4.5 or 5 stars. A delightful sequel to "The Bear and the Nightingale", this one is a bit less like a fairy tale and a bit more of a court intrigue. There are lots of action and battles, a few surprises, and still plenty of magic and mystery and winter. I love Katherine Arden's prose and the setting in medieval Russia and I really want a horse like Solovey! The covers of both books in the series are simply lovely and I can't wait for the next one!

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lush, beautifully written, and aching with want for something more than can be given. Absolutely stunning book and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Absolutely obsessed with this trilogy and can't wait to see it's conclusion.

The perfect follow-up to the lovely fairytale of The Bear and the Nightingale. The Girl in the Tower possesses all the same wonder and magic from the very opening of the prologue.

Where Vasya seemed so young and innocent and utterly wild in The Bear and the Nightingale, here—appropriately and refreshingly so—Vasya has refocused her vision of the world, or begins to do so, and puts on her big girl spectacles to see everything with experienced and sophisticated eyes. Vasya is the perfect heroine to guide us through this inspiring world connecting Old World Russia and the magical realm Arden has fastened onto it.

Here again, there is such a beautiful and lasting quality to Arden’s writing. She strikes just the perfect note to balance all the magic, beauty, timelessness, wonder, and mystery within her books. Her characters are simply vibrating with life, and Arden is clearly skilled enough to handle all the heft she injects into her story.

The Bear and the Nightingale was a cozy, mystical introduction to this world and its wondrous characters and places. There was an untamed innocence to it that drew you in. The Girl in the Tower has all that I loved from its predecessor, plus more action, suspense, adventure, and momentum. The steady hum that built throughout The Bear and the Nightingale becomes a pounding drumbeat, all leading us to what I can only imagine to be an emotional and magical finale in the next of the trilogy.

Fairy tales were passed from generation to generation through their telling, oral traditions, lessons, cautionary tales. Most fairy tales were born this way, through stories told generation after generation, and then eventually put to print. The original versions of these fairy tales, the ones that we were typically raised on, are not the Disneyfied ones that we think of, cleansed of sex, rape, incest, murder, but still contain a darker side. To balance that darker side, typically there is the use of enchantment, and often, folkloric characters – fairies, witches, and such, fantasy.

As a child, I loved the fairy tales I was read, and then not much later read on my own. A set of 12 books, “My Book House” books, filled with wonderful illustrations from, I believe, the 1920s / 1930s. Darker than the Disney versions, but enticingly lovely in their telling, these wooed me in.

So, when I first read Katherine Arden’s “The Bear and the Nightingale,” it was like revisiting those pages, and those feelings. When I heard there was a second one on the horizon, I knew I had to read that one, too, but I was somewhat wary. Could it live up to her first? For me, it did; in some ways, it may have even surpassed it. “The Girl in the Tower” flows more evenly, at least it did for me, and the story has a sense of urgency, while still retaining that aura of otherworldly beauty that drew me in with her first. There are a few new characters, but if you’ve read her first book, you’ll be familiar with most of the cast. If you haven’t read her first, I would recommend you do so before reading this. I think you would appreciate this story more if you read the first in the series prior to reading this.

While accusations of witchcraft are still hovering against her in her village of Lesnaya Zemly, in medieval Muscovy, Vasya flees on her trusty steed, Solovey, knowing that he will take her to the places she longs to go, to see the world outside their village. Safely away from the villagers whose wish is to see her be burned as a witch. Vasya leaves with few regrets, she wants to see more than their forest, the church, the bathhouse; she longs to see palaces, cities and the sun on the sea together with Solovey. She wants to see the world and all it has to offer, for she was once shown the world through the eyes of Morozko, the frost-demon; and ever since, she’s known she wants more. Everything she’d been taught about being a woman has chafed at her; she wants more for herself than to marry or to become a nun.

