What a series! I loved the first two books so much, I was fully prepared to throw a major tantrum if I didn’t get the ARC for this third volume. Well not really a tantrum, but I would have been very upset in my feels. Thankfully, the book gods at Del Rey publishing smiled down upon me and gifted me with Winter of the Witch.

Please note: This is not a series that I would recommend you just jump into on book three. You definitely need to read the first to books before you begin this one.

It’s also impossible to write a synopsis without inadvertently spoiling something so I will only speak in generalities about the tone/theme of the book and about the characters themselves.

The book opens with heartbreak, with the first death coming hard and fast. I was stunned because this character’s demise was completely unexpected and absolutely devastating. This was harder to take because the plot structure and writing has been splendid throughout the series. The characters are nuanced and have great depth.

It’s a fairy tale type setting, but these are the old russian fairytales. Full of night demons, chyerta, and wonderful little domovoi, or house spirits. Previous books have focused on the rising tide of Christianity and how it is forcing the native magical folk creatures to diminish. Enter Vasya. She has an affinity for communicating with these creatures and is herself full of spirit and bravery.

In this book, Vasya takes the fairy tale setting and proceeds to upend it entirely. She is revealed to be the powerful young woman that we’ve been been getting hints of throughout the first two books. She was never the damsel in distress or the maiden in the tower. She is a source of strength and a unifying force. She is as always a joy to read.

I’m only sorry that the series had to end, but not sorry in the least for how it did. There are no completely bad or good characters. There are only individuals. Each with their own motivations, having good qualities and bad liberally mixed together. As Morozko says, “The wicked still mourn, Vasya.” In understanding that truth, she learns to see that all of these creatures, human and chyerti, for good and evil, have a place in the world .

Song for this book: Steady by The Staves

Arden does not disappoint in this final book of her Winternight trilogy. If you like folklore and historical fiction, this book (and series) is definitely recommended! Vaysa is one of my favorite characters I have ever read about. Arden is a gifted storyteller, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her. If somehow you have not started this series yet, do so now in time for The Winter Witch release in Jan!

<b> “Men will suck all the wildness out of the world, until there is no place for a witch-girl to hide. They will burn you and all your kind.”

It was her deepest and most wretched fear. </b>


The end of the Bear and the Nightingale series - and what an ending it was!

I loved every minute of this series. The infusion of magic with history, the meandering pace throughout pre-Tsar Russia, and the exploration of men and women’s roles in a historical context.

Vasya is a great character. She’s strong, and she’s grown a lot since her introduction in the Bear and the Nightingale. And I never thought I would say this, but I loved the Bear in this one.

Stakes are raised, sacrifices are made, and it all leads to a satisfying conclusion. I’m sad to see this series end, but I can’t wait to see what Katherine Arden has planned next.

Highly recommend this series, especially for fans of Uprooted or Spinning Silver.

<i>I received this ARC for an honest review. The quote comes from an e-galley and may change before publication. </i>

I have so many thoughts about this book and the trilogy in general that I don't even know where to begin. To begin with, before I even got approved to read this book I had been intrigued to read the first two books in the trilogy. When I got the notification that I got approved I started on The Bear and the Nightingale and I loved it. Then I read The Girl in the Tower and I loved it more than the first book. But then I started reading this one and the one thing I've been waiting for in the first two books finally happened and my heart squealed in joy. I have been shipping Morozko and Vasya together since The Bear and the Nightingale and while I'm extremely happy they ended up together it took too long for it to happen.

