ameliabee33's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Vasilisa sees creatures that other people in her village can't, the things of the old, pagan ways. In the cold north of Russia Vasya has grown up with fairytales of the creatures in the forest and of Morozko, the Frost Demon. When a zealous monk, Konstantin, comes to Vasya's village, our heroine finds herself in a battle between the people she grew up with/loves as well as a much bigger battle between the Frost Demon and the Bear. The Bear is the one-eyed, blue-scarred man that haunts her dreams and can split the world.
Vasya is constantly torn between her family and the life she wants to lead, one where she is just a girl that goes and explores the world and isn't reprimanded for being who she is. With folklore vs catholicism becoming the main conflict in her village, Vasya is portrayed as the antagonist of the Church. She gives gifts to the spirits that help her people but she is labeled rebellious, she wants too much, and she needs to behave as a woman should. Vasya is also an antagonist to the idea of being a woman in 1300s Russia. There are 2 choices for women, be married and have kids or become a nun. Vasya wants a third option, to live in the woods with the spirits instead of accepting the cards fate has dealt her.
There is also the mystery of Morozko and his involvement with Vasya. He found her lost in the woods as a very young child and forced a sapphire necklace upon her when she was a teenager. The spirits keep telling Vasya that the Bear is coming and that she needs to work with Morozko to defeat him. But why is the necklace needed? Why is Morozko invested in the success of Vasya? What does an immortal deity want with a young human girl?
This book reminded me very heavily of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, it is very heavy in its fairytale-like telling. The atmosphere is cold, given that the setting is 99.9% in the snowy winter. There is a winter Lord presiding over the the entire story. The imagery is rich and decadent. The characters are diverse in personalities and goals. There is a hint of a trope that an immortal wants a young girl (why do we keep writing that???) and if that is a firm line for you, you might want to pass this series. Lots of religious zeal and nutjobs give the tale a very intense atmosphere.
TDLR; A great first book in a winter fantasy/fairytale trilogy! The reason I docked it 0.25 starts is because of the hinted romance between an immortal being and a young 16 year old girl. Also some of the names and nicknames are used so interchangeably that it got confusing at times. Characters and plot are rich!
Vasya is constantly torn between her family and the life she wants to lead, one where she is just a girl that goes and explores the world and isn't reprimanded for being who she is. With folklore vs catholicism becoming the main conflict in her village, Vasya is portrayed as the antagonist of the Church. She gives gifts to the spirits that help her people but she is labeled rebellious, she wants too much, and she needs to behave as a woman should. Vasya is also an antagonist to the idea of being a woman in 1300s Russia. There are 2 choices for women, be married and have kids or become a nun. Vasya wants a third option, to live in the woods with the spirits instead of accepting the cards fate has dealt her.
There is also the mystery of Morozko and his involvement with Vasya. He found her lost in the woods as a very young child and forced a sapphire necklace upon her when she was a teenager. The spirits keep telling Vasya that the Bear is coming and that she needs to work with Morozko to defeat him. But why is the necklace needed? Why is Morozko invested in the success of Vasya? What does an immortal deity want with a young human girl?
This book reminded me very heavily of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, it is very heavy in its fairytale-like telling. The atmosphere is cold, given that the setting is 99.9% in the snowy winter. There is a winter Lord presiding over the the entire story. The imagery is rich and decadent. The characters are diverse in personalities and goals. There is a hint of a trope that an immortal wants a young girl (why do we keep writing that???) and if that is a firm line for you, you might want to pass this series. Lots of religious zeal and nutjobs give the tale a very intense atmosphere.
TDLR; A great first book in a winter fantasy/fairytale trilogy! The reason I docked it 0.25 starts is because of the hinted romance between an immortal being and a young 16 year old girl. Also some of the names and nicknames are used so interchangeably that it got confusing at times. Characters and plot are rich!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Religious bigotry
vigil's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
*re-read, even better than i remember it to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Death, Grief, Violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Pregnancy
lisaandthebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
This book was a perfect mix of mythology, fantasy and realism. I didn't know anything about this book before starting to read it and I think that was the best way I could have read it.