Determined, but cautious, she poses as a boy, Vasilii, the masculine form of her name, the feminine formal being Vasalisa, or Vasya, as a nickname. In her journey, she rights some wrongs, attempts to rescue the kidnapped, and through these tasks, her journey brings her into the world of her brother, Sasha, a priest, a monk. Reluctantly, Sasha keeps her secret, no easy task as time goes by and young Vasya begins to mature. Still, she’s proven her worth on the field of battle, and is accepted among the men as Sasha’s young brother. As the court of the Grand Prince shows signs of unrest amidst those determined to take his power, Vasya’s equally determined to prevent that which may prove to be her undoing.

Historical facts merged with fictional fragments of fantasy. Fantastical – conceived or appearing as if conceived by an unrestrained imagination. That sums up what Katherine Arden has given us once again; a luminous, fantastical story conceived by her unrestrained imagination.



Pub Date: 05 Dec 2017


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House

How do you improve upon a debut novel that is a near-flawless, five-star book?

I guess if you're Katherine Arden the answer is, you write a six-star book, whether traditional rating systems allow readers to label something as such or not.

The atmosphere of this book is a significant shift from that of The Bear and the Nightingale. We leave eerily quiet and magically wintry Lesnaya Zemlya for bright, bold, and often brutal Moscow, whence our heroine Vasya ventures, reunited with her family, a new enemy, and unfortunately, Father Konstantin.

Though the scene has changed and we see more action and less magic in this installment of the series, the same atmosphere of beautiful menace and sorcery both white and the darkest of black pervades, and the narrative is, if anything, even better than in the first book.

As for Vasya, she is in some ways the brave, convention-defying heroine I've always longed to find in a fairy tale, and in other ways selfish and foolishly impulsive. Still, her decisions all stem from good intent, and while I hate that she lives in a world where a woman who makes choices as she does is branded a witch and endangers her family, I also sympathize with Olga and Sasha's perspectives. They are good people, but creatures of their time and culture, even if Vasya is not.

Beautiful, compelling, and smart, Arden didn't just match her first effort; she surpassed it. This series is everything a fairy tale trilogy should be, and more.

I'll be checking my oven nightly for domovoi while eagerly awaiting the next installment.

**I received and ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]

Much like The Bear and the Nightingale, this book was masterfully written, full of atmosphere, and absolutely enchanting. Once the story gets on its feet, it moves along at such a rapid pace I hardly realized how quickly I was blazing right through it.

Vasya has left her home after the deaths of her father and stepmother, and gone off into the wilderness in the dead of winter. Morozko is always nearby, although not necessarily to help her (even though he does provide help in several ways throughout the story). Sometimes he felt almost too present, there at her greatest need, although I imagine he would be anyway. Vasya is off on an adventure, and unexpectedly, her path crosses with her brother Sasha's, who had left in the first book to become a monk. He is now an advisor to the Grand Prince Dmitrii, a warrior monk, and is forced to lie to everyone about his sister Vasya, who has been pretending to be a man.

While I was immediately drawn back into the world of Rus', I admit I did not get fully absorbed into the book until part two, where we really get into the meat of how Vasya came to be in the same place as Sasha at the same time. She has rescued three girls, who had been stolen by raiders, and brought them to sanctuary. Sasha and Dmitrii have been out hunting these raiders, and Vasya, riding in as a man, is the only one who knows where they were hiding. Fooling just about everyone as to her gender, she manages to get into the prince's good graces, and leads the party where they want to go. I won't spoil from here, but it is pretty much non-stop action, plot and fantastic storytelling from here on out.

There are new characters, who must have a careful eye kept on them lest they surprise you (admittedly I wasn't sure about one character, but I was not completely taken aback when my initial instinct was proved right). And there is also the return of my most despised character from the last book, Konstantin. That damnable priest is up to no good, and while I wasn't surprised by his arc, I was admittedly still feeling those same feelings of disgust I got the last time around.

If you loved book 1, you will love book 2. I am now going to eagerly camp myself out on this author's page and wait for book 3...

