I absolutely adored this book. From the very first page I was fully immersed in the atmospheric writing and did not want it to end.
It's a fairytale set in medival Russia, based arounds myths and folklore.
Two thumbs up!

The Bear and The Nightingale is a beautifully written, intricately detailed and captivating story set deep in the heart of frozen Russia, where fairytale creatures roam the woods, and a young girl must fight to protect all that she knows and holds dear.

From the very beginning, the writing style drew me in - descriptive and lyrical, easily flowing across the pages. Arden creates a believable landscape with her words, and characters that the reader can watch grow as the story progresses. I loved the character of Vasya. She was stubborn and strong-willed; wild and untamed like the wilderness around her, never giving up on what she believed, even though others doubted her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others, especially those who like fantasy novels and updates on classic fairytales.

This is unlike any book I have ever read and it's difficult to pinpoint the genre it would slip into. As soon as I read the blurb I was intrigued – I have a love of Russia – but this book has just swept me up and transported me to a whole other time and place, and I love it.
The characters have amazing names and their relationships – familial, church and congregation, neighbours – are so real and traditional, that you can't help but engage with the characters. I loved the mythical, fairytale element to the story (and how it was contrasted with the spread of religion, namely Christianity, throughout Russia) and with large portions of the novel set in harsh winters, snowed into their homes and villages, it had a truly magical feel.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am sure it will be one I remember (for all the right reasons), it wasn't a quick read; reading it was almost like walking through snow – enjoyable but time-consuming. But, I think this is an ideal book to escape with this winter, and the cover design is also particularly gorgeous!

First I just want to specify that there will be no spoilers in my review, so read at will!

Thank you very much to NetGalley for facilitating, and to Ebury Publishing for sending me an advance copy of this book. And a huge thank you to Katherine Arden for writing this book.

Bit of back story first - just to set the scene for you so that you understand the full impact of this book.

Ebury publishing sent me an email a few months back asking if I'd like to read and review this book via NetGalley. I said "yes, of course" because a) it's a book, and b) it sounded right up my street. There is an NZ author who writes Irish Fairytales (for adults), who I adore so this story sounded so perfect for me. So I read a few pages, and then the above authors new book landed on my doormat (that I preordered and forgot all about). So away went Katherine Arden and I read the new book... which, by the way, was a big disappointment - So much so that I was reluctant to pick The Bear and the Nightingale up again because I was so exasperated by the book I'd chosen to read instead. So I put it off. Until a couple of days ago when I was packing my house up (we're moving house in 3 days) and I found my kindle in my bedside drawer and thought "oh, why not! Get it over and done with!" I paid for childcare today so I could pack the kitchen. I now have to find a decent excuse for my husband as to why the kitchen is not actually packed because I can't tell him I was so hooked on the book that I set it above the rising panic that we need to move house in 3 days. That is how engrossing this book is.

Oh my word was it up my street!! The characters were spot on & the writing style from start to finish was consistently fantastic. This is an author who knows how to twist the old magic and fairytales of the world into a story we can relate to today. I was grabbed and pulled into this terrifying world that I did not want to leave. I could not put my kindle down. Literally - that's why my house isn't packed.

I struggled a bit with the Russian names initially and I wasn't sure how well I'd get on with a book where I couldn't pronounce the names...but then I found my brain managed to find a way to compute them and it was plain sailing from there.

The most beautiful part of this book, I think is the concept. It is an adult fairytale, about fairytales, told in the style of the old fairytales. It describes a possible scenario showing what could have happened in the world had the old fairytales in fact been true - at the time when the old gods were set aside. A fairytale within a fairytale. Just beautiful. And dark, just as fairytales were supposed to be.

Congrats Katherine Arden, you are the fourth author to make it onto my "must pre-order" list, and you've actually been bumped to the top of that list. And thank you for restoring my faith in this genre!

P.S. Just FYI to people reading this in full knowledge that I was sent this for free - I also bought a hard copy of this book because I loved it so much.

I really really loved this one. It's an all in one: fairy tale, YA a bit of history thrown in, and it has a captivating story. It has a great Russian feel and kept me hooked throughout. This may be a debut, but the author did a really great job making the magic believable taking the reader back to a time in Russian history when Christianity was not yet a given. I don't give 5 stars easily, but these are well deserved. Recommended if you want to escape reality.

