DNF @ 12%

*eARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine) via NetGalley*

I tried. But I just don't have any interest in returning to the book at this point. I think it definitely has strong writing and characters, but I am SO. BORED. And I'm not a big fan of books that span multiple years. I will give it a second chance at a later time, because I think I could really enjoy it if I get further into the story. So this is kind of a we-are-on-a-break moment for us instead. :D

A richly detailed story that is quite intriguing. Vasilisa is unlike any heroine you will come across. While this moves at a slow pace, it takes you on a journey as we watch a free-spirited girl grow up to become a brave young woman. It's hard to believe that this is the author's first book. Clearly, a lot of research went into this about Russian folklore. The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of five is because it took me quite a while to get through the slow parts and pick the book up again.

My rating reflects my personal tastes. I don't like myths, legends or fairy tales, so this book was a difficult one for me to finish.
It seemed much longer than necessary and became tedious reading.

In this highly anticipated debut, Katherine Arden spins a story that blends Russian fairy tales and folklore with history.

Vaslisa is a girl with old magic in her blood, and she must save her village by honoring the old traditions. I really loved the feel of this story. It has a mysterious quality to it that reminded me a little of The Snow Child. I also loved how the tale is wrapped in the world of Medieval Russia. The fairy tale aspects and the historical are woven together so well.

The plot does seem to wander at points, but I think the overall atmosphere made up for any pacing problems.

The Bear and the Nightingale is the perfect winter read, so curl up with a cozy blanket and a warm drink and crack this one open.

Featured in "Reading on a Theme: A Russian Setting" on Intellectual Recreation.

A serene beginning! In THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE by Katherine Arden, we find an old lady sitting on a wooden bench next to a huge oven in the dead of winter telling a story. Then suddenly things become deeply involved. Darkness appears with creepy shadows that no one else could see but Vasya. Why? Was it because she had that special gift and had to be the only one seeing the horror in order to help figure out the situation? Why couldn't the priest see what was going on? He heard the voice, but he could not see the shadows creeping upon him.
Then Vasya's wedding day was coming. But, will something or someone interfere with the preparations? It was like reading a Grim fairy tale, but with a slight twist of fate to it. I just kept wondering when the bear and the nightingale were going to appear. Then the plot thickened, and there was that touch of magic in the air that makes a true fantasy. It was a clear, cold Winter day, and all around things were so still you could hear a branch breaking off in the distance. As the snow falls down the branch, as in slow motion, tumbles to the ground. What was about to transpire next? Will Vasya have her happy ending? Will things get better or worse? Interesting read!

Such a cool story, I'd never heard of this fairy tale. I was completely sucked in, it was so well-written.

Four and a half stars, but I'll round up. I don't know a ton of Russian folklore, and my Russian history is rusty. Katherine Arden, on the other hand, knows her Russian history expertly and still manages to to make that knowledge uninstrusive. She uses it to paint a picture of a harsh, medieval world, where kings and princes don't last long if they aren't suspicious and cynical. Her focus isn't the Russian court, though, but is instead upon a small holding off in the feral forests. Her characters gather around the house stove and sleep on top of it to keep warm. They negotiate loyalties between a distant prince, an orthodox Church, and old beliefs which include house and forest spirits.

The book is the beginning of a retelling of Vasalisa the Beautiful, a tale I don't really know. It's a bit slow to get off the ground, since it looks like it's going to be a trilogy, but I didn't mind the time spent setting the stage because the author did such a good job of drawing me into her world. Vasya is a wonderful character: strong, brave, caring. She's a great heroine. Her entire family is fascinating too, from her mysterious mother, her brusque but loving father, her three older brothers and sister, none of whom are touched by the supernatural in quite the way that Vasya is.

It almost always freezing in this book- you'll want a fire and some tea or hot chocolate- and the supernatural is not safe in the slightest, although it's beautiful and seductive. The writing itself could probably stand some technical improvement, but I'm willing to bet that will come with time. I'll grab the sequel as soon as I can.

This book was amazing.

