Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! Brilliant setting, really compelling characters and such a good start to a series that the sequel was an auto-buy. Highly recommended.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was immersive and magical with a folktale-esque feeling that I enjoyed but sometimes I felt that the more realistic elements free me away from the story at times. But then again I loved conflict between Christianity and the old gods. I sometimes felt that the pacing was a bit too slow but then again I'm conflicted as I felt it sometimes added to the whimsical take that the author was weaving bit by bit. I loved our heroine and I was in her corner right from the beginning and got so angry when the world seemed against her and how badly she was treated just for being different. I loved her loyalty and her wild, carefree and quirky ways. I can't wait to see what's in store for her in the next book and see more of this magical world!

Plot: Set in the Russian wilderness, The Bear and the Nightingale is a story that merges folklore and mythology with fairytales and magic. Vasilisa, also known as Vasya, is left motherless at birth, but brought up by her father, her brothers, sister and nurse, spending winter nights huddled atop the giant oven to keep warm, and the rest of the year running wild in the woods. She thrives on the fairytales she is brought up hearing.
Her father comes back from Moscow with a new, strange wife in tow, and soon after, a new priest comes to their village. Persuaded by the new wife, the priest begins to cast out the spirits that the people have always believed in, but this sets events in motion that can’t be stopped. Vasya, as the only one who can see and trust the spirits, needs to save them, but that’s at the detriment of her position in the society she’s grown up in, as they believe her to be a witch.

My thoughts: I’ve always loved books set in isolated landscapes, particularly those filled with ice and snow – I’m not sure why! And so this story immediately appealed to me. Throw in a dash or two of fairytales, folklore and ancient mythology, and I’m sold. The writing was hypnotic and I felt completely immersed in the story. In fact, I’m still thinking about it now!
There were a couple of points in the middle of the book where it ever so slightly dragged, but I think that I felt that way because I could feel it was getting towards points of heightened tension and I wanted to be there already!
I loved the characters, the folklore and how it intertwined so naturally with the lives of the people in the story, even the fact that it appealed to the feminist side of me – Vasya was constantly being told what she, as a girl and a woman, could and could not do – at times, she was tied to either being married to someone she disliked or going to a convent. I also loved learning more about Russian folklore and beliefs, as well as picking up a few Russian words.
This is one that I almost expected not to like as I picked it up but fell totally in love with, highly recommend.

I've just read this a second time before reading 'The Girl in the Tower' and enjoyed it even more. I loved everything about it; the setting, characters, folklore and writing. The perfect winter read to curl up with.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Although it took me two attempts to start this book, once I did start I really enjoyed it! It's a grown-up fairytale, set in old Russia, that looks at magic and mystery, witches and demons, religion and fear. Though it stumbles in places, running a little slowly where the book could have moved along much faster, it is still a good read, and I enjoyed the character of Vasya.

For me, this is one of the best books I've read in the past year, one of those books that stops the time and captures you in the moment. This winter I moved to the world created by Katherine Arden. For me, Russia always had some mystical attractiveness, but I do not remember ever having the chance to feel something similar through the pen of the author, as was the case this time. The hard Russian winter in a dark medieval ambiance is certainly not the place where you would like to live, but I do not doubt that, in the end, it will attract you equally strong as it attracted me.

„The Bear and The Nightingale“ is full of the traditional motifs of Russian folklore. The book highlights the motives of Russian Orthodoxy at the same time with the mythological figures of Pagan tradition, and this is what makes the boundaries between faith and superstition, between reality and fairy tale, almost invisible. These two sides fit into one in the figure of Vasilisa Petrovna.

The beginning of Vasilisa's life was marked by a great tragedy, but that was just a start of her challenges. Being different in the world in which she lived had many consequences, and that, of course, is the core of this book, but also of the Winternight trilogy in general. Vasilisa's adventures lead us through an unique fairytale for adults, one that will return at least a small part of the childhood magic to every reader.

