Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice. “A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik, bestselling author of UprootedWinter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her … and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.
Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village.
But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
Praise for The Bear and the Nightingale
“Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington Post
“Vasya [is] a clever, stalwart girl determined to forge her own path in a time when women had few choices.”—The Christian Science Monitor
“Stunning . . . will enchant readers from the first page. . . . with an irresistible heroine who wants only to be free of the bonds placed on her gender and claim her own fate.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Utterly bewitching . . . a lush narrative . . . an immersive, earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid, dynamic characters, particularly clever, brave Vasya, who outsmarts men and demons alike to save her family.”—Booklist (starred review)
“An extraordinary retelling of a very old tale . . . The Bear and the Nightingale is a wonderfully layered novel of family and the harsh wonders of deep winter magic.”—Robin Hobb
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An enthusiastic recommendation for a wonderful new writer!
This is a beautifully-written and atmospheric fantasy based on Russian fairy tales and folklore—I’d highly recommend it for fans of Uprooted! Similarly to Uprooted, the Evil that lurks in The Woods (as evil always does) is an eerie and menacing presence that hangs over the entire story, and our heroine must confront it to save her people. But The Bear and The Nightingale has a much greater focus on the bonds among family, the costs of courage, and the power of fear.
A gorgeous fairy-tale wrapped in the chaotic history of pre-Imperial Russia, so rich with atmosphere you can feel the snow on your cheeks. Full of wicked stepmothers, fanatical priests, whimsical nature spirits, and brave maidens, this was a book I read in one sitting.
So glad that I finally picked this up after seeing approximately a million BookBubbers recommend it. It took me a solid 100 pages to get into it, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. If you loved the atmosphere of Spinning Silver, you’ll love this one!
If ever there was a book to be read in the middle of winter, it is The Bear and the Nightingale. In her story about a young girl with a fierce spirit and an unwillingness to yield, Arden creates a lush, shivering Russian wilderness that is as beautiful as it is stark and cold. In some moments, I felt flashes of Tolstoy reading this book, but more often than not, Arden builds her own kind of etherealness as she weaves folklore and fairytales in and out of the winter woods with ease. I was surprised after finishing this book to hear it’s the first of a trilogy, but I’m looking forward to reading the second book and seeing if the magic continues!
I can not say enough about this book! It’s been awhile since I’ve wanted to reread a book just after reading it. There is so much beautiful atmosphere and language it completely takes you away!
I wish I could give this more stars. One of the most beautifully written and enchanting stories I’ve read in a long time. Rich in Russian folklore this book was literally captivating like an alluring piece of artwork. Become immersed in the tale of Vasilisa Petrovona and her battle to save her village from an ancient evil.
Fabulous tale of the Russian wilderness at the turn of the 19th century that combines magical realism with folklore. I’m a huge fan of books with characters that can see beyond the veil of the everyday world.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. It’s a gorgeous, lyrical fantasy steeped in the lore of dark Russian fairytales, and it’s filled with some of my now-favorite-ever characters. The story was impossibly captivating. And strange. And beautiful. And anytime I wasn’t reading it, I was wishing I were.
AMAZING!!!! I loved this book so much, masterfully written, fantasy at it’s best, set in a medieval Rusia, with a strong heroin, magical creatures and of course a lot of action.
This is a wondrous tale, dare I say “Fairytale”. Imagine you are sitting before a fire at an elder’s knee preparing for your story before bedtime. The light from the fire dances in the room and then it gets cold…very cold. This story takes place in an older time period in Russia that is spun first as a fairytale and then as the storyline of the book. I was captured by the story of Frost called Morozko and instantly became one with Vasilisa as she grew older and the bedtime tale melted into the narrative of the book. This is a perfect book to be accompanied by hot chocolate.
The first book in the Winternight trilogy introduces the wild and beautiful landscape of Rus’, and Vasilisa Petrovna (Vasya), born into a close knit family who live on the edge of a forest. Her father, Pyotr, is the Lord of the village, and Vasya and her siblings are cared for by their old nurse, Dunya. She is the one who reads them fairytales as they huddle by the oven as the winter wind screams around the eaves.
In many ways, it’s a fairytale in itself, but it always errs to the dark side, as Vasya’s sightings of the spirits which help guard her house and the forest, brings the wrong kind of attention when a young and charismatic priest arrives.
I loved the description of the various spirits and what they stood for, as I loved Vasya’s bond with her siblings. She is a strong protagonist – willful but always kind, always respectful.
It’s a very slow moving story, which means the reader is fully immersed in the little things the characters do, and it’s a little like The Night Circus in its beautiful language and magical realism aspects.
Reading like the first in a series, the scope is there for something larger, something outwith the boundaries of the places we have seen.
