Although I knew I was already enthralled with Katherine Arden’s writing after reading Small Spaces and the first two books in this trilogy, The Winter of the Witch solidified that this is one of my favorite series of all time. I have loved each and every moment of this series and am so overjoyed with how it ended even as I am sobbing over the fact that it’s over.

This series is magical and enchanting, full of beautiful lyrical prose, riveting monsters, man-beasts, spirits, and factual Russian history. The first book includes whimsical folklore tales with a slow burn of conflict between Christian and pagan. The second book pulls you in by depicting the upheaval in medieval Russia of politics, invaders and a feudal system. Everything is heightened in this third and final book, higher stakes, more dangerous risks taken, on and on it continues until Arden culminates to one epic battle of all parties. This is where not only the individual book ends, but rather it seamlessly brings together all you learned and felt in the first two books as well. In an Author’s Note, Arden explains that she always knew where this story would end even though so many changes were made throughout her writing process. I can see why as it perfectly brings together the conflicts brought up in each novel; the Rus’ against the Tatars, Christian against pagan and a young woman fighting to fulfill her own desires while still satisfying her family.

The Winter of The Witch picks up where The Girl in the Tower ended, Vasya has saved Moscow but the city, and a specific Priest, is searching for someone to blame for the recent havoc wrought on its inhabitants. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. And thus this story opens with some distressing moments that invoked a slew of emotions within me.

Meanwhile, the Grand Prince is enraged and finds allies to seek vengeance, but it may lead him to war and ruin. And a terrifying demon returns, intent on reaking havoc. Once again we see how anger and fear can make people search for the wrong type of assistance, creating darkness and pain in the lives of others and ourselves. We also have to consider that not all monsters are evil and maybe they are not meant to be slain. What if we need them in our lives? What if they care and weep for us and we never knew?

Onto the characters. Vasya is such an amazing character and I love her strength and bravery but also her flaws. After all her experiences, she is now angry at the wicked actions of men and struggles to stop herself from seeking vengeance and cruelty over them all. We delve deeper into the brotherly bond of Dmitrii and Sasha, with some nail biting suspicion due to the lies told in the second book. And we meet some new characters, mortal and spirits, that bring new light and layers to the story. These spirits bring us to a new land of darkness that Arden so beautifully creates that I was enchanted all over again. I’ve been saying it in each of my reviews, but I cannot ever give enough praise to Arden and her creation of this magical tale.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style, the characters, the plot, the way the author set the scene...all of it was an absolute treat. I review so many books, that sometimes I forget to read a book just for "fun," solely for me and my quiet time. This novel made me forget that I was doing a review at all, and immersed me instead into an entirely different world. An absolute recommend!

This was a perfect conclusion to the Winternight Trilogy. I am convinced not that Katherine Arden can do no wrong. Picking up directly after the events of The Girl in the Tower, we see Vasya thrust in to a position of go between for the chyerti world and the world of men. It was amazing seeing her grow from untamed tomboy child in the first book to strong woman in this last installment. A must read - especially for the tearfully tender moments at the end.

This whole trilogy was amazing. Often one book in a trilogy will not be as good as the rest, but that is not the case with Arden's Winternight Trilogy. The trilogy has a historical setting in Medieval Russia. Some of the people and events named were real. The rest of the story is a wonderous fairy tale that that will keep the reader up all night. This final book has Vasilisa risking her sanity and her life to save her family and the Russian people.

Hello, this review will be published to Instagram, blog, and Goodreads on December 21st. I will add review to Amazon and Barnes & Noble on the publication date. Links will be added to reviews once they are public, thanks.

Title: The Winter of the Witch
Author: Katherine Arden
Publication Date: January 8th, 2019
Rating: 5 stars
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley

The Winter of the Witch was one of my most anticipated reads for 2019 and it did not disappoint. We are swept back into this magical world right where The Girl in the Tower left off. Vasya is trying to make peace with what happened to Moscow the night before while trying to keep her family safe as an angry mob wants her tried for witchcraft. Katherine Arden's writing is once again captivating and brings to life this world and the characters we have grown to love. 