I want to thank the publisher, Random House UK and Ebury Publishing, and also the NetGalley, for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

A lyrical and richly-written fantasy that builds on folklore and fairy tale to create a world as dark as it is beautiful. Slow-building, the story nonetheless sweeps you up as political and religious tensions start to intrude on and manifest in the small Russian community in which Vasya and her family have always lived.

Vasya - free-spirited and wild but unfailingly compassionate and conscientious - has grown up with fairy tales, and so when she starts to see the household spirits who also inhabit their community she's neither surprised nor scared. But no one else can see these creatures (bar her, and Vasya soon learns that while others might enjoy the stories, they don't want to hear that they're real...

When a devout priest and dark spirit present a threat to Vasya's community and the wider world, she does whatever necessary to protect her people and their lands, including entreating the mysterious Frost King for help. But with danger coming at her from all sides and larger forces conspiring against her, Vasya faces a battle that will require unthinking sacrifice and bravery.

If you loved UPROOTED and WINTERSONG then I highly recommend this book!

Something a little different here. Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this; it was the kind of book I might not have picked up otherwise, but that would have been a real shame.
Our story focuses on 'wild girl' Vasya - basically, a girl who is not conventionally pretty and who does not fulfil the expectations her society has of her. There's a strong sense that her mother might have had some witch-blood and this is enough to mark her as different.
This is not a grip-you-from-the-start read; a slow-burner, it takes time to immerse ourselves in the world and come to understand how these people live/what is important to them. We have a blending of new religion and old beliefs, and this causes a dangerous scenario.
I admit that even having finished the book I am not totally certain who the two brothers are and why they have chosen Vasya as the object of their affection, but this was a compelling read. The world-building was elaborate and there was a wonderful sense of fairy-tale to this.
I personally can't wait to read part two when it is released.

It took me a while to get into this book and I don't know if that is actually the books fault or just because I was reading it on my Kindle as I had an arc from Netgalley. But once I did get into it I couldn't put it down. The characters became much more developed and interesting from part 2 on wards and I started to really enjoy the story which is a wonderful blend of fantasy and Russian fairy tale (my words not the authors/publishers lol).

Watching Vasya grow into this strong, confident, formidable young woman who could take on the slime ball of the priest was brilliant and it's so nice to be reading an adult fantasy novel where the main female character isn't a bit of a bitch and can actually achieve great things without pretending to not care about anyone around them. Her love of her family is so powerful as is her connection to her family's land and it's traditions/culture and this was what made her treatment at the hands of the villagers she'd known all her life so hard to read towards the end of the book.

I am delighted this was the first in the series, especially as book 2 'The Girl in the Tower' is waiting for me on my Kindle courtesy of Netgalley!

Also posted at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2093180430

SPOILERY REVIEW WARNING! (all spoilers have been hidden on my Goodreads review)

So for the first half, I wasn't too sure about this. It began quite slowly and the pacing was off for a while, but towards the end it really picked up and I now find myself in desperate need of the second one. (Luckily, I have an ARC of that too!) I think the turning point was the greater inclusion of the frost demon and the increased action from that point. From that last part, this trilogy really has the capacity to become a new favourite for me.

Thoughts on characters: Vasya was amazing, she's strong and doing her best as a woman in a very sexist historical setting. She cares deeply for her family and sacrifices much for the domovoi and vazila. I am really interested in a romance between her and the frost demon, it was giving me Uprooted vibes but I like this one more. I particularly liked the horses, and Solovey, they were comic relief in a way. I really liked the way the villains were portrayed in this. Anna Ivanovna is mean and cruel, but we understand that she has been ostracised and we understand why. Konstantin is harder to excuse, but he doesn't seem to have purely evil intentions, but is just a man of faith with some very questionable morals. This is contrasted with Vasya's prospective husband, who is just a horrible man who breaks off the engagement because he fears an independent woman, but I did love to hate him. I liked all of Vasya's siblings, and her father. Overall, very strong characterisation in this book.
Thoughts on setting: I LOVED the setting in this. It was so different to what I'm used to andI really enjoyed it. While the attitudes towards women are frustrating in this, they are all too historically accurate and I can appreciate that. I feel like I learned a lot about what life was like in medieval Russia, their beliefs and way of living.
Thoughts on plot: I'm just going to talk about my favourite plot points because there was so much in this book. I loved the final 'battle' scene at the end when the domovoi turn up to fight the Bear and the rusalka changes sides again. Pyotr's death was upsetting, but strangely fitting. Vasya's time in the frost demon's house was one of my favourite parts, because I'm a sucker for an odd romance.

