I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Vasya was born with second sight. She can see things that others cannot, like the domovoi that lives in the oven. Her mother died during her birth, and as a result, she runs wild in the woods around her house. She befriends the household and wood spirits of old. Things begin to change with the arrival of a new stepmother and a new village priest. The people begin to forget the old ways, and an old evil is stirring in the woods and Vasya might be the only one who can stop it.

Fantasy is not what I usually read, so I was a bit out of my element, but I throughly enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale! My father's family is from Russia, and I loved all the references to Slavic folklore. You could tell Arden put a lot of research in to her work to weave the folklore elements seamlessly into her story. I liked that it takes place during the rule of the Golden Horde. I don't think we see much of Russia during this time, so it was really neat! The characters are well developed and likable. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Vasya and her siblings.

The story had a bit of a slow build, but it was engaging enough that it help my attention throughout. Russian culture and words are expertly woven into the story. The glossary at the end is a helpful aid in navigating Vasya's world. I saw on Goodreads that this is the first in a series, so I look forward to what comes next!

I am in the first chapter "Frost" this book I'm literally reading it out loud. Some of the names I can't very well say outloud so, I tap the screen for a better pronunciation of it. If that's there then I speak it, or I just say the first letter or make it out the best way I can.
I think its funny, and cute at the same time.
I'm not much of a sci fi reader/mystery, But I thought I'd give it a chance.
I love it when your mind drifts a way to a fantasy land as if you become part of the book.
kInd of like watching a movie.
Read more of what I'm reading at the blog http://redrosesinpinkshoes.blogspot.com/

The Short Of It:
An enchanting story inspired by Russian folklore, though I wished all the action wasn't packed in at the very end.

The Long Of It:
I devoured a handful of novels set in Russia last year and I was anxious to continue the trend with "The Bear and the Nightingale," especially when I saw it compared to one of my favorite 2016 reads, "Uprooted" by Naomi Novik.

Set in the late 1300s in cruel and frigid northern Russia, this tale spun from Russian fairytales is magical and beautifully written. Vasya has always known she can see things that others can't -- the tiny bearded man who lives in the oven and protects the house, the little creature who watches over the horse stables, the temptress in the lake with her flowing green locks. There's also a Frost King, an evil stepmother, talking horses and a priest hell-bent on scaring the village -- and particularly a spirited young woman -- into faith and repentance.

It's a battle between old and new, the mythical and the human, good and evil. Full of spunk and kindness, innately connected to nature, gifted with the ability to see beings most can't, Vasya is the only one who has the power to save her family and her village from a terrible fate.

I really enjoyed "The Bear and the Nightingale," and it made me want to seek out even more books set in historical Russia. The writing was lovely and the story was atmospheric, richly detailed and full of that marvelous fairytale vibe. My only gripe is that it was pretty slow to start and back-heavy, with all the page-turning action coming at the end. So when you're reading, keep that in mind -- it's not a fast-paced novel but the story builds in intensity to a satisfying conclusion.

*I received a free advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Young Vasilisa lives at the edge of the Russian wilderness where winter lasts most of the year with her father and siblings. It is here that Vasilisa’s gathers the children around the fire at night and tells them the tale of Frost, a much feared blue eyed winter demon that will claim wary souls. The nurse tells the children that as much as Frost is feared they must honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.

Vasilisa is different from other children, she’s able to see the spirits that surround the land around the family. A bit of a wild side Vasilisa spends her time roaming the forrest and interacting with the spirits. After Vasilisa’s mother passed away her father traveled to Moscow to find a new wife. The new stepmother shares Vasilisa’s vision and forbids the interaction with what she thinks are demons in her new home.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is a historical fantasy read that is heavily influenced by Russian folklore and fairy tales. The author did a wonderful job in my opinion with the world building and characters in this story to make a reader feel like it was medieval Russia in the bitter cold as the story develops.