There is a real ethereal quality to this story. It is a fairytale which encompasses the Russian landscape, medieval religion, vampires and demons. The prose is great and the characters are interesting, if a little one dimensional. The wicked stepmother motif is here with an interesting twist, the kindly old woman is here with an interesting twist, the wild child is here with an interesting twist. You are swept away into a world that feels visceral and frightening while at the same time, it is beautiful and comforting. My main issue is with the pacing of the novel. We have an awful lot of set up with a climax that feels rushed and a little anti-climactic as a result. It is definitely worth reading, if only to learn some of the folklore of medieval Russia, but be aware that there are issues with the narrative structure.

Rating: 4.5stars
Something you guys don’t know about me, is that I always had a massive fixation with Russia. Russian culture, language, history, everything. I don’t know why but I always tended to love it. So when I saw this book I just had to get it! And I am freaking happy I did because I absolutely loved it!!!

This book is beautifully written and extremely well researched. The author is not Russian. However, she did live in Moscow and studied there. In her own words:

“I am not Russian, and my family is not Russian. I lived in Moscow and studied Russian between 2006 and 2007 and I was a Russian major at Middlebury college in Vermont. As part of my studies, I returned to Moscow in 2010. Russia has a history and a culture that I love, but not one that I was born to.”

This is the first book in a yet unnamed trilogy. The book is about a Russian fairy tale of Morozko, with historical fiction focused on the 14th century (it was considered a hard time for Russia, when it was partially under the rule of the Mongols). It contains politics, religion, family and folklore and those all together made this book unpredictable and unforgettable.

The first part of the book is more soft than the rest of it. After that, it started to get darker and sometimes scary. It was an extremely tense and unpredictable read. I couldn’t stop reading it. It was like I truly was in that dark twisted fairy tale. It’s not fast paced but it has a lot of things happening that will mesmerize you and make you love this world.

The characters are incredibly amazing and there are a bunch of them. They all somehow have an important role sooner or later. Some you will fall in love with and some you will hate with all your strength. The book is ruthless with actions and words and it makes you feel angry, hopeful, cold and fascinated.

You will love Vasya’s boldness and strength and you will love her power, that is both a gift and a curse in this world.

I absolutely loved the plot and just wished to have a bit more of Morozko and Vasya in it. I loved her adventures and her connection with these old gods. And just because everyone was against it, that didn’t make her change or hide. She continued to believe, and even people that talked bad to her she tried to help.

After reading this one I definitely need to get a fiscal copy of it and somehow be able to wait for the next two books! And according to the author, Morozko will have an even bigger part in the next books. Hopefully with Vasya by his side!

Also, in the end of the book, there’s a glossary (pretty cool right?) that I think, it should be read either before the book or during when you have any questions about the Russian words.

This is a beautiful and magical book that I would HIGHLY recommend to everyone. And especially if you love Russian culture like me.

A beautiful, intriguing story about a young girl living on the edge of the Russian wilderness. The winters are long and harsh, but Vasilisa and her siblings get by listening to old fairy tales about demons and spirits. But after her mother dies and her fathers brings back a new wife from Moscow, Vasilisa starts to realise the importance of the old traditions honouring the spirits of the house, and that fairy tales are based on truth. As the villagers begin to let go of the old ways, danger creeps closer and Vasilisa must defy the ones she loves to protect them all from a terrible evil.

Despite reading multiple reviews before starting this book, it took me by surprise. It reads exactly like a fairy tale, but is deeply detailed and imaginative. The story is truly beautiful. There is no wild, grand adventure, but rather a slow burn of constant magic and mystery of Russian folklore, and Vasilisa's relationship with the spirits that protect her village. I don't know how authentic the Russian or the folklore is, but it certainly felt authentic. The writing is perfect. The style flows and is unbelievably easy to read considering the number of unfamiliar words and names. I was well and truly sucked in.

Every character is comprehendible, even the ones who do bad things. Pyotr is driven by love of his family and that can be seen in every decision, even the ones I didn't agree with. Father Konstantin is devoted to God and genuinely believes he is doing God's bidding, though even he can admit that he is driven by temptation and greed. Anna is the only character that I truly disliked, but she lived her entire life in fear and it drove her insane. I liked that these characters were all fully developed, with understandable reasons behind their madness and hate.

The Bear and the Nightingale is dark and engaging, and truly impressive as a debut novel.

