Still love this series. This book is as enchanting and interesting as the first with the same wonderful writing and great characters. Such a great fantasy!

I loved this book. It really built on the strengths of the first book of the trilogy, rich, lush fairytale narrative, and well drawn characters. But it also widens the scope of the story, while in the bear and the nightingale we have the story on a very local domestic scale, as the story focuses in on one small town in the back of beyond, now the story expands, and we start to see how the pieces that had been set into place, are going to have a huge impact on Russia as a whole.
I choose the first book of this trilogy for our book group, and they all went on to read this book, and then the next. Highly recommend.

Yet another brill book. It felt more of a young adult book compared to the first one, but I've still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Oh my God! It really took me too much time to write this review, but this was THE BEST book I read last year, if not one of the best books EVER. I really like the characters in the first book of this trilogy, and I fell in love with the story so I coudn't wait for the part two. And now I coudn't wait for the part three. I really hoped that the publisher will grant me the acces to "The Winter of the Witch" before it was published, but since that didn't happend, I'm (not so) patiently waiting for the copy I ordered the moment it reached the stores.

Characterization really went a step further in the second part, as well as the quality of the plot and the overall action. I believe that the end of the trilogy will surpass the previous two parts and I can hardly wait to read it.

Katherine Arden just earned a place on my favourite authors list! The Girl in the Tower was fierce, magical, and heart-stopping. i have never rooted for a character the way I champion Vasya. This will be an instant classic and I cannot wait to see how the story concludes in Winter of the Witch (even though my heart will be broken that it has finally ended).

After being captivated by The Bear and the Nightingale, the first book in Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy, I couldn't wait to get started on the second book The Girl in the Tower. This book follows directly on from the first and sees Vasay rejecting the only options available to a woman, marriage or convent, and running away from home on her magical horse Solovey.  She is still under the protection of Morozko, the Winter King, and there is also a fission of attraction between them, which adds another dimension to the story.  Under the disguise she goes on a quest to see more of the world and finds herself not far from Moscow, at a village that has been burnt by the Tatars, and female children stolen.  Vasay tracks down the children and in fleeing from the Tartars, runs into her brother Sasha and the Grand Prince of Moscow, which is where her problems begin; the illusion of being male.

Vasay is a heroine for all time, she is feisty, strong, confident with self belief.  She breaks from convention, she doesn't want to be married or have children, or consider the option of the convent.  She is a free spirit that can't be contained and shows great courage in battle and every day life; she sees herself as an equal to the men, and they accept her disguise.  After living in wilderness of Northern Russia, Vasay finds herself in the exotic Moscow, with its towers and churches and the Palace of the Grand Price, and part of her sister's household whilst still maintaining her disguise.  Through her eyes, Katherine Arden brings the sights, sounds and smells of the city vividly to life, the busy markets, the feasts, and the Grand Palace where she eats and drinks with the other men in the Prince's circle.  She still has the eye to see the many demons guarding the home, the horses and palaces, and even her dead grandmother, that single her out to some as a witch.

As with The Bear and the Nightingale, this book is beautifully written, with impeccable attention to detail.  Katherine Arden has a wonderful imagination, both in plot and characters, that make this such a captivating read.  It has the light and shade, the good and the evil that a good fairytale should have, but written to capture the attention of an adult audience.  The characters have depth, the plot is dark but with a hint of humour with researched historical detailing that make this book such a delight to read.

The Girl in the Tower is everything I hoped it would be and more.  I was enthralled by Vasay's story, her journey and her bravery, not just in fighting with the men, but in having the courage to be who she wants to be no matter what anyone else expects of her.  The plot is dark, tense and magical, and will entice you to want more of Vasay's story, especially as the end sets up the story for the final book, The Winter of the Witch, which is published on January 10th.  The Girl in the Tower is simply a marvellous, magical and miraculous read.