Overall, I am going to start the second book right now because that ending really drew me in and I can't stop thinking about this now. Aside from some pacing issues early on, I really enjoyed this book.

This book was utterly magical. No more is really needed because it is just one of those books where you really do need to read and experience everything in it with your own eyes (or ears). Just wow.

Russian folklore plays a key role throughout and I enjoyed trying to attach the tales that I know through my own interest in them to the ones referenced, however slightly, as we follow Vasya’s own tale.

The world building was amazing; we get to see both the wilds of (heavily inspired by if not directly referenced) Russia as well as Moscow in a time where Christianity is just beginning to get its roots throughout the country. Religion is a big aspect of the book and that is probably the only thing that I would be tempted to mark it down on if I felt so inclined but the synopsis itself doesn’t try to hide that religion plays a massive part of the plot so you can’t really do that with good conscience. I will say that despite there being plenty of reference throughout to nuns, monks and religious icons it doesn’t come across that Arden is forcing any religious views down the readers throats which was a very welcome relief.

The pacing was a little bit off for me towards the end if I’m being especially picky but I cannot wait to see where the sequel will take us.

I just loved every single second of The Bear and The Nightingale. It is one of those books that will stay with you long after you read it and I will be recommending it to people for just as long.

Die texanische Autorin Katherine Arden besitzt einen Abschluss in französischer und russischer Literatur. Als man sie fragte, warum sie diese akademische Laufbahn einschlug, antwortete sie, ihr größter Antrieb sei ihre Liebe zum Reisen gewesen. In der High-School verbrachte sie ein Jahr in Frankreich und lebte vor ihrem Studium ein weiteres Jahr in Moskau. Fremdsprachen und die Möglichkeit, in eine andere Kultur einzutauchen, faszinieren sie. Angesichts dieses Hintergrundes war es naheliegend, als Schauplatz ihres ersten Romans „The Bear and the Nightingale“, Auftakt der „Winternight Trilogy“, Russland im 14. Jahrhundert zu wählen. Ich erhielt das Buch als Rezensionsexemplar via Netgalley.

Vasja ist nicht wie ihre Geschwister, ihr Vater oder die Menschen in ihrem ländlichen Haushalt. Sie besitzt die seltene Gabe, die Hausgeister, die ihr Volk seit Jahrhunderten schützen, zu sehen. Sie wächst in dem Wissen auf, dass all die Legenden und Märchen, die am Feuer in dunklen, kalten Nächten erzählt werden, wahr sind. Die Jahre vergehen. Aus einem ungestümen, frechen Mädchen wird eine junge Frau wilder Schönheit, die ihre Freiheit ebenso liebt wie ihre Familie. Besorgt beobachtet Vasja den zunehmenden Einfluss der orthodoxen Kirche, die Angst schürt und den Glauben an die Wächter ihrer Heimat erstickt. Die Macht der Geister schwindet. Tief im Wald regt sich das Böse. Der Bär erwacht aus seinem Schlummer. Nur sein Bruder, der Winterkönig Morozko, kann ihn erneut in Schlaf versetzen und das Land vor seiner Niedertracht bewahren. Doch auch Morozko ist nicht mehr, wer er einst war. Er braucht die Hilfe einer wilden Maid, um seinem Bruder Einhalt zu gebieten. Eine Maid, mit Wind in ihren Haaren und Magie in ihrem Herzen – Vasja.

