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.

It is the first time I read anything of Russian legend, so everything is new to me. But it's a welcome new.
The plot shows us, among other things, how the same situation can have different points of view.
You see, Vasya and Anna possessed the same powers, but while Vasya felt them in their fullness, lived in harmony with them and knew how to operate them, Anna was afraid. And taking advantage of this fear, a third person, the priest Konstantin, managed its attempt to put people under his power, under the power of the fear.

Vasya had to fight bravely and throughout story, every kind of feeling and adjective runs through to a shocking finale. Or she could be beaten as the enemy - as a witch.

I liked the author's narrative and I felt good reading the book.
It was refreshing to be able to read a different style and genre from what I usually read.

4,5 stars

Before I get to my actual review of The Bear and the Nightingale (possibly my longest review ever), I have a little note:

Dear 2017,

I’m sure you’re aware of what a suck-tastic year 2016 was, for so many people. I really appreciate your efforts to make up for it by giving us this amazing treasure of a book so early in the year. The Bear in the Nightingale is the most beautiful thing I’ve read in a long time. It’s savage. It’s painful. And it’s phenomenally lovely. I had chills. I cried (and not just the tears-in-my-eyes kind…the I’m-on-a-public-bus-and-I’m-trying-so-hard-not-to-sob-I’m-shaking kind). Thank you for giving me a stellar 2017 book to recommend to everyone I know. Thank you for giving me another author to put on auto-buy.

Please send more books like this my way this year.

~Lizzy

P.S. On second thought, maybe just one a year is fine. I had to order both the US and UK editions, so very many of these might break my bank.

There was a time, not long ago
When flowers grew all year
When days were long
And nights star-strewn
And men lived free from fear
Just to clarify: The Bear and the Nightingale (TBATN) is NOT a YA book. I’ve seen it pop up on several lists as such, but it is not. It’s also NOT historical fiction, though it is heavily inspired by historical, medieval Russia. It is adult fantasy that reads almost entirely like historical fiction until Part II, where it starts to feel like magical realism historical fiction…so let’s just keep it simple and say fantasy. Could some teenagers read it and appreciate it? Yes, but the style is very different from most YA, and some of the content is definitely adult (marital rape and a little graphic violence). This obviously didn’t deter me from ADORING it, but I thought the slight genre-confusion I’ve been noticing was worth a mention.

In Russian, Frost was called Morocco, the demon of winter. But long ago, the people called him Karachun, the death-god. Under that name, he was king of black midwinter who came for bad children and froze them in the night.
Feels:

I am in love. With everything. With the world, with the characters, with the woods, the village. With Vasya. A little bit with Alyosha. I wept with Vasya and her family. I saw the spirits as Vasya did. I felt the fear of the villagers. I felt the pain and confusion of a young child with a wild, free spirit in a world that didn’t accept her. The writing in TBATN is astounding. Lyrical, whimsical, and utterly entrancing.

Characters:

“I am only a country girl,” said Vasya. “I have never seen Tsargrad, or angels, or heard the voice of God. But I think you should be careful, Batyushka, that God does not speak in the voice of your own wishing. We have never needed saving before.”
Vasya, the main character, is my sister from another mother. I swear. Her love of nature, her stubborn refusal to accept the fate others wish to push on her, her refusal to be broken. I already said I love her but it bears repeating. The story spans from right before her birth to the time she is 14 years old. She doesn’t have an easy life, but she has to be one of the most resilient people I’ve ever met. Bent, at times, but never broken.

“All my life I am told how I will live, and I am told 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.”
Now no joke, there are quite a few characters in this story. However, they are all so clear and distinct I was never confused. Not once. Not even with the Russian names. I did have to realize in the beginning that everyone had a given (fancy) name and a called (shorter, plainer) name, but since Arden stuck mostly to the called names it wasn’t hard. Also, each character experiences a growth arc in the book. No matter how minor, they show some growth and change – sometimes for good, sometimes for bad! That is an incredible feat and after reading so many books with such flat minor characters – amazing.

Romance – guess what? There is none. None. None, none, none, NONE! It’s such a beautiful breath of fresh air. There IS marriage. There’s also sex – and by sex I mean marital rape. It’s not graphic, but it’s obvious. I feel it’s treated as well as such a thing CAN be – these are medieval times, and in those times women were no more than property, no matter how highly valued that property. The women themselves often never questioned the right of their fathers and husbands to barter with them and then use their bodies for their own pleasure – it was a husband’s right and a wife’s duty! *insert much sarcasm* It definitely effects the entire dynamic of the story.