Quality Rating: Five Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

I read The Bear and the Nightingale last winter and immediately wanted to go onto The Girl in the Tower, but the thought of having to wait more than a year for for the final book was unbearable. So, I waited. And then this winter came around and I took the first opportunity to dive into this - and, believe me, I will not be waiting so long to read the final book when it comes out in a couple of weeks. This is a fairytale weaved so widely it becomes myth. It hovers and haunts you wherever you go, and becomes as familiar as the stories you were told before bed just because it has such presence, from the writing to the characters to the story.

There's so much bursting at the seams of these books; all these vibrant historical images that let the reader's imagination fill in the gaps (rather than overwhelming us with information). I'm not particularly familiar with Russian history, nor the culture, yet I can picture everything happening around Vasya; I can even smell the markets and feel the cold wind. You can tell that Arden is as in love with fairytales as Vasya is, and as the reader becomes. Sure, I've been in love with fairytales longer than I can remember, so maybe I'm a biased case, but it rekindled my love of them all over again and made me want to look into the fairytales of Russia specifically.

Really, The Girl in the Tower wasn't the book I was expecting to follow the last one. The first book was almost like an odyssey in itself, following so much of Vasya's childhood and her growth into both the 'real' world and the world of folklore and spirits around her. This time we get into the action and into her adventure. It was just as enjoyable, and it built so well on The Bear and the Nightingale that you have to admire that book all over again too.

One of the things we build on is the romance which, honestly, caught me a bit off guard in the first book. Which is kind of why I liked it so much. As it became a bigger part of the story in this book I fell in love with it more because it was done just right. It's nicely balanced - and weaves into - the main plot line, influencing our heroine's path. There are much higher stakes than just romance, as well, so we feel a weight to the scenes that are romantically driven. It's not there to be self-indulgent, it belongs as much as everything else does. But she is and will always be Vasya first.

And that's why I love the kind of feminism that Arden writes. Vasya isn't invulnerable or the token 'badass', but she won't be held down by what people demand she should be either. The period is managed well in that she is insecure about her femininity (and the 'wicked' connotations her actions have on it in the historical context), and she sometimes wants to give up being a girl altogether. Because wouldn't it be so much easier to be herself? Her actions and ambitions about be accepted if she were a boy. As it is, she would give up a lot for her freedom (love, family, security), and I don't think we see that a lot. In women, it's portrayed as selfish (yet, of course, men are allowed to do it all the time), and that makes it all the more powerful. It's a refuge to readers that don't have the words to say it for themselves. (And it's also then significant when she makes the hard decision to put her family or the spirits first, because we know how much it means to her to have her freedom.)

The Winter of the Witch is only about two weeks away as I write this and it's too long. I need more Vasya in my life, I need to follow her story to its conclusion, because these books make me feel like a child discovering fairytales for the first time again. There's a freedom in reading about heroines like Vasya, and I'm not sure I can wait around for much longer.

It took me the longest time to get into this one, with many false starts, but when it finally did hook me...it was brilliant. It was a different sort of wonderful than the first book was, but I loved it.

The world Katherine Arden has created is one of the richest and most distinctive I've read in years, and I'm in love with the way she has woven folklore into the story.

And the characters...I love them, they're all so interesting and complex -- even Vasya's horse had his own unique, and lovable, personality. Vasya was an excellent character in the first book, but I think I liked her even more in this one.

I can't really think of what more to say about the book except that I loved it and it firmly cemented this series as one of my favourite book series ever. I'd rate it 5 stars out of 5 -- in spite of the slow start, it definitely didn't suffer from middle book syndrome.

I cannot wait to read the third book (one of the only reasons I'm glad it took me so long to finish this one is that I don't have too long to wait, thankfully).