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

I know we're still in January but this is definitely going to be one of my favourite books of the year. I mean, it's gonna be pretty hard for any other fairytale-inspired book (or any book, really) to top this.

The Bear and the Nightingale is inspired by a host of Russian fairytales and stars Vasya (I hope I'm spelling her name right because everyone seems to have 12345 different nicknames). Vasya is special not just because her mother died after giving birth to her, but because the enchantment that was in her grandmother and mother seems to be passed down to her. She can see the magical creatures living around the house/estate and they, in turn, teach her.

Unfortunately, Vasya's idyllic childhood ends after her father brings back her stepmother, Anna. Anna is actually her mother's niece (so her cousin?!), but since her father is the Grand Prince of Rus', her father couldn't exactly say no to the marriage.

Where Vasya sees magic, Anna sees demons.

Soon after, a haughty priest named Konstantin is assigned to their village, and everything goes downhill.

What I loved about this book: EVERYTHING.

First up, world building. I'm not familiar with Russia, but I seriously felt drawn into the world (and the world of the magical creatures too). There's an author's note in front that indicates that she's done a lot of research for this, so I'm guessing that those familiar with Russian culture and history would like this too.

Second, the characters. Apart from Vasya, there are also her siblings (Sasha, the brother that became a warrior monk stands out) and Dunya, their nurse. All were very well-written and I would happily read books about them.

The villains too, were much better than I had expected. Anna is the 'evil stepmother', and certainly played the part well, but I never expected to sympathise with her that much. She was a victim of her gift and character and could have had a peaceful life if not for chance. Konstantin, too, started off as a proud but devout man. His gradual obsession with Vasya and him being duped by the main 'villain' of the book was well-written and I kept hoping he could be redeemed till he was past the point. Other notable characters: the frost king, the horses, and the various magical creatures. I loved them all (especially the horses!).

Finally, the plot. The book is split into three parts: her childhood, the threat and the battle. Not gonna give any spoilers, but I thought it was very well-paced and couldn't put the book down.

If you're into fairytales, you have to read this book. It's magical and amazing and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Let me begin with the fact that I think Russian mythology is great. I regret only that my own people’s mythology could not be preserved in such splendid detail. I grew up with the beginnings of the understanding of Russian folklore at least a little (it’s a neighbouring country) and I found out bits and pieces through other great (non-Russian) fantasy books like Deathless or American Gods. The Bear And The Nightingale only reinforces this feeling! Slavic mythology is great, and I DO want to read more about it.

I also can not believe this was a first book. It’s just so good!

So onto the review. What did I expect from this book? I couldn’t hold back from thinking it would be something like Deathless – a girl, spirited away into the crazy world of beasts and magic, expected to defend herself and clear her own path. But of course, going into the book, I consciously realized that comparing it with another I really liked is by no means a great way to look at a new story. However, I found out it’s absolutely different from Deathless – and that’s great.

We observe Vasya, a Russian girl in the middle ages, growing up. She is not a typical girl, and to be honest, she should have been happier to be born a boy – especially in those days. This is the part of the plot that comes in when the story deals with women’s position in the middle ages – either at the hearth raising babies, or at the coven, hidden away. There was simply no other way to be, and so we learn the cruelty of such a limited existence. Especially if you’re different – like Vasya – a little roguish, a little tomboyish, and.. a little magical.

Vasya has to grow up without a mother. Of course, her father brings her a stepmother – what fairytale does not have one? While she is also ever so slightly magical, these two women are contrasted in how they deal with it. Vasya accepting her gift happily, and Anna only panicking, screaming and running away to hide from what she thinks is her curse.

And so Vasya is shunned by the village, by her stepmother, and pitied by her family. The new strict priest doesn’t help either. Unfortunately, he brings such unrest into the village that people stop observing respectful rites for the old spirits. And slowly, their world tumbles into darkness. I don’t think the author wanted to criticize Christianity so much here – I think she merely wanted to show that if you take people’s belief in the very basis of their existence away, nothing good will come of it. Also, in this critique of the violence of Christianity over other faiths in the middle ages, the author contrasted real faith with broken, fearful faith really well. We see an example of a priest with a very broken spirit and very dark views, but we are also presented with other priestly characters in the story, which are bright and respectful. The author will not tell us what to believe. She will let us choose our own opinion.

