The Girl in the Tower: A Novel (Winternight Trilogy) by Katherine Arden (Epub)

Description

Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch.

Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey.

But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.

Praise for The Girl in the Tower

“[A] magical story set in an alluring Russia.”—Paste

“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)

“[A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don’t get better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters.”—Library Journal

User’s Reviews

Amazon.com Review An Amazon Best Book of December 2017: We chose Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale as a Best Book of the Month earlier in 2017, and Arden now continues her glorious medieval Russian fantasy series right where the first book left off. Vasya, a potential witch, has been exiled from her village on the edge of the wild woods, the death of her father weighing on her soul. Her desire to escape the destiny of her gender—to be a wife or to live in a cloister—and to experience the wide world puts her in boy’s trousers and on the back of a magical horse, but Vasya’s tendency to act first and think later tangles her up in bandit clans, a budding war between wizards, and the vast ambitions of the young ruler of Moscow. Even as she rejects the constricting rules of society and her own family, Vasya’s troubles are magnified as her actions spawn repercussions that will upend not only the human balance of power but the supernatural equilibrium, too. Arden’s writing is as feverishly beautiful and poetic here as it was in her first novel, and it’s a thrill watching a perfect bud of a fantasy tale blossom into a powerful epic. –Adrian Liang, Amazon Book Review Review “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) “[A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don’t get better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“[Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters.”—Library Journal “A compelling, fast-moving story that grounds fantasy elements in a fascinating period of Russian history.”—Kirkus Reviews “[A] magical story set in an alluring Russia.”—Paste

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ “Come in, Vasya,” Morozko said. “It is cold.”When last we left Vasilisa Petrovna in The Bear and the Nightingale she had left Leznaya Semlya on her beloved Solovey, the magnificent and magical stallion son of the great horse of Morozko. As the story in The Girl in the Tower opens we find ourselves in Moscow, with Vasya’s sister Olya, and eventually again meet her brother Sasha and even the shameful priest who had harmed Leznaya Semlya’s delicate balance between the old ways and the new. It takes a deliciously long while for us to find out what happened with Vasya arriving at the home among the tree grove that is Morozko’s.There is no magic. Things are. Or they are not.In many ways, The Girl in the Tower is a deeper and more complex story than The Bear and the Nightingale. The complexity is both due to the interweaving of more folklore (we see other famous monsters’ from the pantheon) than just that of Morozko in this book, but also deeper because of questions about mortality, immortality, love, truth, and magic. The relationship between Vasya and Morozko deepens and we find that Death is surprisingly kind. Vasya must deal with further strife in terms of how everyone, at times even Morozko want her to be. But the two most important male figures in her life- Morozko and her brother Sasha, seem to find some way, some space, to allow Vasya to always be herself, even as they fear for her safety. Their fears are well justified. Torn between fates that would be anathema to her- two different towers with both implying differing horrors if you are Vasya, she is also caught between Death and Deathless, for a time.There was a passage in the first book in which Solovey rebuts Vasya’s saying he is not a bird with the comment “You do not know what you are; can you know what I am?” Although, yes, we can call Vasya a witch, I’m not sure, still, even at the end of this book, that we know exactly what Vasya is or what has been passed down to her from Tamara’s mother to Tamara, then to Marina to Vasya and even Masha. We are left with strong suspicions, however. It will be interesting to see what Vasya can rebuild from what she has destroyed. And what little Masha will become.This was a masterful second novel and an entirely satisfying middle book in the Winternight trilogy. I cannot wait to see what Katherine Arden has in store for us in the final book, “The Winter of the Witch.”

