A remarkable young woman blazes her own trail, from the backwoods of Russia to the court of Moscow, in the exhilarating sequel to Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale.Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s … reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch.
Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey.
But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.
Praise for The Girl in the Tower
“[A] magical story set in an alluring Russia.”—Paste
“Arden’s lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all.”—Booklist (starred review)
“[A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don’t get better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters.”—Library Journal
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This book was perfect. Although the story is set in the depths of the dark, frigid Russian wilderness, it burst forth with life and fire.
A young woman flees her village in search of a grander future — and, disguised as a young boyar, finds herself thrust into a world full of strange nobility and dangerous politicking.
Every page has a treat: fascinating, nuanced characters (including perhaps my favorite horse in all of literature); unsettling ancient folklore; and lush, lyrical writing. It’s heart-rending. And a little bit scary. And unexpectedly, refreshingly full of feminist ideas.
After reading this and The Bear and the Nightingale, I’ll gladly dive into any Katherine Arden book without even glancing at the synopsis. She’s that good.
A better review to come soon, because this series deserves a love letter.
WOW!
My new obsession! I completely identified with the main character. Old time Russia. Vasya has no problem with her woman’s body but she will not settle for what her culture expects a woman to be. So, she doesn’t.
She will blow your gaskets! I could not stop reading as the adventure unfolded with magic, romance, and a plot that made me think about gender culture. I loved this book even more than the first one in the series (which started super slow).
The Girl In The Tower by Katherine Arden is such a profound and beautiful story. Despite the violence of war, the destitute masses and the dangerous climate, it remains a lovely tale. When I think of Moscow in midwinter all white and a dim amber light from a high tower, I only ever imagine a princess. In a sense, these women are trapped in the tower. The men go away and never return. Their world is a harsh one, but the story is so lyrical and lovely that it’s easy to forget that. That’s what I love about this novel. It’s the feeling that the words convey. I am transported to this place. I am present with these people. The magic is also wonderful. What is truly happening? Are all the stories and tall tales you’ve ever heard real? I will be delighted to find out where this story goes!
I really enjoyed The Bear And The Nightingale (which you must read first) but Girl In The Tower exceeded my hopes for where Arden would take her story. Vasya and Morozco are such compelling characters in and of themselves. Neither can be fully contained, albeit for different reasons, and Vasya’s burgeoning awareness of her strengths and abilities was marvelous. This book marks a new aspect to Vasya’s relationship to the frost demon., exploring whether there can be possibly be hope of a future together. Nothing is really as it seems in this world and that adds another layer of intrigue to the whole story. Plus, I continue to love how Russian fairy tales and folklore are woven in. Arden again explores the divide between good and evil, the power of love, and the importance of women having ownership in their lives and futures.
Author Katherine Arden paints a picture with her eloquent prose capturing ancient winter in Russia, where people are vulnerable to the cold and the mythological protectors of the mankind can only be strong against evil if men believe in them. The old ways are weakening, belief in one god is sweeping the lands even into small villages and hovels. I felt my feet were knee-deep snow all the time, with blazing cold surrounding me.
Vasilisa is a unique girl, now a young woman who sees these small creatures who protect the world, as her mother did before. Seeking a new life outside her small village, Morozko, the winter demon of old mythological stories Vasilisa learned at her mother’s knee, comes to her aid. Rather than receiving her at death, he steps in to give her life.
Dressed as a young boy, she travels to a castle where she meets her brother who she hasn’t seen in eight years. They are kindred in more ways than siblings. They each have the curiosity of life and learning which makes it hard for Sasha to do what he feels is right for his sister. What woman can remain secreted in boy’s clothing?
As the story moves forward, unraveling Vasilisa’s deception is no longer easy. When it’s discovered, all that her brother wants to avoid happens. Disgrace for him, his older sister and Vasilisa.
Solovey (magic speaking horse), adores Vasilisa and is a huge help to her on the way to discovering the world. He empowers Vasilisa to escape or fight for her safety and as it happens, for others who she finds unjustly treated or injured.
This is a story where I fell in love with so many of the characters. If you are interested in the read, which I hope you are, start with book one, The Bear and the Nightingale. Author Arden has written a beguiling series with surprises, where evil is just out of reach, prodding my curiosity who the bad characters are and who ultimately is behind all the evil.
A complimentary ARC was provided to me for an honest, unbiased review.
“The Girl in the Tower” is the second book in the trilogy and I was really hoping it would be as wonderfully charming as the first one, and guess what…it was! Sometimes second books can feel like repeats of the first one but this one felt like the same beloved characters but a completely different story that was just as good as the first one. In this one, without giving too much away, Vasya has left her small farm hometown to see the world. She dresses as a boy, rides her magical horse, and ends up in Moscow chasing bandits that are burning up towns one by one. She saves some people, she gains the trust of the Grand Prince, she sees her beloved monk brother again and her princesses sister, and that’s all I’m going to tell you because there are twists and turns and unexpectedness all throughout. Morozko, the winter king, is back again. I like his relationship and dynamic with Vasya, though it’s a little weird. More of it was explained in this novel though and I already can’t wait to start the final one, “The Winter of the Witch”. If you have not started this series, I highly recommend it!