We find ourselves back at recognizable places such as Moscow and the forest but we also are drawn into new magical worlds that feel like a dream. Her world building is breathtaking and imaginative as always.

New and familiar characters come back for this epic conclusion. Vasya is still growing in the beginning and by the end she is finding her purpose which is satisfying to see. She is always full of real human emotions as Katherine has a way of making each character come to life. I even grew to like Medved, the bear, and I didn't think that was possible. Many of the characters are met with tough decisions they must make and sometimes those decisions lead to fateful consequences. 

This book gave me so many emotions and tears were shed multiple times as well as a few laughs here and there. Although I am sad to see this wonderful world end, The Winter of the Witch is a great ending to a beloved series.

The Winter of the Witch was one of my most highly anticipated releases of January 2019, and it was everything I was hoping it would be and more. Told in the same descriptive and highly atmospheric prose as its predecessors—The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower—The Winter of the Witch was a satisfying and epic conclusion to not only the trilogy but Vasya’s story as well. Plainly speaking, this book was excellent.

Picking up right after the end of The Girl in the Tower, Vasya quickly found herself in new and dangerous situations that stemmed from the consequences of previous actions—many of which had no easy solutions. As such, the beginning got the story off to a fast-paced start and I was easily drawn back into the world of the Winternight trilogy. And from the opening chapter, the story quickly devolved into more as the plans of foes—both new and old—came to fruition. Choices had to be made. Lessons had to be learned. It was no easy road for any character—not Vasya, or anyone else—and the end result was a relatively fast-paced story with action and magic as wondrous as it was a little dark and mysterious.

Speaking of—magic, dark, and mysterious—it also accurately describes the setting. There were some familiar places toward the beginning of the story—like Moscow and the woods surrounding it—but as the story progressed, Vasya's character arch took her to parts of the spirit realm. I thought those scenes were pretty cool. And with Arden’s prose, those places were described in gorgeous detail, fitting in almost seamlessly with the more ordinary settings.

And, of course, I can’t forget the characters. One of the best aspects of the Winternight Trilogy has always been the characters—mortal or otherwise. And characters all across the board went through a hefty dose of development in The Winter of the Witch, and no one was exactly the same by the end. Vasya’s story in particular was my favorite. Gone is the girl from the beginning of The Bear and the Nightingale, and in her place is a character that came into her own. And after everything she’s been through, I loved the way her story ended.

While I’m sad the trilogy is over—and I wish there was more—I can’t help but be satisfied with the conclusion. And if you’re a fan of this series, then The Winter of the Witch is a must read….

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Del Rey) via NetGalley for this review, thank you!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars. Major spoilers marked.

I was not even sad that the "Winternight Trilogy" came to end, because "The Winter of the Witch" was perfectly true to the series and the characters that I came to love so much. On the rare occurrence when I was not entirely thrilled by something that happened in the book, it was still absolutely in character and true to the overall themes of the novel. Katherine Arden is true writing goals—planning where she meant her characters to go and getting them there in ways so suitable that I couldn’t even imagine them, and for weaving in humor and magic throughout her often dark tales.

Though this was probably my least favorite out of the trilogy that included "The Bear and the Nightingale" and "The Girl in the Tower"—mostly because I’m not a huge fan of reading about battles or preparing for them—I still laughed, wept, and was extremely proud of heroine Vasilisa “Vasya” Petronova. She is the type of female character that audiences are lucky to get every decade or so—one who has power and is not afraid to wield it as she sees fit. A small town girl, Vasya ends up saving her entire country—a feat impressive enough on its own—but she does not stop there. She continually challenges the forces of her time period and its restrictive customs until she can finally squash them. In<em> "The Winter of the Witch", Vasya grows into a woman, comes fully into her own powers, and takes the word “witch,” and OWNS it—all while shattering the traditional consequences women associated with the term “witch’ faced. And she doesn’t apologize for it.