⭐ “Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet.”The events that happened in the Bear and the Nightingale left Vasilisa Petrovna orphaned and branded as a witch by the people in her small village. She was given two options to choose from: spend the rest of her life in a covenant or allow her older sister to match her with a Moscovite prince. Both of which would imprison her in a tower and cut her off from the things she loves most – the wilderness and her freedom.Not wanting to burden her brother Alyosha and her younger step-sister Irinka with her bad reputation, Vasya felt she had nothing left in Lesnaya Zemlya. So, with the help of Morozko (the frost demon) and her beloved stallion Solovey, she decides to become a traveler disguised as a boy so that she may explore the world and live freely.”Thus Vasilisa Petrovna, murderer, savior, lost child, rode away from the house in the fir-grove. The first day ran on as an adventure might, with home behind and the whole world before them.”However, her travels don’t go as smoothly as she may have hoped. When she comes across bandits that have been terrorizing the countryside by burning villages and abducting young girls, ‘Vasilii Petrovitch’ successfully tracks them down and pulls off a daring rescue, which earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow.Being in Moscow has reunited Vasya with her sister Olga, the Princess of Serpukhov and her brother Alexsandr, a well known traveling monk. Together they try to keep Vasilisa’s gender a secret from their cousin Dmitrii Ivanovitch, the Grand Prince, so that they may remain in his good graces. However, the bandits were never the real problem, its who was commanding them. The kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces, and Vasilisa is the only one who can stop it – will they let a wild girl, branded as a witch, save them?The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden is the second book of her Winternight trilogy. This a fantasy retelling of the Russian fairy tale Vasilisa the brave/beautiful.This book begins where the first leaves off, so it was very easy for me to get lost in the story again. Katherine Arden’s writing is poetic – its beautifully descriptive and full of emotion. While The Bear and the Nightingale had more of a slower pace (being the introductory book), The Girl in the Tower reads much more quickly.There aren’t a lot of new characters given in this book, most of them are ones we’ve already met in part one. However, we get to know them all so much better, which I really enjoyed! I loved seeing not only how Vasilisa grows and changes, but her siblings and even the frost-demon himself, too. They all go through trails and have issues of their own to deal with, Vasilisa especially; she learns quit a few lessons the hard way. One of the newer characters in this story is Marya, Olga’s daughter, and I really hope to see more of her in the third book. There are a few mysteries from book one that are revieled in this part, giving us even more of an understanding of her family.There was no romance in book one, but in this book there was just a touch of it, which I didn’t mind. I actually really enjoyed it, and I’m excited to see where that goes.Overall, I feel this is the perfect sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale. There’s tons of action and its full of fairy tale creatures and adventures. Thankfully, just like the first book, The Girl in the Tower doesn’t end on a cliffhanger. We end with Vasilisa set out on another adventure. One I can’t wait to read about!**** I received an eBook copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Random House publishing! ****

⭐ Sometimes, there’s little more intimidating than approaching the second book of a series you loved. What if it doesn’t live up to the first? What if it retroactively goes back and changes things you liked, or moves away from what made the first book great? Worst of all, what if it just leaves you disappointed? And so, yes, I was a little nervous about The Girl in the Tower, Katherine Arden’s followup to the incredible The Bear and the Nightingale. That was a book I truly loved, and one whose scope remained intimate and character-based, even as the story got more complex, the mythology richer, and the imagination wider – and between “fantasy series bloat” and “middle book syndrome,” there was plenty that could go wrong.And somehow, not a bit of it did, because instead, I got a book that I loved every bit as much as its predecessor, and left me every bit as excited and enthralled by this series as the first one did.Like its predecessor, The Girl in the Tower is a book about medieval Russia – a country that’s not yet a country, on the verge of historic change. It’s a population that is slowly letting go of its folklore and heritage, moving towards Christianity, but also towards independence. But the Khans are still in charge, and more pressingly, there are horrific bandit attacks happening throughout the cities, where populations are slaughtered and girls are kidnapped – and the bandits disappear without a trace. While The Bear and the Nightingale focused on life in the wildernesses of the time, The Girl in the Tower dives into the world of medieval Moscow, with court politics, royal unease, power struggles, and the Church all pushing against each other and interweaving in complex ways. Yes, Vasya Petronova is still here, clinging to folklore and the creatures of magic that are being forced to the side in the face of a changing country; but this time, Arden brings back two members of her family that we barely got to know in Nightingale – her devoted monk brother Sasha, and her married-into-royalty elder sister Olga. What their part is in this story is – as well as how the Crown Prince and a mysterious lord come into play – should best be discovered by the reader. Suffice to say, once again, Arden mixes magic, history, character building, and imagination into something incredible, spinning a story that remains true to its characters while dazzling with its inventions, which dives into Russian folktales and fairy tales while immersing itself in history, and all around dazzling me on every page. More importantly, Arden’s characters continue to grow over the books, turning their relationships into an equally important part of the series, from a complex romance that shouldn’t exist to family relationships strained by different values. The book allows these to be as equally – or more – important as the plotting of the book, investing us just as much in the love of a family member as we are in the truth of these mysterious bandits. It even further complicates our feelings on a returning villain, who continues his shift from hateful zealot into something more tragic, even as his cruelty continues. And if that’s not enough, there’s the rich subtext of the book, as a country tries to reconcile its past and its future, even when those things are incompatible.Somehow, Arden does all of this while making her story exciting, inventive, and thrilling; even more impressive, she both sets up a final entry in the series and once again delivers a self-contained story that satisfies on its own terms, not just as setup for an eventual payoff. In other words, it’s a piece of a larger whole, but a piece that can be appreciated on its own – and that’s something we don’t do often enough. Yes, the payoffs are more effective if you’ve read the first book – there is a final moment between two characters that broke my heart, even as I suspect there’s more to come – but more importantly, I can spend the next few months waiting on book 3 satisfied with what I have, even though I’m ready for more.And in the meantime, maybe you should read these books. If you love the way Neil Gaiman uses fairy tales to explore larger themes; if you love books about historical fiction with a focus on folklore and belief; if you’re fascinated by Russian tales of heroes and demons and ghosts; if you love fantasy about women who want to be more than their gender should allow; if you’re fascinated by the boundary between religion and myth; or if you just want an incredible tale of magic, love, bravery, and wonder…if you’re any of those things, read these books. You won’t be sorry. And then join me in the wait for book 3, won’t you?