I was so excited to read this! I was fortunate enough to win an arc copy from a Goodreads giveaway and also managed to get an e-Arc, via Netgalley, which I didn't use this time round, but appreciated (I used my physical edition). As always, all opinions are my own.
As well as being excited to dive back into this world I found myself getting super nervous because after enjoying the first book so much, I was worried about disappointment and recalling the first book being such an intense read it took me a while to read. I was therefore anticipating a slower read but was worried it would leave me feeling burnt out and I wanted a strong reading end to the year. Luckily, it didn't feel like that!
I felt a little nostalgic when the story of the snowmaiden was told. I felt captivated by this fairy tale within a fairy tale and it reminded me of the Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, that I believe was inspired by that folk tale. It's so beautiful and sad.
There was a great cliffhanger to the end of part one! It was so cool how the ends of part one and two were basically the same but different perspectives, but I'm sad enough that I sat there, literally comparing the perspectives. They didn't say the exact same things and that bothered me in some odd way! However, the reunions made up for it because I was really looking forward to seeing how they paired up to see what the bandits were all about.
I've adored seeing all the characters, both new and old, obviously Vasya and Solovey being my favourite! Kasyan was another interesting character involved in some amazing twists and I loved learning more about Morozko. They were great at being good, bad and in between! I really liked how true this feels in the sense that Vasya is seen as a witch carrying on in her way as a woman, but as a boy she is honoured as a hero. I found that exploration of gender differences in this period of time very interesting.
The plot was fantastic but I wasn't as captivated as I was when reading The Bear and the Nightingale, but I have a feeling that's due to the first one obviously having this fresh enchantment of being new and exciting! I found it so much easier to read than the first book though.

Random point, but I've always wondered why the first line or few words of a new chapter is sometimes a different font... is it to grip the reader more and stick out? I'm genuinely curious!

I ended up making a lot of use of the glossary whilst reading this time round and found it so helpful for the words I wasn't familiar with. It didn't halter my reading experience as much as I expected and I appreciated it being there.

I cannot wait for the final book in this trilogy!

I was so nervous that the sequel wouldn't match up to the brilliance of the first story, but it did!

Widening out into the city exposes us to more characters and motivations. Vasya continues to be awesome, but also shows her naivety in not recognising risks to others. I loved the complexity of which girl in which tower was being referred to, and decided that it was all of them!

wonderful!

Accused of witchcraft and falsely blamed for the death of her father Vasya has two options open to her, accept an arranged marriage or join a convent. Unsurprisingly neither of these choices hold much appeal to someone as independent as she is so instead Vasya disguises herself as a boy and, with the help of Morozoko, sets out on her own to travel the world and have an adventure. It's all going pretty well until she catches the attention of the Grand Prince and he insists on taking her back to Moscow where two of her older siblings are caught up in her lies and forced to help her continue her deception. And that's where things really start to get complicated.

I absolutely adored The Bear and the Nightingale so I had incredibly high expectations for The Girl in the Tower and thankfully Katherine Arden didn't disappoint. The sequel had everything I loved about the first book and more and I was immediately sucked back into Vasya's world. These stories are just so atmospheric and really make you feel like you've taken a step back in time to medieval Russia and I enjoy exploring that world through Vasya's eyes. She's a great character who is so independent and who wants to live life on her own terms no matter how restricted women's lives were at that time. That reckless streak does get her in trouble on more than one occasion and it also makes things extremely difficult for her siblings but I could understand her desire for more than marriage or life in a convent.

Morozoko continues to be one of my favourite characters and we get to see a lot more of his history in this instalment of the series. I'm enjoying finding out more about his character and I'm not going to lie, I'm totally rooting for him and Vasya to end up together! This series is going from strength to strength and I can't wait to see how it ends in The Winter of the Witch.

I liked the first book better. I could have left my review at that. I liked the first book in the trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale better, much better.

The second installment was very heavy, very slow and not very magical at all. The Girl in the Tower was more like a story of woman’s struggle for her place in the male dominated society. Well, there is nothing wrong with such a story… However, it did not feel right at all. It felt like an outsider was trying to translate a story into a language difficult to understand even by that very same outsider. The whole story felt wrong, made up and convoluted.

Yes, the story was beautiful, full of well-researched details. But it was as different from the first installment as bad is different from good.

Unfortunately, I do not think I will read the third installment in the series.

Why did I pick it?
Having read the first in the trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale, I was looking forward to reading the second instalment. I had enjoyed the first one, but I think because it was so different from anything I’d read previously I was a little unsure what to make of it. That wasn’t the case for this one, I was pretty sure I knew what I was getting and I couldn’t wait to start it!

