Arden’s magical trilogy ends beautifully. Her main character Vasya, who can see and communicate with fairies, possesses powers that others lack. That makes her special but it’s her fierce determination that truly makes her stand out. Vasya will not let the evil demon Medved triumph and put humans in danger. She will do whatever is necessary to stop him from overpowering his brother Morosko and subjugating humanity to his whims.

The Russian folklore that permeates the series is even more evident in this last book. Once again, Moroszko and Vasya light up every scene when they meet and provide sparks that are highlights of the novel. Vasya’s niece plays a greater part here and she is an added delight.

Arden has created a trilogy that is filled with magic and folklore. It is wonderfully written and totally satisfying. A superb example of how to write a scintillating fantasy series.

I delayed reading this title because I don't want it to end. This book was everything I wanted it to be, the only thing being that I want the series to keep going! It was beautiful and heartbreaking and I can only pray that I forget this whole series only so that I can read it again.

An excellent end to the trilogy. I don't normally read fantasy but have enjoyed this series' historical connections and the author's attention to Russian culture and mythology. My only complaint with this book is that Vasya's repeated "travels" made the pace drag and her obviously ill-fated stubbornness/narrow focus on multiple occasions bordered on annoying (hopefully this wording doesn't give away too much of what's in store for readers!). On the whole, I found this book just as engrossing and enjoyable as the first two.

Since this isn't the first book in the series I am not going to go into details but I absolutely loved this book. I recommend it constantly to people. So unique!

As a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy I shall give an honest review of “ The Winter of the Witch” by Katherine Arden. This is the third in a trilogy that is set in medieval Russia, Moscow. This novel depicts Vasya our lead character as she navigates her journey into one last battle. This battle has the impact to change the country and in it their entire world. The fantastical elements are also experiencing hardship and it is Vasya’s duty to make things right. This book is the culmination of its previous two and is a love letter to medieval Russia and it’s fairy tales. The detail given in this novel is simply amazing as Arden creates a full cast of characters with multi-dimensional identities. They are present in the novel and add a humane aspect to Vasya’s often magical realist environment. The atmosphere. The atmosphere alone makes this novel worth reading. Arden’s writing style is accessible to the reader and captivates you upon your first reading. I read the trilogy this year and give it and this book four out of five stars.

RATING: 3.5/5

SYNOPSIS

Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

REVIEW

This is going to be an unpopular opinion. This last installment of the Winternight Trilogy to me, is not as epic as most of the concluding installments that I have read (maybe I have high expectations for this series).

First, lets start off with the pros of this series. Arden’s writing is special, distinctive and beautiful. I love the setting and the incorporation of Russian folklore into the story. The feminism theme shines throughout the series. And of course, the cover of this book is so beautiful!

Now to the cons. The pacing and plot of this book is a major problem to me. I am not sure why Arden did not focus more on the final battle. I think there are only a few pages describing the final battle which is unsatisfactory to me (most authors spent a few chapters on final battles to build up its epicness). Instead, Arden focuses too much on the relationship between Vasya and Morozko (which I still think it’s awkward to me) and Vasya’s path of self discovery and mastering her new powers (not to mention that there’s not much description of the magic system as well). The strangest part is the sudden revelation of Vasya’s great-grandfather which only took a 1 or 2 pages to go through it. This to me is a loose end which was not properly addressed by the author.

To me, this series started off strong but the conclusion fell flat. Hence a 3.5/5 star rating. But of course, if you enjoy folklore incorporation in a fantasy series, you can try out this trilogy!

❝ “I have plucked snowdrops at Midwinter, died at my own choosing, and wept for a nightingale. Now I am beyond prophecy.” ❞

Vasya’s journey is finally coming to an end in this emotional and powerful conclusion to the Winter night trilogy.

Vasya’s past catches up with her when her old enemy, Konstantin arrives in Moscow and sets out to destroy her once and for all. Vasya is finally outed as a witch to the city. In the face of so much distraction and loss, they are eager to place the blame on the strange girl.