"I have been running through the dark, trying to save all who have need of me. I have done good and I have done evil, but I am neither. I am only myself. You will not make me ashamed…..”

Perhaps the hardest—and strongest part of the novel—is that to truly stand on her own feet and come into her own as a magic-wielding witch, author Arden rips away many of Vasya’s few loyal allies at the very beginning of the novel. <spoiler>Solovey, Vasya’s loyal, sweet, intelligent, and porridge-loving horse is savagely struck down by a mob at almost the very beginning of the novel—something I knew was going to happen from the very first time Morozko the Winter King brought him to her way back in "The Bear and the Nightingale," but still wept at bitterly. Next to go is Morozko,the Winter King, and god of death who has protected Vasya since childhood, but whose powers are in shambles. Medved—aka the Bear and the brother of the Winter King—imprisons Morozko, who previously freed him in a desperate attempt to save Vasya’s life.</spoiler> But Vasya somehow does not despair, and emerges from the literal fire (of course someone had to try and burn her at least once or it wouldn’t be realistic to the whole witchcraft accusation thing), a blade honed. I could not wait to see what she did next.

Vasya finds the strength to go on, wandering the perilous path of Midnight—a magic road that only appears to those with the Sight, at you guessed it, midnight. This road leads through all the realms during Midnight—as long as the wanderer does not fall asleep, which will trap them in their current realm until next midnight. I thought this was such an amazing and interesting concept. Vasya’s journey was made even better by her finding new allies, including a spunky mushroom, and a firebird in the guise of a horse named Pozhar. Along the way, the legendary Baba Yaga also makes an appearance.

Throughout all of her ordeals, Vasya’s continued strength of character is just so empowering. Through Arden’s lyrical and touching prose, Vasya’s victories were my victories and her setbacks were my setbacks. I do not think I have ever been more attached to a character—let alone one who is so secure in her own power and self. Her entire journey—facing the judgement of those who do not understand, fearing being forced into a convent or into a marriage she didn’t want—is reminiscent of every woman’s struggle, but on a grander, more magical scale. To see her finally triumph over all of her foes and obstacles standing in the way of who she was truly meant to be in "The Winter of the Witch" was beyond heartening. Vasya is truly every girl’s dream character—a warrior, a witch, and a princess all in one.

“It was never your task to pick out the good
from the wicked. Your task was to unite us. We are one people.”

And despite all of those titles—Vasya ends up being even more. Vasya serves as the bridge between men, their new religion, and the old ways of the chyert. Admittedly, at first, I was disheartened that she did not choose to remain in the realms of winter with her paramour and partner, Morozko, but I realized it truly would not have been at all a fitting end for adventurous Vasya. I was stupid to think she could ever be happy with that kind of settled existence—and realized that I had probably been conditioned since childhood to believe that the heroine of every fairytale has to settle down with her man in her own “happily-ever-after.”

Luckily for me, Arden had thought of a much more suitable ending for Vasya. <spoiler>She will reside in the land of midnight, in Baba Yaga’s hut by the lake, as the guardian of the magical steeds. And with Solovey back at her side, something that caused me to weep yet again—but this time with tears of joy—I’m sure she’ll be traveling through the other realms of midnight once again—and probably quite often to the realms of Winter.</spoiler> The rest of the happy ending probably should have been cheesy or felt too perfectly-wrapped up, but not once did it feel like that.

