A charming blend of fantasy and wintry Russian folktales make this a perfect read to cuddle up with someplace warm. A young girl brought up with the tales of her old nurse. She was raised in the traditions of her county-side home, Vasilisa learns to honor the spirits of the forest. Unfortunately her mother dies and her father brings his new wife from the city to live with them. She refuses to allow traditions, scoffs at their stories. Soon to bad things begin to happen. A beautiful coming of age story filled with monsters and magic and strength of character.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was beautiful and I was very interested to learn about Russian mythology and fairy tales as that is an area that I know literally nothing about. I’ve always been a fan of mythology and fairy tales in general, so it was just fun to hear some new stories. I thought the author did a great job of incorporating Russian culture and language into the overall story without ruining the flow. I did find myself wondering, however, whether this was supposed to be a complete alternate Russia/Russia-derivative (kind of like Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha-verse) or if it was simply a fantastical historical Russia. The author’s note at the end of the book cleared that question up, but it wasn’t really clear throughout the story and I found myself distracted in some parts.

I thought Vasya was a really compelling character. I loved how the author starts the book with Vasya’s birth and we get to follow her into her teenage years. It really allows the reader to watch the character develop and helps us to understand who she is and what her motivations are. I also thought Vasya stayed really true to who she was supposed to be as a character throughout. Sometimes I’ve found that characters do things that don’t really make sense with who they are supposed to be, but I thought Vasya was a great example of somebody who just made sense as a character. She was so complex and conflicted throughout the book. As a reader, I felt that I could really empathize with what she was going through. Vasya tries to be the good Russian girl that she’s supposed to be, but at the same time her heart is leading her in a completely separate direction. Just…a really good character. I also loved the cast of secondary characters that Arden gives us. The familial relationships that exist between Vasya and her brothers and her younger step-sister felt so genuine.

The plot itself was a little slow-moving. It required a lot of setup, but I didn’t really find that I minded. The world that the author paints for us is so beautiful and filled with an ordinary (but at the same time not ordinary) magic. That being said, nothing much really happens until the last 25% of the book and then I felt that the ending was a bit abrupt.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes well-developed characters or who is interested in a historical picture of Russia. Just from a quick scan of Goodreads, it looks like this book is the author’s debut novel. I anticipate that we’ll be hearing a lot more from her in the future.

Overall: 4
Language: None
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Mild

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a charming, engaging story inspired by fairy tales of the Russian wilderness.

Vasya is the daughter of a Russian lord, and the granddaughter of a suspected witch. Growing up in the vast forests in the north, fireside tales of friendly spirits and dangerous imps dominate her childhood. Vasya knows to leave offerings for the guardian spirits of her home and stables, to placate the water demons and to pay obeisance to the guardians of the forest. When her father marries a high born woman from Moscow, the folk traditions of Vasya’s youth are branded as heresy and witchcraft, and the orthodox church forbids any practice of the old ways.

But something evil is stirring in the deep woods, something ancient and hungering. As the strength of the old ways wanes, it seems that Vasya may be the only one who can stop what is coming.

Fairy tale retellings are in vogue nowadays, but it is rare that an author takes the material and makes it their own. The usual fare simply regurgitates the story while incorporating an excess of teen angst. Arden manages to take the tropes of the fairy tale and make them into a story with familiar elements, but which is her own. It reminds me of the Sevenwaters books by Juliet Marillier, a compelling series based on English myth and fairy tale.

I suspect this book may be shelved in the young adult category, but it will appeal to older readers nonetheless. Fans of fantasy and magic will find a lot to like in this story. In all, this is a very strong debut novel and I look forward to Katherine Arden’s future work.

An advance ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Bear and the Nightingale will be available for purchase on January 10th, 2017. (less)

Great Potential
This story had some amazing potential what with utilizing Russian folklore and fairy tales. It could have been a fantastic story. In fact, many of the details were fantastic. However, the actual application and follow through were not up to par. I was hoping for more folklore. It was a main plot point, but this isn’t made apparent until well on in the book, which is disappointing. The folklore is the best part.

