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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.
Reviewers called Katherine Arden’s novels The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower “lyrical,” “emoti ...more
Reviewers called Katherine Arden’s novels The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower “lyrical,” “emoti ...more
Hardcover, 372 pages
Published
January 8th 2019
by Del Rey Books
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Open mic night: you walk into a crowded bar and I’m on stage loudly reciting bad poetry about how much I love this book and crying in silence.
There are seven wonders in the world, and this book is all of them. Yet, those are still such pale, passive words for what this story was. I honestly don't know what else to say right now, but The Winter of the Witch has just leapt forward to claim the title of Best Book I've Read Yet This Year. Full review to come.
There are seven wonders in the world, and this book is all of them. Yet, those are still such pale, passive words for what this story was. I honestly don't know what else to say right now, but The Winter of the Witch has just leapt forward to claim the title of Best Book I've Read Yet This Year. Full review to come.

Dec 05, 2017
Melanie
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
demons,
fantasy,
historical,
magic,
paranormal,
retellings,
arc,
read-in-2018,
buddy-reads,
romance

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 wanted. I cr ...more

Dec 02, 2017
kath | novelandfolk
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
book-husband,
arcs,
cover-love,
eagerly-awaiting,
fantasy,
favourite-characters,
favourites,
folklore,
kickass-female,
otp
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 folkloric trilogy has become 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 deep-winter tale 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 instalment of a beloved ...more
‘THIS is why I read!’?
This folkloric trilogy has become 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 deep-winter tale 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 instalment of a beloved ...more

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 a ...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 a ...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

"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

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
Shelves:
2018,
fan-girl-mode,
cover-ecstasy,
anticipated-releases,
arc,
3rd-pov,
swoon-worthy-hero,
anti-hero,
best-young-adult,
dark
**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 and ex

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

➳ 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

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 Ma
...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

Jan 22, 2019
Nick
marked it as to-read
I swear this series has the most beautiful covers ever.

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

”‘There will be snowdrops along the way,’ said Vasya.”
-- The Girl in the Tower, by Katherine Arden
In January of 2017, Katherine Arden introduced us to Vasya (Vasilisa) in the first book in this Winternight Trilogy, with The Bear and the Nightingale, and followed up in December of 2017 with ”The Girl in the Tower.” With her third, and final book in this series, she has brought us a gratifying and heartwarming conclusion that surpassed any hopes I had.
In her first book, almost from the begin ...more
-- The Girl in the Tower, by Katherine Arden
In January of 2017, Katherine Arden introduced us to Vasya (Vasilisa) in the first book in this Winternight Trilogy, with The Bear and the Nightingale, and followed up in December of 2017 with ”The Girl in the Tower.” With her third, and final book in this series, she has brought us a gratifying and heartwarming conclusion that surpassed any hopes I had.
In her first book, almost from the begin ...more

Jan 21, 2019
♆Hayley
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
badass-females,
dark-fantasy,
fantasy,
favorites,
historical-fiction,
reread-worthy,
romance
“Come with me, Snegurochka. I know a house in a winter forest.”
Furthest Things I've Learned in 2019 Thus Far:
❄I am utterly destroyed by this series.
❄I need Morozko to come help me bang out the feelings I have after finishing this amazing and epic story. So many
F E E L S.
❄I hate mushrooms, but Ded Grib is the cutest and maybe I don't hate mushrooms so much now.
❄Everything about Midnight is one of the coolest things I've ever read.
❄I was not prepared.
Like, wow, what an epically beautiful and ...more