So what is this book about? It’s about so many things, so many layers of society and how it works, so many problems in it as well. It’s also about magic and bravery, although I did not mention it in this review. Yes, there’s load of magic and spirits, there’s the evil Bear who symbolizes the evil and greed of the world, and there’s Frost/Death, who is the good guy, as much as demons can be. There’s loads of horses too, and they.. sort of talk. In the end there are even brutal old-Russian style bloodsuckers, which is pretty cool! But for me, that is not what the book is about – those are just the props, so I didn’t talk about them a lot. For those in doubt – it’s a proper fantasy book. And you’ll probably love it! There’s just one thing – don’t expect too much action – this is one of those books where the scene is being set for at least half of the book, steadily darkening the setting. And only when you almost reach the end, you experience the action. It’s also definitely adult fiction, it’s serious and not quirky, no banter or other things common in YA, if you were expecting those. It’s not anything nor the sort. But it is very satisfying, the characters are relatable and the fantasy interwoven into reality so seamlessly you will start looking out for imps in your own back yard.

I’m very glad my first review of 2016 is a five star one. I fell absolutely head over heels with this book, it had a very Hans Christian Andersen vibe to it. A wonderful combination of fairy tale, folklore, and magic, all within a beautifully enchanting setting. It’s a book you could pick up over and over again, and get immersed in every single time. It slowly and steadily builds up to an amazing climax.

Vasya was a wonderfully enchanting character, being there throughout her journey from childhood into young woman and seeing her growth was brilliant and well written. The other characters were well written too, and we saw them arch, thinking they were one thing, finding out they were something else entirely – someone you begin to like you end up despising, and those you’re wary of, you end up loving. There’s few things I love more than that, never knowing where you’re going to end up is delightful in its own way.

Arden transferred me to this wonderful world she’d created, set many, many years ago. I didn’t want this book to end and have to leave it all behind. It was both beautiful and unnerving, changing from page to page, depending on what emotion it was that Arden wanted to convey. One minute I could be simply drowning in the beauty of it all, the next second I felt a sense of impending doom, just by how the setting was described.

I can’t fault this book at all, I fell in love with it and I felt like I’d been whisked away to this beautiful land from our past. As I’ve already mentioned, I would happily read this over and over again, so I’m planning on buying myself a physical copy of this book to do just that (the books look positively beautiful, so a wonderful addition to any bookshelf). I’ve actually heard this is the first of three books, so I’m very excited to read the next two if they’re anywhere near as fabulous as this magical book! This book does appear to be a wonderfully, fully rounded story on its own though. A very well deserved 5 stars.

**Thank you very much to Ebury Publishing for the opportunity to read this book**

This was an interesting book based around Russian folklore. This was a completely unknown subject for me, it is great that you can learn something when enjoying a story. makes it even more interesting. Great characters and the descriptive writing made them come to life and be very believable. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is very different from my usual genre but I am so glad I gave it a go. I loved it, such a magical book and beautifully written.

The book is set in Russia in medieval times, full of fairytales, myths and legends. A joy to read and I devoured it in just over a day.

I can't wait to read more from this author and hope there is more to follow.

5 stars without a doubt.

Vasya is the daughter of a rich lord allied through marriage to the princes of Moscow, but, although expected to spend her days by the fire perfecting her domestic skills such as sewing or cooking, she'd rather be outside, roaming the forests that surround their home, or spending her time in the stables with the horses. She's also possessed of an unusual gift, inherited from her 'witchwoman' grandmother - the ability to see and talk to the small gods and spirits of hearth, stable, rivers and woods. Some of these are mischievous, leading travellers astray or snatching the young and unwary, but others are helpful, performing chores for their human hosts and guarding against the darker forces that lurk in the forest. But this is a time when the older ways, and belief in these gods, are dying, being replaced by Christianity which would ideally rid the world of such 'demons', and while the smaller domestic spirits are in decline, leaving homesteads unprotected, something evil is growing in strength.