Disconnected
There were quite a few pieces of this book that felt disconnected. One of the biggest pieces for me was who the story followed. It starts out following some characters and then as the story progresses it follows others, but doesn’t stick to them. Even the main character, Vasya, isn’t consistently followed. And while following other characters definitely adds insight to the world, I was a little put off by it. I would have like more consistency or perhaps just a select few who were followed.

Another piece of disconnect had to do with the story timeline. The story is about Vasya, but instead of picking a select point in her life, perhaps a few months to a few years, it follows her from birth to teenager. There was so many gaps in the timeline that I found myself feeling slowed down while reading and losing connection with the characters. I would have preferred the story focus on a smaller chunk of time to allow more connection with Vasya herself.

4.5 stars. In the northern lands of medieval Rus’, a daughter is born to Pyotr Vladimirovich, a boyar, lord over many lands, and his wife Marina, who dies in childbirth. But Marina, daughter of the Grand Prince of Moscow and a mysterious, swan-like beggar girl, has bequeathed her daughter Vasilisa a mystical heritage. Vasilisa, or Vasya, grows up to be a spirited and rather rebellious young girl who, like an untamed colt, freely roams the fields and forest, and is able to see and communicate with the domovoi (a guardian of the home), rusalka (a dangerous water nymph), and other natural spirits of the home and land. Her beloved nurse Dunya tells Vasya and her siblings stories of Ivan and the Gray Wolf, the Firebird, and the frost-king, Morozko.

But Vasya’s carefree life ends when her father finally decides to remarry. He brings home a new wife from Moscow, Anna, the daughter of the prince of Moscow, who is also able to see the spirits of the land, but considers them devils and demons, clinging to her cross and her belief in the church. Pyotr also brings home a mysterious gift for Vasya, a necklace with a brilliant silver-blue jewel, given to him by Morozko, whom he met in Moscow. But Pyotr and the old nurse Dunya hold the necklace back from Vasya, fearing to give it to her.

Vasya’s life with Anna as her stepmother becomes strained: the strictly devout Anna is always at odds with the child of nature, who loves the magical creatures that terrify Anna. Life becomes even more difficult when a new priest arrives from Moscow, Father Konstantin, a handsome and charismatic man who preaches fiery sermons against the spirits of the land. As the people cease honoring (and leaving food for) these spirits, they weaken … but evil is waiting to step in as their protective influence wanes. Vasya finds herself at odds with her family and the villagers as she strives to protect them against unimaginable dangers that they thought existed only in fairy tales.

The Bear and the Nightingale weaves a richly colored tapestry, combining elements from various Russian fairy tales, a realistic description of life in medieval times, when Russia was not yet a unified country, and an independent an appealing heroine. The frost-king Morozko and his destructive brother, the Bear, play the primary fairy tale roles, but there are additional and sometimes delightfully unexpected Russian folklore elements like the stepmother sending her stepdaughter into the forest to find snowdrops in midwinter (from the story “Twelve Months”), Morozko (also known as Father Frost) sending lost girls home with a dowry of gold and jewels, the Sea-King’s daughter, and Vasilisa the Beautiful. (I’m sure I missed a few more!)

The atmosphere is well-developed, immersing you in life in medieval Rus’, a place where fairy tales may be true … which is not necessarily a comfortable thing. Enchantments can be good or evil, and the rusalka, vazila (a spirit that guards the stable and livestock) and other nature spirits are dangerous as well as helpful. Arden deftly illustrates their nature, so alien to humankind, as well as the need for mutual understanding and cooperative co-existence, which breaks down so badly in this tale.

