I grew up reading the Andrew Lang Fairy Books. I still picture my younger self sitting in the local library and losing myself in the stories, escaping from the reality of a dysfunctional family life. The Bear and the Nightingale has the same magical quality I remember from those childhood stories. I loved the novel and just wasn’t ready for it to end. So I was excited to receive The Girl in the Tower in my mailbox the very next day. I am afraid that I didn’t like it quite as well as the first book but it was still a very good story and a solid 4 stars. The writing was as wonderful but the magic fell a bit short for me (but only slightly) compared to The Bear and the Nightingale. I think this was just a personal preference because I favored the forest and country setting of the first book to the Moscow setting of this one. I also felt the ancient spirits were more abundant and better developed in the first book than in this one. This was most likely intentional as the increase in Christianity caused the ancients to begin to fade away. It was the artistry in creating these ancients that originally drew me into the magic of the story. This book is beautifully crafted and the author creates her characters with love, characters the reader becomes invested in. I was especially enchanted with the relationships between Vasya and the winter-king and that of Vasya and Solovey. I anxiously await the final book in the trilogy because I need to know what becomes of certain elements in the story. While I couldn’t imagine how everything would work out – I still wanted that happy ending. I didn’t get it but the end was solid and executed wonderfully. If your interests lie in fantasy and fairy tales, I suggest you give this new author a chance. While not necessary, I urge you to read The Bear and the Nightingale first and follow with The Girl in the Tower.