The Bear and the Nightingale is a fabulous, atmospheric blend of history, folk tale, and fantasy, with a real feel for the snowy depths of a Northern Russian winter. It's set in the 12th century, in the area that will become Russia, but which for now is ruled by Rus' princes paying tribute to the Khan of the Golden Horde. It's a time and place of which most readers (like me) will have little knowledge, and the author brings it wonderfully to life. Even for a wealthy family such as Vasya's much of life revolves around farming (at harvest-time everyone has to join in, including her father and the village's priest) and preparing for the long winter; in fact I think winter is as much a character in the book as the humans or spirits. I loved the authors's depiction of a family huddled round their enormous oven, listening to folk tales, sleeping beside and even on top of it, desperately trying to keep warm as temperatures plummet, and, in sharp contrast to that domesticity, the wilds of the forests stretching seemingly for ever in all directions.
The story starts fairly quietly, with emphasis on Vasya's childhood and family, then in the second half the fantasy element becomes stronger, leading to a showdown between the forces of good and evil which threatens the way of life of Vasya and her family.

I picked this book up through Netgalley after seeing the publisher/publicist talk about it on Twitter.I was intrigued by the title, and chose it from the 'blurb' which appealed to me, so I hadn't seen the cover till I came to write this review - somehow to me it isn't a cover which shouts out 'read me', but if you feel the same way, ignore that feeling and read it anyway!

What a beautiful book this is. I'm not usually a great fan of traditional tales or anything involving myths and magic but this tale is enchanting. I was hooked from the first, beautifully written page, pulled into the cold hard winters of Russia and the glimpses of strange creatures with magical powers. It still makes the historical fiction grade to my reckoning but has compelling magic and mystery woven into it. The characters are simply but finely drawn and Vasya, an impish girl who is quickly growing up with strange powers, is delightful. A joy to read, perfect for a winter night.

The best way I can describe this book is to say it's like an epic Russian fairytale. It's hard for me to give this book a rating and be happy with it though. On the one hand, it was awesome and it had lots of adventure and magic in it but on the other hand, I found it quite hard to read at times. This wasn't a book I could sit down and devour and that's not necessarily a bad thing but I did find that reading it was a bit of work. But at the end of the day, I enjoyed it and it was a good book.

I love fairytales, myths and legends and I love adaptations of those too- if you can find a good adaptation that is and this was a good adaptation. Even though I know nothing of the origins of this particular story, I felt like Katherine Arden did a good job. I feel conflicted because although I loved the sound of all the Russian names (they're so beautiful!), it was hard for me to differentiate the main characters at the beginning, the smaller characters throughout the novel and it was hard to distinguish all of the magical creatures at times and that wasn't the book's fault, it was mine. I always have this problem if the names are not familiar to me or if there's a tonne of characters to remember. Although it was hard to differentiate the characters because of their names, Arden did a really good job at making the characters different. Sometimes when reading a book it's hard to tell characters apart because they all blend in together but all of Arden's characters were three-dimensional and very different. I loved the characters and I especially loved the Vladimirovich family. They faced a lot of hardships but they were still close even when they weren't necessarily near each other. I loved Vasilia as a character. Everyone was always telling her what she should and shouldn't do but she just did what she wanted and she did what she considered to be right. It would have been easier for her to just submit to what society wanted but she never gave in. Even though times have changed nowadays (for example women don't only have two choices for their life- wife or nun), society still puts pressure on people to follow the norm and it's hard to step outside of that but you should always stay true to yourself and tell society where to shove it. I just think Vasilia is a great character for younger girls especially so they see you don't always have to do what society deems appropriate, be true to yourself and make your own destiny.

I liked the story. It was very interesting at the start and very good at the end but it kind of dropped off a bit in the middle. I guess it was building up for the end but I found it a teeny bit too slow. The pacing was also quite steady, there wasn't anything too fast paced but I enjoyed it. The writing was very flowery and I enjoyed it but not as much as I enjoy simpler writing styles. It's not you Katherine, it's me! But I can't deny she is a good writer, her words paint a very detailed and elaborate picture of the scenery, the characters and the story.

I think this book will be massive and it rightly should be. I would 100% recommend it and I would definitely read more by Katherine Arden.

*I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"She is braver and wilder than any of my sons. But what good is that in a woman?"

"But though she sat a long time, the tears would not come. There was only a hollow place inside her, and a great silence."