Plot:

TBATN is not a fast-paced book. It’s a slow burn building up to more and more – and it’s TOTALLY worth the read. All the details are beautiful and intriguing, and they really add to the mystery and overall atmosphere. The characters are really the driving force, and all the drama and suspense are very slow to build but after spending several chapters getting to know the people and the country I was already so invested I already knew I was in for the haul. Things really start to pick up with the arrival of a new priest in Vasya’s village. There is a struggle between the new Catholic church and the old spirits of the land and as things start to happen at first NOTHING is explained. Everything just kept building and building and there’s even a little mini-climax at one point (which was EXTREMELY satisfying), but things just keep going! Not only did it keep going, it picked up speed and I was completely wrapped up in the story.

As previously stated, there is no actual romance in TBATN. It doesn’t need it. There’s also not an entirely happy ending. It is…heartrending, yet hopeful at the same time. There’s no actual cliffhanger, but so much room for additional stories, and Vasya’s fate and path seem far from decided.

Worldbuilding/Setting:

Phenomenal. It truly has a historical feel to it. I’m not all the well-versed in Russian history or mythology, but the detailed notes on language and history at the end, as well as the comments I’ve read from people native to that part of the world seem to bear out that thought as well. The descriptions allow you to fall through the pages into the story, and it really feels like a full sensory experience. When the mythological creatures begin to appear, it feels so amazingly right.

Rating/Further Notes:

5 stars. I don’t have any more words for how beautifully savage this book is. I can’t wait to see what Katherine Arden comes up with next. I’ve heard rumors this is the first of a trilogy, but in her author Q&A page I only see mention of a sequel. I’ll be buying whatever she comes up with!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was like living in a Russian fairy tale. The language was beautiful and it filled you with images of magic, hardships, cold and beauty. I read this covered in blankets and felt the cold creep off the pages. There is a lot of build up to the end but each piece has an important part to play. All the characters are complex and wonderfully written. You understand people even as you hate them. This book was amazing! Highly recommend but don't expect a fast easy read because this has so much detail and beauty it is meant to be savored.

This novel is a real gem. While many books have been published that build on traditional fairy tales and folklore, it’s rare for them to be as successful as this one is in recreating the feel of those stories, particularly the darkness that many of them have at their core. It’s also rare for authors to step outside the Western European tales to take on the folk traditions in other parts of the world—in this case, Russia.

Set in the countryside north of Moscow in the thirteenth century, the novel opens with a nursemaid telling her charges a story featuring an innocent maiden, a wicked stepmother, and Lord Frost, the demon lord of winter (and, in an earlier incarnation, death). This tale is a foreshadowing of things to come for the heroine of the novel, Vasilisa.

The daughter of the local lord, Vasya grows up happily playing among spirits of the forest and hearth, creatures no one else can see. When her father remarries, her stepmother forbids their household from providing offerings to the domestic spirits, which she believes are demons. She is supported by the new village priest, an outsider who speaks out against the old beliefs that predate the worship of Christ. Under their influence, the village turns away from honoring the spirits and begins to lose the protections that these creatures provide against more malevolent forces, like Medved, a one-eyed bear demon who feeds on fear and despair. Only Vasya and her few allies—including Medved’s brother, Lord Frost—can stand against him when he wakes in the deadly winter season.

This novel is a perfect wintertime read. Arden does an excellent job in evoking the cold, darkness, and privation of the Russian winter and the suffering of the people trying to survive it. Even though Vasya’s family is part of the aristocracy, they too face the dangers posed by wolves and other predators, starvation, and freezing to death. It’s easy to understand why the deadly spirits that they most fear are tied to that season.

While the world building and folklore elements were handled beautifully, I also appreciated Arden’s care in creating well-rounded human characters to inhabit her story, particularly her effort to give some complexity to the human antagonists that endanger Vasya’s village. The evil stepmother, Anna, is jealous, petty, and cruel in her treatment of Vasya. At the same time, she is pitiable, because her deeds are in part provoked by her extreme fear of the strange creatures that she, like Vasya, is able to see. The priest Konstantin is motivated by a genuine faith, but he is also driven by lust and vanity. He’s not completely evil, but his combination of blind faith in God and in himself makes him an easy target for temptation.

The only thing that bothered me a bit about the book was that the ending seemed a little abrupt. After a lot of buildup, evil was vanquished rather quickly, although not without significant sacrifice. That’s a relatively minor quibble when weighed against all the good things about this novel, though.

I’d highly recommend this novel for readers who enjoy folkloric fantasy. Arden is apparently writing two more books set in this world; the next will feature Vasya, her warrior-monk brother Sasha, and her sister Princess Olga. I’m looking forward to finding out what further adventures Vasya and her family will face in future volumes!

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

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.