I read this whole series and absolutely loved it!
I did not know where we were going with the story, but I am not disappointed. I love this so much. Vasya is such a great character. I love the folklore. I definitely recommend this.
it was enticing from the first page, the way you just want to know what is happening with the other characters, i finished the whole book in 3 days and that was my new record for the book I could not let down the second I held it in my hand!
I will reread this series again, and recommend it heavily!
i will also read the other books from the amazing author, and wait with anticipation for newer novels from her <3
thank you for the great series and writing!
Loved this book. I like fairytales and what I liked about this book, was all of the Russian history mixed in with the tale. I think I liked the second book even more than The Bear and The Nightingale. Looking forward to reading the third book!
A great follow-up of the first book in this series. What “lacked” in action and speed in the first part is more than compensated in this part. You should definitlely go and read part three!
Katherine Arden, author of the Bear and the Nightingale, offers a lovely sequel with this book, a fantasy tale built on very carefully researched historical details. It’s a great read.
I loved this book even more than the first – I loved the fierceness and strange beauty that Vasya carried, even in her very real moments of childish stubbornness and joy. I loved Solovey and the horses, and I loved the winter king even more than in book one. This is a story filled with political intrigue, dashing princes and scheming sorcerers, maidens in towers and maidens who refuse to conform to what’s expected of them, and it changes so swiftly as to keep you always on your toes. It is truly a fairy tale unlike any other, beautifully told and brooding in a cold-dark world alive with gods of old.
I really liked the first book in this series, The Bear and the Nightingale, but this one absolutely swept me away. I can’t recommend this series highly enough. Arden’s writing is gorgeous. The setting, the characters, mystery, suspense, fantasy, battles, spirits. Can’t wait to pick up the third book.
This is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy. I absolutely LOVED The Bear and the Nightingale. This book definitely felt like a go between the first and third books. It felt slightly rushed to me. You really should read the first book before reading this one, it’s not the kind that stands on its own. This is not a genre I would normally ever pick up. It’s fantasy and spirituality and religion and historical fiction. Arden uses the most amazing words and terms and names. She has researched old world Russia and it feels like I am being told this story by somebody who lived during this time. Fairytales, ghosts, and cautionary tales. It’s all amazing. I can’t wait for the Winter Witch that comes out in January.
I recommend this book!
The Girl in the Tower picks up where The Bear and the Nightingale left off. Vasya is seeking her independence after the events in the first book. However, instead of independence, she finds herself confronting danger while using deception to create a new identity. As time goes by, she is learning to channel and use her special abilities to the benefit of others and the city of Moscow. However, as complications ensue, she must rely on her wits and on the chyerti to triumph over her enemies and over those seeking to keep her in her place as a woman.
The descriptive language creates a brilliant visual image of the snowy landscapes, of the forests, and of 14th century Moscow. It made me feel as if I were traveling alongside Vasya in her journeys and her challenges.
While the ending of The Girl in the Tower seems to wrap most things up, there are clearly some loose ends that I’m sure we’ll see more of in Winter of the Witch. Looking forward to reading that next.
As with the first one, while it took me a minute to get into the story, once I got into it a little bit, I was sucked in and had trouble putting it down. The characters were very well written, and I loved all the Russian folklore and history. The scenes were all written very vividly, in such a way that you felt you were there. My only issues were kind of the same that I’d had with the first book in the series. The fact that there would be more than one name for the same person, and sometimes that was confusing as to who was being talked to. Or who was doing the talking. And then, there was a character that said his house name or his name or something was ironic, but even after googling the name, I could not find what reason made it that – Bashnya Kostei? If you can figure it out, I’d love to know. Anyway, I’ll definitely be interested to see what the final book includes.
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy. Vasya finds herself in a situation where she is disguising herself as a boy. She earns the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, so she must keep her secret at all costs.
This story starts where The Bear and the Nightingale ends. I fell in love with Vasya. I love her determination. With beautiful prose and a fantastically created world, Katherine Arden is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait for the last book in this trilogy.
Just finished blazing through this second installment of the trilogy, casting aside other important and pressing tasks to find out what happens. I adore Vasya, and followed her journey with my heart in my throat the whole way, cheering her on in her search for freedom and her blazing refusal to be contained, confined, or made small. My love for Morozko, Solovey, and Sasha is only slightly less. I wish I could stay immersed in this story world forever, and have come up for air only because I can’t yet get my hands on book three.