A major theme ― in fact, it propels the entire plot ― is the conflict between old beliefs, respecting and caring for the nature spirits, and the newer religion, Christianity, which is generally, and emphatically, in the wrong in this book. Father Konstantin and Anna, and the rest of the villagers that flock to follow the priest, are poor examples of religious believers. At times it seems that the novel sets up believers as being generally weak and dangerously misguided, though those characters are offset, to some extent at least, by Vasya’s brother Sasha, who has a sincere heart and desire for a religious vocation, and the monk he follows, Sergei Radonezhsky. In any case, The Bear and the Nightingale certainly effectively illustrates the power of fear, as well as the danger of using that fear, rather than love, to prompt religious devotion.

Another prominent theme is Vasya’s desire to live life freely, on her own terms, in a time when an arranged marriage or life in a convent were generally the only options for a properly raised female. Though it’s a modern them, Arden integrates it well into the overall plot, and Vasya doesn’t come off as unduly anachronistic … though I did get a little tired of seeing her compared to an unbroken filly.

The cruelty of winter and the terrors of the deep, untamed forest, where wolves ― and worse things ― rove, are tangible. At the same time, The Bear and the Nightingale also incorporates references to actual historic figures, like Genghis Khan (at this time the Rus’ people were required to pay tributes to the conquering Horde), Sergei Radonezhsky, and princes of Moscow from the fourteenth century, although they are fictionalized.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a well-written and thoroughly thought-out fantasy, suspenseful and delightful. While it reads well as a stand-alone novel, Arden has indicated that two sequels are in process. I can’t wait to be transported to medieval Russia again!

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

the bear and the nightingale (Katherine Arden)

Title: the bear and the nightingale

Author: Katherine Arden

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Del Ray

Publication Date: TODAY!!! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1101885932

Source: NetGalley

So me crew had been adding this novel left and right to their ports for plunder lists . . . know as tbr to ye landlubbers. So I read the blurb. It is a Russian fairy tale retelling set in the middle ages which appealed to me. Plus it had a beautiful cover:

This book was savoury and a delight. I was instantly entranced by the scene of the household of Pyotr Vladimirovich gathered around the hearth listening to a story. This story within a story set up the novel perfectly. It only got better from there.

I fell in love with the main character, Vasya. She is strong, brave, loving, and unique. Her relationships with her family members were absolutely wonderful to read about. I particularly liked her relationship with her brother Alyosha. It felt so refreshing to read about families that cared and loved one another especially when life’s conditions were so very hard.

The juxtaposition of Christianity and pagan beliefs in this book were fascinating. I loved that people could practice both because Christianity was for the afterlife and pagan beliefs were to survive the harsh realities of day-to-day living. The Rus’ vazila and the use of horses in the story especially tickled me fancy.

The author’s writing was rich and beautiful, making me want to delve into and discover the story. I was transported into another space and time where the blending of myth and village life seemed real, possible, and achingly beautiful in its own way.

Words fail me really, so check out me other crew members reviews where they describe the feel of this novel better than I ever could:

Erin @ Proud Book Hoarder

Emily May @ The Book Geek

Side note: This was the author’s debut novel and apparently is the first in a trilogy? It ended as though a standalone so I am interested to see where the next book will go.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Random House!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

A magical debut novel for readers of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and Neil Gaiman’s myth-rich fantasies, The Bear and the Nightingale spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Katherine Arden – Author

To buy the novel please visit:

the bear and the nightingale – Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

Going to kick this review off with a: wow, what a debut. I will certainly read whatever Katherine Arden publishes next. She completely won me over with her beautiful, spellbinding writing, intriguing storytelling and outstanding heroine; even if I don’t think this a flawless story and have a few complaints, but more on that later.