My one drawback with this read leading me to only rate this one 3.5 stars was the pacing of the book. I’m not a huge fan of a slower pace read most of the time and this one did take a very slow route following Vasilisa throughout her life as the story builds from her childhood into adulthood. This is simply personal preference and not by any means a slight on the wonderful story created within this book. I did enjoy the story overall when finished but would simply prefer a faster pace when reading.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I loved this book! Russian folktales retold! It seemed a bit slow but I was curious about every creature and tale within this book that it seemed almost dreamy. 5 out of 5. Highly recommend!

“Blood is one thing. The sight is another. But courage—that is rarest of all, Vasilisa Petrovna.”

The Bear and the Nightingale is the most brilliant fantasy novel I’ve seen since Tolkien wrote, and I want you to understand how different, how special it is. I received my copy free in exchange for an honest review—and those of you that read my last two reviews know that this privilege has never made me obsequious. Thank you Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for the advance copy. It’s worth its weight in spun golden magic, and it will be available to the public this Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

“The brave live…The cowards die in the snow.”


Our protagonist is Vasilisa, affectionately known as Vasya; she’s an adolescent with many talents, some of which are supernatural. She generally keeps these abilities to herself, lest she be called a witch. Her father, Pyotr, is a minor prince in the frozen Northern hinterlands of Russia during the 14th century. The setting here is mesmerizing, and from the first page I understood that this particular story is one I would save for late nights when my family is asleep. Let my other reading be interrupted by the minutiae of running a household, but not this one. This is a juicy tale, perfect for a cold winter night burrowed beneath the quilts. I open this magical tale and am lost inside it.

Our setting is ancient Northern Russia, then known as ‘Rus’, since no central government had formed yet. This is a time when women carry about as much social worth as a poker chip or livestock, and yet as the story progresses, I realize that this is a stand-up-tall feminist folk tale of the highest order; in fact, it’s a lot of things. This is the sort of debut that most likely causes writers like Harper Lee to go back in the house and never publish anything else, lest the second novel be considered a let-down after the first. I hope, however, that we’ll see a lot more of Arden.

Our story commences in the house of Pyotr, a minor prince whose wife has died in childbirth. He loved Marina dearly, but as his daughters grow closer to marriageable age, he knows he must go to Moscow to seek a new bride to run his home, and marry his elder daughter Olga to a man of wealth and power. And though Olga’s match is a good one, it’s in Pyotr’s remarriage that things go badly wrong.

A brief note about the setting and other details involved with time and place. First know that this story does require a relatively high literacy level; for those that struggle with a high vocabulary level, it may prove to be more work than fun. However—for those reading digitally especially—please note that there’s a glossary at the back of the book. And those that are able to read this digitally on a device with a touch screen will be happiest of all, because it’s so easy to touch a word and get a definition immediately. I also ran a few searches due to curiosity, since I was not at all eager for this book to end. I took my time with it, and while I was buried in this magical world, I was nevertheless learning details of history and geography that I hadn’t known before.

Because I taught teenagers how to write for a number of years, it’s my natural inclination, even in an absorbing story such as Arden’s, to go back and look again to see what specifically produced this alchemy. Undoubtedly, the development of multiple characters in a deft, expert manner is essential. There’s not one character in this story that I don’t believe. Every last one of them is real to me, a feat in and of itself when writing fantasy. It takes confidence and authority to tell the reader that although the story contains all manner of supernatural elements, it’s all true, and so are its characters.

But also, there are real life details true to the time and place that Arden weaves in seamlessly. As I reread some key passages, I note that when the men come indoors from the snowy woods, they aren’t merely cold, dirty and tired; they’re covered in scratches, they’re voracious, and their boots steam and stink up the room once they remove them. In another scene, when Pyotr travels far from home, he can afford fine guest lodging, but although he gets a big, soft, fluffy bed, he also has to put up with vermin, because they were a part of everyone’s life. Such details contribute to the immediacy of the story.

It’s Arden’s outstanding word smithery that makes this story a standout. When Arden writes, the mists clear and we are transported, quivering in the snowy forest of the 14th century Russia, tearing pell mell across frozen ground on the back of a noble stallion, facing down death as demons scream and shadows dance.

