review book


I'll Meet You Theretitle: The Bear and the Nightingale
author: Katherine Arden
pages: 336
format: Paperback
buy it: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads
rating: 3.5/5 (from hated to loved) or 8/10 (all books I've ever read)
recommended for: Fans of Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones, or And I Darken by Kiersten White.
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

in depth

A dark, atmospheric fairy tale with the sensuous charm of Wintersong (though much lighter on the romance!), the woodsy old country tone of Uprooted, and the scope of And I Darken. It's a slow-burning tale that breaths life into Russian folklore and history.

It's slow, almost painfully so in the beginning. Many readers will be lost here. Arden starts before Vasya is ever born, and spends quite some time with her mother and father. I kept with it because I was entranced by the language and the world. I'm glad I did, because the story creeps up on you, languidly unfolds into something entrancing.

Vasya is a spirited, fae character. She befriends kitchen devils and talks to horses. She's the strongest character, and easy to love. Her father is next, well-meaning but somewhat oblivious, the prototype of a kindly boyar. Then there's her stepmother, whom I loathed. In a good way. Her cruelty isn't exaggerated like in some tales. It's believable, the fervent viciousness of someone who believes what they do is in service to God--led on by the golden-haired priest whose narcissism drives him to become an idol to the people of the isolated town.

Other characters were somewhat underutilized. I wanted more of Vasya's brothers and of Dunya, her wise nursemaid. There was so much muchness in this book, so much expansiveness in the world. Too many stories to be adequately contained in one book, so naturally a few were left a little limp.

The worldbuilding and language worked together to create a home for these characters, and for the reader. Arden's prose is lyrical and visceral. She borrows old phrases and sprinkles Russian words judiciously. There's a sedate magic in the way her phrases build on each other. They sneak up on you, slowly, and then suddenly your head is in the chilly forest and there are stars in your eyes. It's rich with quirky creatures (I seriously want to squeeze the domovoi, whom I pictured as a Pignite for no good reason) and superstition.

The plot is intriguing, but a bit convoluted. It took me a while to get my bearings. (Get it, bearings?) Once I did, I found myself reading rapidly. The character dynamics were fascinating. There was something very Dostoyevsky-esque in the atmosphere Arden weaves, in her large cast and their complex interpersonal struggles. It was deeply human as much as it was fantasy.

Then it stopped rather abruptly, when I was just getting to know the night king. More Morozko, please? I wanted the book to start later in the story and end later in the story. The last page was like an unfinished sentence, a breath cut off by a knife to the throat. I don't know that I want a sequel, because sequels so often spoil a good standalone, but maybe a novella?

All in all, it was a powerful reading experience. I'd read it again. Arden's folktale, though perhaps more expansive than its current bounds, is rich with old world mystery, modern sensibility, and subtle wit.


in a sentence
The Bear and the Nightingale is a slow-burning fairy tale that captures the chilly magic of Russian folklore.

I loved this book. There are so many things to praise about this book: the writing was gorgeous, the descriptions were evocative, and the characters were brave and loving and multi-faceted. I enjoyed the incorporation of folk tales into the story, and the way the author used the conflict between modern religion and "old ways." At the same time, I felt that there was some ambiguity, which I really appreciated. Vasya's brother is a strong believer in modern religion but he is not a villain--fanaticism and misunderstandings are the real causes of the trouble here. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and hope to see more from this author in the future.

I featured the book here: http://www.bethfishreads.com/2016/12/10-books-for-tweens-and-teens.html

here: http://www.bethfishreads.com/2017/01/stacked-up-book-thoughts-brrrr-its-cold.html

and on Litsy (@BethFishReads)

and here: http://www.bethfishreads.com/2017/01/sound-recommendations-two-novels-for.html

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE is nearly everything I wished it would be. After hearing comparisons to UPROOTED, THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE had a lot to live up to, UPROOTED being one of my recent favorite fantasy books. Luckily, it was a delightful read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE has a quality that I've recognized before, frequently in Robin McKinley's books - the ability to make the mundane lovely. For the majority of the book, honestly, not much happens. But in the descriptions of the everyday tasks and actions, the characters get a chance to grow and needle their way into the reader's heart. I loved Vasilisa, I loved her father and her brothers and sisters. And the characters I didn't love, I still felt a sympathy for - they weren't straight-out villains by any means (that was left to the Bear of the title) but they were complex and interesting to read about. (Though being a step-mother myself I tend to dislike the trope of the evil step-mother, and THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE was no exception to that.)

