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The Winter of the Witch
(Winternight Trilogy #3)
by
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.
The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her ow ...more
The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her ow ...more
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Start your review of The Winter of the Witch (Winternight Trilogy, #3)
There are seven wonders in the world, and this book is all of them.
The experience of reading The Winter of the Witch is something akin to being surrounded by magic. Yet, those are still such pale, passive words for what this story was. After the wonder and elation of reading this book and flying in so real-seeming a dream, I now feel such an obscure sense of loss, like something essential is inexplicably gone. A sudden absence, creating a space for the too bright, too sharp world to rush into. ...more
The experience of reading The Winter of the Witch is something akin to being surrounded by magic. Yet, those are still such pale, passive words for what this story was. After the wonder and elation of reading this book and flying in so real-seeming a dream, I now feel such an obscure sense of loss, like something essential is inexplicably gone. A sudden absence, creating a space for the too bright, too sharp world to rush into. ...more
“Beware the forest,” she added, following Vasya to the door. “It does not take kindly to strangers.”
It's over 😔. But it was most definitely a beautiful and fitting ending.
I've owned this book since it released on January 8, but I've been reluctant to start it. Partly because it was the final book, and partly because I was worried it wouldn't be as good as I'd been hoping it would be. But Arden didn't let me down. This finale was every bit as gorgeous and magical as the first two books.
My rev ...more
Dec 05, 2017
Melanie
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
demons,
fantasy,
read-in-2018,
romance,
magic,
paranormal,
buddy-reads,
historical,
arc,
retellings
ARC given to me by my amazingly kind friend, who I don't deserve, but who has made my entire year - Lilly at Lair of Books!
1.) The Bear and the Nightingale ★★★★★
2.) The Girl in the Tower ★★★★★
“I have plucked snowdrops at Midwinter, died at my own choosing, and wept for a nightingale. Now I am beyond prophecy.”
This is a hard review for me to write, because I think my heart doesn’t want to admit that this series is finally over. But it is, and this concluding book was everything I want ...more
Moscow is beset with danger and Vasya has only made it worse.
She bent forward to breathe into his ear: "Never give me orders."
"Command me, then," he whispered back. The words went through her like wine.
Her betrayal of the crown prince is still rocking the country, and there are many waiting in the wings to take advantage.
And yet, in many ways, her life has become so much more than what it was.
“I am a witch,” said Vasya. Blood was running down her hand now, spoiling her grip. “...more
I learned an important life lesson from this trilogy: If a fanatic priest ever comes to your home causing trouble, and a cannibalistic lake spirit helpfully offers to eat him, JUST LET HER DO IT!
I still remember reading The Bear and the Nightingale and reaching the part where the rusalka nicely offers to eat Konstantin and Vasya stops her. I was screaming at Vasya to just step aside and let her do it. And then, as Konstantin’s future actions lead to so much suffering and so many lives lost, I ke ...more
I still remember reading The Bear and the Nightingale and reaching the part where the rusalka nicely offers to eat Konstantin and Vasya stops her. I was screaming at Vasya to just step aside and let her do it. And then, as Konstantin’s future actions lead to so much suffering and so many lives lost, I ke ...more
Dec 02, 2017
kath | novel + folk
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favourites,
cover-love,
arcs,
fantasy,
retellings,
want-to-reread,
so-magical,
kickass-female,
otp,
folklore
You know that feeling when you find a book that speaks to some deep part of your soul and you just want to shout:
THIS is why I read.
This wintery trilogy has become exactly that for me - reminding me of all the reasons why I love literature.
It’s not a secret that I loved the first two books in this magical trilogy with the burning fire of a thousand suns. So you can imagine how much I needed this book in my hands, and also how stressful a thing it is to embark into the last book of a series tha ...more
THIS is why I read.
This wintery trilogy has become exactly that for me - reminding me of all the reasons why I love literature.
