Reviews with content warning for Child death - Der Bär und die Nachtigall

Slow to get going, and the 3rd person omniscient POV bouncing from one character to another in rapid succession didn't work for me. As the book pared that POV down to two or three main characters, it felt much stronger. Then it absolutely stuck the landing. Hell yes.

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twoweeeeks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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kiwij96's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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? Yes

4.25

Bit of a jumpy start with the multiple POVs and time jumps for the first couple of chapters but I'm so glad I stuck with it. Also, the names were confusing at times because everyone had a name, a nickname, and then an affectionate name given to them, and it took me maybe half the book to remember who was who.

The story was enchanting and magical with a big focus traditional gender norms and values in medieval Russia, as well as religious bigotry in traditionally pagan areas. However, these topics were handled really well and were written to evoke emotion in the reader.

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dragonaion's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The title and cover are delightfully deceptive and are not for the faint of heart. Arden writes this in an excellent story book pattern, giving a natural cadence and bounce if you read it aloud, but this is absolutely a brilliant story for adults that will give nightmares to children. Filled with complex themes, this is an excellent blend of historical fiction and fantasy that had me at the edge of my seat and desperately turning the pages. One moment you are naturally shivering with the main characters in winter (I had to turn the fireplace on a number of times) and as they mention the household spirits you can almost imagine the ones next to you while you read.

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aksmith92's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense slow-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? Yes

4.5

I binge-read this beauty of a book over a weekend filled with SNOW! It was perfect. Truly. There is nothing like reading Russian folklore that takes place in a tiny town centuries ago in northern Rus', where mid-winter is an integral part of their culture, and I get to read while looking out my window with snowflakes falling. I highly recommend doing it this way if you can plan for it!

The setup: This tale begins with a Russian fairy tale. A few children are huddled around Dunya, a nursemaid, hearing the story of the frost-king, a mythical being who controls the winter but can also be death itself. We pivot outside the story to learn about a family living in a small town in Rus' (pre-dates Russia, my friends) where Pyotr, the patriarch, overseas this land and community. He has a wife he loves, Marina, and a handful of children. Marina becomes pregnant again and notes how important this birth will be - Marina comes from a line of magical women. Unfortunately (no spoiler!), Marina dies in childbirth, and Vasya, her daughter, is left without her birth mother.

During the novel, we follow the family as children grow up and the patriarch remarries. There is a blend of "old ways," versus the growing Orthodox religion. A common theme throughout the novel is the replacement of the old ways/chyerti (gods) and the shunning of those who still practice the old ways. In addition to that prevalent idea, there is this fantastical element of the fairy tale itself around the frost-king and Vasya being connected to this magical line. Katherine Arden poetically combines Russian folklore and history into a magical realism/fantasy novel.

What I liked: The prose and writing style differed from what I am used to, especially since Arden tried to stay realistic with Rus' language at the time. However, it made it unique and compelling. I found this writing to be atmospheric in its own way, and not only was it interesting, but I had a blast reading it. I also loved many of the characters. So many were flawed, including Pyotr, Vasya's father, and Anna, Vasya's stepmother. Each character was unique and exciting in their own way. Lastly, I loved this fairy tale retelling. I know little Russian folklore and fairy tales, but this seemed original. It was something I hadn't read much about before (except for Uprooted by Naomi Novik), and it just had the vibes of a lovely winter read.

What fell flat: Not much! But it was a bit slow (for me). There was so much character development and setup, which I usually love, but at times, it did drag just a little. Additionally, this was hard to read at times because of all the misogyny in this culture and the blatant sexism that accompanied the time period (which I have no doubt is factual). And, you know, I have to mention it even though I know this fits the "time period," but I disliked that the main female character was 15, yet she was acting older, and there may be pieces of the plot in the future books that have her doing very non-15-year-old things! I don't want to elaborate because I don't want to give anything away, but you know how I feel about teenage girls in fantasy novels!

However, this was beautiful storytelling, and I cannot wait to read the next ones in the series!

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