What I loved about it
The PACE! The Bear and the Nightingale could be slow at times but this one kept up a steady pace from the off. Coupled with the gradual building of suspense there were times when I couldn’t put it down.

This second book really grew Vasya as a character. It reminded me of Game of Thrones in a sense, where subtly, and over the course of the book, the younger characters start to mature and grow into themselves. This was certainly true for Vasya and I look forward to seeing her character develop further in the third and final book.

The world building in this book is incredible. Although it’s something I’ve come to expect from any good fantasy novel, I felt that in this second book Katherine Arden took it to another level, with a mixture of Russian Fairytale references and her own interpretation of the empire we know from history.

What I loathed about it
Very little! If I had one niggle it was that sometimes the use of the Russian fairytales needed some prior knowledge, as they were often brushed over. It didn’t hider the story that much, but when new characters were introduced, especially the mythical ones, I didn’t always understand who/what they were.

Thoughts
A fantastic, fast-paced and epic tale that I can’t wait to continue in the third and final instalment.

Where to begin with my love for this Winternight series?! I adored The Bear and the Nightingale so have been itching to pick up this book and follow the further adventures of Vasya and this is just a perfectly magical tale, full of bravery, heart, folklore and emotion.

After TBATN Vasya is seeking revenge, answers and a new life. All that is expected of a young girl of the time is marriage, but that isn't on her mind so as she is exiled from her village she sets off dressed as a boy as safety to right the wrongs of the magical world she is part of. Along the way she finds villages burned down where bandits have come along and stolen the young girls of the village and killed everyone else, and she is determined to seek those causing such devastation.

She is introduced to the Grand Prince of Moscow on her travels and he is in awe of this 'young man' but she is recognised by her brother Sasha who left the village years ago to become a monk. He feels annoyed at his sisters' behaviour and is torn by his family loyalty and fears the consequences if she is found out.

As with book one, the setting is just truly magical. There is beauty in the forests but it's also a very brutal place and that double edge sword is explored throughout this book. Vasya as a character is much more mature in this book but she doesn't lose that spark that made her so special when we first go to meet her. Being reunited with family members also brings out another side to her and is touching to see.

I loved spending more time with Vasya - a feisty heroine ahead of her time who is never afraid of daring to achieve the impossible, no matter the obstacles put in her way. Highly recommended!

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden, Hardback, £12.99 at Waterstones.

The Girl in the Tower continues Arden's first novel, The Bear and the Nightingale, by revealing page by page, what happens to the beloved Vasya. This novel seamlessly follows Vasya on her travels to finding her family and herself. 

In The Girl in the Tower, the reader is given an insight into Moscow and its current struggles. As if power struggles and potential war wasn't bad enough, traceless bandits are beginning to steal daughters from quiet nearby villages. This novel also gives its readers an insight into the life of Vasya's other family members, Sasha and Olga. With everyones viewpoints beginning to clash, conflicts begin to rise, as does your reading pace.

The Girl in the Tower remains set in medieval Russia and clearly demonstrates Russian tradition and folklore. Katherine Arden has twisted these concrete concepts with a significant relation to feminism. It is because of this that the novel seems so fresh and current, regardless of its setting.

To conclude, The Girl in the Tower is fast-paced and flows seamlessly from the first novel in the Winternight series. Feminism is embedded throughout the novel, demonstrating current views into a medieval time. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it has left me wanting more. Closure is given however it does not stop you wanting to read the next one asap! The end of The Girl in the Tower is very fast-paced and gives the impression that the third novel will have a significant beginning.

You can pre-order the paperback here or you can order it from Amazon for the Kindle.

After reading the first title in this trilogy (The Bear & the Nightingale), I couldn't wait for the second title..... and it certainly did not disappoint. The first title, at least to me, was quite calm compared to the second, which was full of adventure, but still captured the charm of the Russian folk tales that I enjoyed so much in the first title. I cannot wait until the final title in this magical trilogy.

Another fascinating story by Katherine Arden. The story is of non stop action and being continually surprised by the unexpected. The whole is imbued with magic and it completely fascinating. The characters are easy to identify with and all their activities are essential to the development of the story.

