The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Dec 25, 2017 Abby Johnson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Slow to start, this dark, fairy-tale-esque fantasy really picks up about halfway through and then I couldn't put it down. Weaving together bits of Russian folktales and fairy tales, Katherine Arden creates an atmospheric read, perfect for the long nights of winter. She also creates a strong, smart female lead who questions the strict societal rules that would see her either married off or sent to a convent. Recommended for when you want a thick novel to sink your teeth into. The second book is o ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 Abby Johnson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, grownup_books

Took awhile to take off, but about halfway through it got really good and it was very compelling to the end. Great for when you're looking for a book to really sink your teeth into. ...more

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Jan 18, 2017 KT rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since childhood, I have been a mythology and folklore nut. Alongside Western fairy tales, I devoured Greek myths, African and Native American folklore, Japanese ghost stories and child-friendly versions of Indian, Celtic and Norse epics. Even as an adult, I love to stumble on fantasies based on the mythology of underrepresented cultures. Stories set in faux Medieval Europe are a dime a dozen Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since childhood, I have been a mythology and folklore nut. Alongside Western fairy tales, I devoured Greek myths, African and Native American folklore, Japanese ghost stories and child-friendly versions of Indian, Celtic and Norse epics. Even as an adult, I love to stumble on fantasies based on the mythology of underrepresented cultures. Stories set in faux Medieval Europe are a dime a dozen, but the genre gets an instant refresher when you take it somewhere else.

Modern authors are finding that Russia lends itself very well to fantasy, with its deep, dark snowy winters and its primeval forests, as well as the menagerie of mythical creatures, from the homely domovoi that watch over the house to the wild demons of the forest that hunger for human flesh.

Katherine Arden is a scholar of Russian culture and history and she does a good job of creating a fictional Russia where the old spirits coexist with the new religion and politics rules the city while old traditions rule the far reaches. It's the clash of modern politics and the old ways that sets the story in motion here. The strength of the book is the way that every detail of the characters' lives rings true, from the daily life of a border lord's family to the political wranglings of the city folk.

The story centers on Vasya, who has inherited a second sight and certain powers from her maternal bloodline. When Vasya's father visits Moscow, the prince takes the opportunity to send a troublesome, half-mad Princess and a charismatic, ambitious priest back home with him to get them out of the way. They couldn't come at a worse time -- the two newcomers disrupt the old traditions and weaken the land's spirits at a time when an old evil is close to escaping its prison. Vasya must draw on her abilities to protect her people, but at what cost?

This is a beautifully written, well-paced fantasy that lingers on the details, but not at the expense of the action. Arden manages to bring her tale to a solid conclusion, while leaving an opening for the story to continue and show us other settings in this alternate Russia. ...more

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May 14, 2020 superawesomekt rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: russia, fantasy

3.5 stars

I actually expected to like this more than I did. Maybe because I read a fair amount of fantasy, including those with a more Russian / Eastern European influence (if you like that, try Enchantment by Orson Scott Card, if you haven't already read Spinning Silver and Uprooted by Novik). If you liked this book, you might also like A Vision of Light, which takes place in Medieval England, but has demons and more humor and a few sequels.

I am definitely going to read the other books in the se ...more

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Feb 12, 2018 aimee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Enjoyed this Russian folkloric adventure with a strong female protagonist who just wants to make her own choices in life. I can relate! Love reading Russian focused literature as it helps me to understand the culture and mindset.

I will now attempt to hunt down the next book in the series at my library.

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Mar 14, 2018 cam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Such vivid writing, intricate world-building, and well-rounded characters. I read it while snowed in by a blizzard, which I highly recommend for this book that is full of winter magic and mischief. The publisher’s description simplifies the story to an almost unrecognizable degree—it’s much more intricate and full-bodied with complex characters and motivations than the jacket copy would have you believe. It’s a bit Game of Thrones-ish with its detailed world and forgotten-magic-comes-back tropes ...more

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