The Bear and The Nightingale: (Winternight Trilogy) (Winternight Trilogy, 1)

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the frost of winter is cruel. families shudder when they wake, dreading the cold light of another day and the unmoving frailty that it will bring them. Instead, Morozko makes a deal with his brother to save her. Not sure she really needed him, but it's the thought that counts, you know? Inside the Kremlin walls in Moscow. I’m lowkey jealous that Katherine Arden got to spend a whole year in this amazing city, while my friend and I rushed around trying to see everything during one weekend (and nearly froze to death in the process since we hadn’t been expecting hailstorms in September…) But the nightmares keep coming, and so did the restless nights. The priest tried to write icons again but his hands would sweat too much and he would feel anger mounting inside him. And Morozko! What a hero! He is not your typical knight in shining armor; he is complex and tormented by his own demons - he is the winter-demon. He is ancient and, at times, he feels distant, but he was there for Vasya, he wanted to be more human because of her. How could my heart not beat faster when Morozko was near? How could I not melt every time Vasya and Morozko were together? It's just beyond my strength to fight these two.

Vasilisa grows, and with her, so does his desire for Pyotr’s wild, irreverent, green-eyed girl. Language: English Words: 1,414 Chapters: 2/? Comments: 8 Kudos: 17 Bookmarks: 2 Hits: 439 Also, as a side note, I am really feeling the magic in the series. It has an ethereal quality to it that I really can't put my finger on. Magic is forgetting the world was ever other than as you willed it.I like how the magic system was never completely laid out - it's mysterious and unpredictable - and it worked perfectly in Arden's world.

This trilogy provides examples of:

In the WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY, Arden has proved herself particularly adept at weaving together folklore and actual history. The Winter of the Witch focuses on the events leading up to the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, but puts a fantastical spin on it. As the country lurches toward war, Vasya is guided into the midnight realm of Polunochnitsa, or Lady Midnight, where she meets not only one of her ancestors ― a famous Russian folklore character in her own right ― but the mythical firebird, Pozhar (whose other form is a golden mare), and a delightfully opinionated mushroom spirit that Vasya called Ded Grib (Grandfather Mushroom). Pozhar and Ded Grib represent the high and the lowly among the chyerti, whom Vasya is trying to protect along with the humans who inhabit Russia. Even Medved, the fearsome Bear who played such a terrifying role in The Bear and the Nightingale, becomes more understandable and sympathetic, or at least much more entertaining as a character. It’s a nice reminder that even villains have some positive characteristics. He spoke of Russia. Not of Muscovy, or Tver, or Vladimir, the principalities of the sons of Kiev, but of Russia itself, of its skies and its soil, its people and its pride. You know that feeling when you find a book that speaks to some deep part of your soul and you just want to shout: anyway, there's your zero-plot review of a book i five-starred. i loved this trilogy, and i know i will love whatever she writes next. Katherine Arden is the author of the Winternight trilogy, the third book of which will be published early next year. In this interview, we discuss history, folklore, and fiction. Speaking of monasteries, I also loved Sasha. He reminded me of Vasya in how he stood up for taking his own path, and the way he was always there for his sister, even if it meant lying to Dimitrii, almost had me tearing up. In fact, the family bonds in this series were pretty amazing in general. Dunya, Pyotr, Alyosha, Irina, Olga, Sasha, and even the little bit we got to see of Kolya – I loved it all. And Sasha’s sacrifice at the end was so sad, but it made the series so much stronger. I hate when, in fantasy series with huge stakes, everyone miraculously survives until the end, so I’m glad this series gave us a bit of heartbreak. And it wasn’t just Sasha – Vasya’s parents, Olga’s newborn child, and even Anna Ivanovna. It was all just so, so tragic.

Fairy tale lovers, if you’re going to read one fantasy book this winter, let this be it.... beautiful debut www.bookish.com Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical. The novel is deceptively simple, but its characters and plot are sophisticated and complex. Arden explores what happens when fear and ignorance whip people into a furore, and how society can be persuaded to act against its own interests so easily. It’s a rather apt tale for our times. Washington Post PRH: That’s a long time off, but you’re still promoting that and your other books. Are you doing a lot of signings and public appearances? I still remember reading The Bear and the Nightingale and reaching the part where the rusalka nicely offers to eat Konstantin and Vasya stops her. I was screaming at Vasya to just step aside and let her do it. And then, as Konstantin’s future actions lead to so much suffering and so many lives lost, I kept thinking how it would have been the right decision. Then comes The Girl in the Tower, he causes even more trouble, and I grow even madder than he didn’t find his final resting place in a rusalka’s stomach years ago. And then comes this book, and my hatred for him manages to grow even more. I will, however, talk briefly about the Battle of Kulikovo that took place in the year 1380 before I close this review. Prior to reading The Winter of the Witch, I knew nothing about the Battle of Kulikovo. I didn’t even know it existed. But this battle was the best part of the series for me. Not only it's intense, well-written, and unputdownable, but it also has the effect of making me do further research about the battle itself. I read Part 5 of the book in one sitting, and the Author’s Note at the end just enhanced the narrative of the entire book, and even trilogy, for me.

