This beautiful, magical story begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues with the second in a saga of three. Vasya, is a young woman, forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent. She chooses to flee her village when she is cast out as a witch after the death of her father and stepmother. Vasya’s life choices are either to resign herself to life in a convent, or a marriage arranged her older sister. She chooses to disguise herself as a boy instead of committing herself to an isolated life in a tower. Vasha sets off on an adventure with her horse, Solovey, with the assistance of Morozko, the Winter King. After rescuing three girls from bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside by burning villages, she reunites with her older brother, Sasha. She also earns the favor of Dimitri Ivanovich, the Grand Prince of Moscow, who has no idea she is not a boy. Vasha realizes the kingdom is under threat and returns to Moscow with him and the soldiers.
I love this series sequel set in medieval Russia folklore. The author's enchanting, descriptive prose transports you to a snowy winter in a time gone by. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes rich historical fiction. I am also looking forward to reading the third novel in the series.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was even better than first as it felt much more plot driven. This author brings the setting to life so that it is almost another character (reminds me of Roshani Chokshi). I cannot wait to see what this author puts out next.

The Bear and the Nightingale was one of my favorite 2017 reads so I was slightly nervous about reading The Girl in the Tower. A few pages after I started, I knew that I had absolutely nothing to fear - this one is just as good, albeit in a different way. Katherine Arden’s writing is absolutely exquisite, her world-building is incredible, and her characters are some of the most realistic I’ve read.

This book begins shortly after the events at the end of The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya has been cast out from her village, shunned by those she loved. Rather than accept her fate of joining a convent or marrying, Vasya decides to create her own path and, dressed as a boy, sets off for adventure. After finding herself drawn into the Prince of Moscow's inner circle, Vasya discovers a mysterious conspiracy that threatens the kingdom and everyone she holds dear.

I loved how easily I was able to slip back into the world and the story. Even as Arden began to weave this new story, she included enough details that I was able to easily recall the events from the first book. As before, the world-building was intricate, detailed, and captivating. The historical fiction aspects were beautifully intertwined with the fantasy aspects. It was almost possible to believe that I could catch a glimpse of a domovoi or other spirit if I looked hard enough. I also loved that Arden doesn't shy away from some of the more brutal aspects of history, particularly in regard to women and women's rights. Some of those scenes were heartbreaking and emotionally difficult to read but these are stories that need to be told.

Throughout the events of The Girl in the Tower,  Vasya grows from a girl uncertain of her place in the world to a woman who forges her own path. She is selfless, brave, and headstrong. And she makes mistakes. Arden's strength lies in creating characters who feel realistic, who are imperfectly perfect. Even her secondary characters jumped off the page. In the first book, I wanted more backstory on Morozoko and this book absolutely delivers on that. I never thought that a frost demon could steal my heart but I was proven 100% wrong.

The Girl in the Tower was an exquisitely written, beautifully atmospheric novel that I couldn't put down. Arden deftly avoids the sophomore slump, creating a story that is just as enchanting as the first. If you enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale, you'll adore this one.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale. This is a wonderful adventure story with a strong female protagonist. The author draws on Russian folklore and history to fuel this adventure about a young girl who is too smart, gifted and strong to let herself be forced to conform to the strictures of medieval society. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy

The Girl in the Tower marks a shift from the first book, which could have been an open-ended standalone, to what is now a clearly defined fantasy trilogy. The Bear and the Nightingale was a slow story told over a span of years, set in the cold and isolated north of Rus'. We watched young Vasilisa grow from birth to become a beguiling young woman in tune with the magic that is fading from her land. This second book picks up where the first left off, but it's much more of a fast-paced, plot-driven adventure story, with Vasya masquerading as a young nobleman. Determined to see the world, she strikes out alone with her magical horse Solovey, but eventually finds herself drawn into the orbit of her beloved brother Aleksander, who has become a renowned monk, and her sister Olga, who is now a noblewoman in Moscow following her marriage years before. Their world is a political one, in which actions have consequences that Vasya has little understanding of, and she unwittingly puts them both in great danger with her deception, as "Vasilii Petrovich" finds favor with her brother's close friend, the Grand Prince of Moscow.