There was only one point where I thought the ends had been too neatly tied, but that may be a breadcrumb for the second book. I will definitely be continuing on this journey!
Such a delight to disappear into a world of Slavic fairy tales and adventure, magic and wonder, reminding me of my Polish grandmothers’ tales. One of those books I pick up wondering whether I’m in the mood, then realizing I’ve just read well into the wee hours. Can’t wait for the next.
This book absolutely transported me to Old Rus, brilliant storytelling by Arden. Vivid world building, fantastic characters and just enough of a cliff hanger that leaves you yearning for more.
Very imaginative, captivating, riveting, and unique! I love it! At first I found the Russian words a bit difficult and didn’t want to spend the time trying to sound them out, so I just replaced them with my own words. Eventually I got the hang of them though.
I am incredibly happy to be starting a new year of reviews with this book because it was a fantastic book to be reading as this last year came to an end. After finishing it I went back and reread the initial description that inspired me to put it on my preview request list—having forgotten everything about that description in the months between submitting my request and reading the book. I had to laugh because usually, those descriptions feel strategically written with an eye towards marketing—which, of course, they are—but in this case I found completely accurate. Katherine Arden’s upcoming The Bear and the Nightingale reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane and is also “recommended” for fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus (which I just got a personal copy of for Christmas so I can read and enjoy it all over again).
It is some years after Pyotr Vladimirovich’s beloved wife Marina died following the birth of their youngest daughter, Vasilisa (called Vasya), but he finally admits that the time has come for him to remarry—mostly so there is another woman around to help with Vasya who appears to take her nurse’s fairy tales a little too literally. Journeying with his two oldest sons to Moscow, Pyotr returns with a devout new wife and a gift for Vasya from an odd stranger. Vasya can do nothing right in the eyes of her new stepmother but it isn’t until a new priest arrives in the village (determined to bring the fear of God to the northern people and save their souls) that more devastating effects threaten the village as the people begin neglecting the protective household spirits of old.
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Original book with a fascinating voice and a tone unlike other fantasy novels I’ve read. I love old folklore, and this story really brought Russian folklore tales to life. Perfect ending too.
3 out of 5 stars to The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, the first in a fantasy and historical fiction series about Russian fairy tales.
Why This Book
I ordered this online many months ago based on the description I’d read in Goodreads. Then a friend of mine, Valerie, was planning to read it. We decided to do a buddy read together earlier this month.
Plot, Characters & Setting
A Russian girl loses her mother and her place in a family. She meets strange creatures who no one else can see. Her father remarries to provide her with a mother figure, then has more children. Something happens in the background where there is a war between religions, people and culture. It’s a battle to maintain your village and your family, but also to connect the past with the future.
Approach & Style
I read the paperback version over a two-week period. It’s 312 pages or 28 chapters long. Chapters are about 10 to 12 pages, told in third person.
Strengths
It had absolutely beautiful imagery and lyrical prose. You truly feel transported to a new world full of complex characters, interesting plots and high imagination.
There is a lot of great history and views on religion, politics and royalty. You believe you are in Russia dealing with true occurrences and fantastic situations.
Concerns
The language was too confusing for me, often leaving me wonder what was real and what was fantasy. I’m not normally a fantasy reader, so it might have been partially my fault.
Names on the characters change a bit too often, which made it slightly difficult for me to recall who each person was.
Final Thoughts
I had been in a reading slump and was working on the final chapters of my own book. I might have been distracted while reading this one. I wanted to love it, but I didn’t. I think it’s a strong book, and for that, I settled on a 3 rating. It is good, just not the right match for me.
……….SPOILERS……….
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is the first book in the Winternight Trilogy. This story is based on a Russian fairy tale called Father Frost. This version of the tale is about a frost king who is after a girl named Vasilisa.
Plot 5/5: I have never heard any Russian fairy tales, so this was quite the treat.
Characters 5/5: The characters are interesting. I loved learning some of the ways of the Russian people and their folklore and beliefs.
World building 5/5: The descriptions of the village had me feeling the harsh winters and the expectations of spring in this wonderfully created village world.
Pacing 4/5 The pacing was steady and a bit slow, but Arden kept me rapt in the story.
Writing 5/5: The writing is beautiful and lyrical.
Overall 4.8
Favorite Quote:
“I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.” – Vasilisa
Favorite characters: Vasilisa and Morozko
This was a fabulous story and I cannot wait to read the next installment.
This has been on my to-read list for a year, and I wish I had read it sooner. It’s totally original, but reads as if it were a fairytale you’ve heard a thousand times before. I read it in one sitting on an 8 hour flight and poured through it, and though I know there are sequels, this book, in my opinion, works fine as a standalone.