Rating 4.5/5

I have loved fairytales since I was a child, so I was really excited to read The Bear and the Nightingale when I heard about it, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. What really makes it stand out is that unlike a lot of the retellings it isn’t stories that are universally known, which makes it quite unique. Since the story is based on Russian fairytales that I am unfamiliar with, it meant that it was all completely new to me and I loved finding out about the chyerty and Morozko.

The writing is extremely expressive and manages to craft this amazing setting so keenly that I had no trouble picturing it. Its atmospheric and magical quality really helps to keep you engrossed in the story. It is quite a slow read but not in the sense that you have to drag your way through it, rather that the world we are transported to is rich in description, and that time has been taken so that it feels utterly authentic. As it is a time period and a culture that I am not familiar with I welcomed these depictions, but can see that perhaps for others it could seem too much.

The author has created some remarkable characters in this novel. I adored Vasya how she is strong and spirited, even though through the characterization of the other women you know it is not acceptable for her to be so. Despite the trials that she must endure she always remains loyal to her family and her village, even when they do not act the same way toward her.

I felt really connected to her family and their struggles and loved the relationships between Vasya, her siblings and Dunya, their nurse. The spirits and the winter king also had interesting personas, I liked that even though Vasya could only see the spirits, they were written as if they were also part of the family. I enjoyed the duality of hearing the stories by the characters of the winter king and then how he is portrayed as a character himself.

The one thing I did have difficultly with was a lot of the Russian terms, and the names. Each of the characters has their name and then the name that they are affectionately called by their family, it did get a little confusing at first but eventually I managed. There is a glossary at the back of the book but I felt that maybe this could have been included before, to make it easier to pick up the meanings of words.

I also felt that it ended a little abruptly, that there was more to explore, maybe it was just because I didn’t want it to end. Since finishing it though I have discovered that it is the first in a series, which I am thrilled to hear.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a spectacular and wondrous read, full of incredible characters and superb writing. If you enjoy fairytales then this is one you definitely don’t want to miss.

A tale about Russian folklore and the mythical frost demon but so much more than that. I loved how the story draws you in and then doesn't let go until the very last page. Vasilisa loves the woods and the she is more likely than not to be found there instead of fulfilling her household duties. She can see creatures that others seem unable to and she learns not to talk of them for fear of being heralded a witch. I do not want to say too much for fear of spoiling it for others suffice it to say it is a fabulous story of a magical world and I can't wait to read more. I am converted to reading more of this genre as I didn't realise what I was missing out.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

https://lynns-books.com/2017/01/05/the-bear-and-the-nightingale-by-katherine-arden/
The Bear and the Nightingale is one of those gorgeous nuggets of a book that you simply devour. As soon as I read the synopsis, I wanted this book, in fact, lets be honest, as soon as I saw the cover – I wanted this book – which might sound fickle, because you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover after all. However, fickle or not, the inside of this book is more than a match for the outer packaging.

This is definitely my sort of book. The writing is really quite beautiful, the author almost hypnotises you, she lulls you into a false sense of security with a beginning that draws you slowly in with the promise of folklore, myth, icy forests and fairytales retold and then before you know it the temperature has dropped further, menace is in the air and threatening shadows lurk in the darkest corners.

As we begin the story we make the acquaintance of the Vladimirovich family. Pyotr the father, a hard but fair man for the times in which he lives, he is thought well of by the people in the village. He loves his wife and is devastated when he loses her in childbirth. For seven years he resists taking a new bride, and only relents to try and bring a woman into his home to help with his youngest daughter, Vasilisa, who is becoming unruly. Unfortunately, whilst his new wife, Anna, seems like a good match things are not quite as they seem. Anna sees demons everywhere and literally lives in fear, upon her insistence the village is blessed with a new holy man in the form of Konstantin. Konstantin has dreams of success and power, he resents being sent out to the middle of nowhere and believes that in order to succeed he must make the people from the village recant their ways and worship only God. And there starts the problems. Poor harvests, colder, longer winters and eventually death ensue. The village people begin to feel scared, their homes are impossible to keep warm, they never have enough food and portents of evil seem to linger in the forest.