As with the first book, the backdrop is a medieval Rus' in which Russian principalities are chafing under the yoke of Mongol "infidel" rule, but while that conflict is a distant backdrop of the first book, it becomes immediate in The Girl in the Tower, with the Grand Prince's desire to wage a fight for independence complicated by the threat of bandits pillaging Russian towns. So in addition to the adventure story, there's an element of court intrigue and political scheming that feels much more like rote historical fiction and fantasy fare than anything in The Bear and the Nightingale did. Additionally, the predictable fantasy romance that I was kind of relieved didn't materialize in book one develops in book two, but I wasn't actually pissed about it like I expected to be, since I thought Arden handled it with finesse.

The most compelling relationships in this book are the sibling relationships, and both Aleksander and Olga are given strong character development, with the opening chapters dedicated to establishing their places in the story even before Vasya arrives on the scene. Vasilisa and Aleksander seem to be cut from the same cloth, but he is a man of God and she is a woman of the older, pre-Christian ways. So does this mean that he must denounce her as a witch, even though he sees so much of himself in her? Meanwhile Olga lives a life that is foreign and incomprehensible to wild Vasya. At this time in Russian history, noblewomen were expected to live in secluded households like the tower of the title, and not interact with the outside world. Olga is comfortable in her own sphere of influence, but one of her young daughters may not be cut out for it any more than Vasya is.

What remains constant from book one is Arden's rich use of Russian fairy tales, her portrait of the contentious co-existence of new and old beliefs, and her ability to weave the magical into a story that is deeply rooted in history. The Girl in the Tower introduces even more characters and story elements from traditional Russian fairy tales, and like the first book, starts off with the telling of a traditional tale (in this case The Snow Maiden), that introduces themes that recur throughout the book.

Arden's writing style continues to be evocative and atmospheric, but this book relies more heavily on tried-and-true fantasy adventure tropes than her first novel did. So I'm not sure I recommend The Girl in the Tower as strongly on its literary merit as I did The Bear and the Nightingale, but I certainly enjoyed the ride just as much, if not more.

The Bear and the Nightengale introduced us to a world in transition. A child growing, religion shifting, a family coming together and falling apart. The Girl in the Tower shares much of what made its predecessor charming and engaging, but has a new and different focus. Vasya is no longer a carefree spritely child in the country side. She finds herself entangled in the world of men, wholly immersed in the struggles of society and politics, fighting for freedom. Freedom for herself, her family, her people.

It’s tempting to call this a coming of age tale, but I think that would be an oversimplification and a bit of an injustice to the depth of the story. Vasya isn’t just growing up, she did a lot of that already in the first book. She’s growing outward, changing the world around her as much as the world around her influences who she is becoming. Her strength comes from herself, but she finds much of her courage in her deep desire to protect those she loves, and her pride is balanced by her care for others. So I think instead, this is a tale of what it means to be human. Discovering the price of freedom, even as you relish it and whether or not you are willing to pay that price. Discovering the importance of family, even when they are being a righteous pain (Vasya is not the only person in this story to face significant trials and tribulations). Even the otherworldly pagan spirits she encounters are a reflection of our faith in them, our need for certain truths of the human experience to have a face to lend them some relatability, to diminish some of the fearful mystery of the unknown parts of each person’s journey through life. We desire protection of our homes (and stables), recognizable faces for the threats that linger in dark forests, and we always, always need to have some form for the presence of death. So Vasya journeys through this story, learning when to be strong, when to rely on the help of others (as none of us exist alone, she must learn to relent her pride a little when it is good to do so) and when embrace anger and compassion.

This is a wonderful sequel to what was a fantastic debut story, and left me looking forward to the next book in the trilogy. I’ve often found that the second book in a trilogy may be a weak link, lacking its own momentum in the interest of furthering the first tale or setting up for the coming book, but happily this isn’t the case for Arden’s Winternight Trilogy. If you enjoyed the first book, the second will be a page turning pleasure.

I have received an ARC from publishers but it does not in any way influence my thoughts and opinion.