I won’t spoil any of the subsequent plot points for you, but please know that this is a multifaceted story with a lot of secondary threads that contribute to the main story rather than distracting us from it. To do so in a debut novel is stunning. A particularly interesting side character is Dunya, the nurse that has raised Vasya and has held onto a talisman intended for Vasya at great personal cost.

Messages and possible themes come out of the woodwork once one looks for them. A story such as this one, in which Vasya defends the old pagan deities against the religion of Kostantin, would once upon a time have caused conservative Christian parents to come screaming to the school with their lawyers on their cell phones in one hand and a flaming torch in the other. It could happen still, but what greater honor could Arden ask than to find her way into the ten most frequently banned books?

Meanwhile, in this trying time for independent women, we need strong female characters like Vasya and Dunya to remind girls and women that we are powerful, and that together, we can conquer those that would strip us of our autonomy and march us barefoot back to our kitchens. I have no idea whether any such direct political purpose is intended by Arden, but it certainly serves as a potent message: we will be oppressed only if we let that happen. Those that have even a fraction of Vasya’s independence, confidence and courage can not only prevent the door opportunity from slamming shut; we can knock that door off its fucking hinges, for ourselves, our daughters, and theirs as well.

“’All my life,’ she said, ‘ I have been told ‘go’ and ‘come.’ I am told how I will live, and how I must die. I must be a man’s servant and a mare for his pleasure, or I must hide myself behind walls and surrender my flesh to a cold, silent god. I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.’”

Those looking for themes here have a banquet of opportunities. Though I would say the story is one of solidarity among women, or of woman’s independence, there are so many other possibilities. One could make a case that this story is about loyalty; one could claim it’s about family. One could say it’s about the victory of the collective good over the pride, greed, and ambition of the individual.

One thing I can say for certain is that The Bear and the Nightingale is impressive any way you approach it. It holds the potential to become a favorite of the genre, handed down lovingly from one generation to the next. Buy it for yourself, for your daughter, your mother, or for any woman that you love, or that loves women and good fiction. A book like this doesn’t come along every day.

Don’t even think of missing this book. You can get it Tuesday, or better still, you can preorder it now.

The Bear and the Nightingale is one of those beautiful books that make the world seem magical again, even to slightly cynical adults like me. It makes me want run through the forest with wild abandon, peeking under rocks and streams for leshiye and rusalka. It brings a subtle magic to our world, or in this particular case, the world of 14th century Russia (then called Rus).

This story follows young Vasya as she grows from a motherless babe to a wild girl with the second sight, allowing her to commune with folkloric creatures present in her everyday life. Her family alternately tolerates her esoteric ways and is beside themselves at her unladylike actions. Vasya’s stepmother is stereotypically cruel, beating Vasya, attempting to foist her on any accepting suitor, and setting about seemingly impossible tasks for her. Fortunately Vasya is made of sterner stuff than her city-born stepmother, so when she encounters Morozko, the winter king (aka Jack Frost), she is able to survive the encounter. There’s a great deal more to the story and this only just scratches the surface!

I really enjoyed this story, so much so that I’ll probably buy the physical book once it’s released. I love the early Russian setting- the history and mythology is extremely fascinating to me and this book has encouraged me to do some additional reading on this era. My one quibble is that the pacing is relatively slow near the beginning, though it didn’t make that part of the book any less vital to the telling of the story. Nothing was wasted here, but there were times when I thought Katherine Arden would never get around to what the story was actually about. I also have a small problem with the synopsis… the jewel necklace mentioned seems less important when you’re actually reading the book, so I can only assume that it might play a bigger role in future installments.

I highly recommend The Bear and the Nightingale to fantasy lovers and/or anyone with an interest in Russia/Slavic folklore. It’s a perfect read for those dark winter nights when snow is flying on the wind and the fire is stoked hot and bright. Basically, if it’s starting to feel like a Russian winter, you should probably grab this book and bundle up with your toasty socks and a mug of tea! This is the first book in a planned trilogy, so I have more lovely tales of Vasya to look forward to in the future.