Vasilisa is a great character. I really liked her, she’s spirited and wild. She loves the forest. She loves being told fairytales by her nurse Dunya. Like Anna – she also sees things but rather than cowering she addresses them. She feels like she knows these spirits and guardians and feels no fear of them. In fact quite the reverse, she understands the role they play in the everyday balance of the village and more to the point she fears the repercussions on everyone if these spirits start to fade. I couldn’t help but shake my fist in despair on Vasilisa’s behalf. Okay, you have to remember these were superstitious times but ohhhh, the frustration! Vasilisa seems to be taken the wrong way at every turn and even when she does a good deed it’s turned into a bad thing. Mutterings of ‘witch’ are starting to break out and the village seem to be on the verge of hysteria just poised on the edge of pointing the finger at the most appropriate scapegoat.

So, we have a wild and wilful daughter, a harsh stepmother, a hysterical village, a whole bunch of spirits and guardians, and, the star of the piece – Morozko. Sorry, I thought I’d save the best to last. Basically, this character is Frost. Cold, curious, capricious and more. For many moons he has been interested in Vasilisa and on more than one occasion the two of them have met. Not a character to be dallied with but definitely one that I would have liked to see more of. In fact, that’s probably one of my only criticisms. I would have liked more of the fairytale/folklore elements of the book and I certainly would have liked more of Frost. I actually like the pacing of the book, I admit that in terms of plot, well, it’s not very substantial, but going into this thinking of it as a fairy tale retelling I wasn’t expecting some form of great epic adventure. What I expected was writing that evokes feelings and creates atmosphere and in that respect Arden more than succeeds – you could virtually feel the cold and the hunger that the family suffered. She also manages to tempt us with maybe things of the future yet to come and I really appreciate the sense of anticipation that she has created. There is only the barest hint of a romance, it skirts tentatively around the edges of the story tempting us but doesn’t really ever manifest in more than the most ethereal form. It’s just so deliciously tempting and elusive.

On the whole though, I loved this and with a couple more books in the pipeline you can colour me happy!

This review is written with thanks to Ebury Publishing and Netgalley for my copy of The Bear and the Nightingale.
Pyotr Vladimirovich ventures to town to find a wife who can be a stepmother to his children following the death of their mother, Marina. During his visit, he meets the Winter King, who gives him a jewel that he must present to his daughter, Vasilisa. Vasilisa is given the jewel when she is older, but as mysterious forces threaten to harm the people in her village, she realises that she, armed with her jewel, is the only one who is able to save her family. Will she convince them of this in time?
The Bear and the Nightingale is set in Russia, where there are long winters and plenty of snow. Arden's descriptions of the Russian landscape are captivating, and this allowed me to fully immerse myself in the surroundings of the novel and the story Arden tells.
Vasilisa is a stubborn child, who grows into a headstrong young woman. Her nature contradicts what she is taught by Russian society, and this makes her character very engaging. I found it very easy to empathise with, and relate to Vasilisa throughout the novel, and this encouraged me to keep reading.
Fantasy is not a genre I would usually read; however, I was fascinated by the demons and spirits in The Bear and the Nightingale, and the importance they held in the novel, both for the character of Vasilisa and the themes in the novel, such as religion and death, that they help to convey. I was particularly intrigued by Vasilisa's relationship with the spirits, and found this aspect of the novel very engaging. However, as there were so many demons and spirits, at times it was confusing as to what each demon or spirit represented.

Fantasy isn't a genre I usually read but I wanted to give this a try. The book is set in Russia and is so descriptive you can almost imagine yourself there. The story is very lyrical and you can almost imagine stories such as this being read to small children.