When the action did come, I was ready for it, having prepared for the entire book, basically all of Vasilisa's life. The reader watches as she learns to befriend the spirits all around her, as she learns to commune with the horses, and as she grows stronger with every day. She is a wonderful heroine in an interesting setting, where the world building was done so well you barely notice it spinning around you until you're firmly situated in the world of the book.

Taking a page from Russian history and folklore and spinning it into something more, with beautiful writing and spectacular characters, Arden's debut is quite a wonderful read. I can't wait to see what she has in store next.

This was a fantastic read! Steeped in folklore and very atmospheric. Library patrons who like an engrossing story, elements of fairy tales and historical fiction will love this book.

Wow! When I first heard about this book I figured that I would really like it but I ended up loving it. I was completely engrossed in it almost from page one. I felt really connected to Vasya and loved seeing her grow as a person and become who she was destined to be. Vasya's brothers, especially Sasha and Alyosha, were so endearing. I really loved seeing them stick up for their little sister when everyone else seemed to think her a crazed heathen. Konstantin, the priest, actually freaked me out a little bit. The way he tended to watch Vasya and follow her gave me chills sometimes. There were so many times that I wanted to slap Anna Ivanovna across the face. She definitely fit well into the evil stepmother role. I loved all of the elements of the Russian folk and fairy tales that made up this novel. It was really interesting to also read the author's note at the end to read about how she went about transliterating the Russian words to English. There is also a helpful glossary in the back for those who are unfamiliar with Russian terms. This is a book that I will be purchasing a hardcover copy of to add to my home library.

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

I have a hard time believing this is Katherine Arden's first book. I know it says so in the acknowledgements at the end, but come on. I have never read a first book that was written so masterfully, with such a sure hand. It is incredible to me that this is only her first, and that I get to look forward to more books from this author.

This book begins as a Russian folk tale, and morphs about halfway through into something completely different. Where in the first half we have mostly a domestic fantasy, with talk of "demons" and two characters who can see the little house spirits, in the second half we see those folk tales come to dangerous and terrifying life. The characters start doing desperate things, to themselves and each other. The forest becomes a character, rather than a setting. The creepiness and horror I felt were thrilling. I don't read horror. This is not horror. This is fantasy - with something scary and heartbreaking woven in.

I loved every minute. I expected characters to do certain things, and they didn't. They did things I did not expect. Some of it was trope (sacrifice, blind courage, etc.), but it wasn't tired trope.

My only complaint - the ending came and went too soon. I wanted so much more. What happens next? And then? And then?

Recommended to ALL lovers of fantasy, folk tales, and things that go bump in the night. It will be a wonderful thing if Katherine Arden writes us a lot more books.

The Bear and the Nightingale
Katherine Arden, 2017

New Release! I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of review.

Premise: A minor noble in medieval Russia loves his wife for all her strangeness. Their daughter Vasya will inherit her mother's gifts and defend her home as best she can from the darkness of both men and spirit.

I was very hopeful about this book, the descriptions and tag lines were all very intriguing. In the end, I liked it, but it wasn't as special or unique as I might have wished.

The writing style and use of Russian folklore and culture were well done; I felt that I could see the creatures and the places. However, the plot meanders for a while setting up all the pieces before getting to the meat. All of the setup - Vasya's parents, politics that affect their family, her birth and early childhood - just isn't that compelling to me.

Vasya is a wild child with an affinity for spirits and the land. Her main adversary is the changing culture, as personified by a devout stepmother and a zealous young priest who seeks to dominate her village and exterminate the old customs. While this is easy to sympathize with, and I enjoyed the story, I did feel like I've read and seen very similar dynamics many times.

The sequences in the last third or so I felt were the strongest. Vasya finally comes into her own and the climactic action was fairly satisfying.

3 Stars - A Good Book

A deep, dark dive into the fairytale-ish world of Russia. The story could have been a little quicker, the romance between the frost king and our protagonist a little... hotter, but it's a beautifully written, vivid tale for lovers of fantasy and history.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Free stuff doesn't color my opinion, honest.

This. Book. Is. Amazing.