THE WORLD: It is the second book in the series following rather famous The Bear and The Nightingale. As this book is pretty much takes off where the first one ended we are again set in the magical fairytale land of Russia where old gods and dark magic exists. I must say I was looking forward to being again in this world even more than I wanted to know what happens next! The Bear and The Nightingale was the first book that introduced me to this amazing genre and since then I have been reading many books set in old fairytale lands. Therefore I was slightly bit disappointed when we did not get to see as much of magic as in the first book. I mean of course it is expected, in the first book we learned all about the world and it's rule and by now we are as familiar with everything as our own world but still...little part of me would have loved more legends and old stories.

CHARACTERS: Just like in the first book we are still following Vasya as our main heroin. She is now a young woman who has to choose to either marry or go to the convent. Of course if you remember Vasya you already know that neither choice is something she would pick so Vasya ends up pretending to be a boy and set off on the adventure. As Moscow and surrounding villages are being attacked by bandits and little girls stolen Vasya finds herself trying to solve the mystery. After a battle she is invited to the castle where she is supposed to talk to the prince. Except that if you remember both Vasya's brother and sister are in Moscow and that of course becomes a problem because she is still pretending to be a boy. Alright so now let's look at Vasya herself. She is not a child anymore and the choices she makes are also not so small. When she leaves her village she ends up leaving her family behind which of course is nothing easy. She also has to eventually comes to the point as to what she will do next. Adventure and fighting off evil will always be her thing but now that her siblings are there and she is invited by the prince Vasya seems to kinda loose her appear. Not that I don't like her anymore. It's just often I found myself not a biggest fan of what she does. However it was very nice to read about her siblings again.

ROMANCE: Not the center. There is something happening and there are things carried over from the first book but Vasya is still a free spirit.

GOOD: I liked being back into the world. Will always love it and its magic.

BAD: It kinda felt like this book has a second book syndrome. I read first book as a stand alone and it was great but having a second book our after less than a year...I think you can feel that it was written much faster than the first book.

OVERALL: It was great to be back in the world but I wished a little bit more of this book. However as it is a trilogy maybe all the biggest fun is coming in the next book!

Vasilisa’s journey continues as she leaves her home at Lesnaya Zemlya and decides to be a traveler. In spite of repeated warnings from the frost-demon himself, Vasya and Solovey set out on an unknown path, a path full of danger and cold that can kill.

“Go out into the world, traveler. See what the long nights and hard days feel like, after a week of them.”

“Perhaps I will like them,” Vasya retorted, with spirit.

“I sincerely hope not.”

This path eventually leads her to Moscow, where she has to disguise herself as Vasilii, the son of a Lord. In Moscow and adjacent places, the villages are burning and girls are being abducted by bandits who don’t leave any track. And Vasya is on a mission to find these clever, mysterious and shrewd bandits, only to realize later that it’s all a part of a big plan.

The story develops a lot in the initial chapters, as we are given details about the miseries that Vasya faces on the road. There is news about Sasha and his present life as a monk, as well as Olga, as the princess of Serpukhov. The strange relationship between Vasya and the winter king also grows, as they come close and he saves her life again and again. There’s a hint of a probable romance and there’s longing between the two souls.

“Think of me sometimes,” he returned. “When the snowdrops have bloomed and the snow has melted.”

The plot picks up only after 60% of the book and that’s when there’s action. So I suggest you have a little patience. Once the actual plot unfolds, secrets and treacheries start pouring out. There are fights, races, drama, emotions etc. We meet similar kind of ghosts as in The Bear and The Nightingale and they help Vasya a lot throughout her battle to save the city of Moscow.

I liked this book a little less than The Bear and The Nightingale. But what I loved is, nothing in the plot is forced. Not even Morozko’s presence, The author has taken the time to justify every plot twist (even though a few things have broken my heart 😦 )

A brilliant follow up to the wonderful debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale. We pick up right where the first book left off and follow Vasya as she escapes her stifling life in her small village for adventure on the open road. It turns out to be entirely more than she expected and the Winter King can't leave her undefended. When she runs into her brother while in disguise as a boy, her life takes a turn that she never expected. She sees her sister, pregnant and cloistered with the other women in a tower, and knows that she can never reveal herself as a girl and end up stuck in that space. When a new friend turns out to be someone completely unexpected, Vasya must summon all of her courage and, of course, the Winter King to save her family and the city of Moscow. A must-read if you loved the first novel and need to know what happened to Vasya--I know I did. Go buy it at your local bookstore. Give it to your friends..Read it in your book clubs. This will be the book you talk about over the holidays!