I have to say I did struggle in places with this book as it seemed to delve a bit too far into folklore for my liking but that is just my personal opinion. I'm sure this book will appeal to many readers but sadly I sont think this genre is for me.

Wonderful story which wraps you up and is a book which I could not put down.

I know that I am going against the grain here with my rating but I just did not get on with the way this was written.
I found all the different names confusing and when one person is called by different names it just made it worse.
Sorry this just was not for me!

A beautiful and dream-like book that wraps you up in it's fairy tales.
Vasya, the last-born of a minor noble in medieval Russia frozen north is a little bit different and a little bit special, but here is where the cliches end. You are slowly enveloped into magic, dark & mysterious that threatens people lives, minds & hearts.
I fell in love with this story, the setting, the characters but most of all the magic. It reminded me of when I was six and reading my beautiful hardbound book of English fairy tales that were so scary I couldn't stop reading them! And that's what made me love them so much.
If your an Angela Carter, Neil Gaiman or Naomi Novik fan this is book you're going to love.

Vasya is born in northern Russia, she is the daughter of the noble head of the village. Vasya is different, in her there is an old magic, and since childhood she is able to see the spirits around the village, both the guardian and the evil ones.

Life is happy, but the change is near: Vasya's father, a widow, marries a noble woman who fears constantly the evil spirits, and in the village comes a new priest, young and ambitious.

The evil spirit, bound to the forest since years back, tries to exploit these changes in the town; Vasya ends up to be almost the only one to fight the evil to come.

The Bear and The Nightingale has the features of a fairy tale, but deals with strong themes: the traditional culture that is forgotten and lost in favour of new traditions, the suggestions that bring people to change their beliefs, the uncontrolled ambition that does not care for humanity and reason.

The novel is wonderful, adventurous and compelling, the story keeps constantly the reader in suspense, the characters are alive and the setting in the frosted Russia is wonderfully crafted. I'm enthusiast there is the possibility of a follow-up novel, and I absolutely suggest to read this installment.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me the copy necessary to write this review.

A beautiful, pastoral fairy tale set in a fantasy version of medieval Russia.

Narrated in lyrical prose and third-person past tense, Arden weaves a tale no less compelling for its slow, gradual development. Like all the best fairy tales, the author draws on the setting - a village in the northern woods of Rus' - to create an atmosphere that promises magic and suggests many horrors.

Atmosphere is the key word here: The Bear and the Nightingale captures that feeling of uncertainty and superstition. The characters are somewhere between the old and the new; believing in modern religion but still deeply tied to the stories of old - the creatures that hide in the dark, the demons lurking in corners, the spirits living in the woods.

The protagonist is Vasya, a feisty, stubborn girl who always manages to find her way into adventure and, often, trouble. Quick-witted and rebellious, it's hard not to fall in love with her instantly. There's a sense throughout that she is at one with nature, belonging to the very setting of the novel - the wild, rugged landscape of her youth. She is most at home when running and playing in the woods.

When her father remarries and brings Vasya's intense and devout new stepmother back to their village, the safety of everyone is threatened. Her stepmother refuses to appease the creatures of the forest and darkness creeps ever closer. It is Vasya - and her own strange gifts - who is the family's only chance against the evil spirits at work.

A haunting story; one so deeply atmospheric that you can almost feel the cold air on your skin as you're reading.

At the edge of the wilderness of Northern Russia where the winds blow cold and snow falls for many months, a stranger with piercing blue eyes gives a new father with the a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain. Unsure of its meaning the father hides the gift away and his daughter Vasyagrows up a wild and willful child. Then mysterious forces threatens the happiness of their village. Vaysa discovers that she maybe the only one able to keep the darkness at bay.

I found this quite an enchanting tale inspired by Russian fairy tales. A great debut novel.

I would liketo thank NetGalley, Random House UK Endbury Publishing and the author Katherine Arden for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.