Paperback, 360 pages
Published Aug. 9, 2018 by Del Rey.
"The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home--but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege"--
Vasilisa's gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko-- Frost, the winter demon. But Frost's aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch. Driven from her home, she faces an impossible choice: marriage or life in a convent. Instead she dresses herself as a boy and sets off astride her stallion Solovey. Prevailing in a skirmish with bandits, the Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, but soon she discovers a …
"The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home--but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege"--
Vasilisa's gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko-- Frost, the winter demon. But Frost's aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch. Driven from her home, she faces an impossible choice: marriage or life in a convent. Instead she dresses herself as a boy and sets off astride her stallion Solovey. Prevailing in a skirmish with bandits, the Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, but soon she discovers a grave threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.
Witch girl seeks freedom from mediaeval Rus strictures, but her naivety & heedlessness prove her undoing. Still, she saves the day! Less fairytale, more political than prequel. Still excellent.
BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm
So.. I didn't hate this one. But I didn't love it. Everything that made [b:The Bear and the Nightingale|25489134|The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1)|Katherine Arden|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470731420s/25489134.jpg|45268929] amazing for me was stripped out of the second in the trilogy. Which doesn't meant to say Vasya's story doesn't follow the natural progression, in the way that fairy tales do, but there was not enough of my particular boat-floating, and I probably won't be picking up the final (although, if it goes where I think it will/should, it will be a great finish to Vasya's character arc).
Katherine Arden does provide a reading list for Medieval Russia at the end, though, which has definitely been added to my wishlist.
So.. I didn't hate this one. But I didn't love it. Everything that made [b:The Bear and the Nightingale|25489134|The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1)|Katherine Arden|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470731420s/25489134.jpg|45268929] amazing for me was stripped out of the second in the trilogy. Which doesn't meant to say Vasya's story doesn't follow the natural progression, in the way that fairy tales do, but there was not enough of my particular boat-floating, and I probably won't be picking up the final (although, if it goes where I think it will/should, it will be a great finish to Vasya's character arc).
Katherine Arden does provide a reading list for Medieval Russia at the end, though, which has definitely been added to my wishlist.