It’s not a secret that I loved the first two books in this magical trilogy with the burning fire of a thousand suns. So you can imagine how much I needed this book in my hands, and also how stressful a thing it is to embark into the last book of a series tha ...more
This is possibly a perfect book for me. A perfect finale, certainly. I wrote down so many quotes and I rarely care for quotes. This was the perfect culmination of so many threads and how finales should be done. Loss, learning, triumph, joy, tragedy... all in one book. Such a fulfilling conclusion. One of my favorite books of the year.
I will of course be gushing about it in a review on my channel.
I will of course be gushing about it in a review on my channel.
it has been said that those who do not believe in magic will never find it, and this book is physical proof that magic does exist.
every page, every word, every letter made its way into my heart, which began to beat in a steady and strong rhythm of “i believe, i believe, i believe.”
this story, this trilogy, has woven itself into the very fabric of soul and will forever be a part of me. a truly captivating tale that has made me fall in love with reading all over again.
and as i have come to the ...more
every page, every word, every letter made its way into my heart, which began to beat in a steady and strong rhythm of “i believe, i believe, i believe.”
this story, this trilogy, has woven itself into the very fabric of soul and will forever be a part of me. a truly captivating tale that has made me fall in love with reading all over again.
and as i have come to the ...more
ALL THE STARS AND MORE.
Russian firebird
Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Medieval Russia comes to life in Katherine Arden’s WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY, which began in Lesnaya Zemlya, a small village in northern Rus’ in The Bear and the Nightingale and continued in The Girl in the Tower. Vasilisa (Vasya) is a young woman with the rare ability to see and speak with the natural spirits or chyerti of the hearth, stables, and lands and waters of Rus’. Vasya has gained the attention and respect of t ...more
Russian firebird
Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Medieval Russia comes to life in Katherine Arden’s WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY, which began in Lesnaya Zemlya, a small village in northern Rus’ in The Bear and the Nightingale and continued in The Girl in the Tower. Vasilisa (Vasya) is a young woman with the rare ability to see and speak with the natural spirits or chyerti of the hearth, stables, and lands and waters of Rus’. Vasya has gained the attention and respect of t ...more
‘’Yesterday she saved your life, slew a wicked magician, set fire to Moscow and then saved it all in a single night. Do you think she will consent to disappear, for the price of a dowry- for any price? Do you know my sister?’’
It is seldom that the third book of a trilogy ends up being the finest. However, this is exactly what happened with The Winter of the Witch. The final installment of a saga created with absolute beauty and dark grace by Katherine Arden is one to remember and cherish, in ...more
It is seldom that the third book of a trilogy ends up being the finest. However, this is exactly what happened with The Winter of the Witch. The final installment of a saga created with absolute beauty and dark grace by Katherine Arden is one to remember and cherish, in ...more
An outsider, weird child talking with invisible creatures slowly turned into a brave orphan disguised in boy’s clothes, riding on her horse to her unknown and undefined path and at the end she meets with her magic and called as a witch of winter.
😭😭😭
I cannot help myself not to cry over this end! Don’t take me wrong, of course there are so many tragic elements about the ending of the story and I waited at least three weeks after I ended the second book because I know that I didn’t want to say good ...more
😭😭😭
I cannot help myself not to cry over this end! Don’t take me wrong, of course there are so many tragic elements about the ending of the story and I waited at least three weeks after I ended the second book because I know that I didn’t want to say good ...more
Do-do-do-do-do ... so I fought back and forth with this book the whole read. I was bored a lot during the first 40%, then things got interesting, then I got bored again, then things were magnanimous. But, Frost Demon, you make every scene you are in worth reading. I seriously think I would have enjoyed it more if he had his own POV. Like we get POVs from a lot of others, but never my boy! Whyyyyyyyy nottttttttt??????????