4 / 5 ~
As a whole, I adored this series. I adored the magic, intrigue, folklore, writing … However, as a finale to the series, The Winter of the Witch disappointed me a teeny-tiny bit. A four-star rating is still good, definitely; but this novel rates slightly under its predecessors, in my humble opinion.
Interestingly enough, when looking at all three books in the Winternight Trilogy, I would argue The Winter of the Witch had the strongest moments of writing even though it was my least favorite ...more
As a whole, I adored this series. I adored the magic, intrigue, folklore, writing … However, as a finale to the series, The Winter of the Witch disappointed me a teeny-tiny bit. A four-star rating is still good, definitely; but this novel rates slightly under its predecessors, in my humble opinion.
Interestingly enough, when looking at all three books in the Winternight Trilogy, I would argue The Winter of the Witch had the strongest moments of writing even though it was my least favorite ...more

This Russian Fairytale-like Winternight Trilogy has brought me such enjoyment the past three winters, I’m sad that it has come to an end! So much real Russian history with the added elements of demons and mythical creatures just took me over in The Bear and The Nightingale (my favorite)
The Girl in The Tower was also very enjoyable!
In this latest/last book, Vasya, Morozko, The Bear and many other magical/mythical creatures work together to save Russia. It was a little slower for me then the first ...more
The Girl in The Tower was also very enjoyable!
In this latest/last book, Vasya, Morozko, The Bear and many other magical/mythical creatures work together to save Russia. It was a little slower for me then the first ...more

Jan 04, 2019
Umut Reviews
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-publishing-2018
I loved this trilogy and I love Katherine Arden's writing. I would read from her again, anytime.
However, this book specifically felt like a forced extension to the story. It was slower than the other books and I didn't feel it flowed naturally. It just didn't grip me.
So, I wish it finished as a duology.
But again, as an overall series, I loved the idea, the characters, Arden's writing style, so I'd definitely pick up her next book.
However, this book specifically felt like a forced extension to the story. It was slower than the other books and I didn't feel it flowed naturally. It just didn't grip me.
So, I wish it finished as a duology.
But again, as an overall series, I loved the idea, the characters, Arden's writing style, so I'd definitely pick up her next book.

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden is the third and final book of the Winternight Trilogy. The Winternight Trilogy is a historical fantasy read that is heavily influenced by Russian folklore and fairy tales. Each book of the series picks up where the previous had left off so this is one that definitely needs to be read from the beginning in order to fully understand the world and it's characters.
In the first book of the series, The Bear and the Nightingale the story introduced readers t ...more
In the first book of the series, The Bear and the Nightingale the story introduced readers t ...more

Rus against Tartars, Christians against Pagans. This third book brings all the sides together. In the middle: Vasya. Still wild, though no longer a little girl. She is torn between the magical realm and her family that lives in the almost completely unmagical world.
Moscow has burnt but it could have been worse was it not for Morozko bringing that snowstorm at the end of the second book. Nevertheless, people see a sign of God's displeasure in it and Konstantin uses that to brand Vasya as a witch ...more
Moscow has burnt but it could have been worse was it not for Morozko bringing that snowstorm at the end of the second book. Nevertheless, people see a sign of God's displeasure in it and Konstantin uses that to brand Vasya as a witch ...more

How dare Amazon ruin my Professional Procrastination? I was so ready to forget everything I was supposed to do last week and didn't have to do and read it today, but apparently the kindle version won't be out in France until Thursday? I feel ATTACKED. Am I supposed to, what, study? grade my students' papers? Damn it.

What gorgeous cover art, befitting the wild and vibrant conclusion to Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy. This third part takes us onward to the famous Battle of Kulikovo in 1380 between the Rus and the Tatars, the first time the people of Rus came together under the guidance of the grand prince of Moscow to defeat a foreign adversary--marking perhaps the spiritual birth at least of the nation of Russia. But in this folk-tale retelling, it is also a battle between the new religion of Christia
...more
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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
Other books in the series
Winternight Trilogy
(3 books)
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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.”
—
16 likes
“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.”
—
10 likes
More quotes…
"Command me, then," he whispered back. The words went through her like wine.”
YESSSS ...more
Feb 16, 2019 06:37AM
Feb 16, 2019 08:48AM