Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice. “A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik, bestselling author of Uprooted
Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.
Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village.
But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
Praise for The Bear and the Nightingale
“Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington Post
“Vasya [is] a clever, stalwart girl determined to forge her own path in a time when women had few choices.”—The Christian Science Monitor
“Stunning . . . will enchant readers from the first page. . . . with an irresistible heroine who wants only to be free of the bonds placed on her gender and claim her own fate.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Utterly bewitching . . . a lush narrative . . . an immersive, earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid, dynamic characters, particularly clever, brave Vasya, who outsmarts men and demons alike to save her family.”—Booklist (starred review)
“An extraordinary retelling of a very old tale . . . The Bear and the Nightingale is a wonderfully layered novel of family and the harsh wonders of deep winter magic.”—Robin Hobb
A young woman is charged with saving her village, but it could cost her life.
I wanted to love this book. I wished it with my whole heart. While I did enjoy it better than some other books I've read recently, it didn't live up to my expectations.
The number one problem is pacing. The book begins with Vasilisa born in her small, rural village in medieval Russia. The other characters are introduced throughout the novel organically. Most major characters have their own POVs so their motivations are always clear. But then a curious thing happens. The last hundred pages of the novel Vasilisa goes on this journey, completely changing the narrative of the story. New characters, new settings, and new backstories are introduced. It felt like the book languished in the first act before rushing through the second and third acts.
Despite the pacing issues, the novel has so many things to love. Vasilisa is a great character. Her love for her family and her village is heart warming. The setting, particularly the Russian folklore, is wonderfully mixed into the story.
tl;dr An interesting tale featuring a strong heroine, Russian folklore, and a rushed ending.