At times my issues came with Vasya. I felt sometimes she needed more emotion ...more
At times my issues came with Vasya. I felt sometimes she needed more emotion ...more
Katherine Arden completes the wonder that is the stellar Winternight trilogy, and leaves me in pieces, distraught with a deep sense of loss that this is the end. This is epic storytelling as it begins with the ashes of Moskva and a traumatised people susceptible to the charismatic priest Konstantin, a man overcome by a maelstrom of feelings, with fear of Vasya dominating. Branded a witch and pariah, Vasya is to be tested beyond human endurance, acquiring a fire within, wracked with grief and los
...more
Dec 19, 2017
karen
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
bookriot-read-harder-challenge-2020
fulfilling my 2020 goal to read (at least) one book each month that i bought in hardcover and put off reading long enough that it is now in paperback.
AND CONVENIENTLY *ALSO*
fulfilling book riot's 2020 read harder challenge task #9: Read the LAST book in a series.
********************************
an absolutely perfect ending to a trilogy i have loved every step of the way.
richly detailed and emotionally satisfying, everything that happens here slots perfectly into the world arden has created and r ...more
AND CONVENIENTLY *ALSO*
fulfilling book riot's 2020 read harder challenge task #9: Read the LAST book in a series.
********************************
an absolutely perfect ending to a trilogy i have loved every step of the way.
richly detailed and emotionally satisfying, everything that happens here slots perfectly into the world arden has created and r ...more
"There is nothing but power in this world. People are divided into those who have it and those who have it not. Which will you be....."
There is a lot of power in the final book of the Winternight Trilogy. This book starts off where The Girl in the Tower ends. If you have not read the first two books in the series, it is imperative that you read them first otherwise you will not know what is going on in this book.
I am not even going to attempt to give a synopsis of the book. There is just so muc ...more
There is a lot of power in the final book of the Winternight Trilogy. This book starts off where The Girl in the Tower ends. If you have not read the first two books in the series, it is imperative that you read them first otherwise you will not know what is going on in this book.
I am not even going to attempt to give a synopsis of the book. There is just so muc ...more
I adored this beyond measure.
I am a huge fan of this trilogy, have been ever since reading the very first chapter of the first book. I was both super excited and a bit apprehensive before reading this book – but I didn’t have to worry because Katherine Arden absolutely sticks the landing here. This book is both a great conclusion to this brilliant series as well as a great book in its own right.
What Arden does better than most authors I read is building an atmosphere so immersive I become lost i ...more
I am a huge fan of this trilogy, have been ever since reading the very first chapter of the first book. I was both super excited and a bit apprehensive before reading this book – but I didn’t have to worry because Katherine Arden absolutely sticks the landing here. This book is both a great conclusion to this brilliant series as well as a great book in its own right.
What Arden does better than most authors I read is building an atmosphere so immersive I become lost i ...more
5*****
”I have plucked snowdrops at Midwinter, died at my own choosing, and wept for a nightingale. Now I am beyond prophecy.”
Enchanting !
More action packed than the other two books but still maintains all of its magical elements and folklore. This book picks up straight after book 2 so we get to learn what happens of Vasya, Morozko, The Bear, Vasya’s family and Father Constantine, as well as many others. This book introduces us to more magical folklore, see Vasya use her magical skills, we get ...more
”I have plucked snowdrops at Midwinter, died at my own choosing, and wept for a nightingale. Now I am beyond prophecy.”
Enchanting !
More action packed than the other two books but still maintains all of its magical elements and folklore. This book picks up straight after book 2 so we get to learn what happens of Vasya, Morozko, The Bear, Vasya’s family and Father Constantine, as well as many others. This book introduces us to more magical folklore, see Vasya use her magical skills, we get ...more
Jan 22, 2019
Nick
marked it as to-read
I swear this series has the most beautiful covers ever.
I really thought this was the best of the bunch.
The pacing was far better in The Winter of the Witch than it was in the first 2 books. Which to me, means the story itself wandered less and moved toward the action and resolution in a timely manner.
Also, if you love horses, you'll love these books.
I'm going to have to say I've never really seen the appeal of horses. When I was a kid I used to go help my neighbor lady take care of her horses in the summer. I wasn't a huge fan. They were nice horses ...more
The pacing was far better in The Winter of the Witch than it was in the first 2 books. Which to me, means the story itself wandered less and moved toward the action and resolution in a timely manner.