In The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden, creatures and characters from Russian folklore barge into ordinary life and wreak havoc for Vasilisa Petrovna. Fittingly, the novel opens with a story about Morozko, the winter-king, who rewards the brave with riches but allows the cowardly and selfish to freeze. Russian folklore pulls no punches.

After the story about Morozko that sets the tone for the rest of The Bear and the Nightingale, the narrative takes us back a set to learn about the hardscrabble life of a boyar family in the wilderness north of Moscow sometime during the reign of the Golden Horde. Vasilisa Petrovna has always been a bit odd—talking to people no one else can see, an uncanny ability to work with horses, general uppityness that drives her father nuts—but her strangeness starts to cause real trouble after her father remarries a deeply religious, but deeply fearful woman. Anna Ivanova can also see the domovoi, bannik, and the rest and it is starting to drive her mad. She uses religion to keep it away as much as possible, though she has a tough fight ahead of her since the rest of the household and village are still mostly pagan.

Events really come to a head when a new priest comes from Moscow to replace the older, more tolerant priest. Konstantin Nikonovich begins a crusade against the old ways, unwittingly destabilizing an ancient magic spell that is keeping everyone safe from a creature that wants to devour them all. In Konstantin’s first few weeks in the village, he’s a nuisance to Vasilisa Petrovna. But in the best fanatical fashion, Konstantin Nikonovich begins to put the fear into the villagers. Before long, it’s starting to look a lot like Salem in this place at the end of the great Russian forest.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a novel of many layers. At the top, we get a gripping story of a girl getting into adventures. Another layer is feminist, as Vasilisa Petrovna finds the will to defy the men in her life who would boss her around. Another layer addresses the conflict of beliefs: old animism versus new Christianity. The top layer of adventure keeps things interesting, while the others leave plenty to think about after the last page.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration. It will be released 10 January 2017.

I have always been a fan of mythologies - most any of them, but am not at all familiar with Russian mythology. This story is beautifully rendered and makes me wish I had familiarized myself with Russian mythology years ago when I studied Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythologies.

Detailing is very visual - making you feel as though you are living the story with Vasilisa. I love the use of nicknames throughout the story which shows how different versions of names reflect different familial relationships in the culture.

Anyone who likes reading about other cultures and/or mythology would enjoy this book.

**I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley.**

I wasn’t entirely sure what I’d find in the pages of this book, but I am so very glad that I went on and explored. The exhaustive research into folk and faerie tales from the Slavic world is impressive, and resonates on each page. This book is not a rush to the finish story, but often hesitates and stalls, allowing the descriptions their time to shine, and imbuing readers with that sense of being there, enmeshed in the cold, as the pages turn.

A mix of historic fiction and faerie tale, Arden spends much of the book in explanation and family history for Vasilia, the heroine, and much of the information serves to highlight the source of her unusual powers and the conflicts that will come to be hers as benevolent and not so forces combine to test, task and strengthen her.

Told in multiple perspectives, some working better than others, the head jumping does take effort for the reader, but as the story is moving slowly, these moments often serve to flush out a visualization and allow the moments to grow exponentially, fixing the images in mind and place. Like all faerie tales, there are decidedly good and bad characters, and Arden has managed to place shades of grey in there, allowing choice and intention determine the outcomes. Wholly engaging and immersive, you expect to look out the window and see nothing but snow and trees as far as the eye can see.