The Girl in the Tower was my favorite book in the trilogy before I read this one. I loved how everything tied together and came to a satisfying conclusion. The decision to bring back the Bear from the first book as a villain/ally in this book was brilliant. The idea just worked so well and while I still hate Medved he is a necessary evil and I can tolerate him now. I hated that Solovey was killed but it's alright as his death was made right at the end. I loved this book so much and I loved the trilogy as a whole. It's now my favorite book series, even more so than the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

The Winter of the Witch was enchanting. Sure there were some scenes that were particularly brutal, but it had the same glittering snow covered landscape (even if the actual book takes place in Summer), wondrous magic, and Vasya's endearing family. It is a book about family, sacrifice, and politics. While there's whispers of magic, flaming horses, and mushroom spirits, Arden's book ends with a real battle. The Winter of the Witch is a stunning conclusion to a fabulous series that emphasizes one girl's sacrifices, desires, and actions to save the people, and country, she loves.
Vasya & Family

There are just so many things I love about the Winternight trilogy. Above all has to be Vasya and her indomitable spirit. I feel like every book she's tested even more, strung even further, and challenged. And Arden doens't disappoint. In this book, Vasya is broken down more than before, with death around her, and danger. I actually cried so many times in this book. Because this is really when Vasya has to build herself back up, to test her limits, and ask herself what she will do for her family, for Russia.

Even better than the previous two! This book starts right where The Girl in the Tower leaves off, so if you don't remember the details of that book, I suggest you catch up on its main points first.

This final piece of the trilogy is a whirlwind of action with a satisfying conclusion. Although there was one part very soon in the book where in was thinking KATHERINE ARDEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!? You'll know it when you read it.

Demons, witches, fairy-tale creatures, and magic, all wrapped up with as much action and emotion as you could want. You must read this book!

There is a lot of power in the final book of the Winternight Trilogy. This book starts off where <i>The Girl in the Tower</i> ends. If you have not read the first two books in the series, it is imperative that you read them first otherwise you will not know what is going on in this book.

I am not even going to attempt to give a synopsis of the book. There is just so much going on, but I will say that I appreciate how Arden has one book flow into the next. I also love that these books are based on Russian fairy-tales/folklore and history. I am not a big fan of fantasy, but this series worked for me. Although, <i>The Bear and the Nightingale</i> was my favorite, this one served as a very nice conclusion. It is darker, there is more danger, lives are lost (some are just gut wrenching), battles are fought and won, there is romance (finally!), and Vasya really comes into her own (and her power). Plus, we get re-acquainted with favorite characters from the series (Solovey and Morozko for me), plus there are villains. I will admit, even though he is a villain, I couldn't help but like and snicker at the Bear a.k.a Medved. Then there are the new characters and realms/worlds, such as Midnight, which was a nice addition to the story and serves to give Vasya more knowledge about her family.

"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."

There is a lot going on in this book and at times, the action felt drawn out. At times, I wanted it to move a little faster. A plus, in this book, is the vivid descriptions. We are dealing with a real place (Russia) but also with another world, magic, magical creatures, etc. so it helped tremendously that Arden gave the reader detailed descriptions. I found it was easy to visualize the book as I read.

I believe most fans of this series will like how the trilogy ends. I like that Vasya made her own decisions and stood by them. She remained a strong female character throughout the series and ended strong.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wow wow wow. What a stunning conclusion to this series. I have been patiently awaiting this 3rd novel and Katherine Arden does not disappoint.
We follow vasilisa through her journey with the winter king. There are some unexpected twists and it all came together so well. I loved it and highly recommend this series!

“And yet, I will think of the future to remind me that the present is not forever. What is the present without the future?”

I was drawn to The Bear and the Nightingale by the beautiful cover and it turned out to be one of those rare books that proves “never judge a book by its cover” is not always accurate. I immediately fell in love with the characters and writing style. I had a bit of a fangirl moment when I met Katherine Arden at NYCC in October and told her how much I loved her writing and that I was anxiously awaiting for the final book in the trilogy. So, I cannot even describe how excited I was when my request for this ARC was granted!

Me while reading this book: “Just one more chapter…” at the end of every chapter and then realizing that an hour or more had passed without me realizing. As with the other two books in the series, it was nearly impossible for me to put this book down in order to eat, sleep, or engage with the world.

Katherine Arden’s writing is so beautiful and makes you believe that you are in this world she has created. This could easily have been one of the old Russian fairytales which inspired it. She doesn’t waste any words, and so the story flows effortlessly. Never once while reading this book did I wish she would get things moving or get to the point. I also appreciate that Ms. Arden does not waste any pages explaining events from previous books, she expects that you have read them and remember what happened.