Following on from The Bear and the Nightingale, The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden sees heroine Vasya encounter more supernatural powers across the historic, Russian-inspired landscape.

The end of the last book saw Vasya be rescued by the Winter King, Morozko, a powerful master of death who resides deep in the forest. He has taken a liking to Vasya and her wilfulness, although he is reluctant to admit that to himself, and has agreed to teach her some self defence and provide her with weaponry. With these new skills, Vasya thinks herself ready to ride for Moscow and be reunited with her sister and brother.

However, upon leaving the Winter King she comes across villages burned by bandits, with the few survivors telling of how their daughters have been kidnapped. Mistaking Vasya for a boy, the townspeople are thankful when she promises to return the missing girls, using her connection to the village spirits to guide her to the bandit camp. Earning herself a reputation as a brave fighter, Vasya then comes face to face with her brother, Sasha, and Prince Dmitri.

Now under the guise of a man, Vasya is putting both her brother and sister’s reputation at risk, with them all risking expulsion from the Moscow court if the prince finds out their lie. Then there is the added complication of the priest from the first book, who is convinced that Vasya is in league with the devil and is determined to get rid of her from his thoughts. With enemies on all sides, this time Vasya’s threat is not just supernatural but political as well.

Despite remembering the first book to be a complex read, I was keen to read this continuation out of my love for Russian folklore and the history of Moscow. We finally reach the capital in all its glory, with Vasya becoming swept up in the excitement of court and in pretending to be a man, which offers her more freedom than she’s ever experienced. I think this made the plot move quicker, in time with city life rather than the slower build up offered previously in their home village.

It also offered Vasya far more potential to grow, as she is on her own now, travelling where she pleases and helping those in need. She knows that if her gender is discovered they will try to send her to a convent, and there would be nothing worse for her free spirit. I also felt that this book allowed her to mature as a woman, as she begins to learn the ways of men and the subtleties of interactions between genders. It is with Morozko that this newfound confusion manifests most, as she is unsure how he feels about her and what his actions might mean.

Although he gave her the tools and the horse to ride freely, Morozko still pops up and saves her if he deems it necessary, even interfering in her family life when she calls upon him. As we don’t get to see his perspective, it is hard to tell how he really feels, and I found this to be a big part of the book’s intrigue. He is mysterious and mythical, and we still don’t know how deep his power really goes, or what he intends for Vasya’s future. Whereas it was easy to see him as a saviour in book one, this time around I started to question his motives and realised that we actually don’t know much about him.

I feel like this series still has a lot of places to take us before everything makes sense, with there being some deep rooted mysteries yet to be solved. There is a mythical history surrounding Morozko that we still know nothing about, with Vasya having to make a choice about where her loyalty lies and who she can trust. I for one am excited to see how the final book in the trilogy ties up all of these loose ends.

VERDICT
A fantasy series set in historic Russia, this second instalment was more enjoyable than the first, with the groundwork having been laid for significant character development. Our heroine Vasya grows in strength and is beginning to come to terms with the world around her, trying to find her place whilst also fighting back the darkness. This book leaves enough questions that you’ll be keen to read the final instalment, which is sure to test Vasya even further.

In this, the second of Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy we continue the story of Vasya. As a young orphaned girl who is suspected of witchcraft options are few- to enter a convent or let her sister arrange a marriage for her. Both options are anathema to her freedom loving spirit and she chooses her own path- to disguise herself as a boy and ride away on her horse into the forest.

The land is scourged by bandits, destroying villages and stealing the young girls. After coming across a devastated village she Vasya is determined to rescue three girls. This leads her down a dangerous path.

Fairytale? Folklore? History? This trilogy has them all. This second book is a worthy follow up to The Bear & the Nightingale. Vasya's character is continuing to capture the imagination. I can't wait for the finale. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me spend time in Vasya's time & place.

WOW, this truly lived up to the legacy of the first book. I felt Arden really excelled in her character writing, as the changes and progression that Vasya goes through flowed naturally and felt authentic to her character.