⭐ I loved The Bear and The Nightingale, Ms. Arden’s first book, to which The Girl in the Tower is a sequel, actually part two of a planned three. It raises the question, how can the author be so cruel as to make us wait for the third installment! I want it now. I can’t wait to read the next novel.The Bear and the Nightingale was one of my favorite books of recent years. I re-read it right before starting The Girl in the Tower, and I loved it even more the second time around. That said, The Girl in the Tower is even better. It is deeper, wider, richer, more dangerous and even more brilliant. Don’t start reading this book late at night, thinking you will just read for a few minutes before bed. It won’t work. An hour later, you will again try to stop, but the next chapter and the next will pull you in.These are books to read and re-read.If you have read The Bear in the Nightingale, do not hesitate. Get this book. If you have not yet read The Bear and the Nightingale, definitely get that and read it before The Girl in the Tower.These books are destined to be classics. Part of me wants to see them made into a movie, but part of me dreads the thought because I’m so afraid they could never get it right.

⭐ It’s a strange feeling to read a book about the harsh Russian winters while sitting on the beach but like Bear and the Nightingale before it, this book manages to draw you in and make you forget that you started this journey anywhere else than knee deep in snow.“Girl in the Tower” shifts focus a bit giving us more insight into that of Vasya’s siblings who found themselves absent for a majority of the first book as well as introduces us to a world where religion takes a back seat to the politics of court where a girl as wild as our lead heroine finds herself thriving even if it means carrying a secret that could threaten the livelihood of those she loves.I just love these books and how they capture the world giving us just enough fairy tale to balance out the moments that cater to larger themes. The running question of the roles of women continues i this book if not builds upon it with the introduction of high society and the cages women are put in while the men run free to do as they please with very little consequences.These have always given me a sort of American Gods vibe when it comes to the mythology and the waning influence these creatures have as time passes and I really enjoy that because it’s something that we do see everyday and though it might not go nearly as far with the fight for faith and the power of belief as Neil Gaiman’s book it does it still shows a world once rich with magic and lore is slowly rotting away to nothing as something much darker grows in its place.I can’t wait to see how this trilogy ends though I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m very nervous because I don’t see this having a happily ever after type conclusion but one can always hope!

⭐ TW: still birthThis book is the second in the Winternight Trilogy and basically picks up where The Bear and the Nightengail ends, except we are following Vasya’s brother Sasha, the monk and the main consort for the prince. Since Vasya’s sister, Olga is also in Moscow we also get to get caught up with her since we saw her married off in The Bear and the Nightengail.Vasya is still our main character, but there is still a dual perspective narrative in this book to round out the external view of the characters as well as show us the present political situation of Moscow.We see a lot more romance in this book, but it still does not dominate the plot. It’s just apart of the progression of everything that is going on. I love the romance and all of it subtle elements that make it a great compliment to the story.We also get to see a lot more Gender fluidity from Vasya and I love it. She is a wonderfully independent woman who chooses not to fit into the mold that women are suppose to follow in 1300s Russia. She is smart and loves her freedom.After reading this whole trilogy of this Russian historical fantasy, I do feel like this book is the strongest book out of the three and it was my favorite of the trilogy. We see so many things happen and the plot is steady and so interesting. I adored this book!