A strong follow up to The Bear and the Nightingale and an excellent winter read. This is essentially a coming of age story with a magical historical fiction setting. In a world where women are property, Vasya is coming into her own as a strong, independent woman (with an ability to see the mythological and magical), and her growth and explorations made for a fascinating (and at times tragic) story. Some of the characters actions toward and reactions to Vasya were predictable, but the depth of the setting and mythological background made up for these small weaknesses in the plot. Overall, The Girl in the Tower took the ideas and characters from The Bear and the Nightingale deeper and made me even more curious how the next book will address some of the loose ends and bring different characters together. 4.5 stars

I was hoping the sequel to The Bear and The Nightingale would be as spectacular as the first book in the series. I was not disappointed.

Russian fairy tales are a favorite of mine and this one has so many aspects of all of them. Vasya is back with the Frost King and some new enemies. Not accepting of the options she has, marriage or a convent, she sets out on her own with her faithful and unusual horse, Solovey.

Dressed as a boy she rides off and finds adventure waits just around the corner. Some mysterious force is burning villages and killing people. Who is to be trusted? Unfortunately not even the priests.

I am not going to give away much of this plot. If you read the first one you will want to savor every beautiful word. The world Ms. Arden paints for us is so easy to fall into much like the snow on the ground in Russia.

I can honestly say she is one of the finest writers I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Well Done!

Del Ray/ New York   Book Release is Dec. 05,2017.

This book was interesting and engaging, at first. The lyrical prose was lovely. But eventually it began to wear on me. And that's when I remembered that the same thing happened to me while reading the first book. For the first two thirds of the novel, I was very engaged, and then I just started to lose interest. The writing style is beautiful, but also has a tendency to make me feel distanced and less engaged with the characters. Therefore I lose interest in what's happening to them.

When I read the first book, I didn't know there was going to be a sequel. When I saw this, I was surprised and excited to see what would come next. The plot line is interesting and the covers and writing are beautiful. Although neither book in the series is one of me top favorites, they're very unique and I did enjoy them both.

What an amazing book. I was so excited because I absolutely loved the first book in this series. This mix of fairy tale, fantasy, and historical fiction absolutely absorbed me into the world that Katherine Arden created. The setting of the book, medieval Russia, added so perfectly to the fairy tale feeling of the book. The characters are all memorable and Vasya is a modern girl hundreds of years too early. Don't hesitate to read this book. Just make sure that you start with The Bear and the Nightingale as this story continues from that.

Loved it! This second volume of the Winternight Trilogy picks up right where the Bear and the Nightingale left off. Just like the first book, Katherine Arden has given us a perfectly written fairytale + Russian medieval history + magic. Written so believably, it leaves you waiting impatiently for Vasya, the heroine, to be united with the Frost King. I loved the look at that time in Russia, when the Tatars were ruling, Christianity was rising, and the olds gods were disappearing. This book introduces some new characters, fleshes out others, and shares a little of the history of ancient Moscow. It's a little darker than the first one, and perhaps a little slower to get into, but it is still a delight. I am only sorry that we'll have to wait way too long for book 3 to be published. Many thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse-Ballantine/Del Rey for allowing me to read an arc of this perfectly wonderful book. Pure joy! 4.5 + stars!

Vasya struggles with her intense desire to be free. She doesn’t want to marry, nor does she wish to enter the convent which are the only two options for young women of her time. She relishes the danger and thrill of her relationship with Morozko, the Winter King, and Arden has done a masterful job of creating tension and attraction between the two. Arden created interesting characters in Bear & the Nightingale, and has spent considerable time fleshing them out in Girl in the Tower. Vasya, Sasha, Dmitri, Olga, and now Marya create a world that will pull you in and envelop you with their spirit. While the story is captivating on it’s own, Arden’s writing is icing on the cake. Lyrical, lush, and full of magic and mystery, it will keep you reading well into the night. Truthfully, I haven’t loved a series as much since I first read Harry Potter. Highly recommended.