I really loved the first book in this series, "The Bear and the Nightingale". I loved the fairy tale feel of the woods, the supernatural creatures that co-existed with the Russian village, and the strong character of Vasya.

This book went in a slightly different direction, one I didn't like as much. A good portion of the book took place in towns and cities, which prove to be dangerous places for a girl alone. At the beginning of the book, Vasya has decided to live on the road, since her village has rejected her. The structure of the book starts in Moscow, where we are re-introduced to her sister and brother, Olga and Sasha. Father Konstantin also makes an appearance. After some time is taken to establish these characters and this setting, we are abruptly thrown back in time to see what Vasya has been doing in order to meet up with her siblings again. This flashback structure is awkward and it made me feel like most of the first half of the book was just Vasya coming up to speed with where the other characters began the book. Nothing really moved forward plot-wise until halfway through the book when everyone was in one place.

Once the real book began, halfway through the book, I enjoyed reading about Vasya passing as a boy. She quickly became an integral part of court, and a standout adventurer. Of course, this could never end well, and a hidden sorcerer outs her. Once again, the author spends a considerable amount of time on the harsh restrictions placed upon well-born Russian women. They were essentially cloistered and had no place in public life. It sounds horrible, and Vasya is not fit for such a life. Quite a bit of action happens in order for her to save herself.

Morozko and Vasya continue to dance their will-they-won't-they in this book, and I'm honestly not sure I want to root for them. I'm not really sure their semi-romance adds anything to the story.

At the end, I read quickly but didn't find the story as satisfying as the first in the series. I'm willing to keep going because I do think that Vasya is an outstanding character and I'm curious how her prophecy will fulfill itself.

A snippet of the folktale of Snegurochka:

Snegurochka knew that she could live forever if she chose, a snow-girl in a little peasant's izba. But...there was the music. And her lover's eyes.
"So she smiled and clothed herself in blue and white. She ran outside. When the sun touched her, drops of water slid from her flaxen hair. "She and the shepherd went to the edge of the birch-wood.
"'Play your flute for me,' she said.
"The water ran faster, down her arms and hands, down her hair. Though her face was pale, her blood was warm, and her heart. The young man played his flute, and Snegurochka loved him, and she wept.
"The song ended. The shepherd went to take her into his arms. But as he reached for her, her feet melted. She crumpled to the damp earth and vanished. An icy mist drifted under the warmth of the blue sky, and the boy was left alone.
------------------------------------
"'Why should I be always cold?' she retorted. 'You are an old cold thing, but I am a mortal girl now; I will learn about this new thing, this fire.'"

One thing that struck me right away in The Bear and the Nightingale was the way Arden introduced the fairy tale to the reader through character storytelling. Not only does it tie everything together into a lovely bow, it is a wonderful tactic to familiarize any reader with the retelling. Not being particularly familiar with Russian folklore, I was elated that she used the same tactic in The Girl in the Tower to introduce the tale of Snegurochka, the snow child who became Morozko's Goddaughter and helper.

"But some say she died," she said sadly. "For that is the price of loving."

It is very interesting how Arden retells this tale and applies its implications towards Morozko, himself instead of Snegurochka. His undeniable connection to Vasya, a human girl, pulls him towards the life of the living. Yet, his true nature is an obstacle that will most-likely could be the downfall of this budding romance.

Despite the fact that I was playing a bit of catch up, it was to my satisfaction that much of the indecisiveness The Bear and the Nightingale left me with was cleared up in the first few chapters. There still were a few small details that left me wanting for more explanation, but I'm hoping The Winter of the Witch will address those.

Moving on to things I liked:

#1 In my opinion, the world building is the most notable characteristic of The Girl in the Tower. The reader doesn't need to work at all to fall into the crystalline setting of this story. The moment I started reading, a wintry chill crept in and trapped me into this medieval era in Russia. The atmosphere of this book is everything. If you are looking for a Winter read, this series is perfect for that! You have (of course) snow, a snow/death demon, wintry horse races, and so much more!

#2 The entire cast is perfection. With such a wide variety of people and creatures, it's hard not to become invested in them.