The setting of this book is far different than any other book I have read. I don't know why I hadn't read any books based on Russian folklore before, but I am so glad that this was my first one. The setting felt like it could be real. It was beautifully written and the characters were great as well.

I had a little bit of a hard time with this book as I didn't know how to pronounce any of the characters names, and I've heard the AudioBook is great, I listened to a sample of it, and I think that I might get the audio of this book. Because that sample was great, and it pronounces everything the way it's supposed to be.

I am also having difficulty really describing this book. I don't want to spoil anything, and I want to gush about this book. But it's hard without giving things away or repeating myself saying how great this book is. As I mentioned, I didn't really have the time I wanted to, to read this book. But whenever I did have the time I completely fell into the story.

Most of the "meat" of the story takes place during winter, so maybe reading it during that time will help get into the story. This is a must read book. This book has inspired me to seek out other Russian folktales, and their retellings.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is an enchanting book with its roots in Russian folklore and fairy tales.

Vasilisa Petrovna, with the nickname Vasya, is our heroine. The tale starts out while she is very young and listening to tales at the hearth from her nurse. One of her favorites to hear stories about is Morozko, the Frost.

After a time, as she grows, someone convinces her father it would be a good thing if she had a mother figure in the home other than her nurse. Her father marries a woman from Moscovy who frankly would rather have been a nun.

Her stepmother is adamant that the old guardians of the hearth and other house spirits should no longer be honored and all faith given to the Christian God. Her father, Pyotr, goes along with the stepmother. Vasya feels that this is wrong and that there will be far reaching consequences for their denial. Secretly she continues to honor the house spirits and asks for their protection for the people. As the story progresses, Vasya's stepmother decides that Vasya must either be married off or sent to a convent.

As the winter worsens, Vasya finds herself in a place where she will have to make a choice. She will have to defy the people she loves if she is to save them from something out of one of her nurse's most frightening tales.

The Bear and the Nightingale is well written. If you love fairy tales and folktales, you will love this book. It captures the early days of Christianity in Russia where the people continued to honor the house spirits side by side with the new God, giving each his due. An interview with the author on Unbound Worlds indicates that she drew on both the history and the folklore of old Russia in her writing.

I loved the way I felt pulled into the setting and among the characters. I especially became fond of Vasilisa and her family. The stepmother, not so much, although I did feel kind of sorry for her. Morozko is an interesting character and, according to Katherine Arden, will appear in future books in what is planned to be a trilogy at the moment.

The Bear and the Nightingale was released January 10, 2017 from Del Rey. I gave it 5 stars. It's a great debut by the author. It reads like a fairy tale or folktale. And it's quite entertaining. I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to read the next book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a fantasy, a fairy tale, a sumptuous story. Vasya is a heroine, yet flawed and real and completely compelling. It unfolds beautifully and is told masterfully. It reads like a Russian Hans Christian Anderson story, and begs to be read by a roaring fire on a cold wintery night.

I will not spoil the story, it is an enjoyable read and I look forward to other books by the author.

I loved this and would read it a million times. It wasnt quite what I was expecting - and I loved the slightly less traditional folklore

This fascinating story based on Russian folklore is the story of Vasya, who can see and speak with the demons who guard the homes and crops. As the Christian religion takes over, and offerings to the guardians are stopped, there is danger that only Vasya, a wild child who has inherited her ability to communicate with the guardians from her mother's family, can stop - or can she? The story is intriguing and a fun read!

Really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this book, but the pacing was off. Most of the explanation of the magic came too close to the final scenes, so the ending felt rushed.