Ich liebe den aktuellen Trend der Urban Fantasy, zu ihren Wurzeln zurückzukehren und wieder richtige Märchen zu erzählen, statt die millionste Variante der Vampir- oder Werwolf-Romanze aufzukochen. Es ist großartig, weil es so viele Möglichkeiten eröffnet. „The Bear and the Nightingale“ ist ein Märchen. Es verbindet das Übernatürliche erfrischend natürlich mit der historischen Realität des Settings, indem es sich ausschließlich auf die russische Folklore und Mythologie stützt. Im 14. Jahrhundert war an das Russland, das wir heute kennen, noch nicht zu denken. Katherine Arden entführt ihre Leser_innen in eine Zeit, in der sich das Wort „Zar“ noch auf den byzantinischen Imperator in Konstantinopel bezog und orthodoxes Christentum und heidnische Gebräuche parallel existierten. Es war völlig normal, gleichermaßen vor Ikonen zu beten und die zahlreichen Hausgeister mit verschiedenen Gaben gütig zu stimmen. Ich wusste vor der Lektüre nicht, wie vielseitig, komplex und spezifisch die russische Folklore ist. Im vorchristlichen Glaubenssystem finden sich für jede Kleinigkeit schützende Entitäten, die fest mit dem Alltag der Menschen verbunden waren und ganz selbstverständlich geehrt wurden, besonders fernab der Städte. Die Kirche sah sich von diesem Brauchtum bedroht, ein Umstand, den Katherine Arden anhand der Schwierigkeiten, mit denen ihre magisch talentierte Protagonistin Vasja konfrontiert ist, subtil und überzeugend illustriert. Der christliche Anspruch auf ein religiöses Monopol stört das Gleichgewicht des Lebens auf dem Land, das die Autorin wunderbar atmosphärisch in all seinen der rauen Natur unterworfenen Facetten porträtiert. Sie öffnet die Tür für ein uraltes Übel. Vasja ist die einzige, die die Gefahr erkennt, vermag jedoch nicht zu intervenieren, weil sie als Hexe verschrien ist und ihr niemand Glauben schenkt. Als starke, unabhängige Frau eckt sie pausenlos an, da sie ihrer Zeit weit voraus ist und daher keinen Platz in einer Gesellschaft findet, die ihr lediglich die Wahl zwischen Ehe oder Konvent lässt. Männer fühlen sich von ihrer Wildheit angezogen, schätzen diese allerdings nicht als kostenbaren Zug ihrer Persönlichkeit, sondern als Herausforderung. Sie wollen Vasja dominieren, zähmen oder gar brechen. Die potentiellen Prinzen enttäuschen. Dadurch hat sie keine andere Option, als das Konzept der Märchenprinzessin hinter sich zu lassen und selbst zur Heldin zu werden, die sich übernatürlichen Mächten mutig entgegenstellt, um ihre Heimat zu retten. Die Finesse, mit der Katherine Arden die Heldenrolle ihres Romans an die Vorlage russischer Märchen – in denen weibliche Heldinnen keine Seltenheit sind – für ein westliches Publikum verdaulich anpasst, ist beeindruckend und lässt nicht erkennen, dass es sich um einen Erstling handelt. Wäre ihr Schreibstil noch ein wenig blumiger und greifbarer, hätte ich mich sogar zu einer 5-Sterne-Bewertung hinreißen lassen. Zwar harmonisiert die schnörkellose Schlichtheit ihrer Beschreibungen mit der Charakterisierung ihrer Protagonistin, doch da sie in „The Bear and the Nightingale“ auf eine actiongetriebene Handlung verzichtet und stattdessen ein ruhiges, gelassenes Tempo verfolgt, hätte mir ein Müh mehr Üppigkeit durchaus zugesagt. In einem Märchen darf es eben gern ein bisschen mehr sein.

„The Bear and the Nightingale“ bereitete mir unheimlich viel Freude. Bezaubert von der speziellen Aura des Buches, die bewusst an ein russisches Märchen erinnert, flog ich durch die Seiten und wollte mich gar nicht mehr von Vasja trennen. Ich versank in dieser Welt eisiger Winde, tiefen Schnees, geheimnisvoller Wälder und uralter Magie und merkte gar nicht, wie viel mir Katherine Arden beiläufig über die russische Kultur beibrachte. Ich habe das Gefühl, die berühmte „russische Seele“ jetzt wesentlich besser zu verstehen, weil ich ihre Wurzeln besuchen durfte.
Es war die richtige Entscheidung, an „The Bear and the Nightingale“ zu glauben. Ich bereue nicht, auch die Fortsetzung „The Girl in the Tower“ bei Netgalley angefragt zu haben und freue mich jetzt, direkt weiterlesen zu können. Welche Abenteuer Vasja auch immer erwarten mögen – ich bin an ihrer Seite.

