A captivating journey to a lost world of magic
I was fortunate to review Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale. I really enjoyed it. Arden created characters whose voices were so clear that I could keep them straight regardless of the Russian naming conventions attached to them. That book look place in the mid 14th century, before it is truly Russian. If you have not read The Bear and the Nightingale, please do not read any further.
The tension between the old beliefs and the new religion were central to The Bear and the Nightingale. It was a book about a country, a people and a family in the process of change. The Girl in the Tower picks up shortly after the end of The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasilisa (Vasya) is still the central character. Vasya chooses to flee her family home after the death of her father and stepmother. Both deaths are blamed on her.
Vasya flees to the only ally she has, Morozko, who is more dangerous than her enemies. Vasya chooses to take any limited assistance and sets out to see what is beyond the forest of northern Russia. Morozko has an agenda in helping Vasya. All that Vasya learned as a child about the old ways can help her survive anything except the monsters that are men. Characters from the first book, like Sasha and Konstantin, return and new characters are introduced. The story is just as intriguing as the first book.
Arden continues her description, rich prose in this book.The language of the book is gorgeous. It flowed very easily. I did purchase the audiobook of The Bear and the Nightingale and preordered the audiobook of The Girl in the Tower. Reading Arden’s prose is enjoyable but hearing it read with correct pronunciations is a feast for your ears..
I would recommend The Girl in the Tower as soon as you finish The Bear and the Nightingale for a captivating journey to a lost world of magic. It really is an enchanted series.
The tension between the old beliefs and the new religion were central to The Bear and the Nightingale. It was a book about a country, a people and a family in the process of change. The Girl in the Tower picks up shortly after the end of The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasilisa (Vasya) is still the central character. Vasya chooses to flee her family home after the death of her father and stepmother. Both deaths are blamed on her.
Vasya flees to the only ally she has, Morozko, who is more dangerous than her enemies. Vasya chooses to take any limited assistance and sets out to see what is beyond the forest of northern Russia. Morozko has an agenda in helping Vasya. All that Vasya learned as a child about the old ways can help her survive anything except the monsters that are men. Characters from the first book, like Sasha and Konstantin, return and new characters are introduced. The story is just as intriguing as the first book.
Arden continues her description, rich prose in this book.The language of the book is gorgeous. It flowed very easily. I did purchase the audiobook of The Bear and the Nightingale and preordered the audiobook of The Girl in the Tower. Reading Arden’s prose is enjoyable but hearing it read with correct pronunciations is a feast for your ears..
I would recommend The Girl in the Tower as soon as you finish The Bear and the Nightingale for a captivating journey to a lost world of magic. It really is an enchanted series.