Somehow Arden makes Vasya’s <spoiler> balancing of the world, its religions, and its two warring supernatural brothers, the resurrection of her beloved steed, and her acceptance by Baba Yaga, anything but saccharine. Instead, it is a poignant, touching, and remarkable—just like the rest of the series.</spoiler> And when a character nonchalantly asks Vasya—who was so often confronted with the expectations of her gender and her lack of independence—“Vasya….where do you wish to go?” I was overjoyed that she finally had a choice and that someone cared what this precious girl wanted—that it could have been the last line of the book, with no other explanations, and I would have been perfectly happy.

"I will guard it. And I will watch over my family. And I will ride the world, in between times,through the farthest countries of dark and day. It is enough for one life.”

From the beginning of this trilogy, it was obvious that the author knew where she wanted her character—not just Vasya—to wind up in the end.I especially loved how Arden dealt with the character of Konstantin—<spoiler>who poetically met his end by his own tortured hand. It is a testament to her writing ability that she managed to keep Vasya’s hands clean of the blood of the most pitiable villain of the book—even though he definitely deserved it—and somehow came up with an even more tragic end for the character. The only time I was unhappy with the development of a character was with Vasya’s brother, Sasha. It was so dang obvious that that goody-goody monk was going to die in his one-on-one trial by combat that I could barely stand to read it.</spoiler> But this is a small blip of discontent in an otherwise wholly great work.

It is also notable that though this novel deals with a lot of heavy material—accusations of witchcraft, riots, murder, the plague, failed childbirth, religion, the gender roles of women, suicide, and more—the author manages to successfully weave in wit and humor throughout the book too. I often laughed aloud at many of the things the Bear, the most despicable villain from way back in "The Bear and the Nightingale" said—and even found myself growing fond of him, something I would not have believed possible.

I adored every minute of reading, not only the "The Winter of the Witch," but also the entire "Winternight Trilogy," and simply cannot recommend the series enough. It is not often that a series that I love this much is wrapped up in such an artful manner that I would both remain perfectly happy with the ending or jump at the chance to read more of the same characters in future installments. Katherine Arden is an amazing author of whose lyrical prose, beautiful settings, developed characters, and unique ideas sets her apart. She is officially a member of my very short—I-must-read-this-author’s-books-immediately-upon-release-list. These books are perfect for lovers of fantasy, historical fiction, magic, powerful female characters, and romance.

Equal parts comfortingly familiar and fresh, The Winter of the Witch is a fitting conclusion to one of my favourite series,

Moscow may have been saved from the fire, but the trouble has only started. Vasya, condemned for a witch and almost killed by an angry mob, has to flee for her life. The fate of the chyerti is still uncertain, the danger of the Tatars still present. I admit it took me a bit longer to get into it than the other two, but when it started coming together I was bewitched, barely able to tear my eyes away. The scope grows larger, epic, the events concerning not just Vasya and her family, but the fate of all of Russia.

The places we got to see and the things we learned were fascinating, and Vasya's arc excellent, if bittersweet. She has to go through a lot of grief (I really liked that her feelings about a certain event were not forgotten after a few pages but continued to affect her throughout the book) and shoulder a lot of responsibility. Her confidence and fiercely independent spirit, her flaws...I couldn't help but root for her. The supporting cast is great as well - there are some new faces, but we get to see plenty more of old acquaintances like Sasha and Morozko too.

While I wish there was a bit more of an epilogue, I don't really have any large complaints. Probably my biggest issue is unconnected to the plot: the glossary spoils a character death. I took a peek mid-book, curious about something or the other, and was very unhappy with what I saw.

This was an explosive, magical end to a great trilogy. I LOVED the Midnight Realm, the idea of the Midnight Road that takes the rider through every midnight through time, but if the rider falls asleep in Midnight too far from where they began, they'll awaken in the future having traveled for years and years and years, and be immediately dead. And the House by the Lake - I want an ENTIRE book of stories in this place ... I want more Baba Yaga, more magical horses that are also birds, more magical little mushrooms and lake monsters ... I want a whole book of these. I'm holding out hope that Arden has this in her back pocket (pretty pretty please??) - like Garth Nix did for the Abhorsen series. Sometimes a fantasy world is just so perfect with history and fable and folklore and fairy tale, that I can't bear to leave it, and it is this way with this book.

