by Katherine Arden
Del Rey, 2018, 362 pgs. Fantasy
The Girl in the Tower is book two of the Winternight Trilogy. The first in the series, The Bear and the Nightingale, introduces readers to Vasya, a young girl torn between an emerging modern Christian world and the legends and magic of the deep Russian forests where she lives. In this second installment, Vanya travels beyond her small village to the huge city of Moscow where dark magic threatens to destroy the peace of the kingdom.
I can’t praise this series enough. It’s dark fairy magic captivates me on every page. The characters are engaging, the action is exhilarating, and the writing is simply lovely. I am very excited that, unlike many trilogies, I don’t have to wait a whole year for the final volume. The Winter of the Witch will be released in August and I am anxious to learn where Vasya’s adventures lead her.
CG
2 comments:
This book is just as good as the first one! Vasya has such a hard time with the restrictions placed on women in her world that she decides to travel the world as a boy. Of course this causes her problems, but it’s easy to see that she would be stifled and broken if she had to go to a convent or live secluded in a tower. I love that there is more magic, and we learn a little bit more about Vasya’s grandmother, and Morozko. Even so, I still walked away from this one with more questions! I can’t wait to read the third book.
This book is a treat for those who enjoyed Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya has grown in so many ways. Her fighting, driving spirit only strengthens as she matures. Choosing not to marry or live in a convent, but instead to travel the world solo solidifies her role as a strong female protagonist and fits into themes of feminism. Arden's knowledge of Russian history and folklore brings the harsh, yet enchanting medieval Russian landscape to life and I cannot wait to jump back into upon the release of the third book in the trilogy.
Post a Comment