Vasya is an amazing character – she is flawed and shows weaknesses, but never backs down from a fight, especially when protecting her family. You understand her exhaustion throughout the book, every time she does something to save others she is somehow punished (usually in a violent way). I felt her losses greatly and one in particular brought me to tears when it occurred. Some of my favorite character moments from her were when she was having to tell the men in her life that she would be making her own decisions and was not beholden to any of them.

Ded Grib adds much needed levity at just the right moments of the story, but he’s much more than comic relief. He shows Vasya that there are those who will help her and be proud to do so. The character of Father Konstantin is one you might feel bad for had he not been hellbent on destroying Vasya. There is a quote about how man does not choose evil because it is evil, he mistakes it for happiness which I believe pretty much sums up Konstantin. Morozko and Medved serve as two sides of the same coin and add important moments that come to define who Vasya is by the end of the novel.

I have been so excited for this book because I had to know how it all ended, but now that I am here, I wish it would never end. I find myself wanting to know more about Marya, Vasya’s younger siblings, and her time at the lake. Should Katherine Arden ever decide to continue with short stories from this world I would be the first in line to buy the collection.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I discovered The Bear and the Nightingale earlier this year and quickly became obsessed with this series. I found the first two books in the the series to be outstanding and some of the best novels I read in 2018 and The Winter of the Witch is no exception.

What makes these books so good? So many things.

Lets talk about plot. I loved every moment of this book. I went in thinking...How in the world is she going to wrap this up? What is going to happen after that giant event at the end of book two? And the novel went in a completely different direction than I expected and in a good way. First it broke my heart and like Vasya I spent the first half of this book in a fog of sadness. Then so many cool things happened, worlds, people, animals and events. I was never bored.

Setting. I love this medieval Russian setting. Arden is so atmospheric in the way she describes everything that you think with these characters. The mythology and creatures that she talks about. All the illusions to Russian folklore and fairy tales. I'm obsessed with and want to read more about.

Characters. The great thing about this series is that there aren't characters you're lukewarm about. You LOVE them or you HATE them. For me I loved Morozko, Vasya, Solovey, especially. They have consistently been my favorite characters throughout the series. My new favorite character was Ded Grib, I loved his sass and insistence that he was so loyal to Vasya. Also I've been waiting for Baba Yaga to show up since book one. How she connected with Vasya and her family was so cool and exciting. But what was surprising was the Bear. Who would have thought that this seemingly evil character could turn out to kinda be a grey character. No me.

So in conclusion, this book was outstanding. 5 big stars. My only criticism is that I'm sad that this series is over and I won't get more stories with some of my favorite fictional characters ever. It has actually created a love of Russian myth and folklore for me after reading it, so I just have to thank the author for that because the topic is wonderful.

Book: The Winter of the Witch
Author: Katherine Arden
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with this ARC and for the ARCs that I have received for the entire series. I really have enjoyed reading these books.

I have been reading this series since it first came out and I have really enjoyed going to the new levels of the world. I am in love the use of Russian fairy tales and real Russian historical events that have been cleverly weaved into this series. I do like fantasy books that take both elements of the now and of the supernatural and mash them together. It makes for such an amazing world.

Like with the other books, this one picks right off where the previous book left off. So, no, you cannot read this one without having read the other two books. The writing puts you right into the harsh Russian environment without you even realizing the pull it has on you until you come up for air. Since this is the final book, we have a lot of build up to the final battle. I will admit that the build up was rather slow for me and there were actually a few boring parts, but I did find the wait worth it. The final battles in fantasy books are truly what makes a series and this was no different.