It is not for men and women to presume what the Lord wishes. That way lies evil, when men put themselves too high, saying, I know what God wants, for it is also what I want. You’ve probably realized by now that the more I love something, the more incoherent my thoughts get 😁 So I’ve attempted to organize this a little bit, but, realistically, you’re still going to get a lot of rambling… Mason, Everdeen (January 5, 2017). " 'The Bear and the Nightingale' and other fantasy and science fiction books to read". The Washington Post . Retrieved May 2, 2018. Moscow is in flames, leaving its people searching for answers – and someone to blame. Vasilisa, a girl with extraordinary gifts, must flee for her life, pursued by those who blame their misfortune on her magic. All too often, stories featuring sexual violence reduce it to a plot device or as motivation for a vengeful man (*side eyes* Game of Thrones), but that isn’t the case here. Both assaults are framed with the female victims’ emotional impact as the focal point. We see these assaults to understand what it’s like to be a woman in a world as patriarchal as medieval Russia. Each victim responds very differently to their assaults, but neither response is valued as any better or worse than the other. Every woman in this world exists on a spectrum of sexual violence and subjugation, even brave, bold Vasya. I did not read these incidents as exploitative, but as moments where each woman defined herself, either by carving out a life in a place that didn’t want her or by plotting her revenge. YMMV, of course.

The Winternight Trilogy became the first out of ten priority series I planned to start and finish in 2022, and I don’t regret this decision. I entered this series expecting an atmospheric trilogy that would make me feel the cold of winter through the text, and I got what I wanted on that front. But I got so much more out of the trilogy. A compelling story about a witch, a brother, a prince, a frost demon, a chaos spirit, a horse, and more. I don’t usually enjoy reading historical fantasy novels, but I can certainly recommend The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden. Arden’s lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all.”—Booklist (starred review) Will Vasya save her human family or the wondrous (and terrifying) Russian spirits? Will she even be able to save herself? A tale both intimate and epic, featuring a heroine whose harrowing and wondrous journey culminates in an emotionally resonant finale.”—Publishers Weekly(starred review)The Winter of the Witch begins in the aftermath of a huge fire that burned much of Moscow. The distraught people of Moscow are whipped into a rage by Vasya’s nemesis, the priest Konstantin, who blames Vasya for the fire (with some justice). Vasya is captured by a mob and nearly burned to death as a witch. Though she escapes, a tragic loss leaves her reeling, and now a terrible price has been paid on her behalf. The Bear is on the loose again, pulling Konstantin into his plans for war and chaos, and Morozko has disappeared into some hidden prison. The vast Tatar armies, the Golden Horde, are still on the move against Moscow, and Vasya has perilous journeys to make through magical midnight lands as she tries to save her country and the humans and spirits that she loves. Vasya has gained in personal strength and magical power from her beginnings in the village of Lesnaya Zemlya, but she still makes some serious mistakes along the way.

The Grand Prince of Moskva, Dmitrii, Vasya's cousin is beseiged by dangers from all sides, the rising power of Konstantin, now discarding all remnants of his Christian faith for a devil's bargain with the bear in return for power. The Tatars with vast forces of fighting men, under the leadership of Mamai, seek silver from Dmitrii, with plans to decimate and conquer Rus through war, if the silver is unforthcoming. Terrified for her family and Rus, Vasya seeks Morozko, unprepared for what she finds. In this dark fairytale, Vasya comes of age, becomes a woman, becoming aware of her abilities, exercising her magic and rallying to become the third force of power as many chyerti, and Pozhar, the firebird, form an alliance with her. Magic, however, is a gift and a curse, rich in its temptations, but exposing her to an all consuming madness that threatens all that ties her to her family, Rus, humanity, and love. To fight the forces that threaten Rus and her family, Vasya ventures into unthinkable terrritory, making common cause with the spirit of chaos, revealing they share more more than she has forseen. Only unity can offer the miniscule hope of winning the David and Goliath battles that loom, offering a future for co-existence between Christian, Pagan and the Grand Prince, and the foundation for an independent Rus. The Frost Demon Morozko, Prince of Russia's immortal land of Buyan, has waited ages for a mate. And she is Stravinksy's fabled Firebird - incarnated as an orphaned witch! We are so thrilled to present to you… THE WINTERNIGHT DELUXE SET, brought to you in collaboration with @arden_katherineand @delreyuk!

I purely enjoyed this final instalment and it was a fantastic way of finishing the series. (I am now just forever going to reread over them as they were so good!). Conclusion of the story was magnificent and I’m still hopeful in near future we may still take more journeys with those memorable characters. it's historical fantasy in setting and atmosphere—russian folklore woven into actual historical conflicts, incorporating a more modern feminist sensibility without shifting it too far into the trend of MAGICAL GIRL CAN DO ALL THE THINGS EFFORTLESSLY!