The Bear and the Nightingale is based on Slavic mythology, and it tells the story of a young girl, Vasilia, as she grows up in a small village in Russia during that time of transition from the old pagan beliefs to Christianity, when people believed in all kinds of gods and spirits embodying things, animals and natural phenomena.
Like her mother and her mother’s mother before her, Vasilia can see and speak to these deities, which makes her somewhat of an outcast in the community, but she has a strong, determined, independent personality and doesn’t really care about what people think or even call her. That was my favorite thing about this story, Vasilia’s personality, her carefree way, how nothing or no one ever breaks her spirit–she is one tough cookie.

So, long story short, one of these “creatures” is about to wake up, but he’s evil and dangerous, which means Vasilia, along with her family and Morozko, the Winter King, will have to deal with it.

As I said before, I loved Vasya, but I loved her family too, even if sometimes the father and the older brother could have been way more supportive. Plus I liked how we get to go with them on a journey, even if Vasya, the main character, was not with them. Those chapters of the father and the older sons at court had me completely mesmerized. Stunning storytelling.

The writing is absolutely gorgeous and enthralling, I felt like I was listening to a master storyteller from the old days instead of reading it on my phone with my own two eyes.

Now, the minor complaints (this will seem like a lot but it’s not really ALSO SOME SPOILERS AHEAD):

-What was the necklace for anyway? This item is such an important thing in the story from almost the start, Morozko gives it to Vasya’s father and tells him he has to give it to her and that she must wear it always, but he never explains its purpose. Was it for protection? For him to track her down at all times? Was it a symbol that she was to be his bride? All these options crossed my mind but the evil guy still gets to her when she’s wearing it, and Morozko seemed to be able to find her alright when she wasn’t wearing the necklace yet, and I don’t want to spoil anyone but I don’t think the bride hypothesis is correct also. So, what?

-Meh romance. There’s not too much of it to begin with and honestly I wish there had been none because, man, there’s absolutely no romantic chemistry between Vasilia and Morozko. Plus, it’s weird, with Vasya being just a young lady and Morozko not even being human and god knows how old.

-Morozko waking Vasilia up with a slap across the face. Excuse me, but this guy is a paranormal being with extraordinary powers, the freaking Winter King himself, so a slap across the face to wake up a sleeping girl shouldn’t even be an option. Couldn’t he, I don’t know, freeze her toes for a minute? Speaking from personal experience nothing wakes me up more during those cold winter nights than my icy feet, even if the rest of my body feels almost feverish with all the blankets on top of me; or even better, couldn’t he have conjured a bit of water and let it splash on her face? Really, it had to be a slap? It was such a turn off for me, seriously.

-That ending. Didn’t get it, felt a little cheated.

Rant and flaws aside, The Bear and the Nightingale was one of my favorite reads of 2016, after all, I am fantasy fan through and through, plus a fairytale/folktale-retelling nut, so of course a marvelous tale with such a strong and remarkable heroine was bound to tick all my boxes. Recommended!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!)

This is the perfect book to read during winter. So much of the story resolves around the setting, far northern reaches of Russia, where Christianity and the old ways still mingle side by side, and the winters are so cold they kill.

Because it's a folkstory retelling, there are some things that you just can't escape, a young woman whose mother dies in childbirth who just so happens to be magical and very captivating, a stepmother who deeply believes she is right, but for some slightly twisted reasons. I was glad to see how kindly Vasya's father is portrayed, and how obviously he cares for his children, even when forces beyond his control seem to intervene (both political and otherworldly).

The beginning of this story takes a long time to ramp up, and there's a fair bit of political goings-on in Moscow that are important to the the overarching story, and to history, but are left somewhat unresolved at the end of the book, which was frustrating.

I certainly liked the last two thirds of the book better, where Vasya is a young woman who's exploring her abilities and learning about herself and not afraid of being an outcast.

Because of the timing of this book, I think it's going to get a lot of comparisons to Uprooted, but I'm not sure it really deserves many of them. There are surface similarities, and some below the surface as well, with the Eastern European folklore and the young woman protagonist, but the impact of Uprooted was much greater. I actually finished this book and felt it had a closer similarity to The Hero and the Crown.