"You loved it! Why not 5 stars?" - I was left a bit worn by the aggressive cruelty of men and the fighting world of an unstable Russia, plagued by usurping and marauding clans. And that war really was painful to read (I hate those parts of these epic novels, I must say). As I keep saying, I wanted more magical realm stuff, but there ended up being a pretty decent balance.

Well, this was a delightful ending to the series. I loved The Bear and the Nightingale and felt meh about Girl in the Tower, so I wasn't sure how this one was going to go over (particularly considering that my reading brain hates everything I read right now). I appreciate that Katherine Arden gives just enough background that I don't have to completely reread the last two books to have a clue what was going on...or they're just good enough that most of the plot stuck in my brain. If you're into Morozko, you'll be happy with this one. I thought Midnight was a fascinating place and I'm glad we got to see that strange little world. Vasya turns into a powerful woman who pretty much stops putting up with other people's nonsense. I mean, she was stubborn and headstrong to begin with, but her personality and confidence really shows through in the Winter of the Witch. It was a sad, but highly satisfying ending. If you like the last two books, or even one of the last two, I think you'll be happy with this one.

Katherine Arden’s amazing Winternight trilogy comes to a satisfying close in The Winter of the Witch. This novel begins in the immediate aftermath of the conclusion to the previous volume and readers should read this series in order so that they don’t get lost right off the bat. Everything in the first two books has been building towards the events in this concluding installment.

Our protagonist, the beaten and weary Vasilisa Petrovna, is not allow to rest after the night when Moscow was almost destroyed by an angry firebird. There was so much destruction and confusion that the people of Moscow want someone to pay. Vasya is only just barely able to escape when an old enemy whips up a mob to try and burn her as a witch. The first chapters made me ache for Vasya. She was only trying to help. Of course, a lot of protagonists were only trying to help when they inadvertently caused all hell to break loose. Still, there’s no excuse for trying to burn someone alive.

Her escape leads her on a series of episodic adventures that end up putting the Rus’ to rights after years of conflict between the supernatural chyerti and the Orthodox church; the warring Medved the Bear and his brother the winter king, Morozko; and the Rus’ and their Tatar overlords. Everywhere Vasya goes, she has to extract promises and strike bargains in an effort to save lives and find a measure of peace for everyone. Her tasks seem so impossible that, even though I knew things had to come out right because this was the last book in the series, I worried. Vasya has so much on her shoulders in this book between all of these struggles on top of her worries over her own sanity and for her family. The fact that she bears up under all of this had me marveling over her strength and ingenuity.

Readers who have been following the series will be more than satisfied with this conclusion, I think. Each episode in the book is tense, with high stakes if Vasya should falter. All the loose ends are tied up. Nothing is easy and the ending is more than earned. Arden treats us to plenty of magic and headstrong characters drawn from Russian history and folklore, with new creatures we haven’t seen before. I savored every page of The Winter of the Witch.

The Winter of the Witch is a fantastic, imaginative conclusion to the Winternight Trilogy. While this novel continues from where The Girl in the Tower ended, the tone of this book is very different from the two previous books: much darker. Vasya faces increasingly more dangerous challenges in her determination to find a happy medium between Morozko, the winter king and death-god, and Medved, the bear and bringer of chaos. Additionally, Vasya’s relationship with Morozko keeps changing as he helps her in her times of need.

Vasya feels that it is her mission to find a way to allow Christian doctrines to coexist with the folkloric beliefs in the various spirits (chyerti) from Russian folklore. Add to this an actual battle between the Russians and the Tatars who vastly outnumber the Russians. How Vasya is drawn into this conflict is the crux of the latter half of this novel. There are many twists and turns in the plot, many of them totally unexpected, which left me with a feeling of uncertainty as to how this would all end. Would any of the beloved characters die? Would Vasya succeed in her crusade? I found the suspense of wondering how things would work out both thrilling and nerve-wracking.