⭐ Summary:Vasya leaves her home after the events in The Bear and the Nightingale. Determined to see the world, she disguises herself as a boy and sets off. When she comes under the attention of the Grand Prince Dimitri, she knows this can’t last forever, but doesn’t know how to extract herself and remain free. Other forces are awakening though, and would use Vasya and those dear to her for their own gain. Helping stolen girls, fighting evil forces, and hated for being a “witch”…. it’s all par for the coarse.My thoughts:I loved this book so much!!! The first book gave me a small taste of life in historic Russia, the mythology and daily life. I loved how the magic was enfolded into Vasya’s world, how she came to accept and embrace it. The descriptions here were gorgeous, the characters well developed and interesting, and the pacing of the book was fast, with just a few slow points. I loved the characters, especially getting to spend more time with the Winter King. One thing I will say is that I wish I had a better understanding of Olga, the older sister. We had a few chapters from her point of view, but even then it didn’t reveal much of her true feelings. I know that was purposeful, but I would have liked the insight. This is a five star book for me, with an extra one for creativity (I seriously love how the folklore was woven into the story). On the adult content scale, there is a lot of violence, and some language. I still want to get it for my niece and can’t see this being an issue for young teen readers. I give it a three. The book is out now. Have you read it?

⭐ I was really impressed with Katherine Arden’s first novel, The Bear & The Nightingale, and I was a little concerned about sophomore slippage with the second book in the series. I should have known better. The Girl in the Tower is one of the richest and most enthralling stories I’ve read in years, and this is coming from someone who has been reading (especially fantasy & sf) for almost 60 years. The characters, particularly Vasilisa, are beautifully drawn and compelling. The escalating conflict in Vasilisa’s life is gripping and suspenseful. I couldn’t wait to find out how it would all work out, and at the same time dreading the fact that the book would end. This definitely gets my vote for the Best Fantasy Novel of 2018 (at least for the first six months).

⭐ The Girl in the Tower was not quite as amazing as The Bear and the Nightingale, but was still an outstanding read.Arden successfully maintained her beautiful writing style. Everything about medieval Rus seems so magical and wonderful. The frigid cold winter really permeated the feeling of the entire book. This book still had a mysterious feel, but the whole thing was a little darker. Vasya deals with more grown-up and human fears than the first book, which is mostly concerned with the supernatural. However, there is still plenty of good mythology! Some of Russia’s most well-known mythological creatures make an appearance in this book, as well as several more obscure characters.Where I think Arden’s writing really sets itself apart is in the meandering nature of the narrative. The plot is constantly changing direction and going places you wouldn’t quite expect. It’s a little like an episode of the Simpsons in that way: the beginning of the book is about something quite different than the middle or end. As with The Bear and the Nightingale, I found this slower, more round-about story-telling style refreshing and enjoyable.The wild-girl is becoming a common trope in literature. Vasya is no exception. She refuses to conform to expectations for women, longs for adventure, and even (scandalously) dresses as a boy in this novel. But unlike in other books, in this one Vasya is confronted with the reality that SOCIETY DOESN’T CARE what she wants. I thought this was brilliant, and am instantly bothered that no author has ever brought it up before. At times she is even conflicted between who she wants to be and not wanting to disappoint her family. I loved seeing this inner conflict. It made Vasya so much more interesting than some of her counterparts.Where I think this book didn’t quite live up to its predecessor was with character development. In The Bear and the Nightingale every character, even minor ones, had character arcs. Konstantine was a fascinating antagonist because he wasn’t just evil, he was complicated. But in The Girl in the Tower, only Morozko really grows. Even Vasya, conflicted though she might be, doesn’t really change. And the antagonist was shockingly on-dimensional. It was disappointing, and the main reason this book received four stars instead of five.However, the pace of this novel definitely picked up. The main criticism of The Bear and the Nightingale was that it was too slow, and this one was definitely quicker, even if not, you know, FAST.I still strongly recommend this series to anyone who loves fairy tales or historical fiction. I’m really looking forward to the final installment, The Winter of the Witch!

⭐ I loved this book.It was a little difficult for me to keep up with the early sections that weren’t as much about Vasya, but it’s all a great story. The characters are memorable and fully-realized. It’s just that Vasya is so easy to love and root for that I found myself just wanting her to show up again.And then she did, and on I read.This book picks up right after the end of The Bear and The Nightingale. Vasya, having run from her home, is longing to find her place in the world. The Lord of Winter gives her a little help along the way, and Vasya and her glorious horse, Solovey, set off to live as adventurers.Meanwhile, Russia’s villages are being attacked by bandits and the Grand Prince Dmitri decides to take matters into his own hands to protect his people.The intersection of multiple lives with multiple points-of-view provides a full view of the events unfolding and how they affect all involved.I can’t say enough good things about these books. I’m excited to read the third one and see what happens next.

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