Character Breakdown (of only more prominent characters)

Vasya's character is the perfect combination of a strong female character, that has some sense. It's a common theme to make female characters rather brutish in YA fantasy nowadays. Gladly, I never had this feeling while following Vasya. She retains her free spirit, braveness, selflessness, and is simply a delightful character.

When Vasya must leave her home, she decides that she wants to live a life of freedom and adventure. Morozko tries, yet cannot sway her yearning. Instead, he aids her to disguise herself as a young man as it was dangerous to travel as a woman alone. Although it was highly against the rules, her new identity of Vasilicii ushered her into the world of men, along with their politics.

Soon, she realizes that in order to gain favor with men, including the Grand Prince Dimitrii, she must prove herself. Time after time, she does. However, her growing reputation is forgotten when she is discovered to be a woman during a duel race with Kasyan.

Faced with difficult choices, Vasya remains true to herself and stands for herself and family.

Sasha: After encountering his sister Vasya disguised as a man, Sasha's morals are challenged. Knowing her precarious state, he puts on a front and introduces her as his little brother. He puts his own reputation on the line as a priest to ensure his sister's safety. (The things we do for our family!)

Olga: While her presence was quite apparent in this story, Olga didn't have much of an impact on me. Her character is essential, as it exemplifies the societal structure, especially among the upper-class citizens.

Kasyan: I had thought that Konstantin couldn't be rivaled in his vileness, but he has met his match. Kasyan, one of Vasya's male acquaintances along the road, discovers that she is a woman. He ends up revealing her secret to the Grand Prince, forcing her to choose between punishment or marriage. Vasya discovers that Kasyan holds a secret of his own, and is actually Koshchei, an old rival to Morozko.

Konstantin: While he was still just as despicable as ever, I felt a bit more satisfied that he sort of got what he deserved. However, I feel that it will not be the last of him in this series.

Other Beings: I must send a little shout out to my lovely Solovey and other creatures throughout this series. You all make it so much better! (And who doesn't love a talking, sassy horse!?)

Morozko: I had some issues with Morozko in The Bear and the Nightingale as I wasn't really understanding where his character was supposed to go. However, his stance was established quickly, and consistently. His obvious love for Vasya is undeniable, and heartbreaking.

Which leads me to the third point of what I liked.

#3 The romance is deliciously innocent, and believable. It's clear that there is chemistry between the snow girl and the Winter Demon. Unlike many fast-paced, no-one-uses-their-heads kind of romances, this one is nearly infuriating because the reader wants Morozko and Vasya to be together (at least, I do!) but there are so many obstacles in between them making it nearly impossible!

#4 The way this story is written feels historically accurate. Yes, I know it's a fantasy tale. However, before Christianity found its way into Russia, the Slavic (Rus) fictional character Ded Moroz (Morozko) held supreme. This battle between "the old gods and new gods" seems believable, as it did take time to convert non-believers to Christianity. Even though this is an underlying theme, these belief systems play a major role in the existence and well-being of the "mythical" creatures that add such flavor to this tale.

Things I didn't like:

#1 While I gave this book a 5-star rating, one thing that I still had a bit of difficulty with was all of the characters. While this was less overwhelming than in The Bear and the Nightingale I still felt myself trying to figure out, or remember who a character was here and there.

#2 This isn't a read for the weak. The depiction given of this Russia is brutal when one is a woman. Woman have hardly any rights, as shown when Vasya is discovered not to be a boy.

#3 Some further explanation would have been nice when regarding Koshchei the Deathless, portrayed by the character of Kasyan, and even the Nightingale. Little to no backstory is given on these characters' involvement in Russian folklore.

Overall, I loved this read. The pacing is fast and incredibly intense. I can't wait for The Winter of the Witch to come out!

Vulgarity: Moderate usage, mainly consisting of the B-word, as well as other degrading female terms.
Sexual content: While there aren't any specific scenes, women aren't treated well at this time in Russia. Basically, the moment a girl is out on the streets alone, no matter her intent, she's fair game to any man.
Violence: Moderate. There is a child birthing scene which is a bit graphic, and tragic.