I know that The Winter of the Witch is the conclusion to this trilogy. However, I would enjoy reading about the further adventures of some of these characters, especially if or when they get to meet other members of their families. For example, I’d like to see more of the development of the character of Masha (Marya), Vasya’s niece, and what type of experiences she will ultimately face. There is so much more that can be explored and I hope that Katherine Arden will take up the challenge of writing more stories based on Russian folklore, along the line of the Winternight Trilogy.

Katherine Arden has written an action-packed series that is a real page-turner, with a unique blend of historical Russian people and events, Russian folklore, fairy tales, and magic, Her amazingly detailed worldbuilding provides the background for this creative trilogy. If you enjoy fantasy, this is series not to be missed.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This series is amazing!

The idea of a Russian fairy tale appealed to me, the covers are intriguing and the stories are very well written, filled with details that captivate and bring the story to life. From the first book to the last, I have been completely spellbound.

I hope that people everywhere have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world Arden has created where there is a bit of magic, caring families, adventurous people, a brave heroine, storytellers, mysterious fairy-tale beings who care for homes, animals and sometimes people, as well as mysterious beings who do not. There are people and spirits who are likeable and others who are not.

The story is neatly wrapped up in a dramatic ending that kept me glued to the pages, and was at the same time incredibly sad and yet ultimately was full of promise and joyful. I did not want the story to end. (I really think that it would be possible to write more about the the characters in the book!)

I loved this series and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Katherine Arden is a master at blending the supernatural and the mundane. The Winternight trilogy sits high on my favorites shelf. I absolutely adore each of the multilayered characters as well as the perilous world hanging in the balance. A must-read for all generations. The writing scintillates and thrills. The plot is taut and heart-stopping. The conclusion will leave you longing for more.

This is the third book in the series and I would recommend reading them in order. This book finds Vaska in trouble with most of Moscow on fire due to the events in the last book. The priest (Constantin) is out to rouse the public against her and have her burned as a witch. She must escape from the mob and the fire and hide away in the land of Midnight where she heals and plans for what must be done to save her country. War is coming - the Tartars are invading and the ransom in silver which was sent to keep the Tartars at bay was lost in an unfortunate flood. Rallying both her supernatural friends and her bother, cousin and his army they must fight the Tartars to save their lands.
The author blends her extensive knowledge of the folktales and language and topography of Russia to bring about a thrilling conclusion to this trilogy. This was a fast and enjoyable read!!! I loved this series!!!!

4.75 out of 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Winter of the Witch in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't click request fast enough when I saw this up for grabs. I read The Bear and the Nightingale, and when I was done it went in #thegreensuitcase.

The Winter of the Witch was a little harder to get into for the first couple dozen pages, but that's my fault, as I hadn't read The Girl in the Tower yet (it was on my to-read list! Near the top! I promise!) But after that I fell away into the beautiful dream that is Katherine Arden's writing. I'm sure fans of this trilogy know what I'm talking about. She has a way of clouding your vision of reality and lulling you into her written world like few other writers do. I found it hard, though, to register these adults as the children I knew from The Bear and the Nightingale. And the publisher got themselves some money giving me this ARC because I have the hard copy of Bear, and now I must go buy The Girl in the Tower, and I will definitely be buying this when it comes out so I can put them all in #thegreensuitcase.

I was impressed with her continuous depth of world-building and characters. Oh, gracious, I cried when...well...you'll cry, too.

I was completely taken by the world of midnights and of course with the Winter King. It's not often I fall for a character in a book. From reading a lot of other reviews I take it that is a normal thing with other readers, but not for me. I also loved the new characters introduced in the world of midnights.