"The Girl in the Tower" is a fantastic homage and subversion of Russian fairy tales, just as the previous novel in this series. Continuing immediately after the events of the fantastic "Bear and the Nightingale," Vasya disguises herself as a boy and, with the grudging help of demons, priests, courtiers, and a host of others, embarks on a quest. Where she is searching for freedom, forgiveness, or something else entirely is up for some debate.

"The Girl in the Tower" tackles numerous issues: the role of women (and the ways in which they use the power afforded to themselves to subvert those roles; self versus family; desire, without particularly wanting romance; faith and sacrifice; pride and arrogance; and many others. Full of excellent characters and brilliant storytelling, it's a wonderful book. I cannot wait for the next installment.

Arden's world is rich with family obligations, political intrigue, and individual struggle. Highly, highly recommended for fans of the first book, readers of domestic fantasy and folklore, and anyone who enjoys a quest. Perfect for readers who think they do not like fantasy, but who do like historical fiction.

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy. In the first book of the series, The Bear and the Nightingale the story introduced readers to young Vasilisa who lived at the edge of the Russian wilderness where winter lasts most of the year with her father and siblings. It was there that Vasilisa and the children gathered around the fire at night and listened to the tale of Frost, a much feared blue eyed winter demon that will claim wary souls. The children learned that as much as Frost is feared they must honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.

Vasilisa was different from other children, she was able to see the spirits that surround the land around the family. With a bit of a wild side Vasilisa spent her time roaming the forest and interacting with the spirits. After Vasilisa’s mother passed away her father traveled to Moscow to find a new wife. The new stepmother shared Vasilisa’s vision and forbid the interaction with what she thought were demons in her new home and with promise of either being married off or sent to a convent Vasilisa ran off to encounter Frost.

Now in the second book of the series Vasilisa is now a brave young woman and determined to see the world. Vasya has her strong horse gifted to her from the frost demon and sets out on a journey disguising herself as a young boy so that she will be left alone and not forced to marry or be sent to a convent. Even with calling herself a new name and her disguise Vasya quickly finds trouble out on her journey which ends up leading her to Moscow and her siblings she has not seen in years.

The Winternight Trilogy is a historical fantasy read that is heavily influenced by Russian folklore and fairy tales. The author again did a wonderful job in my opinion with the world building and characters in this story to make a reader feel like it was medieval Russia in the bitter cold as the story developed.

My biggest complaint from the first book was that the story was such a slow pace while building up this world but that seems to have been answered in this second book. It got off to a tad bit of a slow start but as the action began the story really kept at a nice pace this time but still kept the details that brings the reader into medieval Russia and following along with the characters. In the end I’d rate this one at 4.5 stars, an improvement over the first book which is a nice surprise since the middle of a trilogy often taper off and this one seemed to improve.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Girl In the Tower Continues to draw me into the author's world of Russian folklore. We finally get to learn more of Vasilisa's siblings as well as her fate after the events of The Bear and the Nightingale. Highly recommended. I am eagerly awaiting the final book of the Winternight trilogy.

I loved this book! Great sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale. Magical! I loved the whole premise. Katherine Arden didn't miss a thing in this exciting edge of your seat fantasy. You won't be able to stop reading. I actually liked this book more than the first. Katherine has an ability to take romance, Russian folklore, politics, and you name it bring it all together to make a fabulous book. Vasya, well, her adventurous spirit and convictions, Katherine way of telling her story is not only exciting but she manages to make it complex and intriguing... I wanted to keep reading when the book was done. I actually felt the cold and was beguiled by the fascinating folklore. Count me in.. a must read for those who love fantasy at its best. Congratulations Kathrine on another winner! Onward to book 3!!! And whatever else is in her fabulous imagination for the future!

Literary, historical fiction, with the fast pace and page-turning suspense of a thriller,
AND
Shining with the magic of a fairy tale set in medieval Russia -
Where is Book 3? I want it now!
Katherine Arden has lived in Russia, and it shows. The aura, the cold and snow, the folklore, all the mystique of this vast foreign land are captured in Arden's prose.

Flawless prose, I might add.

The foreign words are Americanized just enough to make it easy on us.

