The Bear and the Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy, #1) in Around the Year in 52 Books

Nov 19, 2016 Ryan Mac rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I heard that this book was being compared to Uprooted and was pleased to find out that it lives up to my high expectations--well written folklore based story with a strong female lead. The Bear and the Nightingale is based on a Russian fairy tale. I loved the writing with the descriptions of the Russian landscape and the fairy tale creatures. Like Uprooted, it was a fairy tale that adults can enjoy.

The story focuses o ...more

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Feb 08, 2017 CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph rated it it was amazing

Shelves: international, historical-fiction, fantasy

What a beautiful, absolutely gorgeous engrossing book. From the cover art through to the very end of the book, The Bear and the Nightingale fascinated and engrossed me. I didn't want to put it down (but had to. life.), and didn't want to read anything else while I was reading it (which is rare for me. I usually have an audio book going as well as whatever book I'm reading in paper, at the very least.). I just wanted to read this book. I felt like I needed a fix. Maybe it had just been too long s ...more

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Feb 16, 2017 Nadine in NY Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-and-sci-fi, r2017-in-2017, based-on-a-folk-tale, era-medieval, myth, new-fairy-tale, wintery-snowy, maybe

Vasya half-smiled. "Are you going to save us, then?"

"If God gives me strength, I will save you."

"I am only a country girl," said Vasya. She reached again into the blackberry bush, wary of thorns. "I have never seen Tsargrad, or angels, or heard the voice of God. But I think you should be careful, Batyushka, that God does not speak in the voice of your own wishing. We have never needed saving before."

This book was fantastic, and I don't think I have the words (or the time) to describe it.

This ...more

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Jan 10, 2017 Jaime rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2017, bookclub, fantasy-historical

This book had some red flags for me. First, it starts out with some folklore. I really just have no patience for folklore. My eyes glaze over and I start skimming. But I hung in and kept going!

Second, the genre lies somewhere between fantasy and historical fiction and magical realism, and magical realism and I have never gotten along well.

Nonetheless, I stuck with the story and really enjoyed it in the end. First, the setting was intriguing to me. It is set in what is basically Russia in the 13o ...more

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Jan 02, 2018 Shasta rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I can only add my voice to the chorus of praise. Immersed in this enchanting fairytale for grownups, I felt a warm tingling at the back of my skull, a flutter in the belly, and a childlike excitement. I wanted to inhabit this world, and it became so vivid for me that I know I need only close my eyes to return there. Wonderful mythical/folkloric beings and a rebellious heroine. A slow start, but by page 90 I was hooked. I am looking forward to continuing the series. For fans of Uprooted.

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Jan 18, 2017 KT rated it really liked it

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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Apr 12, 2018 Lucinda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A wonderfully lyrical book - looking forward to the next one!

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Sep 24, 2018 Leslie Jones rated it really liked it

I have to say I loved hearing the Russian names and accents, even though I was so confused who was who and where was where at the beginning. A wonderful fantasy and strong character development. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to finish the trilogy. ...more

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May 05, 2017 Hilary rated it really liked it

Shelves: library_books, novels, recognized_literary_merit, sci-fi_fantasy, audio-books

Wonderful sense of place. I enjoyed the story but didn't think the book was perfect. I listened to the audiobook but found it a little slow - probably better to read. ...more

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