Vielen Dank an den Verlag Ebury Publishing und Netgalley für die Bereitstellung dieses Rezensionsexemplars im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension!

I wish I could throw stars upon stars unto this story because it has enchanted and enthralled me so much. The poetic language just pulls you into medieval Russia, you can taste the smoke, feel the cold, and simply believe that there must be creatures like the domovoi or rusalka. I'm a sucker for Slavic mythology, and boy oh boy did this book deliver. I expected that I would like this book as the description reminded my of Naomi Novik's "Uprooted" or Catherynne M. Valente's "Deathless", books that I enjoyed very much. Nevertheless, I'm overjoyed that I not only liked but loved "The Bear and the Nightingale". There is nothing in this story I would change. I am absolutely floored how well everything works in this story, the changing points of view, or how the author finishes the main plot but still leaves some threads hanging that you crave the next book in the series ("The Girl in the Tower"). The atmosphere is perfect, the characters fascinating, kind and lovable or despicable but never boring. I can't wait to find out what happens to brave Vasya next.

When I read the description of the book, I immediately thought that this book would be atmospheric and full of adventure. And of course I was right.
This is a fairytale based on the legends of Russia and creates an atmosphere that promises magic and horrors. The writer manages to capture the uncertainty and the superstitions in an amazing way. The characters of the book are described very well and the story that is evolving is both fantastic and magical.
The Bear & The Nightingale is a book I enjoyed up to its last page as it brought me into a magical world.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I'd heard a lot of good things about this book before reading it so i was really interested in picking it up. All I knew was that it was about Russian Folklore and people had compared the 'feel' of it as liked Uprooted, which I really enjoyed. I wasn't disappointed by this book, but equally something about it wasn't quite for me.

I found the characters very interesting and unique, particularly Vasya and her brother. Anna infuriated me (as she is meant to), and I really found myself feeling creeped out by Konstantin. I really felt the emotions in this book, and I feel the author did an amazing job of conveying the mood of the novel and the characters within.

Arden really has a way with words because this book was beautifully written. It was enchanting throughout with magical imagery painted into her writing. I really felt like I was there in the woods, or the farm, or in Moscow. I also loved the magical creatures and fairytales that I'd never heard of before. They really gave me an insight into Russian culture that I'd never had before. The author clearly invested so much time into researching all the folklore and it pays off.

One thing I didn't like started about 50% of the way through the book. It started feeling very nature versus religion with no in between. I found Konstantin to be very similar to Frollo from Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame; with his lusting over a teenage girl and then blaming her for being the 'devil's temptation'. I feel like this trope of Nature v. Religion is very overused in books and it made me feel as though I'd read this story before.

Although most characters felt very real, some of them unfortunately fell flat for me and I feel that not much time was spent to get to know them. In particular this happened with most of Vasya's siblings. The pacing also felt a bit off with years passing in the first 75% (so much so that sometimes I couldn't work out what ages many characters were), and then a solid focus on just a couple of weeks for the last 25% of the book. The pacing just threw me off a bit and didn't feel like it fit with the way the rest of the book was written.

Having said those things, I did really enjoy reading this book, but there was just something missing for me. I'm not sure if it was my lack of knowledge regarding Russian folklore and words, or if the pacing and certain characters took me out of the story too much. Either way, I would still definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in folklore or Russian history. It does make for a fascinating read.

This was not for me. I finished the book but did not like it at all.

A beautifully told, interesting story with a Russian fairytale setting, I'll be following this series for sure.