One thing that I really have like throughout this series was the character development. The characters have grown up and spread their wings. Katherine has a very nice gift with making her characters change, but still letting them hold onto their personality. Whenever this series started out, a lot of the characters were still children. Now in this final book, they are grown up. Yes, they are still flawed, but they are even more complex than they were in the first book. As we see with character development, we begin to feel more for the characters and find ourselves cheering them on and our hearts breaking whenever things don’t go according to plan. That is one thing that I have really liked throughout this series was the character development.

The writing is beautiful. Everything flows so well. It is so simple, but yet, complex. Katherine has a gift of making her words fit and come together in all of the right places. She also has the gift of playing with your senses and making you actually become part of the book. I just love the way the writing made me feel and how well it set the mood.

So, this book comes out on January 9, 2019, so it’s really not that far away. If you are like me, you will most certainly enjoy this epic conclusion.

This picks up the same night The Girl in the Tower ended so we're immediately thrown into the action. Vasya is still trying to figure out how the mystical part of Russia works while trying not to get killed because all the humans seem to want her dead. It doesn't help that she can do magic and see creatures that no one else can see.

She really comes into her own in this book. She figures out how to save her people while figuring out the fae rules. This ending was so wonderful I wanted to reread the entire series again to watch her evolution.

Although I knew I was already enthralled with Katherine Arden’s writing after reading Small Spaces and the first two books in this trilogy, The Winter of the Witch solidified that this is one of my favorite series of all time. I have loved each and every moment of this series and am so overjoyed with how it ended even as I am sobbing over the fact that it’s over.

This series is magical and enchanting, full of beautiful lyrical prose, riveting monsters, man-beasts, spirits, and factual Russian history. The first book includes whimsical folklore tales with a slow burn of conflict between Christian and pagan. The second book pulls you in by depicting the upheaval in medieval Russia of politics, invaders and a feudal system. Everything is heightened in this third and final book, higher stakes, more dangerous risks taken, on and on it continues until Arden culminates to one epic battle of all parties. This is where not only the individual book ends, but rather it seamlessly brings together all you learned and felt in the first two books as well. In an Author’s Note, Arden explains that she always knew where this story would end even though so many changes were made throughout her writing process. I can see why as it perfectly brings together the conflicts brought up in each novel; the Rus’ against the Tatars, Christian against pagan and a young woman fighting to fulfill her own desires while still satisfying her family.

The Winter of The Witch picks up where The Girl in the Tower ended, Vasya has saved Moscow but the city, and a specific Priest, is searching for someone to blame for the recent havoc wrought on its inhabitants. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. And thus this story opens with some distressing moments that invoked a slew of emotions within me.

Meanwhile, the Grand Prince is enraged and finds allies to seek vengeance, but it may lead him to war and ruin. And a terrifying demon returns, intent on reaking havoc. Once again we see how anger and fear can make people search for the wrong type of assistance, creating darkness and pain in the lives of others and ourselves. We also have to consider that not all monsters are evil and maybe they are not meant to be slain. What if we need them in our lives? What if they care and weep for us and we never knew?

Onto the characters. Vasya is such an amazing character and I love her strength and bravery but also her flaws. After all her experiences, she is now angry at the wicked actions of men and struggles to stop herself from seeking vengeance and cruelty over them all. We delve deeper into the brotherly bond of Dmitrii and Sasha, with some nail biting suspicion due to the lies told in the second book. And we meet some new characters, mortal and spirits, that bring new light and layers to the story. These spirits bring us to a new land of darkness that Arden so beautifully creates that I was enchanted all over again. I’ve been saying it in each of my reviews, but I cannot ever give enough praise to Arden and her creation of this magical tale.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style, the characters, the plot, the way the author set the scene...all of it was an absolute treat. I review so many books, that sometimes I forget to read a book just for "fun," solely for me and my quiet time. This novel made me forget that I was doing a review at all, and immersed me instead into an entirely different world. An absolute recommend!

This was a perfect conclusion to the Winternight Trilogy. I am convinced not that Katherine Arden can do no wrong. Picking up directly after the events of The Girl in the Tower, we see Vasya thrust in to a position of go between for the chyerti world and the world of men. It was amazing seeing her grow from untamed tomboy child in the first book to strong woman in this last installment. A must read - especially for the tearfully tender moments at the end.