I felt the characters could have been developed more strongly, but it's a short book, so I can't quibble with that too much, and some aspects of the plot feel like they were included and then forgotten about. I did come away with a stronger interest in Russian history after finishing, which is always a good thing when reading fiction. It's a solid four star book for me.

Vasilisa is the eldest daughter of Russian Nobles who live in the frozen north. The land is so cold that it's said the winter lasts 8 months there. Vasya's mother died giving birth to her so she grows up with her family and her nurse until her father decides to remarry. The real trouble starts afterward.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a story that centers around a Russian Family and the time period is long ago. The storytelling is clear yet slow. Quite often I found myself hoping things would pick up or that something more interesting would happen. I struggled to care about what was happening with the family and I didn't particularly take to any character.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a solid story for those who love folklore tales.

2.5 out of 5 stars

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

The Bear and the Nightingale is a very well written and well researched story of the change from paganism to Christianity in historic Russia. In fact, I had a hard time discerning if this was more historical, magical realism, or urban fantasy since the story stays grounded yet magic peeks continually around the edges. Arden doesn't go for over-idealized characters and each certainly has a personality of their own. And yet, admittedly, I had a hard time plowing through most of the book. I found I didn't connect with the characters, didn't want to read about Christianity ruthlessly obliterating the magical world, and felt the book was missing charm and playfulness in its over-earnest storytelling.

Story: Out in the more deserted reaches of Russia, a nobleman raises his family quietly yet efficiently. His wife's family had a mysterious background with connections to the Russian Czar. And now his youngest daughter, Vasilisa, is exhibiting the same fae traits of her mother and grandmother. While his sons and daughters move in the political world and make advantageous marriages that take them far from home, Vasilisa is left with her new stepmother - a woman afraid of the old world magic and very much invested in Christianity for protection. When a minister with a 'golden tongue' is sent to the family to keep him from over-influencing the Czar's court with his entrancing Christian sermons, Vasila and her old world magic will become embattled with her unhinged stepmother and the zealous priest. Meanwhile, the fortunes of her family continue to morph as the political landscape shifts constantly.

The original wording of the book makes this sound like a fairy tale but I feel this is far too serious and grounded for that categorization (unless one harkens back to the grim original versions of most fairy tales). And in the beginning, I felt this was a bit more of a magical realism, with otherworldly creatures occasionally appearing in the every day life of a mansion buried deep in a far off forest. But then the middle part of the book took a different direction with the introduction of the Christian priest and zealot stepmother, each determined to punish Vasilisa into foregoing her paganism and embracing their faith. I found this whole middle part to be tedious, especially since the blurb on the book had promised a 'Jack Frost' type of character but by 3/4 he had only appeared in one or two short scenes.

I also found I didn't like many of the characters. Arden took pains to make them grounded and real - with all the foibles and contrariness that can be expected. Vasilisa was a main character but the book follows the viewpoints of several people, including her brothers, sister, stepmother, the priest, the Czar, etc. In that way, it felt a bit overwritten as so many first novels can be; the author feeling the need to explain the big picture through all the POVs instead of letting the story organically unfold and trusting the reader to understand why things were happening as they did.

Because the book is somewhat of a mixed bag, I admittedly also have very mixed reactions to it. Once it veered toward the battle of religions, it completely lost me and I had a hard time wanting to pick it up again. But at the same time, I also was very impressed with the writing depth and the assimilating mood that Arden so effectively created.

Would I recommend this? Absolutely. But at the same time, I have to admit that for me personally, I did not enjoy the Bear and the Nightingale as much as I would have hoped. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Russian fairy tale about a woman who vows to save her family from evil spirits. After Christianity is introduced into their home, and they are no longer allowed to worship their household spirits, a young woman vows to save her family from evil and misfortune. Who will triumph?