Thank you to Random House UK and netgally for the e-arc

This was a compelling read that was a lot different from what I was expecting. For whatever reason, I had a different image in my mind of the sort of story this would be- the only thing that was close to what I originally thought was the superb writing style. I'm glad I didn't fully know what it entailed as I normally shy away from a book that centers around religion, and I struggle to read books where woman are unequal to men (just because I find it uncomfortable- even if it's true to the time period). However, this book completely sucked me in, and I sped through it even if, on paper, this wouldn't normally be a story I would be particularly attached to. Which I think is a testament that it's not what a book is about- it's about the way it's written.

Characters

I personally think this was one of the weaker sides of the book. Don't get me wrong- each character had a place- their backgrounds, and how that effected their personalities, was well founded. However, I never grew particularity attached to any of them, though I didn't find them boring either. It was sort of an enjoyable distance, which I don't think I've encountered in a book for a long while. I will say there are a lot of characters, and it takes a while to learn who is who and how they're all related- this learning curve is slowed because each character has a Russian name, which is fine, but most have multiple nicknames, some of which are hard to pull back to their original names. It takes a while to grasp which names belong to which people. There is a glossary at the back to help with certain phrases and names that stand for "grandmother" or "little brother" but since I read this on kindle, I didn't realise that was the case until I reached the end of the book- but that wouldn't be a problem with a physical copy.
I really liked the spirits (if that's what you'd call them) and how Vasya interacted with them (and the horses). I'm am someone who is very neutral on horses, but it reads like the author loves them, and they play a big role in this story (more and more so as it goes on) and it adds an interesting layer over the story as a whole- and it's nice to see that even the multiple horses in the story all managed to have personality and I look forward to seeing how they're used in the next book.


Plot

The plot feels generational to start with on a small scale, going through life prior to Vasya and to her as a young girl (or young woman in those times). At times, it felt a little wandering, as if unsure where it was going. It's has a lulling sense to it, so was never boring despite the slow pace of the majority of the novel. It builds upon itself well, the role of every character clear by the end of the book. It's foreshadowed well, magic creeping into the story more and more as it goes on. However, I personally enjoyed the last quarter of the book the most, as more magic and whimsy comes into play. Throughout the book the magic is so subtle and well-founded it feels realistic, and only stretches beyond this at the end, which is both jarring and exciting. I think there is so much growth to come for Vasya and her relationship with magic and magical things, and I'm excited to see where this author decides to take it.


Writing Style

The writing style is beautiful. It sets the scene well without being over-descriptive with subtle, gorgeous language. Everything reads like watching someone painting a complex and stunning art-piece. This was the highlight of this book, and really made everything come alive and kept me reading throughout the whole book. It has an omnipresent voice which lets us explore the characters and world in depth and tells the story with clarity.


Conclusion

This is a beautifully told story about a family, and how young Vasya and her connection to the spirits that protect them effect the land. It is well told, creating a clear vision in the mind, even if it can read as wandering upon reflection. By the end it touches on and seems to be leading to really interesting directions. If you wanted to, you could read this as a standalone as long as you don't mind a more open ending, as it works well as a cohesive whole- but theirs also so much potential to be explored. I look forward to the next installment.