Vasya has known loss in many degrees and forms throughout her life I think the one in this book is the hardest and we feel it throughout the book. I avoid spoilers, so I can’t go too much in detail, but it was such a punch in the heart. It made the journey so much heavier, but in a way, I think it was necessary for Vasya to finally come into her own.

Katherine Arden continues to weave her fantastical world in this book with the world of Midnight. It’s not only sometimes a refuge for her when the human world overwhelms her but it’s where she finally gets answers to her past and where her destiny may lie.

Although I can tell you that this story is full of action in fantasy, that’s not where the true story is. Beneath it all, this book was about the relationships Vasya had with those in her life and about learning to be an adult.

Vasya’s journey in large part was about her love and loyalty to her family. She may have set out to save Russia but in many ways, it was more about saving those pieces of her family that she thought were gone. Both Olga and Sasha learn to love Vasya not only despite her flaws and mysteries but because of them. They embrace her so much more in this book and are more open to her strange ways. That they were willing to learn about her world said so much about the love they shared for Vasya.

❝ “Magic is forgetting the world was ever other than as you willed it.” ❞

The Winter of the Witch is also where Vasya begins to see that the world is not black and white. What she thought was so simple before is turned around when she finds herself having to turn to old enemies in order to save everyone she loves.

Not only that, but we see her grow as a woman when her relationship with Morozko is finally tested. This was something I definitely didn’t expect to see, Arden crafted it in such a way that it didn’t detract from the story. I think it would’ve taken from the story to give it a simple solution, but the way she wrote it only made me love the story more.

The Winter of the Witch really put Arden’s skills to the test. Because to have made it a happily ever after would’ve been a disservice to Vasya and her hardships. I can honestly say that even with all the tragedies and heartbreaks this story gave us I fell in love with it. Or more accurately, I love this book because of them. It was so human and grounding to have Vasya learn these life lessons in the face of all the magic that surrounded her.

The ending was more than I could’ve asked for and it was perfect in its own way. This is a series that will have a special place in my heart. Vasya’s fierce and kind nature along with Solovey’s charm and loyalty will always be strong in my mind. It’s a stunning end to a great series!

I love this series! Great heroine, great storytelling, and wonderful heft to the story.

It made me want to read more books about Russian folklore AND by the author.

This book was harder for me to get into than the previous book; however, it was just as great to read once I got into it! I wanted this book so badly, but I also hesitated to start it once I got it. What if it wasn't enough? What if it wasn't what I wanted? But, it was good, it was enough, and it was a journey all on it's own. It was a fitting conclusion to this series and I look forward to reading more from Katherine Arden in the future.

I really wanted to love this book. I really enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy, but I have to say that I was disappointed with how it ended. It took me forever to get through it as well, which is not typical for me and fantasy-genre novels.

Overall it was a good story, and if you read the first two, I would recommend reading it to see how the trilogy ends.

“There are not,” said the Bear. “There are no monsters in the world, and no saints. Only infinite shades woven into the same tapestry, light and dark. One man’s monster is another man’s beloved. The wise know that.”

I’m not sure that I’ll ever reach an age where I’m too old for fairy tales, but I have grown picky about which tales I indulge in. Arden has woven such a beautiful, intricate story in this tale of Death and his bride that I’m not sure I’ll ever recover.

A great addition to the series. I would recommend this book to fans of Erin Morgenstern, Kristen Cashore and S. Jae-Jones .

****Gifted A Copy From NetGalley****

I am so very sad that this series has ended, I would love it to go on forever and to spawn more stories about so many of the characters.

I have read a few books about Russian folklore, but this series brought almost all of it together and it brought them together beautifully. The author brought in every character I have heard about and gave us a beautiful story of love and magic.

Through out the trilogy Arden has poetically built up to the epic battle involving both mystical and real. This book was the perfect ending for the series and for Vasya. More than 5 stars.

I have followed the Winternight Trilogy ever since I fell in love with the cover of book one. Sometimes, you just need to lose yourself in a story filled with magic and twisted folklore, and this has always stood out as something a little different for me. It's been an absolutely pleasure to take this journey with Vasya and watch her overcome her obstacles and really grow, and is an excellent ending. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it'll be a trilogy that I go back and read again and again.