This whole trilogy was amazing. Often one book in a trilogy will not be as good as the rest, but that is not the case with Arden's Winternight Trilogy. The trilogy has a historical setting in Medieval Russia. Some of the people and events named were real. The rest of the story is a wonderous fairy tale that that will keep the reader up all night. This final book has Vasilisa risking her sanity and her life to save her family and the Russian people.

Hello, this review will be published to Instagram, blog, and Goodreads on December 21st. I will add review to Amazon and Barnes & Noble on the publication date. Links will be added to reviews once they are public, thanks.

Title: The Winter of the Witch
Author: Katherine Arden
Publication Date: January 8th, 2019
Rating: 5 stars
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley

The Winter of the Witch was one of my most anticipated reads for 2019 and it did not disappoint. We are swept back into this magical world right where The Girl in the Tower left off. Vasya is trying to make peace with what happened to Moscow the night before while trying to keep her family safe as an angry mob wants her tried for witchcraft. Katherine Arden's writing is once again captivating and brings to life this world and the characters we have grown to love. 

We find ourselves back at recognizable places such as Moscow and the forest but we also are drawn into new magical worlds that feel like a dream. Her world building is breathtaking and imaginative as always.

New and familiar characters come back for this epic conclusion. Vasya is still growing in the beginning and by the end she is finding her purpose which is satisfying to see. She is always full of real human emotions as Katherine has a way of making each character come to life. I even grew to like Medved, the bear, and I didn't think that was possible. Many of the characters are met with tough decisions they must make and sometimes those decisions lead to fateful consequences. 

This book gave me so many emotions and tears were shed multiple times as well as a few laughs here and there. Although I am sad to see this wonderful world end, The Winter of the Witch is a great ending to a beloved series.

The Winter of the Witch was one of my most highly anticipated releases of January 2019, and it was everything I was hoping it would be and more. Told in the same descriptive and highly atmospheric prose as its predecessors—The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower—The Winter of the Witch was a satisfying and epic conclusion to not only the trilogy but Vasya’s story as well. Plainly speaking, this book was excellent.

Picking up right after the end of The Girl in the Tower, Vasya quickly found herself in new and dangerous situations that stemmed from the consequences of previous actions—many of which had no easy solutions. As such, the beginning got the story off to a fast-paced start and I was easily drawn back into the world of the Winternight trilogy. And from the opening chapter, the story quickly devolved into more as the plans of foes—both new and old—came to fruition. Choices had to be made. Lessons had to be learned. It was no easy road for any character—not Vasya, or anyone else—and the end result was a relatively fast-paced story with action and magic as wondrous as it was a little dark and mysterious.

Speaking of—magic, dark, and mysterious—it also accurately describes the setting. There were some familiar places toward the beginning of the story—like Moscow and the woods surrounding it—but as the story progressed, Vasya's character arch took her to parts of the spirit realm. I thought those scenes were pretty cool. And with Arden’s prose, those places were described in gorgeous detail, fitting in almost seamlessly with the more ordinary settings.

And, of course, I can’t forget the characters. One of the best aspects of the Winternight Trilogy has always been the characters—mortal or otherwise. And characters all across the board went through a hefty dose of development in The Winter of the Witch, and no one was exactly the same by the end. Vasya’s story in particular was my favorite. Gone is the girl from the beginning of The Bear and the Nightingale, and in her place is a character that came into her own. And after everything she’s been through, I loved the way her story ended.

While I’m sad the trilogy is over—and I wish there was more—I can’t help but be satisfied with the conclusion. And if you’re a fan of this series, then The Winter of the Witch is a must read….

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Del Rey) via NetGalley for this review, thank you!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars. Major spoilers marked.