5 stars.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Just as beautiful and entrancing as the first book -- a world built with so much depth, you feel like you could just reach out and touch it. I think its tricky sometimes to have a fairytale that keeps the attention of adult readers, and this book did exactly that.

The Girl in the Tower is a magnificent novel, rich in history and filled with the magic that warms dark nights and lingers in memory.  It is a fairy tale deftly woven, that easily mesmerizes the reader transporting them to a time long past in a country foreign in nature and experience.  Vasya is not a beautiful princess, instead she is far more - a woman who dreams, unafraid of challenging the status quo, unwilling to accept the constrained life even fortunate women must endure.  She sees what has been forgotten, beings fading in time and memory.  Some say she is a witch, but she doesn’t know what she is.  Her power lies in her courage and uniqueness and her willingness to act and remember.  Vasya is at once hero and pawn in a game where elder powers struggle to remain and monotheism is on the rise.

I loved The Girl in the Tower.  I didn’t think it possible for a follow up to be as good as the original - I was wrong.  I highly recommend Katherine Arden’s novel to anyone who loves fantasy, fairy tales and the romance of history.

5 / 5

I received a copy of The Girl in the Tower from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Wow! What an intense story, Going through the things she went through it really touched my heart. Definitely a must read

In many respects, I enjoyed this book more than than the first. Where the first had a lot of info dumping that dragged, this one moved quickly. The world was rich, and you got just enough information to really believe in the world.

I enjoyed the further development of Morozko.

However, there were a few instances that drew me out of the book, and that was with the rather frequent use of a vulgar b word. With the rich culture and world building, there had to have been a better option. Only once was it in reference to an actual female animal. I found that extremely disappointing.

I received an ARC in exchange for a review.

This is the second book of The Winternight Trilogy. These books are absolutely stunning in both cover and content. I love that the author stayed as true to the time period as she could with magic involved. The use of Russian folktales is well executed. I am so excited there is a third book and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

❝ Vasya’s lips felt cold. As a child she had daydreamed of her beautiful sister, living in a palace, like the fairy-tale Olga with her eagle-prince. But now those childish dreams dwindled to this: an aging woman, magnificent and solitary, whose tower door never opened, who would make her daughter a proper maiden but never count the cost.❞

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for approving me for this ARC. This does not influence my review in any way, all thoughts are my own!

After the events of the first book, I was super excited to see where Vasya’s adventures would take her, and I really wanted to know more about Morozko. I definitely got more of both and Arden did not disappoint!

Vasya/Vasilisa sets out to see the world and find her siblings in Moscow in defiance of Morozko’s wishes. During her traveling she encounters danger and her world becomes much more complicated when she disguises herself as a boy and earns the attention of the Grand Prince. Despite their disapproval, both her brother and sister help keep her secret but make plans behind her back to force her to live a more proper life for a woman once things have calmed down.

This book definitely does a better job of explaining the different spirts and their purpose–which was one of my complaints from the first book. I liked that because I didn’t want them to just become a jumble of names to me. Unlike in the first book, however, these seemed less human. They were, understandably, less powerful and fading away because of Christianity being much stronger in Moscow and so it made them more distant both from Vasya and us as readers. That was a little disappointing because I grew to love the strong relationships between them and Vasya.

I think what balanced it out a bit for me was that we did get to know Morozko a bit better in this book. He did still have that distance that came with being immortal, but he definitely showed more emotion in this book. He was closer to Vasya and more involved in her life and well-being. What really set it apart was that it seemed more… emotionally driven than just self-preservation. This was a big change from the Winter King we encountered in the first book.

And Morozko was not the only one who changed. Vasya really came into her own in this book. She had a more commanding presence (especially when she was playing a boy). She was more confident and still just as brave and caring as in the first book. It was interesting to see her in this new role because in a way she seemed more like herself as a boy than a girl. There wasn’t anything holding her back like in the first girl when she had to curb her actions/personality to keep the villagers from getting too upset.

❝ Sasha looked at his sister. He had never thought of her as girlsih, but the last trace of softness was gone. The quick brain, the strong limbs were there: fiercely, almost defiantly present, though concealed beneath her encumbering dress. She was more feminine than she had ever been, and less.