It’s a Russian fairytale. Set in medieval Rus’ with Boyars and princes, old gods and new religion, all surrounding a beautiful harsh landscape. Vasya is the youngest of five siblings and blessed with her maternal grandmother’s strangeness. As she grows up Vasya becomes aware that she is unlike everyone else and sees things differently from her siblings.

All the fairy tale elements are in this book. The dead mother, the antagonistic stepmother, the three brothers, the beautiful stepsister, but the author takes the time to give each a distinctive personality and motivations of their own. I adored Pytor, Vasya’s father. Sometimes the parents just slip into the background but he was an integral part of the story and I loved that he was so visible.

I found the book beautifully descriptive, with imagery filled with details alive enough to make you smell the smoke and feel the cold. This world is haunting, vivid, and I could sense that. The author evokes the harsh northern seasons, and how life adapted, while weaving in the magical folk figures who seem to be dying off as the people's faith turns to Christianity. The push pull between the old ways and the Christianity the new religion, ended being a plot point. Vasya tries her best to find the old peaceful balance between old ways and new. I will admit that I was more interested in the old ways than the new.

My favorite part was the fairytales. The frost-king Morozko and his destructive brother, the Bear, play the primary fairy tale roles, but there are additional Russian folklore elements like the stepmother sending her stepdaughter into the forest to find snowdrops in midwinter from the story “Twelve Months”, Morozko sending lost girls home with a dowry of gold and jewels, the Sea-King’s daughter, and Vasilisa the Beautiful. I did adore that the tales were told so that the reader didn’t have to go look them up.

I had two minor issues with the book. The first was the ending. It was so abrupt and I was left reeling a little. I mean it ends it but it’s just full stop, the end. My other quibble was that there were lots of half answered questions and confusing bits and characters (coughSashacough) that I got attached too that disappeared and never came back. Thankfully both my problems are answered by the fact that this is not a standalone and there are two more books coming.

This book reminded me so much of Uprooted and I was thrilled to read it. I am looking forward to next book.

The Bear and the Nightingale is incredibly slow-paced and relies very heavily on it's atmosphere and the odious characters. It isn't a book that you can read in one sitting but it's a perfect winter read if you want to immerse yourself in something fantastical and atmospheric. On the whole this was a good read despite some things I didn't love.

Wonderful winter fairy tale, mystic with fully developed story line and characters. Fantastic first novel.

This book was a bit of a personal challenge. It took me over a month to read it and frankly, if I hadn't received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for the review, I probably would've added it to my DNF pile.

The good: the descriptions in this novel are fantastic. I was really able to see Rus' as it was meant to be seen. Vasya's village sprang to life in my head, as did all of the characters and creatures. It is apparent that Arden did a ton of research to get every detail just right. Her love for this novel, its settings, and its characters really shows.

Vasya is a wonderful character. She is not a Mary-Sue by any means, which I appreciate in a character. She is flawed, but strong. She cares deeply about her family, her faith, and her home. She sacrifices everything for all of those things and it is clear that her struggle was worth it in the end.

The bad: This book is slooooooow. I could't stand to read more than 30 minutes at a time until I hit about the 35% mark because nothing seemed like it was happening. I understand the need for all of the exposition now that I have finished the book, but at the time, I had a lot of thoughts along the lines of. "Why is this person important? Why are they going there and spending so much time on this one setting? What will this mean down the line? Does this really need to happen?". That said, the story is very reminiscent of a folktale being told around the fire over the course of several nights--which is exactly what one would do during the long winters in northern Russia, so while it wasn't my favorite style and pace, I understand what it was such.

Another issue I have with the novel is that all of the characters have, like, 3 names. There's their full name, their nickname, and then there are diminutive forms of those names or other nicknames. I understand that this is very typical of the Russian language (and really, any language), but it did lend some confusion to an already complex story. I appreciate the author's attempts to really bring us into the setting, but it was a little detrimental to the reading experience because I had to take some extra time to sort out all the names.

Altogether not a bad read and once the story picked up, I enjoyed this one, but I don't think I'd go back and read it again. This book is a solid 4 stars for me.

This book is magical. From the very beginning, when the author described the family sleeping atop the masonry stove, I was hooked!

