The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy #1) by Katherine Arden - Starting January 6th 2019

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind--she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed--this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

[Isabelle]

I'd love to join you for this one!

[Jennifer]

Excited to start this one!

[Michelle Buvoir d'Encre]

I'll be there for The Girl in the Tower!!

[Yajahyra]

This sounds interesting

[✨Skye✨]

Joining for Winter of the Witch! :)

[✨Skye✨]

Part 1 (view spoiler)[ What?! Solovey can't be dead, I don't believe he can ever die! That was awful. Straight back into danger for Vasya. Is it just me that kinda ships Dmitrii and Brother Aleksander? xD (hide spoiler)]

[Isabelle]

19% - (view spoiler)[I'm a sucker for "youngest child, growing up wild" but Vasilisa does seem more than a little spoiled, so I'm interested to watch her grow up. and to find out what that mysterious stranger wants with her. (hide spoiler)]

[✨Skye✨]

Part 2 (view spoiler)[ Dmitrii being led astray, destroying my ship :( I knew Vasya wouldn't be dead! Konstantin is seriously such a creep, I hate him so much, and with the Bear now, I don't know if they can be beaten. (hide spoiler)]

[✨Skye✨]

Part 3 (view spoiler)[ This is so good! I loved the wandering around the Midnight realm and the chyerti she found there. Hopefully her great-grandmother comes round. We have Morozko back! The best part of this series. (hide spoiler)]

[✨Skye✨]

Part 4 (view spoiler)[ That read like a final battle, but there's still so much more to go! Dmitrii has restored my faith in him. It's interesting that Konstantin's gods were real too. Was this implying that the Bear was in love with Konstantin? (hide spoiler)]

[✨Skye✨]

Part 5 (view spoiler)[ I'm so numb and so sad this is over! I'm satisfied with were Vasya ends up but what about poor Sasha? :( I'm just so emotional. I love the romance and the setting and everything about this. Would love more in this world! (hide spoiler)]

[Isabelle]

40% - (view spoiler)[ the dichotomy between the church's God and the old gods/supernatural creatures like the domovoi and vazila is fascinating! I also wish I'd read this before I tried to read Deathless, because I think I'd have better appreciated Deathless if I'd had the background story (hide spoiler)]

[Sanah]

Up to Ch 5? (i'm audiobooking, so I don't remember where I stopped lol) (view spoiler)[ Vasilisa is such an interesting character and I'm curious to see where she goes. Dunya is my favorite character so far because a wise, old lady who tells folk tales that may or may not be true makes for a mysterious and loving person. Not excited for this new stepmother to be introduced and the fact that Olga is getting married at like 15 is freaky (i know that's how it was with the time period, but still...) (hide spoiler)]

[Sanah]

Up to Ch 13 (view spoiler)[ I HATE ANNA. She's annoying and a horrible mother. I wish Pyotr would stop her from treating Vasya so poorly, like who beats a child until they bleed? And the fact that this Konstantin priest is changing the town for the worst is making me angry and he's creeping me out with how much he stares at Vasya and how he is always with Vasya. The spirits are gonna rise and the town is gonna pay... (hide spoiler)]

[Sanah]

Up to Ch 17? (view spoiler)[ I'm sad that Dunya died, but when her ghost came back, I was even more shocked. Also Vasya's ex-fiance was extremely creepy and I'm glad the engagement was broken. I feel like Pyotr knows he isn't a normal dad who has to marry his daughter off and Vasya is special since she was the last child from his late wife (the chosen daughter if you will) , but has struggles with societal pressure. Father Konstantin is also very creepy and I think Anna has an affection/admiration for him out of fear for the spirits and the comfort he sometimes gives her through his sermons. This is so good (hide spoiler)]

[Sanah]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Was not expecting that ending at all...Like I'm sad Pyotr died and Dunya's ghost and the Bear ravaging the town was insane. Also the Winter King trying to protect Vasya and help her against his brother was like the story from the beginning of the novel. It took some time for me to get into it, but this was worth the wait! (hide spoiler)]