When I requested this ARC, I hadn't read the first two books but I had them at the top of my TBR so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to kick my ass into gears and finally pick up this series I've heard people say great things about. Unfortunately, the first two books didn't become favorites like I hoped they would and therefore, I ended up reading The Winter of the Witch quite a few months after its release.

I am glad to be able to say I have finally read this entire trilogy. The writing is as always, beautiful. However, I didn't feel very connected or invested and therefore, it's not a five-stars read for me. I know a lot of people loved/ will love this book so that makes me in the minority. I really wish I'd enjoyed it more than I did. I ended up listening to the audiobook on Scribd to read it faster but I found it a little boring and therefore, I had a hard time focusing on the story. Though I'll admit the ending made me tear up a bit!


Overall, I'm just a bit disappointed to not be head over heels for this series like so many others seem to be when this series is mentioned.

<i>(Thank you to the Publisher for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This was a very satisfying conclusion to an enjoyable trilogy. Even knowing very little about the historical events that are interwoven with the folklore, I found this book just as solid a read as the first two, if not even better.

A really intense conclusion to the series. I'm so glad that all of the storylines finally came to fruition. There was a lot of heartache in this book and a lot of fascinating new world-building. There's still so much mystery about the spirit side of Russia in this story, that I'm dying for more stories. I am very satisfied with how everything wrapped up.

A Netgalley ARC copy was sent at my request for review. I felt I had to read and review the first and second books before this one, so I apologize that the wait for a review was prolonged well beyond the January publishing date.

I had pleasant echoes Kathleen Gati's voice in words and names in this book after listening to "The Girl in the Tower" (does that ever happen to others?).

It's hard to finish reading a great series like this one, I have dreamed it and thought about how I would live within it, which is among the best of compliments I can give a story. It's now ended and I feel almost as heartbroken and yet satisfied as Vasya might have by the end of her journeys out of Moscow, into the Midnight house of her grandmother, saving Morozko (hints to her being winter queen/snow princess), going back to Moscow to save the city and her family from the priest Konstantin and the dead, and journeying to make deals between priests, princes and the magical world to turn a war.

It seems she has to juggle the give and take of balance between tragedy and happy endings, magic ordinary, and chaos and order, summer and winter. The bitter and the sweet.

I hope there is more yet unpublished or unwritten to read of this, for I would like to see more glimpses of a house by a lake with bird horses at midnight, or Morozko's house in winter, or journeys to where the Bear Medved roams. Or what Vasya may learn from her grandparents (ha, I was right!) and more besides. Perhaps a anthology, or Maria visiting?

A lovely ending to the story begun in Bear & Nightingale and continued in Girl in the Tower. Like all the best stories, it doesn't end quite as you might want it to, but it ends in the right way.

And that's about all I can say without giving things away. But the story is well-crafted, well-written, and it rings true. A beautiful weaving of old, new, myth and history. Worth the read, and I look forward to reading it again in the future.

The Winter of the Witch is the conclusion to Katherine Arden's stunningly good Winternight trilogy. Released 8th Jan 2019 by Random House on their Del Rey imprint, it's 384 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio formats.

The richness and intricacy of this trilogy, and especially this installment can't possibly be overstated. This is a brilliantly written book full of lush imagery and interwoven within a framework of almost a thousand years of Russian folklore. It has gravitas. In quite a lot of ways it reminds me of truly iconic fantasies, Lord of the Rings, Earthsea, Amber, Melnibone, Dune, etc.

This is an epic coming-of-age fantasy but so much more. I love that the heroine Vasya is the captain of her own story. And through all the sacrifice and pain in this book, she's admirable and determined.

The author's facility with the written word is amazing. I spent a great percentage of my time reading this book in gob-smacked admiration with her writing. It also includes an extensive glossary as well as author's notes which provide a fascinating glimpse into her creative process and some of the real historical background frameworks upon which she wove the story.

Just a beautiful reading experience. I will be revisiting these again.

Five stars for both the book and the trilogy. Wonderful.