I would definitely seek out more by this author in the future, though-- the book was good, but the writing makes me think future books may be great.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Marina dies after giving birth to Vasya, who is supposed to be special and mysterious in the same way Marina's mother was. Years later, when Vasya is a young girl, she wanders into the forest and gets lost. She meets two strangers. The first one is told to sleep by the second man. Vasya bolts and is found by her brother, Sasha. Vasya's father decides to find a new wife so Vasya can have a mother to raise her. Pyotr returns from Moscow with his new wife, Anna. Anna sees strangers just as Vasya does, but she treats Vasya cruelly even though they have this in common. Vasya's nurse, Dunya, loves Vasya unconditionally. When Dunya dies, Vasya asks for the help of her brother Alyosha. Alyosha truly believes Vasya and helps her to rid the village of evil. After Vasya was threatened with being sent to a convent, Anna bargains with her. If Vasya will venture into the frozen woods and gather snowdrop flowers for Anna's daughter, Irina, then Anna will let Vasya stay home. While Vasya is in the woods, she's saved and taken by the stranger, Morozko the Frost Demon, on the white horse. Set in the Russian wilderness and based on Russian history and folklore, this debut novel is beautifully written and imagined. I give it 5 stars because this is the perfect book to read in the middle of a snowy winter.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Russian folklore fantasy retelling. It was rich in magic that was unique and wondrous. And Vasya was such a wonderfully flawed heroine. This story was a breath of fresh air. Very original and the perfect wintry tale.

Here's link to my review on goodreads (and within that is a link to a longer review on my wordpress blog): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1855484831?book_show_action=false

This is just the book I needed in these troubling times. An engrossing read that transported me to a fantastical time and place. I was swept up in the fairytale from the first page.

Katherine Arden has woven this tale masterfully. I highly recommend the read! The Bear and the Nightingale is a beautiful story set in Russia. Vasilisa Petrovna, known to her family and friends as Vasya, was specially gifted from conception and can converse with the spirits that fill her rural village on the edge of the forest and consequently with the animals. From birth she was set apart, though she was unaware of her destiny. The book follows the story of her family, including her nurse Dunya, and the lives of these nobles: a brother, Sasha, devoted to the church and eventually adviser to the Grand Prince; a sister, Irina, who becomes a princess; Pyotr Vladimirovich, noble relation of the Grand Prince, ruler, and father. In her village, Vasya is caught in a battle between the old gods and the new, and gifted with the powers possessed by her maternal grandmother, battles together with Morozko, a powerful force, for the future of the village. In my opinion, this well-crafted tale will not disappoint. Enjoy!!

The Bear and the Nightingale
By Katherine Arden

Rating: 5

Honestly, it was the cover that first attracted me to this book and then I read the inside jacket…a retelling of a Russian fairytale. That was all it took and I was breathlessly captivated. I love fairy tales and retellings of all kinds; but this one steps out from all of the rest I have read probably because of my own unfamiliarity of Russian folklore. The story takes place during the early 14th century somewhere in northern Rus’ where the winters are long, bitter and brutal. It is also a time of many changes socially, politically and within the religious realm which do become epic in the course of this tale.

The story begins with the children sitting around the massive hearth for warmth as Dunya, the nurse maid begins the tale of the frost demon, the winter king, for he was abroad that night and was angry at the beginnings of thaw. This little bedtime story ends and the story of The Bear and the Nightingale begins, Vasilisa’s story. This is a fairytale within a fairytale! I’m captivated now. There is no closing the book as I’m being carried away to the cold far reaches of Rus’…

The characters are many as Vasilisa has a large family and everyone has nicknames and names of endearment. All of the characters develop slowly, especially Vasya, her older brothers and her sister, becoming more layered as the tale unfolds and the times and circumstance change. It spans from before Vasya was born until she is a teenager. Vasya is the youngest and she grows up wild and free, roaming the woods and countryside doing pretty much as she wants. She has become independent, fiery, determined and a caring person who will do anything to protect her family, home and village. Soon she will be put to that very test. There is a strong and close relationship between all of the family members and this, too, will be tested. Yes, there is a stepmother. There always has to be an evil stepmother…

The telling of this tale is what makes this book sooo special. You are brought into the story…I felt the cold winters, the bitter and biting wind. I saw the piles and drifts of snow and felt the endless winters. I did get myself a blanket and poured a small glass of whiskey because I was cold. I was in the story. I could see what Vasya could see…the domovoi, the magical household creatures,and the dvorovoi, the magical yard and woodland creatures. I was able to see her world through her eyes. I was able to see and feel the effects of conflict between the old pagan religion and the new Christianity. A people trying to hang on to what they have always known and lived to embrace something strange and cold. I felt the constraints that women had endured during this time…the need to do what was expected for the family and not what you may have wanted for yourself. When an author can take you inside the story and keep you there till you turn the last page, read the last sentence over and over before finally closing the book…it is indeed, magical! One more thought. It is obvious who the Bear is; but what of the Nightingale? I guess, we will have to wait and see.