The first of three planned novels that combine Slavic folk and faerie tales with fiction and a perspective that is wholly her own, Arden is an author to watch for those readers who enjoy a slower-paced story that arrives with a solid feel of new and different.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This book has everything that a fairy tale should and yet all the typical fairy tale hallmarks are twisted in a different way. There's an "evil" stepmother, but is she really evil or just scared of what she can't understand? There's a "wild" girl, but is she really wild or just living an existence that we don't understand? I also love that Vasya is never described as being a beauty, but it is her personality and her carriage that make her beautiful to many. The prose was beautiful and had that cadence that fairy tales have. I don't really know how to describe it but if you read fairy tales or even Russian novels (at least for me) there's just a particular phrasing and pace that a fall into which I like that Arden was able to replicate. I loved Vasya's relationships with all her siblings, but I wish they got explored just a little more. When Olya and Sasha go away, I wanted more about them, but I understand that this is Vasya's story and her siblings aren't as important as they seemed in the beginning (especially Sasha). I also like that Vasya's father kept her at somewhat of a distance because she was her mother's last child and while she didn't look like her mother, looking at her reminded him of her so there was some tension there. The mythical creatures in this book were fun for me as well because I don't really know a lot about Russian folklore so all the creatures were new to me! This book is a classic fairy tale that is also distinctly Russian in both the setting and the telling. I liked that Arden didn't go with the Russian tradition of everyone having three different names that everyone calls the other characters because that gets so confusing and instead kept it to one nickname, one full name, and one pet name that is universally used by all the characters. I also liked that the fairy tale doesn't end the way you expect it to and that it doesn't have the perfect "happily ever after" ending. There's some vagueness to the way Vasya's story ends where you can decide for yourself what happens to her next. Overall I really enjoyed this book and while it was a little slow in the beginning, after the set up it really picked up and had me turning the pages in anticipation for what would happen next!

This book was unlike anything I've read recently. I think this book has the potential to reach readers who may not read this genre. I am usually not a fan of fantasy but this book drew me in. It started slowly, but towards 25%, I started to get involved in the book and finished the rest of it in a night. I love the tone of the book- I can't place my finger on the best word to describe it but you can feel the tension slowly building, you can almost feel the harsh winter and frost so described in the novel. I love the imagery and the world building and the tension between old religion and new. There's so much going on in this novel and it all works. The descriptions of the characters and beings are amazing- you are fully able to picture this world and everything in it.

Overall, this is a great debut novel. I was be purchasing a copy for my library and highly recommending it to my patrons.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I was invited to read this by the publisher and was happy to oblige since fairy tale retellings are right up my street. Not that this is a straight fairy tale retelling but it does draw threads from many Russian folktales such as Vasilisa and the Firebird.

Part fantasy, part historical fiction, this book has all the whimsy and magic of a folktale but is far meatier fare. In some ways I could have done with less of Vasya's childhood although it did establish character and setting. The magic system was brilliant with no true enemies per se but instead a cycle of progression. Very much like the British Celtic tradition of the Oak king and the Holly king and their rites of ascendency, the Bear here is not truly bad but simply cannot be allowed to govern completely. Eternal summer and growth are just as damaging as winter and death.

In the way of all Russian folktales the story is a bit odd and uncanny. The heros are not really heroic - no white hats. I did like Vasya whose trye enemies were the expectations and limits of society rather than external agencies. Vasya is very much tilted towards following her own inclinations making for a rebellious and unconventional heroine.

Thoroughly enjoyable with a writing style that takes a bit of getting used to but clearly evokes the time and place.

Wow, did this book ever grow on me! It took a while for me to get into it but once I was about 30% of the way in, it picked up and I was hooked! This was an imaginative story that mixes folklore and fairy tales. I thoroughly enjoyed the main character Vasya. She is a strong and complex female lead and maid for a compelling story. I also appreciated the character of the priest, who is like many “villains”, someone who had the best of intentions gone awry. The world building and atmosphere is great, probably the novels strongest asset. It’s not a fast-paced novel but one that is completely engrossing.

I recommend it for fans of fairy tales, and full formed settings.

This book is like a fairy tale: magical and true. It shows us the forest, the snow. It shows us fear and fearlessness. It is full of courage and love. It scrolls out in the mind's eye like a film from the first page to the last. It is the best kind of book. It shows us ourselves.

I was pulled to The Bear and the Nightingale because of that stunning cover. There was just something entirely to beautiful in its too simplicity that made me want to pick this book up. The inside of the book was just as stunning as the outside, in my opinion. However, it was very clear while reading this book that I wasn't the intended audience for the book. I'm not quite sure how to review this book so I'll just share with you all some points I jotted down while reading.

