The Bear and the Nightingale
Author: Katherine Arden
Series: Winternight trilogy.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Original publication date: January 2017
Book description (from Good Reads): 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.
Thoughts:
Characters: 9.5
People feel very relatable. Vasilisa is a very strong female character even for her culture where women are expected to be married and raise their children or become nuns.
Ana initially you kind of like, she is also a not typical girl. But as time continues and you are after all biased in favor of Vasilisa, well she starts to be very dislikable.
Plot: 7.5
It was a bit meandering initially, it felt like that. There was really very little movement in the overall plot, or it was more like based on the life of a family, mainly a young girl who being able to see what not many others do get in trouble throughout her young life.
This is definitely not very plot ridden. But it does have a wonderful exploration of legends and old gods. Then again if someone who actually knows about the true legends can shine any light appreciated.
For someone who knows nothing about the legends, they were woven and explained in semi detail enough that the story was understood and greatly appreciated.
Logic: 7.5
I did not like all the decisions, but then again people are fanatics in this story so it makes sense that their behavior is closed-minded and quick to judge. It also shows hypocrisy in people even if they pretend to be pious and very devout they can be horrible human beings.
Writing Style: 9.0
Intrigue: 8.0
There is for the majority of the story something coming and you don't really know what or how it will turn out.
Enjoyment: 10.0
Total score: 51.5
Average: 8.5
Star rating: 4.0
This book was devoured. I managed to read it in a few days, it would have been done faster but I was a bit busy with life, you know work and the like, oh well.
The challenges this book accomplished were:
*Hocus Pocus Readathon.
The magic book is calling to you. Read an atmospheric book.
Series: Winternight trilogy.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Original publication date: January 2017
Book description (from Good Reads): 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.
Thoughts:
Characters: 9.5
People feel very relatable. Vasilisa is a very strong female character even for her culture where women are expected to be married and raise their children or become nuns.
Ana initially you kind of like, she is also a not typical girl. But as time continues and you are after all biased in favor of Vasilisa, well she starts to be very dislikable.
Plot: 7.5
It was a bit meandering initially, it felt like that. There was really very little movement in the overall plot, or it was more like based on the life of a family, mainly a young girl who being able to see what not many others do get in trouble throughout her young life.
This is definitely not very plot ridden. But it does have a wonderful exploration of legends and old gods. Then again if someone who actually knows about the true legends can shine any light appreciated.
For someone who knows nothing about the legends, they were woven and explained in semi detail enough that the story was understood and greatly appreciated.
Logic: 7.5
I did not like all the decisions, but then again people are fanatics in this story so it makes sense that their behavior is closed-minded and quick to judge. It also shows hypocrisy in people even if they pretend to be pious and very devout they can be horrible human beings.
Writing Style: 9.0
Intrigue: 8.0
There is for the majority of the story something coming and you don't really know what or how it will turn out.
Enjoyment: 10.0
Total score: 51.5
Average: 8.5
Star rating: 4.0
This book was devoured. I managed to read it in a few days, it would have been done faster but I was a bit busy with life, you know work and the like, oh well.
The challenges this book accomplished were:
*Hocus Pocus Readathon.
The magic book is calling to you. Read an atmospheric book.
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