I was not even sad that the "Winternight Trilogy" came to end, because "The Winter of the Witch" was perfectly true to the series and the characters that I came to love so much. On the rare occurrence when I was not entirely thrilled by something that happened in the book, it was still absolutely in character and true to the overall themes of the novel. Katherine Arden is true writing goals—planning where she meant her characters to go and getting them there in ways so suitable that I couldn’t even imagine them, and for weaving in humor and magic throughout her often dark tales.

Though this was probably my least favorite out of the trilogy that included "The Bear and the Nightingale" and "The Girl in the Tower"—mostly because I’m not a huge fan of reading about battles or preparing for them—I still laughed, wept, and was extremely proud of heroine Vasilisa “Vasya” Petronova. She is the type of female character that audiences are lucky to get every decade or so—one who has power and is not afraid to wield it as she sees fit. A small town girl, Vasya ends up saving her entire country—a feat impressive enough on its own—but she does not stop there. She continually challenges the forces of her time period and its restrictive customs until she can finally squash them. In<em> "The Winter of the Witch", Vasya grows into a woman, comes fully into her own powers, and takes the word “witch,” and OWNS it—all while shattering the traditional consequences women associated with the term “witch’ faced. And she doesn’t apologize for it.

"I have been running through the dark, trying to save all who have need of me. I have done good and I have done evil, but I am neither. I am only myself. You will not make me ashamed…..”

Perhaps the hardest—and strongest part of the novel—is that to truly stand on her own feet and come into her own as a magic-wielding witch, author Arden rips away many of Vasya’s few loyal allies at the very beginning of the novel. <spoiler>Solovey, Vasya’s loyal, sweet, intelligent, and porridge-loving horse is savagely struck down by a mob at almost the very beginning of the novel—something I knew was going to happen from the very first time Morozko the Winter King brought him to her way back in "The Bear and the Nightingale," but still wept at bitterly. Next to go is Morozko,the Winter King, and god of death who has protected Vasya since childhood, but whose powers are in shambles. Medved—aka the Bear and the brother of the Winter King—imprisons Morozko, who previously freed him in a desperate attempt to save Vasya’s life.</spoiler> But Vasya somehow does not despair, and emerges from the literal fire (of course someone had to try and burn her at least once or it wouldn’t be realistic to the whole witchcraft accusation thing), a blade honed. I could not wait to see what she did next.

Vasya finds the strength to go on, wandering the perilous path of Midnight—a magic road that only appears to those with the Sight, at you guessed it, midnight. This road leads through all the realms during Midnight—as long as the wanderer does not fall asleep, which will trap them in their current realm until next midnight. I thought this was such an amazing and interesting concept. Vasya’s journey was made even better by her finding new allies, including a spunky mushroom, and a firebird in the guise of a horse named Pozhar. Along the way, the legendary Baba Yaga also makes an appearance.

Throughout all of her ordeals, Vasya’s continued strength of character is just so empowering. Through Arden’s lyrical and touching prose, Vasya’s victories were my victories and her setbacks were my setbacks. I do not think I have ever been more attached to a character—let alone one who is so secure in her own power and self. Her entire journey—facing the judgement of those who do not understand, fearing being forced into a convent or into a marriage she didn’t want—is reminiscent of every woman’s struggle, but on a grander, more magical scale. To see her finally triumph over all of her foes and obstacles standing in the way of who she was truly meant to be in "The Winter of the Witch" was beyond heartening. Vasya is truly every girl’s dream character—a warrior, a witch, and a princess all in one.

“It was never your task to pick out the good
from the wicked. Your task was to unite us. We are one people.”

And despite all of those titles—Vasya ends up being even more. Vasya serves as the bridge between men, their new religion, and the old ways of the chyert. Admittedly, at first, I was disheartened that she did not choose to remain in the realms of winter with her paramour and partner, Morozko, but I realized it truly would not have been at all a fitting end for adventurous Vasya. I was stupid to think she could ever be happy with that kind of settled existence—and realized that I had probably been conditioned since childhood to believe that the heroine of every fairytale has to settle down with her man in her own “happily-ever-after.”