I didn't really know what to expect when I started this, but needed a fantasy novel to get into. I guess I had no idea how heavily influenced by Russian culture and folklore it would be. But I am not complaining! It was a fascinating, if slow at times, read. There is a lot of action, but unfortunately in between major events the plot starts to drag. The prose is beautiful though, and the characters were each so individually well written that you were compelled to keep slogging through some of the more boring bits just to see what happens to them.

4.5 Stars - I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction or fantasy. It is a lovely blend of the two that was just right for me. I especially recommend if you are looking to read about a different culture or time period. This is extremely fascinating and lovely to read.

Vasya is the youngest daughter of Petyor Petrovich and she is wild like her mother was. In the Northern part of Russia Vasya's city is caught between a primal and pagan past and the church. She is a disgrace to most of her city, but is perhaps the only one who can save them from what is coming.

I loved this book because I really didn't know what to expect when I started reading it. I knew there was a fantasy element to it, and that was it. It turns out that this book was a lovely surprise. It reads more like historical fiction, but weaves the folktales the children learn into the narrative. I took a Slavic Folklore course in college, so it was very fun to look back on that and remember things about Russian culture that I had learned. I like how well researched and imagined the setting, culture, religions, and myths are in this book. Arden really did her work. She does give a disclaimer about a bit of the language though, but that didn't bother me (as I know nothing about Russian language..). This is the kind of book where you become completely swept up in the setting and plot, and that will leave you wanting more. I saw someone say there will be more books later, I don't know if that is true. The ending is not quite a cliffhanger, but does leave me guessing. I would highly recommend this, and look forward to reading more books should there be some later. I recommend glancing through the glossary at the end to familiarize yourself with some of the terms, etc. It will help if you don't have a lot of background knowledge on Russian language, myths, etc. - of course you can always reference it on a case-by-case basis as well. :)

I feel terrible that it has taken me so long to write this review. It’s certainly not because I didn’t like The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Quite the opposite. I loved this book. In fact, the hardest part of writing this review has been organizing my thoughts beyond, “Wow, go buy this book now!”

Believe me, a positive review was the last thing on my mind when I first heard of Arden’s debut novel. I started getting e-mails from NetGalley and the publisher giving a very hard sell, which made me very suspicious. But, despite all the lofty claims, I realized that there wouldn’t be a push like this if the publisher didn’t think this novel had what it took to be a bestseller. And despite my reluctance, despite my suspicions, Arden won me over. Of course, it didn’t help that like her, I had studied in Russia. I’m a sucker for its legends and fables. And so I fell for this book. Hard.

This book lives up to the hype. Arden offers an original take on old legends, and she sets her story in a rich, authentic world populated by a cast of detailed characters torn between the traditions of the old world and their desire for something better either in the next world or just next year.

The Story

Vasilisa is the daughter of a Russian frontier prince and a woman who had strange, magical powers. During birth, Vasilisa’s mother died, so Vasya was raised by a nurse who filled the girl’s head with tales of Winter and the spirits that inhabit the woods that surround her home.

Years later, her father travels to Moscow to find a new wife. He returns with Vasilisa’s new stepmother and a stepsister (yes, this story hit a lot of fairy tale markers, but they never feel like a trope), as well as an ardent priest, driven to strip these people of their old world beliefs. He also returns with a strange talisman for Vasilisa that a strange man gave to her father.

The snow piles up, the stores of crops grow thin, and the region’s spirits begin to die off. But Vasilisa has been learning from those spirits while doing her best to sustain them. But the villagers—and especially her stepmother—call her a witch and shun her. Does she bring doom or their last chance for salvation? Is it Winter knocking at their door, or something worse? Will Vasilisa the fearless, the stubborn, the wild save her people?

The Review

I’ll get to the characters in a minute, but I want to start with the world of this book. There is an authenticity here. Arden’s scholarship, her experience shine through. I remember visiting villages and wooden churches outside of St. Petersburg. This is the world Arden inhabits.

But it’s more than the buildings. It’s also the relationships, the clothing, the attitudes. And the fantastical elements as well. From the larger characters like Winter to the smaller household spirits, it all rang true. And if you are unfamiliar with Russian elements, the story won’t throw you. It will feel familiar to any fan of fairy tales. But just in case, there is a brief glossary in the back.