This book is by turns haunting, bewitching and very lyrical, combing fairytale with Russian folklore to create something that I had trouble putting down. In short, it’s wonderful.
Katherine Arden draws deeply on her background in Russian studies here to make something utterly unique. The setting is a fantasy version of medieval Russia, where Vasilisa, or Vasya’s, family live in the frozen wastelands of the north, in a village where people still cling fast to the old ways and the forests and houses are populated with Russian fairytale creatures, from the domovoi who guard the house to the selkie-like rusalka who lives in the waterways. But change is coming: with a new god-fearing wife for Vasya’s father, with a strict new priest who is determined to bring Orthodox Christianity to the north; with a new threat that is stirring in the depths of the forest.
Vasya is a great character: we follow her from birth, as she grows up and comes to master the powers inherited by her mysterious mother Marina. She’s feisty, unconventional and determined to do the right thing from the start: in short, she’s really loveable, and it’s great watching her interact with the Russian guardian spirits (whom nobody else can see) and wrestle with the conventions that were expected of women at the time: marriage, children and the temperament not to complain about it.
Her interactions with the priest, too, are great: Konstantin is a weirdly compelling character, who has enough passion and fire to make you sit up and wonder if he and Vasya will ever get over their mutual wariness of each other, but enough weakness and evil- especially as the book goes on- to lend a really dark air to the story and their interactions. His story is about a fall from grace and the struggle between him- and his religion- and Vasya and hers makes for a really gripping read.
I loved the world the Arden creates, too: her writing is lyrical and beautiful and really calls to mind the harsh winters and the dangers of the Russian steppes- especially in a society treading the line between superstition and the new religion. She invests so much time and love into creating these Russian spirits, giving the impression of an exotic version of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytales which in turns lends the story a rather nostalgic, haunting air that’s only bolstered by the introduction of the frost demon Morozko (who is a tad too mysterious for my liking, especially as a love interest, but hopefully we’ll be seeing him fleshed out a little more over the next few books).
Vasya’s family are also well-sketched out, with her brothers Sasha and Alyosha in particular described as warm, relatable and loveable characters who have stories and destinies of their own to tell (especially Sasha). I really loved the time that Arden took into developing that family love, adding an extra dimension of tenderness to the story- and raising the stakes as the book went on.
The plot itself is a really strange mix of sedate and frantic, slowly building up the tension that comes to Vasya’s village as the villagers start to reject the old ways and turn towards religion- and the corresponding chaos that starts to unleash as Morozko’s brother, the Bear, grows stronger as a result and starts spreading fear and evil. Vampires come to life. Human ignorance stops people from being saved. And slowly opinion starts to turn against Vasya herself, for being different. By the end, things come to a head in a nail-biting finale as the power of family and love is pitted against that of evil and the result was actually quite heartbreaking.
Overall, The Bear and the Nightingale is amazing, heartbreaking, fantastical and amazingly well-written. Though this is Arden’s first book, she’s going places: read it.

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

Read the title. This book is a fairy tale, told as a magical adventure of snow and fire. A granny could read this during winter, in front of the fireplace. The beginning is slow, like every tale. We meet characters and "demons". We read about theirs dreams and their nightmares. An old woman has the power of capturing attention from children with her words. She talks about old spirits, that are walking through the wood, even if there is a Church nearby. The winter is strong, the people pray God and feed the natural demons. During the freezing nights the Upyr asks to enter your home. We meet a girl, Vasya, who can see the forgotten world, she helps it as she can. There are creatures everywhere and none can see them, but she can. Her stepmother watches them, also. The stepmother is a church-woman, she hates demons. Vasya must be stronger than her, demonstrating the importance of old practices to protect her world. We see her growing up, becoming forceful as the elements. She can ride horses, she can talk to them. The problem is that she's a girl, she'll be married or nun. She won't stay inside her home, with her family. She can't protect her magical world, attacked by the words and the beautiful appearance of a priest. The people talks about her, calling her "witch", stopping the old practices. She can't fight against this. There are other things that are working outside the house, and they are waiting for her.

This is a story about Good and Evil forces, about battles with men and creatures, about fights between factions. The History is behind the corner, the little snow-wooden world can change everytime. Blackness has no pity, this enchanted place will change.

This book can hurt unwary readers. It is the edge of a bigger tale, an exciting adventure.


As I said before, the book starts slowly, but your attention will be captured, because the writing style is intense, Magic, purely charming. Your eyes won't let you stop reading. The story will enchant you with every single scene. Because this is a fairy tale, you are a reader and you love every kind of story. Even the dark ones.

Family is an important part of this book.
People are linked so strongly that their lives depend to each other. Choices are made because of these links. I love Vanya, her little sister, her father and her brothers. They are such a beautiful family. The characters are well done, as the priest, a tragic lost person, or Anna, the stepmother, a not-so-mad woman who loves her daughter more than her life.

This is a full immersion inside the history, a tale with enchanted elements and a strong protagonist with realistic characterization.

I'm hoping to read the next book in the trilogy. I love the setting and the snow, the characters and the natural elements, the folklorist vibes and the Russian characteristics.