-First off, the prose is stunning. It's simple, poetic and magical. It's hard to believe that this is just Arden's debut novel because the writing was so masterful. It pulls you in immediately and leaves you mesmerized throughout the whole story.

- I haven't read many books based on Russian fairy tales or folklore, so The Bear and the Nightingale was refreshing and truly an experience that's hard for me to describe. The richness and complexity of the book and the mythology were what kept me glued to the story. I'm no expert, but it's pretty obvious that Arden researched her book quite thoroughly.

- Perhaps the next best part of The Bear and the Nightingale were all the relationships that the book explored. There was a strong family theme here that I loved. I especially love the protagonist Vasya's numerous different relationships with her siblings, father and caregiver. It added a level of humanity to the book and made it even more readable.

- All that being said, I struggled with the pacing of the book a little bit. It's a story that's very slow, and rightfully so, but I kept waiting for things to pick up, and they never really did. Again, like I said, this is definitely something that's on my personal preferences and not the book's fault.

- I also struggle with books that switch to the different characters, and The Bear and the Nightingale had a huge cast that gets their own POVs, so it was tough at times, because I preferred being in the head of one character over the others.

In the end, while I was engaged throughout the story, it wasn't the best book for me because of my personal tastes. If you are into slower fairy tale books with beautiful settings and beautiful writing, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you.

Fantasy fiction is the genre I consider my first love when it comes to reading. I’ve especially always had a soft spot for books that have both historical and fantastical elements. If it’s a fantasy based on a fairytale, it’s a no-brainer. The Bear and the Nightingale definitely ticks all of those boxes. Though the story told here has some familiar elements, the author weaves an entertaining, compelling tale, using vivid historical descriptions and genuine relationships to do so.

The story is set at a real point in history – in a medieval Russia when the Rus lived under a various princes, who owed their own allegiance to Mongol overlords. The brutal, icy winters and devastating hunger come to life, as does the massive undertaking that was traveling to the bustling yet growing Moscow. The overall precarious nature of life, particularly for those who are old, young, weak or otherwise disenfranchised, is very evident. The daily life of those living in the village, from the harshness of winter to the lush beauty of spring, is described so beautifully. These details provide a nice contrast to the fantasy elements of the story. It’s told as a Russian fairy tale, but set in reality, and the two completely work with and play off one another.

Vasya is a character that readers are sure to find empathetic. Though her very nature is contrary, she never comes across as bratty or unobservant. The story revolves around her, however, there is a myriad of characters that help shape the story. While some of the characters feel a bit like stock characters, for the most part, they go beyond the stereotype and evoke empathy in the reader. There is the typical stepmother character, the older, protective brother, the brother intent on a holy life and the brother too busy to notice his younger sister. Sure, I’ve met these characters before, but Arden gives them a new inventiveness here. I didn’t mind getting to know these characters, and in fact, ending up liking some more than the ones I initially liked at the story’s beginning. Some characters started out as empathetic, but later, they become more villainous. These turnarounds, while not entirely unexpected, are a more heart-wrenching part of the story, but also one of the more complex pieces of it.

When one of the key players ended up being a priest, Konstantin, bent on cleansing this backward village of its pagan ways, I admit, I did hold back an eye-role of two. I’ve had my fill of stories with the evil/corrupt priest character so I was eager to see how this would play out. Though I would have appreciated a bit more back ground on his motivations, I did like how his character showed the dangers of using fear instead of true faith to inspire others, how fear is not a motivator for faith, but in truth, a hindrance, and even a danger when the conditions are right. I think I just appreciated overall the ambiguous role of villain in the human characters, particularly the priest, step-mother and even the loving yet distant father. While I wanted to dislike a few of them wholly, I never really could, because the author still managed to evoke a bit of sympathy in me with their thoughts and actions.

There are some interesting things done with the fantasy elements – she keeps the original names (spelling changed a bit for ease of reading) of the mythical beings, which adds a lot of authenticity to the story. I could have done without the undead, vampire-like elements that were included, however, for the most part, the details are mild. I liked the addition of the Domovoi, the household spirits, as well as Morozko, an embodiment of winter itself, a more intricate Father Frost-type character, benevolent or cruel as he wishes. I am not familiar at all with Slavic or Russian folklore, but I feel that the content is presented in a fresh way here. She takes the dual nature of Morozko and creates for him a brother that attempts to wreak havoc throughout the story, the Bear, Medved.

