Where do you go when the great villain is vanquished and you long to see the world? Well, when you're a woman in medieval Russia, the options remain limited. Freed from her home, Vasya decides to see the world atop Solovey, disguised as a boy. But dark forces are moving to prevent her dream—bandits are burning villages and stealing girls, the Tatar overlords want their taxes, and a mysterious enemy is slowly reaching out to destroy Russia.
This book is amazing. While I don't think it quite topped the awesomeness of the first book (mostly due to this one's abrupt ending), I really enjoyed it. The bleakness of womanhood in medieval Russia, particularly for a woman who cannot fit into the places society has molded for her. Vasya's freedom quickly reveals itself to be not only an illusion but fleeting as well, as she becomes wrapped up in the Grand Prince's party alongside her brother.
In addition to medieval Russian politicking (less of this than the first one, on both the religious and political sides), there is more beautiful Russian folklore and more stark winter scenery that is just as beautiful as it is deadly. A great follow-up to the first, and I can't wait for the final book!
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
This book is amazing. While I don't think it quite topped the awesomeness of the first book (mostly due to this one's abrupt ending), I really enjoyed it. The bleakness of womanhood in medieval Russia, particularly for a woman who cannot fit into the places society has molded for her. Vasya's freedom quickly reveals itself to be not only an illusion but fleeting as well, as she becomes wrapped up in the Grand Prince's party alongside her brother.
In addition to medieval Russian politicking (less of this than the first one, on both the religious and political sides), there is more beautiful Russian folklore and more stark winter scenery that is just as beautiful as it is deadly. A great follow-up to the first, and I can't wait for the final book!
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.