This captivating fantasy series only gets better with the Girl in the Tower.
The Girl in the Tower is the second installment in the lyrical Winternight trilogy, Katherine Arden’s fantastical series derived from Slavic folklore. This beautifully-rendered story continues the coming-of-age journey of Vasilisa Petrovna (Vasya), a flawed but admirable heroine with unearthly powers.
After the triumphant and equally devastating conclusion of The Bear and the Nightingale, Vasya sets out alone to see the world, despite the Winter King’s warnings against doing so. Her adventure is wrought with peril as she narrowly avoids death and encounters dangerous and untrustworthy strangers, both human and non-human. While disguised as a boy in order to avoid drawing attention to herself, she serendipitously reunites with her brother, Sasha, who reluctantly goes along with her ruse at Vasya’s insistence. Together, they travel with the Grand Duke of Moscow back to his kingdom.
Once in Muscovy, Vasya learns that all of the Grand Duke’s people, including her family, are in danger. Her plan to save everyone is thwarted by the untimely discovery of her real identity, which causes the Grand Duke to distrust both her and Sasha. Later, as the result of an ill-fated (though well-meaning) decision, she unwittingly unleashes mayhem upon the city. Although she ultimately prevents the complete destruction of Muscovy with the help of the Winter King, he leaves her to face the consequences of her actions alone.
Essentially, all of Vasya’s mistakes, triumphs, self-doubt and self-confidence lead to an important question: how much of ourselves do we sacrifice for the people we love?
After the triumphant and equally devastating conclusion of The Bear and the Nightingale, Vasya sets out alone to see the world, despite the Winter King’s warnings against doing so. Her adventure is wrought with peril as she narrowly avoids death and encounters dangerous and untrustworthy strangers, both human and non-human. While disguised as a boy in order to avoid drawing attention to herself, she serendipitously reunites with her brother, Sasha, who reluctantly goes along with her ruse at Vasya’s insistence. Together, they travel with the Grand Duke of Moscow back to his kingdom.
Once in Muscovy, Vasya learns that all of the Grand Duke’s people, including her family, are in danger. Her plan to save everyone is thwarted by the untimely discovery of her real identity, which causes the Grand Duke to distrust both her and Sasha. Later, as the result of an ill-fated (though well-meaning) decision, she unwittingly unleashes mayhem upon the city. Although she ultimately prevents the complete destruction of Muscovy with the help of the Winter King, he leaves her to face the consequences of her actions alone.
Essentially, all of Vasya’s mistakes, triumphs, self-doubt and self-confidence lead to an important question: how much of ourselves do we sacrifice for the people we love?