This book has many hallmarks of a traditional fairy tale – out-of-place maiden, wicked stepmother, good and evil spirits wrestling for lives, heroic mysterious stranger … and is based around many Russian/Slavik folklore stories. The story takes place in the wild forested countryside of Russia, where there seems to be perpetual winter. Even though the story covers many years and supposedly seasons, the feeling is always of unending cold.
It is a tale about the battle for souls between the new world of Christianity, and the old world of house (domovoi) and stable (vazila) sprites, water (rusalka) and tree (leshy) nymphs, the Frost King (Morozko) and the Bear. It contrasts the fear of eternal damnation and unquestioning belief espoused by the Church, and the giving of thanks for continued life and protection of the old gods. In many old mythologies life comes at a cost – a sacrifice in exchange for good crops, fortune, freedom from starvation, ill health etc. Here it is the crumbs of bread and sips of milk left for the domovoi and vazila in return for a protected hearth and stable, human friendship for the rusalka and leshy. The village people all used to understand this give-and-take as an essential part of their existence, even though they could not see the supernatural beings surrounding them. But with the arrival of the devout new wife, Anna, and the crusading priest, Konstantin, religious fear takes over and the donations stop. Terrified Anna can see the sprites, believing them to be evil demons, from whom only Christ can save her. Konstantin believes he is on a mission from God to stamp out the heretical superstitions of the villagers. Only young Vasya knows that ignoring the old ways will bring death and destruction to all, and she continues to feed the sprites, while the villagers condemn her more and more vocally as a witch.
The story is also about one’s place in society. As an aristocratic young maiden, Vasya is destined to marry and bear many sons, or to be locked up in a convent, neither of which appeals to her. She should avert her gaze, and be submissive in her dealings with men. However, Vasya is wild, loves the cold outdoors, riding spirited horses, and looks all men straight in the eye. Clear signs of her witchy ways, which Konstantin vows to subdue.
Soon battle lines are drawn and danger reaches right into the households. The undead vampiric upyry and the evil Bear are on the move, and an ultimate sacrifice is required.
The tale is entrancing and bewitching, swinging along at an ever-increasing pace until the inevitable ending is reached. The story is an old-style fairy tale – Grimm rather than Hans Christian Anderson or Perrault – serving up warnings about ill-judged actions rather than a happily-ever-after scenario.
Shiver in the unrelenting cold, and enjoy!

Based on Russian history and folklore, this is a beautifully written and atmospheric story that I liked a lot. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite wow me as much as I had hoped it would but it’s definitely one I’d recommend as it could be the beginning of a very interesting series.

When I first finished this book I really couldn’t make up my mind about it and even now a few days later I’m still not sure. As a lover of fairytales, magic and tales of things that go bump in the night and lurk in the woods it should have been the perfect read for me. However, while I liked it a lot I found it to be missing that special something that would take it from good to great.

It is a beautifully written story. The author does a magnificent job of transporting you to a magical and wild land in medieval Russia. The writing is so evocative you almost feel like you are there, huddling around the fire, travelling across the cold and snowy wilderness or visiting the market and palaces of Moscow.

The characters are also very well created and believable and there is a unique and captivating story in there but for me it was missing the emotion I needed to really connect to it. When I was reading on the way home from work after a long day I found my attention wandering and had to re read certain pages more than once before I took it in.

This lack of emotion and connection to any of the characters was due, I believe, to the constantly switching point of view from one character to another. It moves from father to mother to nanny to Grand Prince to priest and on and on. I found this particularly bad in the first half of the book where I actually started to wonder who the main character was, if there was one and where it was all going. I also struggled a little with the different names used for the same character. I understand that this is accurate for the time and place and that the author had tried to make it easy for the English reader but I still found myself getting confused at times with so many different characters and so many names.

As a result of the switching focus and insight into each of the different characters the story felt quite slow in the beginning. It did give a real sense of time and place which was fascinating in some ways but I did feel like a lot of it could have been covered much faster without so many characters. I probably would have cut a whole part where the father visits Moscow as it didn’t really add much and I was close to giving up.

Thankfully however the story does turn around. There is a lot more focus on Vasilisa and the strange events that start to occur in the village where she lives. Vasilisa is a very likeable character. An outcast in the village due to some very unique abilities, she’s brave, a little wild and not cut out for the options available to her at that time (marriage or a convent). I loved almost every chapter she was in, I just wish the author had stuck with her and the events around her throughout.

The pacing of the story was a little bit off for me, too slow in the beginning and too fast at the end but it is a good story. It is the first in a trilogy so I think there is some real potential. I will definitely be giving the next book in the series a try.

I think whether you love this book or not will come down to why you read. If you’re looking for a beautifully written and vivid world with a slow building story and a mix of Russian history and folklore I think you’ll love this book. Unfortunately for me, while I could appreciate it, I didn’t love it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.