To touch again on the language of the story – the inclusion of Russian words enhances the telling and is thoughtfully done. Peek just past the ending, and there is a handy glossary of terms, which I would flip to if I ever felt confused – but honestly, that was only once or twice. She also explains her decisions regarding spelling changes and the like in the Author’s Note, so do take a look at that as well. You definitely don’t need to know anything about the Russian language, though perhaps it is helpful to know that often they use different names for the same person, depending on who is speaking and how formally they are doing so.

Overall, The Bear and the Nightingale is a lovely, lyrically told story. I spied a bit of set-up for a coming story (stories? Even better!), so I’m really hoping that is the case. I would love to see what becomes of Vasya, as well as her brothers (my favorite of them, anyway). Readers of fairytale retellings set within a realistic time in history are sure to enjoy this story. The evocative imagery and Vasya’s indomitable spirit kept me reading eagerly until the end. It’s the perfect book to curl up and read on a cold night, snug under a blanket with a cup of something hot in hand.

It's hard for me to rate this book. On one hand I really liked it and didn't want to put it down once I got past the 25% mark. OTOH it's one of those books where something is always happening yet nothing is. It had to be taken as it was without looking deeper or cracks began to emerge. There weren't gaping plot holes or anything like that. Many things were alluded to but were never explained in any depth.

The writing was beautiful. It was captivating and made the book worth reading. Many people will love this book, but I wanted more. I didn’t even realize how much more I wanted there to be until the end which is odd considering how much I liked the ending.

There wasn’t much of a plot. One event stumbled into the next without much direction. It fascinating enough that I wanted to know what would happen next. Vasya was unique. She could speak to the gods of old but did not fear them. Many had moved onto Christianity, and unknownst to them was causing chaos in the world. Vasya tried to right things, but there was little she could do alone.

The characters aside from Vasya had no depth. Determining who was good and bad was easy. Several characters were included just to move the plot forward. In hindsight some had no purpose at all. Vasya wasn’t close to anyone which is part of the reason why none of the characters were fleshed out. I felt like I knew the characters but only a certain side of them.

What bothered me more than anything was the lack of answers. Obviously Vasya was special, but what was she capable of? It was insinuated by many that she had powers, but other than speaking to animals and old gods, I’m not sure what they were. The purpose of the necklace was vague. The mythology was explained on a need to know basis, which surprisingly little was imperative to know for the story to unfold.

I really enjoyed this book, and it was a very well-timed read; I was stuck inside during the cold winter days. It started slow at first, and it did feel a bit rushed towards the end, but once I got past that I read through it very quickly. I don't expect a sequel, but if the author did decide to write another book to this I would definitely pick it up (or any other works by her for that matter). I'm very excited about having discovered a new author with a very stunning voice.

The Bear and the Nightingale brought back memories of childhood and reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Set in the Russian wilderness, Katherine Arden weaves her debut novel around old Russian fairy tales about Jack Frost, also know as Morozko or the Demon.

The main character, Vasya, is the youngest child of a family of five children. She is gifted with a special sight that allowed her to see things that other people cannot see--namely demons and wood sprites and other supernatural beings.

Like all great fairy tales, Vasya loses her mother following the birth and her father eventually brings in a new wife. Life goes on fairly well until Vasya becomes of marriageable age and jealousy from the stepmother sets in. That’s when things really start to get exciting and readers begin to see how special Vasya’s gift of sight can be.

Set in medieval Russia (before it was called Russia), readers are treated to wonderful descriptions of the dense forests of the Russian wilderness. The customs and the way of life that was so precarious in those times all come into play as the story unfolds.
My favorite part was Vasya’s relationship with the horses she came into contact with.

This is the first of three novels Arden is writing and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Many thanks to Net-Galley and Random House/Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.