I really enjoyed the discussion of religion and missionary work, but what really sold me was all the russian folklore! I love mythology and I want to read more retellings / mythology inspired books about different parts of the world.
I have to say that someone told me that this book is an enemies to lovers story and that is just not true? There is no romance, or at least it's not a main focus at all! I actually really liked that about this book. Also I am a big fan of the 'wild girl' trope :)
The ending was bittersweet but I really liked it. I didn't cry though, which made me realise, that I wasn't truly connecting with the characters. That is normally a big dealbreaker but this time I didn't actually mind that much. I guess the book is a 'vibes before plot' kind of book and it's very slow paced as well (but it's also quite short).
I am so excited for the other two books in the trilogy though I'm surprised it is a trilogy at all. This book could have been a standalone as well. I am interested to return to this world though and there are a lot of things I still want to hear more about.
I really enjoyed the discussion of religion and missionary work, but what really sold me was all the russian folklore! I love mythology and I want to read more retellings / mythology inspired books about different parts of the world.
I have to say that someone told me that this book is an enemies to lovers story and that is just not true? There is no romance, or at least it's not a main focus at all! I actually really liked that about this book. Also I am a big fan of the 'wild girl' trope :)
The ending was bittersweet but I really liked it. I didn't cry though, which made me realise, that I wasn't truly connecting with the characters. That is normally a big dealbreaker but this time I didn't actually mind that much. I guess the book is a 'vibes before plot' kind of book and it's very slow paced as well (but it's also quite short).
I am so excited for the other two books in the trilogy though I'm surprised it is a trilogy at all. This book could have been a standalone as well. I am interested to return to this world though and there are a lot of things I still want to hear more about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Death, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, and Rape
saintyeehaw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I came into this book expecting a first person narrative focused on the female lead (similar to Uprooted) so it took me some time to get adjusted to the ever shifting perspectives. There were many times when I found myself waiting for the story to actually get going, which made chapters like Pyotr and his sons' visit to Moscow especially sluggish for me. Overall though, once the story got going I was all in. I loved Vasya's relationships with the different creatures, the characterization of Morozko, and the sheer evil/selfishness of the antagonists . I am definitely going to continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, and Vomit
sauvageloup's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
a brilliant book that i got through slowly, but through no fault of its own, i think
pros:
- stunning, lyrical, fairytale writing. simple style but really lovely in originality of description and poignant turns of phrase. the story is carried along beautifully, smoothing over time skips.
- the character development was also so good, with Konstantin descending into worse evils, Anna's rise and fall, Vasya growing into her strength while still being fallible, and my favourite, Morozko, of sleep and death. he was cold but fair, human but other, real and not, and i just loved how Arden wrote him.
- i also enjoyed the setting so much, and the historical details too. the afternotes show how much effort Arden put into historical accuracy.
cons:
- maybe a bit slow, which didn't help my lack of reading focus
looking forward to reading book 2, and glad i won't have to leave the characters :)
pros:
- stunning, lyrical, fairytale writing. simple style but really lovely in originality of description and poignant turns of phrase. the story is carried along beautifully, smoothing over time skips.
- the character development was also so good, with Konstantin descending into worse evils, Anna's rise and fall, Vasya growing into her strength while still being fallible, and my favourite, Morozko, of sleep and death. he was cold but fair, human but other, real and not, and i just loved how Arden wrote him.
- i also enjoyed the setting so much, and the historical details too. the afternotes show how much effort Arden put into historical accuracy.
cons:
- maybe a bit slow, which didn't help my lack of reading focus
looking forward to reading book 2, and glad i won't have to leave the characters :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gore, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Child death, Religious bigotry, and Body horror
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Blood, Violence, Murder, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
warning for eating disorder is really for starvation and struggling to get enough to eat, descriptions of extreme weight loss.empathreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I didn't know what I was getting through but it gave that serial kind of narrative which reminds me of Game of Thrones and The Witcher due to diverse characters pulling through in scenes that evolve throughout. I got confused for the most part of the terminology and world-building as it's Russian folklore and the fictional characters are unfamiliar to imagine, yet you can get used to it. Death was the common denominator here. Way too many deaths occurred as the flow of the novel isn't at the precipice yet. It seems there's more to see of the heroine as half of the book introduced the genealogy of her family and other characters involved. For some reason, I am looking forward to the next installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Blood, and Child death
writingcaia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Brilliant debut!