Luckily for me, Arden had thought of a much more suitable ending for Vasya. <spoiler>She will reside in the land of midnight, in Baba Yaga’s hut by the lake, as the guardian of the magical steeds. And with Solovey back at her side, something that caused me to weep yet again—but this time with tears of joy—I’m sure she’ll be traveling through the other realms of midnight once again—and probably quite often to the realms of Winter.</spoiler> The rest of the happy ending probably should have been cheesy or felt too perfectly-wrapped up, but not once did it feel like that.

Somehow Arden makes Vasya’s <spoiler> balancing of the world, its religions, and its two warring supernatural brothers, the resurrection of her beloved steed, and her acceptance by Baba Yaga, anything but saccharine. Instead, it is a poignant, touching, and remarkable—just like the rest of the series.</spoiler> And when a character nonchalantly asks Vasya—who was so often confronted with the expectations of her gender and her lack of independence—“Vasya….where do you wish to go?” I was overjoyed that she finally had a choice and that someone cared what this precious girl wanted—that it could have been the last line of the book, with no other explanations, and I would have been perfectly happy.

"I will guard it. And I will watch over my family. And I will ride the world, in between times,through the farthest countries of dark and day. It is enough for one life.”

From the beginning of this trilogy, it was obvious that the author knew where she wanted her character—not just Vasya—to wind up in the end.I especially loved how Arden dealt with the character of Konstantin—<spoiler>who poetically met his end by his own tortured hand. It is a testament to her writing ability that she managed to keep Vasya’s hands clean of the blood of the most pitiable villain of the book—even though he definitely deserved it—and somehow came up with an even more tragic end for the character. The only time I was unhappy with the development of a character was with Vasya’s brother, Sasha. It was so dang obvious that that goody-goody monk was going to die in his one-on-one trial by combat that I could barely stand to read it.</spoiler> But this is a small blip of discontent in an otherwise wholly great work.

It is also notable that though this novel deals with a lot of heavy material—accusations of witchcraft, riots, murder, the plague, failed childbirth, religion, the gender roles of women, suicide, and more—the author manages to successfully weave in wit and humor throughout the book too. I often laughed aloud at many of the things the Bear, the most despicable villain from way back in "The Bear and the Nightingale" said—and even found myself growing fond of him, something I would not have believed possible.

I adored every minute of reading, not only the "The Winter of the Witch," but also the entire "Winternight Trilogy," and simply cannot recommend the series enough. It is not often that a series that I love this much is wrapped up in such an artful manner that I would both remain perfectly happy with the ending or jump at the chance to read more of the same characters in future installments. Katherine Arden is an amazing author of whose lyrical prose, beautiful settings, developed characters, and unique ideas sets her apart. She is officially a member of my very short—I-must-read-this-author’s-books-immediately-upon-release-list. These books are perfect for lovers of fantasy, historical fiction, magic, powerful female characters, and romance.

Equal parts comfortingly familiar and fresh, The Winter of the Witch is a fitting conclusion to one of my favourite series,

Moscow may have been saved from the fire, but the trouble has only started. Vasya, condemned for a witch and almost killed by an angry mob, has to flee for her life. The fate of the chyerti is still uncertain, the danger of the Tatars still present. I admit it took me a bit longer to get into it than the other two, but when it started coming together I was bewitched, barely able to tear my eyes away. The scope grows larger, epic, the events concerning not just Vasya and her family, but the fate of all of Russia.

The places we got to see and the things we learned were fascinating, and Vasya's arc excellent, if bittersweet. She has to go through a lot of grief (I really liked that her feelings about a certain event were not forgotten after a few pages but continued to affect her throughout the book) and shoulder a lot of responsibility. Her confidence and fiercely independent spirit, her flaws...I couldn't help but root for her. The supporting cast is great as well - there are some new faces, but we get to see plenty more of old acquaintances like Sasha and Morozko too.

While I wish there was a bit more of an epilogue, I don't really have any large complaints. Probably my biggest issue is unconnected to the plot: the glossary spoils a character death. I took a peek mid-book, curious about something or the other, and was very unhappy with what I saw.