Also, if you love horses, you'll love these books.
I'm going to have to say I've never really seen the appeal of horses. When I was a kid I used to go help my neighbor lady take care of her horses in the summer. I wasn't a huge fan. They were nice horses ...more
1-12-19 So I’ve sung this trilogy’s praises since THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE and I will continue to declare my love for these books.
Where do I start? I was bawling my eyes out in the first 30 pages and couldn’t stop for a good twenty minutes. The action scenes are engaging. The writing still moves with the dreamy beauty of a fairy tale. We learn more about Vasya’s legacy, which is just as mystical as readers of the series imagined.
And yet I had some minor quibbles. I had some issues with Vas ...more
Where do I start? I was bawling my eyes out in the first 30 pages and couldn’t stop for a good twenty minutes. The action scenes are engaging. The writing still moves with the dreamy beauty of a fairy tale. We learn more about Vasya’s legacy, which is just as mystical as readers of the series imagined.
And yet I had some minor quibbles. I had some issues with Vas ...more
Jan 27, 2018
Nastassja
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
**Review is posted here on my blog**
Real rating: 4.5 starsWho is to say, in the end, that the three guardians of Russia are not a witch, a frost-demon, and a chaos-spirit? I find it fitting.
-Katherine Arden, The Winter of the Witch
I am sitting in front of a window, watching snow slowly drifting down from the sky, covering the ground with the carpet of pristine white. Frost and cold. I am thinking about the fairy-tales from faraway memory that, once upon a time, made me shiver with dread a
5 stars!
I feel like this is a non-review because it was so hard to write and pinpoint the experience of reading this book and series. In short, I absolutely loved it.
Wow, this book. If you are a fan of this series, it’s one you just have to jump into; don’t read reviews. Experience every word. Every mesmerizing thought of this masterful author. I’m going to keep my review brief to protect all the fun. In fact, I think this is truly a mini review.
Moscow is in ruins, and Vasya is blamed for ever ...more
I feel like this is a non-review because it was so hard to write and pinpoint the experience of reading this book and series. In short, I absolutely loved it.
Wow, this book. If you are a fan of this series, it’s one you just have to jump into; don’t read reviews. Experience every word. Every mesmerizing thought of this masterful author. I’m going to keep my review brief to protect all the fun. In fact, I think this is truly a mini review.
Moscow is in ruins, and Vasya is blamed for ever ...more
I realize it's only January, but I predict this will be one of my favorite books I read this year. This trilogy, what can I say about it without spoiling anything for those who have not read it yet? Well, if you took some Russian history and folklore, some historical misogyny and religious zealotry, a fantastic heroine, two very interesting sets of twins, some romance, some family drama, death, chaos, and redemption - you would get this series. It will be like nothing you have read before (well,
...more
Gosh, I love this trilogy. It's seriously one of my all time favorites and it 100% takes you somewhere else...to a winter-steeped land, where the frost grows like flowers, and it's cold but you're full of warmth. Arden has created something lyrical, epic, full of midnight roads, sly-eyed demons, exquisite romance and characters so colorful & vivid they appear myth-hued. This trilogy is joining my seasonal reread favorites along with UPROOTED by Naomi Novik and WILDWOOD DANCING by Juliette Marill
...more
I have so much to say about this book that I’ve been holding back reviewing it until I had time to fully invest myself in my thoughts. I know it’s only March, but I think this is my favourite read of 2019 and it’ll be pretty tough to beat.
In the third book of the Winternight Trilogy we follow Vasya immediately on from the conclusion to The Girl in the Tower. There’s no time to catch your breath, no month long interval, it’s straight into the heart of the action and issues surrounding Vasya and ...more
In the third book of the Winternight Trilogy we follow Vasya immediately on from the conclusion to The Girl in the Tower. There’s no time to catch your breath, no month long interval, it’s straight into the heart of the action and issues surrounding Vasya and ...more
➳ 3 1/2 stars
I’ve been pondering over how to review The Winter of the Witch for the longest time, and I simply couldn’t find the right words, or the right way to start. In the end, I decided to go about writing my review in a different way for this book, because it’s … special.