I loved this book. The story is based on Russian mythology and folk tales, and the descriptions and magical details are beautiful and so visual.
The book tells the story of a family whose children, some more than others have inherited the blood of a princess who is part of a magical tale, and was so beautiful that even though she was poor she end up catching the prince. The main character is the youngest child, a girl, who according to the mother will be like that princess. It’s really great to see the main character grow, and discover herself and the magic in her blood. She’s fierce and wild, and brave.
I really couldn’t put this book down, I didn’t find it slow at all, and can’t wait to dive into the next one and see what we can expect next.
Also, I have a crush on Morozko
I loved this book. The story is based on Russian mythology and folk tales, and the descriptions and magical details are beautiful and so visual.
The book tells the story of a family whose children, some more than others have inherited the blood of a princess who is part of a magical tale, and was so beautiful that even though she was poor she end up catching the prince. The main character is the youngest child, a girl, who according to the mother will be like that princess. It’s really great to see the main character grow, and discover herself and the magic in her blood. She’s fierce and wild, and brave.
I really couldn’t put this book down, I didn’t find it slow at all, and can’t wait to dive into the next one and see what we can expect next.
Also, I have a crush on Morozko
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Blood and Rape
peachani's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Violence, and War
Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Self harm
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
How do I say "nope" in Russian? Because that's how I felt the entire time I read this. I wanted to love it. I really, REALLY wanted to love it. I adore folklore and I enjoy medieval European stories, but this just missed the mark for me in almost every way, which was a huge bummer.
There's a part of me that wonders if I would have enjoyed it more in a physical format. I listened to the audiobook and kept getting lost with the truly expansive list of characters (some of which had very similar-sounding names) and the accents. I think if I had just been visually reading, I would have been able to follow everything a bit more and would've found myself getting sucked into the story. Instead, I just kept wondering when it would end.
This is a slow book. And I mean it's molasses. There are so many tiny details and simultaneous plots happening and if you aren't paying close attention, you're going to miss it all. It would take ages for certain things to be explained and it drained my energy really quickly.
My hope is to read the remaining books in a physical format to see if that changes my opinion. I really hope that it does because I want to like these so badly!
There's a part of me that wonders if I would have enjoyed it more in a physical format. I listened to the audiobook and kept getting lost with the truly expansive list of characters (some of which had very similar-sounding names) and the accents. I think if I had just been visually reading, I would have been able to follow everything a bit more and would've found myself getting sucked into the story. Instead, I just kept wondering when it would end.
This is a slow book. And I mean it's molasses. There are so many tiny details and simultaneous plots happening and if you aren't paying close attention, you're going to miss it all. It would take ages for certain things to be explained and it drained my energy really quickly.
My hope is to read the remaining books in a physical format to see if that changes my opinion. I really hope that it does because I want to like these so badly!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Toxic relationship
kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Once I got used to the narrative voice of this book, I really enjoyed listening to this one on audio. It was definitely an immersive experience, with some moments near the end getting pretty creepy, TBH. While I did like this book a lot, I didn't love it on the level of, say, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, which I was sort of expecting to based on reviews I'd heard. I think I'll pick up the next book in physical copy, just to see if perhaps this is something that needs to be enjoyed more quickly than the realities of my life allow for with audiobook listening. But overall, Katherine Arden has created a gorgeous world, with both loveable and love-to-hateable characters. The plot is very much fairy tale-esque, so if a more whimsical narrative isn't your style, I would say to steer clear of this one. I'm excited to see where we go with (hopefully) Vasya in the next installment!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Violence
More...