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

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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) There are no monsters in the world, and no saints. Only infinite shades woven into the same tapestry, light and dark.” There are no monsters in the world, and no saints. Only infinite shades woven into the same tapestry, light and dark. One man’s monster is another man’s beloved. The wise know that.”

I'm going to have to say I've never really seen the appeal of horses. When I was a kid I used to go help my neighbor lady take care of her horses in the summer. I wasn't a huge fan. They were nice horses and all, and it wasn't like I had a bad experience, but they're such a pain in the ass as far as upkeep goes. A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik, bestselling author of Uprooted If The Bear and the Nightingale was a fairytale about a girl caught in the middle of a battle between two old gods, The Girl in the Tower is a coming-of-age story about a young woman figuring out what she wants from life. Vasya is a child no longer a child but not quite an adult, despite what some creepy boyars think. She has a lot of big decisions to make, and she’ll have to live with the consequences for the rest of her life, no matter how short that happens to be.Finally I just want to say that I agree with you about that fairy tale feeling. I think it was the third one that especially made me think that. When she travels to that other place (I don’t remember names unless they’re Vasya and Morozko 😂) and talks to mushrooms. And of course the very atmospheric style of writing.

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? Also really enjoyed the church vs local belief systems and how the whole arc was dealt with. the fact that neither have to give up their beliefs and both agree to live alongside one another. That the Christian faith is respected as are those who have their more ancient beliefs A+ from me. Love that! Consistent in this novel, also, is the way Arden insists on Vasya’s agency without disallowing her the space and opportunity to experience and navigate first love, vulnerability, romance and intimacy. Instead of avoiding or undermining the unbalanced nature of the power dynamics between Vasya and Morozko, Arden throws that unbalance into sharp relief. Morozko wants to protect Vasya from the world, even (perhaps especially) the part of it that he represents, but Vasya is clear that she does not need coddling, that they are both past the line where his power might be able to help her. Invoking Medved, Morozko's brother, who wants to use Vasya's powers like a lighthouse lens that amplifies the intensity of his own gifts, Vasya implies that subordination to Medved is no different than unthinking deference to Morozko, no matter how different their intentions are: “If I am mad, I will not be yours. And dead I will not be his.” Vasya's refusal to be beholden to anyone's will, be it an ally or an enemy, is a vibrant thread throughout this series. But just as consistent (and constant) is Vasya's longing to belong. The two, insists the novel, are not mutually incompatible. I loved Vasya and Morozko’s relationship. My wizened, hardened heart fractured at the knowledge that they are each other’s person, a safe place for each of them to land. I waited two books and a half for the stolen fugitive moments they shared in shadowed places, where they were free to kiss and touch and drown and live and burn. Chapter 17, in particular, had me aahh-ing and ooh-ing and sending texts in all caps to a dear friend. I was LIVING. An enchanting yet haunting Russian fairytale which inspires courage in a time of darkness The Observer When this writing craftmenship is interwoven so perfectly with magical folklore and real, known, history it combines to make a truly exceptional read. I loved the introduction of the mysterious territory known as ‘Midnight’ and the field of horses. Getting to see some of Solovey’s, and later Vasya’s, mysterious past was bittersweet and touching too, and just added to Vasya’s strength of character. The descriptions of seasons past, as we walk this journey, is wonderfully descriptive and fully immersive again. The plot is always driven and forceful, and the pace continues throughout with multiple twist and battles.

Video

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.

The Winternight Trilogy is one of the most magical out there and left us totally enchanted. Creating a Deluxe Set for these books is something that we have wanted to do for a while now, and we’re so thrilled we’ve been able to make this happen. After reading this I want to ditch all of my reading plans and just read this trilogy all over again! I loved this rambling from you 😉 The court of the Grand Prince of Moscow is plagued by power struggles and rumours of unrest. Meanwhile bandits roam the countryside I knew immediately who “the bear” in the title was, because медведь (medved) is the Russian word for ‘bear’. [Which is, in turn, derived from the word for ‘honey’, мëд.] The word domovoi comes from дом (‘house’), dvorovoi from двор (‘yard, courtyard’), Morozko from мороз (‘frost’). These books taught me the words for ‘nightingale’ (соловей) and ‘mist’ (туман). I could go on, but I think you get the point – for a language nerd like me, this series was a dream!

Medieval Russia in this fantastical world continues to be depicted with its bitter cold. Winter of the Witch is a bold fairytale, and it is lush to the senses. This book has more of a warring focus, and my interest lagged a little during those bits, but the expected magical creatures are present to carry to the fulfilling ending for this amazing trilogy. 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…)

It’s not a secret that I loved the first two books in this magical trilogy with the burning fire of a thousand suns. So you can imagine how much I needed this book in my hands, and also how stressful a thing it is to embark into the last book of a series that has settled so deeply into ones bones.Amazing Russian folklore combines with real historical events of 14th century and mythological, miraculous, lyrical, poetic elements are the main instruments of the author to compose her remarkable, unique, classic symphony will always tune in your ears and the legendary journey of Vasilisa, Vasilii the bravest, Vasya the witch will always stay in your heart!