch, any more than she can remain confined within her sister’s home where her culture dictates a woman of her rank should be. So while the bonds of family call to Vasya, she cannot remain in Moscow. After a devastating fire, the people are looking for a scapegoat and they place the blame squarely on Vasya’s shoulders. With no good choice before her and all roads leading certain death, Vasya escapes into the dark paths of the realm of Midnight where she will discover things about herself, her family, and the nature of her world.

I have loved Vasya and her world ever since I first read The Bear and the Nightingale two years ago. She is full of contradictions while remaining true to herself and her convictions. Her growth throughout the three books has been consistent and believable, culminating in The Winter of the Witch, where she becomes a fully realized adult capable of recognizing her mistakes and accepting their consequences. She also realizes that the world is not black and white; problems are not always solved because this side wins and the other loses. Life is more complicated than that.

Vasya’s is not the only story that comes full circle in The Winter of the Witch. Storylines begun in book one are concluded in book three, and if some of those endings are heartbreaking they are at least true to the story and its characters, although there are a few points I would have liked to see fleshed out a little more if only to solidify a particular character’s nature and their role in the story. But that is a minor flaw. Overall, Arden’s storytelling ability is miles ahead of many of her peers. The Winternight Trilogy is one of those that truly succeeds in its three-book format and doesn’t feel like it’s been stretched out to accommodate a publisher’s desire to cash in on a successful franchise. While there are three books with distinct plots, the Winternight Trilogy begins and ends a full story filled with fully realized characters, a rich and often haunting milieu, and elegant writing that depth and emotion without drawing attention to itself.

What sets Arden and the Winternight Trilogy apart from the glut of fairytale retellings available at every turn, though, is not Vasya or the medieval Russian setting. Arden clearly understands the language of fairytales. Not the princess stories of Disney, but the old, old tales our ancestors told their children by the hearth at night. Otherworldly stories that sought to explain the weirdness of nature and provide rules by which to navigate a world where the darkness pressed close and death lurked around every corner. This awareness of the language of fairy stories is not, I think, one that can be taught in any class. It is heard less by the ear and more by the heart, shining a light, however briefly, into the strange and perilous realms just beyond mortal sight.

The Winter of the Witch exceeded my already high expectations. It is at turns eerie and heartbreaking, and wondrous and strange. Vasya continues to be a heroine who is strong and filled with agency, without falling prey to the tired tropes that too many fantasy heroines are afflicted by. She shows that strength is more than the ability to wield a sword and that forging the path forward does not mean abandoning those you left behind.

If the Winternight Trilogy, her first major work, is a sign of what Katherine Arden is capable of, I look forward to seeing what stories she spins in the years to come.

Winter of the Witch wraps up the Winternight Trilogy through an excellent combination of action and true character growth. The novel picks up right where The Girl in the Tower left off - Moscow burned, a sudden snowstorm, and Vasya rescuing Marya from the sorcerer. Vasya, responsible for the fire, finds herself chased by a mob and drawn even further into the unseen side of the world. We’re introduced to new figures, including Lady Midnight and a mushroom spirit named Ded Grib, as Vasya journeys to find Morozko (the Winter King) and trap the Bear again. Meanwhile, Dmitrii (the Grand Prince of Moscow) is readying for a confrontation with the Golden Horde.

It’s fascinating to see how Vasya grows throughout this book, she really comes into her own, deciding that she can act on her own desires and still keep her family and country standing. I love the way the romance between Vasya and Morozko develops, with them recognizing their feelings but also understanding the other’s nature. The continuing interplay between paganism and Christianity in Russia is also fascinating. Then there’s the conflict between the Princes of Rus’ and the Horde, which culminates in the final battle. The near-poetic prose paints every moment in vivid detail and really brings medieval Russia to life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and felt it was a perfect conclusion to the trilogy. I’m looking forward to whatever Katherine Arden does next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

This is the exhilarating and beautiful conclusion to Arden's Russian trilogy. Beginning with death and ending with resurrection, it is at its heart a romance in the oldest sense of the word, and a story about a girl and a horse. When Vasya, a young woman gifted with the ability to see and communicate with the old pagan spirits of Russia, is condemned to death by a conflicted and zealous priest egged on by a chaos demon, it appears that the new religion of Christianity will cause the old spirits to become extinct. But Vasya throws herself into unknown lands, magic, and war to find a way to allow both faiths continue. This is an epic full of beautifully worked language and images that still retains a sense of humanity and humor among the characters, as mythic as they often are. And I love these books for the relationships between Vasya and the horses with whom she can speak. Her stallion Solovey is a rare treasure in literature about horses. This entire series is on my permanent list of fantasy I recommend to anyone seeking magic in history, history in magic, and the beauty of folklore.