Instead of pointing out the many, many aspects of it that absolutely amazed me (and there were many ...more
“I have plucked snowdrops at Midwinter, died at my own choosing, and wept for a nightingale. Now I am beyond prophecy.”
I’ve been pondering over how to review The Winter of the Witch for the longest time, and I simply couldn’t find the right words, or the right way to start. In the end, I decided to go about writing my review in a different way for this book, because it’s … special.
Instead of pointing out the many, many aspects of it that absolutely amazed me (and there were many ...more
This was one of the most beautiful trilogies with Russian history with a heroine to love.
All the male and female characters are strong - be it good or evil.
Wonderful storytelling....folklore- myth- rich Russian history ...
magical - mystical - sparkling prose - with a powerful wisdom.
From the past two books ....
Vasya- orphaned - was cast out as a witch by her village. She had a few options.... both would leave her doomed to a life in a tower...neither ideal.
She would be cut off from the rest of ...more
All the male and female characters are strong - be it good or evil.
Wonderful storytelling....folklore- myth- rich Russian history ...
magical - mystical - sparkling prose - with a powerful wisdom.
From the past two books ....
Vasya- orphaned - was cast out as a witch by her village. She had a few options.... both would leave her doomed to a life in a tower...neither ideal.
She would be cut off from the rest of ...more
Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.
The bear has awakened, and the dead are beginning to walk. A horse of fire, a laughing skeleton, a shadow of claws, and a bird with a woman's face. In the vast realm of Midnight, some shocking family ties are exposed. Allegiances and betrayals. A grievous loss. Will the nightingale remain silent and frozen, or return to sing another day?
I was utterly bewitched and transfixed with this trilogy. Divulging a secret here, this one almost ...more
The bear has awakened, and the dead are beginning to walk. A horse of fire, a laughing skeleton, a shadow of claws, and a bird with a woman's face. In the vast realm of Midnight, some shocking family ties are exposed. Allegiances and betrayals. A grievous loss. Will the nightingale remain silent and frozen, or return to sing another day?
I was utterly bewitched and transfixed with this trilogy. Divulging a secret here, this one almost ...more
First book Christmas present of 2019 💝
Can’t wait to finish this trilogy
Can’t wait to finish this trilogy
Great job ending this trilogy! Every book was better than the last :D
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Buddy Reads: Arden - The Winter of the Witch [May 1, 2020] | 41 | 42 | May 28, 2020 11:46AM | |
| Books Ever After: Jaartrilogie 1 The Winter of the Witch (Winternight Trilogy #3) | 22 | 58 | May 19, 2020 08:22AM | |
| Recommendations? | 2 | 13 | Apr 03, 2020 09:17AM | |
| YA Buddy Readers'...: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden - Restarting March 15th 2020 | 20 | 44 | Mar 03, 2020 01:02PM | |
| Loose Leaf Book Club: The Winter of the Witch- Book Talk | 1 | 5 | Jan 21, 2020 07:08AM | |
| Play Book Tag: Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden | 2 | 15 | Dec 28, 2019 10:05AM |
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A note to everyone who trips and falls upon my Goodreads page. First, welcome. Let us read and discuss all the books together. Second, Goodreads is wondrous, but contacting me through my Goodreads DMs is a good way to ensure a long wait for a reply. Your best bet is Twitter or Instagram (arden_katherine) on both.
Happy reading.
Born in Texas, Katherine studied French and Russian at Middlebury Coll ...more
Happy reading.
Born in Texas, Katherine studied French and Russian at Middlebury Coll ...more
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“I have plucked snowdrops at Midwinter, died at my own choosing, and wept for a nightingale. Now I am beyond prophecy.”
—
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