This story has a very old world, fairytale feel. I absolutely loved the prologue and was instantly transported to enchanted lands faraway. The writing is epic and I can tell that the storyline will be grand. There are lots of long Russian pronunciations which slowed down my reading pace, but in this circumstance, I generally shorten the names of such and roll right through. I must confess, unfortunately I did not read THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE so I'm at a disadvantage when it comes to Katherine Arden's stories. If the latter is as appealing as THE GIRL IN THE TOWER, I expect Arden will be an author on every reader's radar, if she's not already. I think THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE was one of the most visible books of the year. I recall seeing it in every bookstore and plastered all over social media. Hopefully, I'll get my hands on a copy of both and Arden's creative storytelling will be a familiar friend. Love the covers for each book! Excellent excerpt with dreamy qualities.