This book is a difficult one for me to review. When I first heard about this book, I was so excited about the premise, but while reading it, I found myself rushing to finish it because I was mostly bored. I am unversed in Russian fairy tales, myths and legends, so I found myself wondering if that was why I wasn't engaged in the story. I do, however, applaud the character of Vasya, a very strong female, and give kudos to the writer for her portrayal. The writing was lyrical and slow, and I had a difficult time getting used to the character's names, especially since there are many different names (terms of endearment) for each character. I do, however, understand that the author was trying to maintain the Russian flavor and authenticity of the story.

I found the introduction of Father Konstantin to be an interesting element in the story since he provided an antagonist to the mythical characters in the book. What happens when you try to rule people with fear? The story finally picked up the pace around 65-75%, but the abrupt ending left me wanting something more finite.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A fairy tale, lore, fantasy, what ever you wish to call it, this is a story worthy of five stars.
Love the writing style and the care taken by the author, that is reflected on each word that comprise this book.
Looking forward to the next installment.

Everyone thinks that Vasilisa Petrovna is a strange girl. She always had been. Her mother, Marina knew even before she was born that she would be extraordinary. And when bringing such a life into the world proves too much for her fragile body, her father never truly forgets that it was Vasya that stole his love away.

As Vasya grows, she explores the vast enchanted forest surrounding her father’s house and to her, it’s not so unusual to see what others cannot. But when her new stepmother arrives, she brings along with her condemnation and judgement. Now the only thing that stands between the certain demise of the entire village is Vasya and magic that she alone can comprehend.

“Vasilisa Petrovna,” he tried again, cursing his clumsiness. Always he knew what to say. But this girl turned her clear gaze on him, and all his certainty grew vague and foolish. “You must leave your barbaric ways. You must return to God in fear and true repentance. You are the daughter of a good Christian lord. Your mother will run mad if we do not exorcise the demons from her hearth, Vasilisa Pertrovna, turn. Repent.”
“I go to church, Father,” she replied. “Anna Ivanova is not my mother, nor is her madness my business. Just as my soul is not yours. And it seems to me we did very well before you came; for if we prayed less, we also wept less.”
She had walked swiftly. Through the tree-trunks he could see the palisade of the village.
“Mark me, Batyushka,” she said. “Pray for the dead, comfort the sick, and comfort my stepmother. But leave me alone, or the next time one of them comes for you, I shall not lift a finger to stop it.” She did not wait for a reply, but thrust his cross back into his hand and strode off toward the village.
It was warm from her hand, and his fingers curled reluctantly around it.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a fairy tale in every sense of the word. With her lush descriptions, Katherine Arden creates a uniquely singular heroine that is as quick-witted as she is strong. Vasilisa’s story is one of isolation, wonder and self-discovery and it leaves you with feeling that other worlds are right in front of you – if you would only open up your eyes…

This is a story about family, love, friendship and choice. It was a story full of fantasy, mystery, heartbreak but also hope, forgiveness and faith.

The Bear and The Nightingale was an entertaining read and came with plenty of twists and turns. Vasya was a likable heroine, she was brave and she proved her worth against all odds. She won me over with her acceptance and her willingness to stand up for what she believed in. The supporting characters really bring this story to life. I was entranced by mysterious Morozko, charmed by the brave Solovey, and intrigued by the domovoi. Special mention to Aloysha, wish there had been more of him, especially since a lot of page time is used for both Sasha and Olga, only to have them fade slowly out of the picture. Even the villain is left at a loose end, what ever happened to Konstantin?

The story takes place in the wilds of Russia, and I loved the scenery and imagery that the author gives us. The time, the place and people were detailed just enough to paint a vivid picture but not so detailed that the story got lost under unnecessary detail. I admit the beginning of the story did leave me feeling overwhelmed with all the names and faces but eventually the characters started to distinguish themselves and the story fell into a smoother pattern.