One of my favorite things about Arden's writing is her love for horses. If you can follow me here, a lot of my favorite books had horses that were more friends and companions to their humans than pet or vehicle. Shadowfax, for example, was not given nearly the credit he deserved in LotR movies. I could go on and on, but I don't want to take away from the epic that Arden has written here.

If you love fairy tales, if you love fabulism, if you love stories that take place in winter-y places and characters you can root for and bad guys you want nothing more than to see justice hammered down upon, then you're going to love these books. I can't wait until this is released so I can get my hard copy.

This is the third book of the Winternight Trilogy that began with The Bear and the Nightingale followed by The Girl in the Tower and this one carries on the beautiful and tragic tale of Vasya and the Winter King, Morozko. 

We have been through many trials with our brave heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl. Yes, that's correct she is still a girl, which only makes the heroic and terrifying deeds she does more incredible. 

Things are not good in Russia. After what happened in Moscow the people are ready to throw her to the wolves. She must be a witch and she must die. Vasya is alone. Even her cousin, the Grand Prince doesn't know what to do with her.

The Winter King has traded his freedom for hers and now his demon twin is reeking havoc on the world. Feeding on chaos and death, manipulating the weak religious priest and intent on ridding the world of humans. Even the unseen, magical creatures are afraid.

Vasya doesn't know who to trust or to believe. But if she is to save her family and her country as well as the Winter King, she must be braver than ever and listen and learn as the country prepares to go to war with the Tatars. 

So much weight on the shoulders of one girl.

I have loved these books so much. First, Arden is a genius with covers. They pull you in to a world of fairy tales and magic in the most beautiful of languages. Arden is pure genius at storytelling. 

Very Well Done! *****

Netgalley/DelRay January 09,2019

This book... where do I even begin? I have been waiting and hoping desperately for an ARC because I HAD to know the rest of the story... so thanks, NetGalley, for this copy!
Winter of the Witch was everything I had hoped it would be. Sometimes with a series the endings don't always live up to expectations but this one does. It was perfect. It broke my heart (more than once) and put it back together again by the end. The end could not have been more satisfying. There is so much in this novel - action, romance, family drama, magic... and every emotion on the spectrum. Katherine Arden has created a world in this book - in the entire series - that is so alive. This is not my usual genre but this series is at the top of my all time favorites and I highly recommend!

I received a free Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'm always apprehensive when I prepare to read the final book in a series, especially YA fantasy. This is the definitive moment where you find out if the author had an exit strategy or not.

The Winter of the Witch is a fast-paced finale which neatly wraps up the Winternight trilogy. Book 2 saw Vasya continuously experiencing brutal setback after setback (Solovey! I will weep forever), and the first half of The Winter of the Witch extends this depressing and unpleasant situation. How many times do we need to watch Vasya get the tar kicked out of her? Apparently, a lot. Despite the subject matter, the pacing felt appropriate and the story moved forward at a good clip.

One of the major conflicts was wrapped up in the first 60% of the novel, and I fully expected it to be the conflict and last for the entire length. Instead, Arden writes in a new conflict for the remaining 40% of the novel, which led to it feeling a bit slapped together and half-formed. There were a couple small references to the impending conflict in the other two books, but not enough to end the trilogy on it.

There are several new characters introduced, the best of all being an adorable and spunky mushroom sprite who reminded me of how much I love Fantasia (despite some problematic portrayals regarding race and gender)

One of the strongest aspects of The Winter of the Witch and the Winternight trilogy as a whole is that Vasya's relationship with Morozko never defines and she never allows herself to be defined by it. She remains independent and self-sufficient, forging her own path without being pigheaded about it like many other YA heroines are depicted. She's rational and works toward competence without being a Mary Sue.

Overall, it was a satisfying close to the trilogy, and fans should be pleased with the ending.