Witch. The word drifted across his mind. We call such women so, because we have no other name.❞

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the same support as in the first book. Both Olga and Sasha just kind of put up with her in order to save face. It wasn’t because they really cared about her and wanted to protect her. Although I will say that Sasha was the kinder of the two. He did seem to show more affection towards Vasya and was more willing to hear her out than Olga.

With that said, Olga was absolutely my least favorite of the two. She was more concerned with protecting her image and that of her daughter’s than looking out for Vasya. From the beginning, she blamed Vasya for their father’s (and mother’s) death. She easily believed the worst of Vasya and wanted to be rid of her as soon as possible. It was super frustrating because it was a complete flip from how her other siblings were in the first book.

As for the plot, I liked the direction it took because it gave Vasya more room to grow into her own and it expanded on questions I had from the first group (especially concerning her connection to Morozko and her ancestors). However, I think the synopsis kind of did a disservice to the book. It hinted at an enemy and this threat that really didn’t show up until so much later in the book. I don’t think the pacing was super terrible, but just knowing that something bigger was supposed to happen made it seem like it took forever to get to that point. I think if they didn’t mention the siege it wouldn’t have felt that way.

Again, I really enjoyed reading everything Vasya did on her adventure/quest to find the bandits, but it seemed like there was a big gap in the middle of the book where the story focused more on her adventures than the actual bandits/threat she was supposed to be fighting.

Once the enemy is actually revealed things roll really quickly. I was glued to every page and I stayed up late just to finish the book because I couldn’t put it down. So much happens in the last couple of chapters that really made it worth it to push through some of the slower parts.

I think overall it was a great sequel to the series. There were some good elements missing in this book that I had enjoyed in the first (which is a little disappointing), but I think this book also brought in and expanded other areas that weren’t as strong before and it really helped balance it out.

The Girl in the Tower was released on December 5th so go pick up a copy! I think if you enjoyed the first book you’ll have fun with this one ❤

This is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy. THE GIRL IN THE TOWER is a great follow up to THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE. In only Vasya’s POV we get a glimpse into the myths and enchantments of Russian folklore.

THE GIRL IN THE TOWER picks up as Vasya is cast out of her village. She has two options: join her sister in Moscow where she will be married off or hide her identity as a girl and ride off into the subset. She chooses the latter, of course, and is given a horse named Solovey. Solovey was given to Vasya by the Winter King, Morozko.

Morozko doesn’t agree with Vasya traveling by horse and fears for her safety. Vasya suffers in her travels but learns a great deal about what it means to be really survive on her own. When she encounters a burned down village she finds the people of that village mourning their stolen daughters. Vasya’s goal becomes clear, steal them back from the bandits. The plans don’t go smooth when she ends off running into her brother Sasha, a monk now serving the King.

Things get really muddled when Vasya continues her ruse as a boy and swears allegiance to the king right along with her brother. She has a lot on the line as the forces of good and evil face off with Vasya as the only person who sees the people for what they really are. It is time for Vasya to reveal her true nature or run off and leave her family behind.

It took me a bit to get back into this story. It seems like I had that same issue with the first book. Once we were traveling on the road, I was all up to speed and following the story with no problem. It is written in the same prose as THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE and readers will either love or hate. I loved it.

Vasya has grown as a character and she continues to mature in this book. Her actions has consequences, and we haven’t been through all of them yet. Eventually, Vasya will have to choose. Her wild nature helps her choose her heart above anything else. I love that she defies everyone’s expectations and chooses to be a boy.

I would say that reading the first book in this story is important to understand Vasya’a growth. Her beginnings are just as important as the circumstances she faces I this installment to the trilogy. Vasya still has the gift of seeing the creatures the guard her family and more, and she discovers she is not the only one.

Family, once again, plays an important role in this story. Although we are meeting new people, Vasya’a blood kin are still the force that drives her decisions. Vasya also has a special relationship with horses in this story. Solovey plays the role as a sort of conscience for Vasya and reminds her that there is so much at stake.

I really enjoyed this installment as it felt like a brand new adventure with familiar characters. We still have some loose ends which I hope the author will resolve for us in the next book. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy fantasy and folklore with amazing characters. Once you get into the prose of the story it is hard to put this down.

Just as enchanting and hard to put down as The Bear and the Nightingale!