At times I was reminded of the "Twilight" novels, but in a good way. Sometimes I got annoyed that the strongest of heroines so often needed to be saved by a powerful and very old Frost king, but the story is so riveting, the heroine so admirable and resilient, strong and brave, I just couldn't bring myself to complain "Not again with the damsel in distress trope."

I love this novel!

I had to set this one aside to re-read Book One, The Bear and the Nightingale, and re-orient myself to this world and its many, many characters and settings. Rarely do I take time to read a book twice, swamped as I am with ARCs and requests to edit raw manuscripts. Arden's writing is so rich, layered, and lovely, I enjoyed the second read as much as the first one.

The Girl in the Tower kept me on edge. Would our intrepid Vasya end up imprisoned in some tower? Well, maybe, but if she does, you know it won't be for long. At the novel's end, it appears we will meet another marvelous heroine in Book Three.

But, but, will the Frost King find his way back into the trilogy?

Certain scenes set my teeth on edge. I was reminded of Rose in "The Titanic" and a certain gemstone. I screamed at Vasya, but she didn't listen. And it occurred to me: whenever I get that wrought up over a story, it's a sure sign the author has probed deep and struck a note that is authentic, and therefore maddening.

Because in real life, people are stubborn and impulsive and do things they may regret.

Others have summarized the plot. I have stopped doing that. Read the synopsis, read the reviews of those who have time to recapitulate the story arc and mention the incredible characters.

Vasya's brother, the priest, for one. Oh how I love him!

The horses are characters in and of themselves.

The house guardians - the way a new religion is weakening them - all too believable, even if this really is "only" fiction.

I am smitten. I want more. Arden gives us the magic of Harry Potter, a love story that transcends Edward and Bella's in "Twilight," and a tough heroine to rival Katniss of "The Hunger Games." Normally I avoid comparing novels this way, but Arden's series is so good, I can't believe it isn't already on the best-seller lists.

These days, I'm hard pressed to find a novel so good, I can't bear to set it aside and tend to other duties. (Hungry? Cook your own dinner. Buy your own groceries. The Frost King has come!)

Thank you for the magic!

I really enjoyed this book. Vasya seems to have grown, which is great to see in any sequel. The interactions with Vasya and her brother seemed so real, and you just can't help but be pulled in.

I haven't read a lot of Russian folk tales, but I think I am going to have to really jump into them. There was a lot more action in this book then in the first one, which for me was really good. It kept the story from feeling stagnant, which was a problem I had with the first book. Thankfully that wasn't a problem here.

I would have loved to have more Morozko. He is by far my favorite character. Vasya and him have a great chemistry, and I am looking forward to them having more time together in the next book.

Katherine Arden does not disappoint with this second installment of her Winternight Trilogy. It seamlessly continues the story of Vasilisa as she strives to find a place for herself in a world that does not take kindly towards change and independence, despite its desire to forget the unfathomable traditions of the past. While this is a book where the charm of magic and pagan mystery tries to maintain a steadfast hold, it also does not shy away from the very personal issues of identity and belonging, as well as delve into the broader concerns of power, politics and duty.

I think that duty becomes one of the main conflicts within this story, as the characters begin attempting to reconcile their sensibilities and personal wishes with the eventual need to follow through with the tasks and responsibilities they are expected to fulfill. This holds true for both women and men, as the reader witnesses with both Vasya and her brother Sasha, as well as many of the other characters met over the course of the novel. The reader is also presented with the alternative, the individuals who have already had to assume their respective roles, forced to learn to adapt and derive a sense of pleasure from the various situations within their control.

There is a lot of truth presented in this book, and Arden does not attempt to provide simple answers to many of the questions and issues that arise. Magic can only go so far in supporting the natural order of things.

This is truly an excellent work, and I personally can’t wait for the next installment.

Just as entertaining as the first book, but with a much darker tone -- now to wait for the third! Again, there were one or two references near the end that weren't clear, but overall I enjoyed the continuation of the story.