I was surprised to find that I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book. This, however, was much more fast-paced throughout (unlike the first, which took some time world-building before getting into the bulk of the story--time which made me almost DNF the book), which I appreciated. It follows Vasya, who is out traveling the world with the sporadic help of Morozov. She discovers that there is a band of men who are burning villages and kidnapping young girls. This is set primarily in Moscow, where Vasya's brother and sister are currently. This book makes more points about feminism and the limited options of females during this time, which I found heartbreaking. There is a particularly horrifying scene where Vasya is exposed before the city simply for the crime of being a woman.
I was engaged by this book from start to finish and read it very quickly. Though I didn't enjoy it as much as The Bear and the Nightingale, in the end, I did enjoy the reading experience and look forward to reading the last book and seeing where the story takes me.
I was engaged by this book from start to finish and read it very quickly. Though I didn't enjoy it as much as The Bear and the Nightingale, in the end, I did enjoy the reading experience and look forward to reading the last book and seeing where the story takes me.