This was a beautiful conclusion to a wonderful trilogy of historical fantasy! It picks up right where The Girl in the Tower left off- with fourteenth century Moscow in ashes and Vasya taking the blame for accidentally setting fire to the city. In order to save her family and her people, Vasya seeks the help of the old gods, demi-gods and spirits of Russian folklore, especially Morozko, the Winter-King, and his brother, a spirit of Chaos. Since the first book, Vasya has been a heroine of great bravery and compassion, but through this book she grows into her powers and learns from her earlier mistakes. She becomes a wise leader and powerful bridge between the spirit world and the the human world. Her romance with Morozko also deepens. I really loved how the love-story between them changes over the course of the trilogy so that they are eventually standing together as equals, with Vasya asserting her strength and autonomy and charting her own future, with the love, support and respect of Morozko.

On a side note, I also really appreciated the detailed Authors Note at the end, which gives the historical background for the story and the glossary of Russian terms.

While this book is a satisfying conclusion to Vasya and Morozko's story, I'd love to read another book about the world and characters Katherine Arden has created. Highly recommended for readers of historical fantasy, fairy-tale retellings and romance.