For the most part I loved this story (and I absolutely loved this cover! So pretty). It was intense with it's old world feel and fantastical hidden meanings. But there were also things I didn't really like. Of course the evil stepmother thing drove me up the wall. It was a bit cliche, Pytrov's claim of loving Marina felt weak when he so easily is manipulated by his new young wife. The family dynamic changed and I hated that he was so easily absolved of his past mistakes like that. Vasya's relationship with Dunya, her nanny, and Aloysha, her brother, made up for it but still not enough to completely change my original opinion of Pytrov. I mentioned already the fact that we are basically left hanging when it comes to Olga and Sasha, Vasya's other sister and brother. It felt like they would reappear or play a bigger role in the grand scheme of things and then poof, they went away and their story arch was never explored further.

And then there is the ending, normally I like a solid end the story with concrete ideas of what happens to the characters. The Bear and The Nightingale surprised me with it's ending. Even more because I was okay with the chance to self interpret Vasya's fate. It allowed me to imagine my own version of events and that's a first for me. Definitely give credit where its due here, the author proved her skills at story telling and I'll be keeping my eye out for more of this author.

Favorite Line:
"Blood is one thing. The sight is another. But courage - that is rarest of all."

This story is absolutely beautiful! The writing is gorgeous and the story is completely captivating. If you enjoy retellings or adaptations of Russian/Eastern European folklore like Uprooted, you will love this book! I really enjoyed the character development and I really loved the way the story built up and grew on itself. I admit though, in the middle it slowed down a lot for me, but when it didn't take too long for the story to pick back up and once it picked up I could not stop reading! 4.5 stars!

The Bear and the Nightingale is an excellent fairy tale-inspired historical fantasy that should appeal to fans of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and Catherynne M. Valente’s Deathless. Katherine Arden has crafted a well-researched, beautifully written, and overall marvelously realized debut novel that nonetheless has some deep and unsettling flaws that I expect will keep it from being among my favorite novels of 2017 and, frankly, make it somewhat unlikely that I will return to the series (this is the first of a planned trilogy).

First, the good.

If you like historical fantasy or fairy tale retellings, this one is a great choice. Arden has chosen a couple of somewhat obscure-to-Anglophone-readers fairy tales to use as the backbone of her story, and she’s chosen a setting–circa 14th century Russia–that isn’t widely used. Both of these factors set The Bear and the Nightingale nicely apart from the ongoing glut of retold and reimagined fairy tales on the market. These things are always a dime a dozen, so it’s refreshing to see something original being done in the genre, and to have an original idea coupled with a well-researched setting that offers a great sense of place is something really special.

I also kind of love that The Bear and the Nightingale isn’t a romance, though it has some romantic, in the literary sense, elements. Instead, it’s a bildungsroman of sorts, beginning before the birth of its primary protagonist, and Vasilisa grows from precocious child to independent young woman over the course of the novel. Romantic relationships barely figure into the story at all, and it instead focuses on exploring Vasilisa’s relationships with her family and community in order to explore bigger ideas about tradition, religion, gender equality, and growing up. Too often, books like this focus primarily on getting their heroine heterosexually paired off and settled down at the end, so I’m always glad to read something that avoids that narrative that domestic partnership and nuclear familial conventionality are the ultimate happy ending. The somewhat ambiguous, but hopeful, ending of The Bear and the Nightingale suits me far better.

Sadly, while the good parts of The Bear and the Nightingale are excellent, the bad parts are pretty terrible. Mostly, the bad parts all involve Vasilisa’s stepmother, Anna Ivanovna, for whom everything is terrible all the time.