The Winter of the Witch is the final book in Katherine Arden’s captivating Winternight Trilogy. I always find it difficult to review books that come late in a series because it’s so hard to talk about them without giving away spoilers, but I’m going to give it my best shot here and hope that my words do it justice because filled with unforgettable characters, intricate worldbuilding, and creatures from Russian folklore, the Winternight Trilogy truly is one of the most beautifully crafted series I’ve ever read.

To give a bit of general context for those who have begun the series, The Winter of the Witch picks up right where the second book left off. Moscow is in ruins and its terrified citizens are looking for answers, and more specifically, for someone to blame. That someone, unfortunately, becomes our heroine Vasya, and the final book begins with her fleeing for her life from an angry mob who accuse her of being a witch and want to see her dead.

War is also brewing as the Grand Prince of Moscow looks to go after those who threaten his kingdom. While the Grand Prince prepares for war, the priest Konstantin has troubles of his own. Although he may be a powerful religious figure, Konstantin is a weak man, easily manipulated by those stronger than he is. In Konstantin’s case, he finds himself the puppet of a vengeful demon named the Bear. The Bear feeds off of chaos, fear, and war so he uses Konstantin to fan the flames of hatred and distrust to create chaos everywhere.

This chaos and turmoil affects not just the humans, but also the magical creatures. Vasya finds herself with the weight of both worlds on her shoulders as she desperately tries to save both her Russian homeland and her beloved magical realm.

Can Vasya stop the Bear and Konstantin? Can she stop a war? And most importantly, is there any way that her magical pagan world can peacefully coexist with the human world? It’s a tall order, and Vasya isn’t sure she’s up to the task.

Some things I loved:

Vasya. As with the two prior books, Vasya is my favorite part about this story. We’ve watched her grow from a young girl to a young woman and there has just been such tremendous character growth throughout each book. That growth continues well into this final book and I can honestly say that Vasya is one of my all-time favorite book heroines. I love her big heart, her refusal to conform to what is expected of her, and most especially, I love her resilience. The final book presents Vasya with several heartbreaking, gut-wrenching moments – moments that probably would have crushed a lesser person – but no matter how low she is pushed down, she always picks herself back up and refuses to give up.

Worldbuilding. I honestly didn’t think Arden could improve upon the worldbuilding from the first two books, but she proved me wrong with the Winter of the Witch. Again, I don’t want to say much because of spoilers, but into her world of Russian inspired folklore, she introduces what she calls the Road to Midnight and for me, it’s one of the most memorable and unique parts of the story. Vasya finds herself journeying on this road as she desperately seeks help from the Frost Demon and the journey she takes is truly magical, so much so that it almost defies explanation. It’s kind of like time traveling but so much more. You really have to experience it for yourself to get a feel for how wild a ride it really is.

Wonderful Secondary Characters. Some like Solovey, Vasya’s horse, and Morozko, the Frost Demon, I adored. Others like the Bear and Konstantin, not so much. But whether I loved or hated them, this series has a fantastic and unforgettable cast of well-drawn characters. We also meet several more mythological creatures in this final book and their bond of mutual respect with Vasya adds so much richness to the story and really emphasizes how she is a bridge between the two worlds.

Creative Use of History. I didn’t realize this until I read the author’s note, but some of the characters and events in the series are based on real historical events, including a war. Arden has, of course, put her own personal and creative twist on them, but the historical fiction fan in me thought it was very cool to learn the story was based on not just Russian folklore but on actual Russian history as well.

It made me cry. This does not happen to me often when I read fantasy series, but The Winter of the Witch made me cry. Not just once or twice, but three times! I won’t say specifically why I cried, but I will say that two times, my tears were tears of sadness and one time, they were tears of joy. That’s how attached to these characters I got!


The Winternight Trilogy is, by far, one of the most unforgettable series I’ve ever read. I love that while it’s a wholly unique story inspired by Russian history and folklore, it’s also reminiscent of some of my favorite childhood fantasies like The Chronicles of Narnia because the strong element of whimsical magic and wonder that permeates it.