bitondomomma's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book even though I had a hard time getting into it. Once I got hooked I couldn’t put it down.
xyellowconverse's review against another edition
Unfortunately the pace was too slow and the characters weren’t interesting enough to keep my attention.
sunnyevie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
It's not bad, on a higher level its probably better than a 3 star, but I just didn't care about the characters. The two I cared about the most were . Anyways. It kind of ends in a way that I can pretend it's a stand alone and not continue. I like that 🙂
Spoiler
Pyotr, who dies, and the horse whose name I can't spell and was only in the book for the last like 15%annebennett1957's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. I will treasure it in my heart. The power of folktales is immense. The audiobook was especially good. It is read by Kathleen Gati, who does the Russian accent and pronunciation of difficult names perfectly.
foxon's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars to Vasilisa who is now my new hero. Seriously, this whole review is going to be about how much I love her.
Pro: Words to describe my perfect heroine: Truly fearless, determined, strong, cunning, valiant, skillful, courageous even for those who haven't earned it. I just.... she is awesome. She is what her people need and not a one of them deserve her. Yes, the reader is enveloped by the writing into a wintery fairy land and yes the pagan Russian folklore is fantastic to read about but you should be here for Vasilisa because that girl is everything. She has basically spend her childhood leveling up with all these old school spirits and its so fun to watch.
Con: Its not really an negative per se but more of something that bothers me when reading these kinds of novels (Pillars of the Earth and to a lesser extent Doomsday Book come to mind). Its the level of casual violence on display mainly directed towards children and woman. Its historically accurate for medieval times, I get that and understand why the author chose to put it in there. I just want to let future readers know it is very prevalent in this book so be prepared.
Pro: Words to describe my perfect heroine: Truly fearless, determined, strong, cunning, valiant, skillful, courageous even for those who haven't earned it. I just.... she is awesome. She is what her people need and not a one of them deserve her. Yes, the reader is enveloped by the writing into a wintery fairy land and yes the pagan Russian folklore is fantastic to read about but you should be here for Vasilisa because that girl is everything. She has basically spend her childhood leveling up with all these old school spirits and its so fun to watch.
Con: Its not really an negative per se but more of something that bothers me when reading these kinds of novels (Pillars of the Earth and to a lesser extent Doomsday Book come to mind). Its the level of casual violence on display mainly directed towards children and woman. Its historically accurate for medieval times, I get that and understand why the author chose to put it in there. I just want to let future readers know it is very prevalent in this book so be prepared.
juniormrsmini's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent
bujobyfilo's review against another edition
5.0
We follow a family living in a village near the forest, and specially the coming of age of Vasya, a witch, and the spirits surrounding their home. All the balance of their world is threaten by changes in their beliefs.
A tale about tales, heavily based on russian folklore, History and mystic traditions.
Short chapters, fast paced and gripping from the start.
Very well written and easy to read.
It was fascinating, I'm so glad it's a serie!
A tale about tales, heavily based on russian folklore, History and mystic traditions.
Short chapters, fast paced and gripping from the start.
Very well written and easy to read.
It was fascinating, I'm so glad it's a serie!
tadster20's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lrpfalz's review against another edition
5.0
The Bear and the Nightingale is a compelling novel set deep in the heart of medieval Russia, where superstitions take on corporeal form and where everything is really not as it seems...
I really loved this book. Not only does it portray the mythology and history (mixed in with fantasy, of course) of Russia, which I have certainly never experienced before, but Arden's prose is poetic, earthy, and true. I literally read this book in a day and a half, because I just couldn't put it down. It's a great book to read in the middle of winter, too, because a lot of it is set in the dead of winter, which has its own eerie, mystical qualities.
The feminist in me was cheering as the main character, Vasya, chose to forge her own path and let no one limit her by the standards of women in the medieval era. She has a gift, the Sight, so she can see things, like the domovoi, a house spirit who lives in the hearth and protects the house from supernatural invaders. Because of that, people begin to see her as a witch and she is pursued by two very different supernatural creatures, the Winter King, and his brother, the Bear.
If you want a read that is slightly scary, beautifully written, and will give you a greater understanding of a different sort of mythology than the ones we're used to, then this book will surely be one of your new favorites, too. Also, if you love horses as much as I do, you'll enjoy this book even more!
I really loved this book. Not only does it portray the mythology and history (mixed in with fantasy, of course) of Russia, which I have certainly never experienced before, but Arden's prose is poetic, earthy, and true. I literally read this book in a day and a half, because I just couldn't put it down. It's a great book to read in the middle of winter, too, because a lot of it is set in the dead of winter, which has its own eerie, mystical qualities.
The feminist in me was cheering as the main character, Vasya, chose to forge her own path and let no one limit her by the standards of women in the medieval era. She has a gift, the Sight, so she can see things, like the domovoi, a house spirit who lives in the hearth and protects the house from supernatural invaders. Because of that, people begin to see her as a witch and she is pursued by two very different supernatural creatures, the Winter King, and his brother, the Bear.
If you want a read that is slightly scary, beautifully written, and will give you a greater understanding of a different sort of mythology than the ones we're used to, then this book will surely be one of your new favorites, too. Also, if you love horses as much as I do, you'll enjoy this book even more!