**Spoilers below this line.**

Like Vasilisa, Anna can also see the household spirits that hang around human dwellings being fed and revered by servants and peasants, only Anna–raised in Moscow and educated as a strict Orthodox Christian–perceives these creatures as demons and thinks herself mad. Anna’s dream is to become a nun as she believes that she will be safe in a convent. Unfortunately, she’s also the daughter of a prince, so she’s instead forced to marry Vasilisa’s father, Pyotr, whose older children are all older than Anna and who may even be old enough to be Anna’s grandfather. Regarded by others in the book (and, judging from the way he’s written, by the author) as a kind man, Pyotr nonetheless rapes his young wife repeatedly, even though she cries every night.

You might think from this introduction to Anna Ivanovna that she is going to be a foil for Vasilisa, that their similarities might be deeply mined for their rich thematic potential, and that Anna will be treated humanely and with dignity in the narrative. You would be wrong.

Sure, Anna functions as a sort of foil for Vasilisa, but the two characters never have a positive interaction in which they might discover any common ground or shared experiences between them, and Anna’s religious beliefs are portrayed as something between stupidly irrational and actively malicious. Anna’s trauma, as a child (or at least extremely young) bride and rape victim, is never examined, and we’re given no insight at all into the struggles she must have had as a teenager herself being thrust into the roles of wife and mother in a strange place with people she doesn’t know at all. Instead, the word most used to characterize Anna is “shrill,” and she’s increasingly shown, as the book goes on, to be petty, jealous, spiteful, and caring only about her own offspring’s prospects.

In the end, Anna is unceremoniously killed as part of the novel’s climax and left callously unmourned. It’s a tragically ugly depiction altogether of a woman who deserves so much better than she got. The Bear and the Nightingale is being touted as a book with strong feminist sensibilities, but the reduction of Anna Ivanovna, a character with easy opportunities for complexity, to an archetypal Evil Stepmother only undermines any feminist points the author is trying to make. Both Anna and Vasilisa are oppressed by patriarchy, at home, in their communities, and in their country. They have a lot in common and much that they could teach each other if given the opportunity. Even if that’s not the story Arden wants to tell, Anna Ivanovna doesn’t need to die for Vasilisa Petrova to be emancipated, and the fact that Anna’s rapist is mourned more than she is made me furious.

There is a lot to like about The Bear and the Nightingale, but I don’t think I can forgive Katherine Arden for Anna Ivanovna.

This review is based on a copy of the book received from the publisher through NetGalley.

A wonderful historical fantasy novel. Katherine Arden presents a well-researched Russian fantasy YA novel that has a strong heroine and a fascinating story. I'm very excited to see what she comes up with next. Full review is found at [a cup of tea and an armful of books], link below.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cold. I felt a chill reading this book and not just because it is currently midwinter where I live. The setting of this novel takes place mostly in midwinter of a medieval Russia, and the author builds the story around this setting wonderfully. It incorporates haunting creatures from Russian folklore with a chilling storyline involving the creatures’ advancement on a Northern Russian village. It’s a bit of a dark fantasy that made me afraid at times causing me to wrap myself in a blanket for comfort.

The pacing of the novel is quite slow, but again this is due to the strong focus of the atmosphere. I expected the novel to move a lot faster, with our heroine Vasilia entering the wood to confront the demon much sooner. However, it is definitely more about the evil coming out from the wood, and not Vasilia going in. I did not mind the slow pacing of the story due to the atmosphere, but there was not too much outside of that to leave me entranced. The plot focuses strongly on Vasilia’s stepmother and the village priest condemning Vasilia and calling her a witch. It explores each of their personal reasons for saying so. While these and other characters of Vasilia’s family become well developed throughout the novel, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that Vasilia (and thus, the reader) does not explore the woods more. She doesn’t get to know the demon from the original fairy tale more fully. Given all that, I think the novel ends at an appropriate point, (slight spoiler [I wouldn’t want any romance), (hide spoiler)] but it just left me unsatisfied. 3 out of 5 stars.

I only made it to 25% of the book before it got released, but definitely purchasing this one. It's atmospheric with a chilling deity perfect for cold winter nights next to candle light. Can't wait to finish it on hard copy.