Now the characters. There is a large cast here, but main character or secondary character, Arden has given each strong motivations (the lord fighting to protect his fief, the wild and fearless princess defying all in the name of a larger good, the devoted priest absolutely confident in his faith, the doting nanny sacrificing for the children in her care). There is a saying that plot is character–that the choices well-motivated characters make determine the plot. But it can still be a tremendously difficult thing to pull off. Arden succeeds and separates her tale from most fairy tales where the characters are more like two-dimensional stereotypes, more puppet than person.

The pacing of the story has a slow burn in the beginning, but Arden draws you in and puts you under her spell. Before you know it, you’re lost in her world, just like Vasilisa in the dark woods that border her village. It’s an adventure, and only the strong and the bold will survive. Thank goodness readers have Vasilisa to show us the way.

Bottom Line

The Bear and the Nightingale was the first book I read in 2017. Part of me is worried that I might have peaked early. But if the rest of the year is as good as this book, 2017 will be something special. And all those hard-selling comparisons I mentioned above? Yeah, Arden does belong with Naomi Novik and Neil Gaiman. I can’t wait to see what she reads next.

A wonderful tale with a fantasy like quality that none the less does not cover the harsh realities and complex topics that this book seeks to cover.

Having grown up reading Russian fairytales, I found myself delightfully "at home" in this debut novel. Deftly weaving several tales and superstitions together, Katherine Arden creates a wonderful, rich sense of place for her characters and draws the reader deep into her Russia. I constantly wanted to know what would happen next, finishing this long novel in half the time I expected to, and felt a deep sense of satisfaction when the story resolved almost exactly as I had hoped. For anyone who enjoys Russian literature, fairytales of any variety, fantasy novels, and well-written stories in general, The Bear and The Nightingale is a must-read.

Everything about this book screamed READ ME. The cover. The synopsis. All of it. So obviously going into The Bear and the Nightingale I had a few expectations as well as an eagerness to see if it was truly as amazing as it looked/sounded. While it lived up to my hopes and dreams on some fronts, others didn't quite make the cut.

The first thing I noticed was the writing. Descriptive, vivid, beautiful. It ebbed and flowed in a way that I immediately associated with a master storyteller. I loved that the story surrounds Russian folklore because it's not something I've seen often in fiction and was quite refreshing. This isn't some epic tale common to fantasy or a young adult adventure. It's a fairy tale that Arden breathed life into to bring something new to the world.

That may sound flowery in the way I wrote it but this book evokes such an unusual kind of storytelling that isn't in my usual reading and deserves it all.

As for the story itself, I enjoyed the multiple perspectives. It's a fine line and sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't, but I think Arden pulled it off splendidly. She addresses several themes throughout, with the core idea of family permeating the entire book.

Now, the writing was good. The story had that magical element that made it seem more than just a book. But I wasn't completely hooked.

The pacing of this book is SO slow. I waited and waited for something to happen but it didn't. The Bear and the Nightingale was slow going which, for the level of detail in the world isn't surprising. I've had this issue with books in the past where it takes half the book to set everything up before the pace picks up but this one felt like it had an unusually long wait, especially for the first in a series. I put it down several times in favor of more action-packed reads. It's a personal preference, for sure, and I wouldn't let the pacing dissuade you from reading this one.

My other issue came with the characters. I never felt excited by their adventures, their own stories. I felt the disconnect as I would when being told a story versus living it through the words of an author. While Arden's writing style is beautiful, it didn't entice me to fall into the world with full abandonment or to grow attached to the characters.

It's hard to really summarize my feelings about The Bear and the Nightingale because while I wanted to love it and some of the elements were truly magical, the primary things I look for in a book -- the hook, a connection to the characters -- just weren't there. It's one that took far too long to pick up and just didn't work for me, but if those things don't bother you then I would highly recommend this title. This one definitely comes down to reading preferences!

Absolutely stunning debut! This was not what I was expecting, but it was exactly what I needed. Can't wait for the next book!

Sorry I can't write a review of this book as I never read it. I could not get past the first few pages.