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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Fantastic story blending Russian folk legends, vivid scenery, and complex characters. The first book in a trilogy. Looking forward to the second book.
I loved this book. It starts a little slowly, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. It’s grim, but also full of wonder. I loved the characters, the integration of Russian folklore, the integration of the history and culture and politics of Russia… it was really interesting and I just inhaled it.
Book 1 of 3 book series. I’m not a big fantasy book reader, but this book is action packed with a female heroine. All the characters in the story are memorable and the historical background and setting (Russian villages, Moscow) are informative and fully developed. I’m ready to read Book 2 in the series, The Girl in the Tower.
Adult level Russian fairytale style story. I didn’t even know these type of books existed. It was a treat to read. I need to find more like these.
The ever changing Russian names become difficult, but was a fairly good story overall.
Could not get enough of the beautiful descriptions on winter cold in a Russian set Fairytale.
I went into this book with really high expectations because of the reviews. The first half really dragged for me. It finally picked up in the last 1/3 to 1/4. I’m finding it difficult to put into words how I felt about it. The characters were realistic and there was a definite Cinderella theme. But there were times I felt disappointed in the characters and had a hard time relating to them and engaging in the story. Withholding details to prevent spoilers. I did end up liking the ending, however, and will read the next books in the series.
Love old fairy tales and this did not disappoint! Could not wait to read the second book.
I got sucked into this Russian fairytale and all the amazing creatures that populate this world!
A fantastic story with Russian folklore throughout.
I really enjoyed being taken to another land, another time. Superstitions were real, or they made them real by their beliefs. I do not know but, I was immersed and couldn’t tear myself away. If you want a vacation just read this book.
Great read! Says it’s for young adults, but the vocabulary is pretty high for young adults. Catches your attention from the beginning all the way to the end. Arthur apparently Did a lot of research into Russian folk lore to write this book. Loved it!
I love re-imaginings of fairytales, and The Bear and the Nightingale is one of the best I’ve read. It’s a wonderful story of old and new beliefs, and what can happen with the new tries to push out the old.
Young Vasilisa is the unique daughter of a unique mother, who died giving birth to her. Vasilisa sees the household spirits who keep the horses happy, the fires burning, the fields producing food, and she venerates them as part of her daily life. To Vasilisa they are an integral part of her environment, as much a part of the family as her family. But when Vasilisa’s father remarries, his new wife is of a new time, when the church views the old spirits and the old ways as demons to be driven out. With Vasilisa’s stepmother comes a priest, who’s a prolific painter of icons and a strict manager of souls. The consequences of intolerance of the old by villager’s and newcomer’s are dire. As the village struggles to survive while the old ways die, the winter’s become even more fierce, the food more scarce, Vasilisa does what she can to save the old world.
I love the characters in the book. Vasilisa is a loving free spirit who cares for her family (spirits and all) as well as the village. But because she is different and doesn’t strictly follow the rules the villagers begin to turn against her. Her stepmother isn’t really evil, just scared and misguided, which leads her to mistreating Vasilisa. Her brother understands and values her specialness, and her youngest sister loves and admires her. Her relationships with the spirits of the forest and the lake are written so matter of factly we just accept that they are real and enjoy them as characters. And so it does.
If you like fantasy (and I would call this historical fantasy, as some of the characters are real) you will definitely enjoy this book! It is so well done, it’s hard to believe it’s a debut novel. I look forward to reading more by Katherine Arden. I recommend it for adults and YA readers.
Story telling at its finest
Really interesting book, great story! I loved learning some of the fairy tales from Russia and how they dealt with their superstitions way back, and it was presented in a way that was modern enough to draw some great parallels to todays political and religious environment. Loved the heroine, she was fun and unpredictable and very loyal to all her family. I felt like I entered a new world and came out with a decent understanding of the message of the book. It was educational with out being pretentious, which I appreciated.
Excellent book. Highly recommend
A must read book, especially if you like folklore and fairy tales, which I do. The story is detailed with lots of Russian history, folklore and myths, but also grounded in the reality of daily Russian life for the time period. The characters are wonderfully detailed and and you can’t help but to love Vasya, who is a strong, complex heroine. The story is a beautifully written journey that you will not want to end. I can’t to read the next book in the series.
This was a fantastic first novel and I will definitely track down and read the sequels. I have for a long time felt that “fantasy” novels set in some medieval world that is built solely on Western European models were limiting our reach: in this book the author skillfully evokes the world of late-Medieval Rus’ and the folk beliefs of the Rus’ people at a time when Christianity was only slowly making headway at replacing the pre-Christian beliefs of the people (or at least, cover them over so thickly that they are barely remembered). Engaging plot and a superb heroine with strong supporting cast. Effective intertwining of realistic depiction of live in the cold North with supernatural, fairy-tale elements. Strongly recommend!
Fantastic story.
Such a disappointment; didn’t care for the plot nor the characters.