A beautiful, magical wintery tale, rich of Russian Folklore.
I really loved this second chapter, even more than the first one... Can't wait to read the sequel !

Tower

What a beautiful book which is filled from cover to cover with Russian folklore.brought to life. We pick up the tale of the strange and wild Vasya which began in The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. The author brings to life all the imagined sights and sounds of Russia in a time of great upheaval. Christianity has come to the fore and the old pagan beliefs are fading.
Vasya still yearns for freedom and wants to travel the world and not be trapped in a life she knows she would hate. Torn between her desire for freedom and love for her family , it is not easy for her to make her decision.
Chyerti, Domovoi, the winter king and many more characters from Russian fairy tales are woven into the story. You feel a sadness at the thought of them fading from the world as it becomes overpowered by the diminished belief in them and the rise of another more powerful belief.
Lyrical writing, excellent character portrayal. I love this book and I am looking forward to more.

Confession time, I haven't read The Bear and the Nightingale so honestly I can't tell you if this lives up to that boook or indeed exceeds it but I can say as I read this I was gripped. I know nothing about Russian fairytales or mythology apart from the legend that is Baba Yaga so I came into this world created by the author with completely fresh eyes.
Admittedly initially I wasn't terribly sure how the characters connected or indeed who I should be routing for but once Vasya entered the story I knew exactly just who I needed to keep a close eye on. Vasya is running in many ways but don't discount her. She's very brave, open to so many things and trying oh so hard to find her place in the world. It's a world don't forget that views women so very differently from what I as a modern emancipated woman am used to. Vasya is expected to go from childhood to be either a wife and mother or enter a convent and honestly neither path really appeals to her .
The crux of this story centres around the fact that there's something moving through the countryside that is bringing death and destruction. In a time when leaders are all too often deposed and murdered the Prince really needs to be able to trust those around him. Luckily he has Sasha, Vasya's brother but when the siblings reunite Sasha has to lie in order to protect Vasya. Oh and speaking of Vasya well an old acquaintance ( for me the most exciting character) also tries oh so hard to protect the girl that just might have the ability to humanise him !
Bold heroine who shines so brightly set in a world of magic and greed . I loved the setting, the twists but felt at times it didn't quite deliver but as the story hurtled to its conclusion I just didn't want to put it down. I'm left with questions, I desperately want more and as book hangovers go this ones a doozy .
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Like all good trilogies, this second book clearly exceeded the first. Using everything we know from the world of The Bear and the Nightingale, the author weaves in political intrigue as Vasya deals with the consequences of previous events. It was a lot pacier and thrilling than before; as events spiral out of control towards the end I just could not stop reading and I’m now bereft - what happens next?! The characters were strong and the line between right and wrong often agonisingly blurred (Olga’s birth scene, in particular, was incredibly moving). I loved it!

This was everything I could have hoped for, and more. In this one, Arden jumps around a little more with the timeline; we follow a character until they run into another and then we backtrack to see what the appearing character has been up to these past weeks or however long. If this was a feature also in the first book, I didn't notice it as much as in this one - and it worked. Arden handles this delicately and well, and it adds to the story.

We left Vasya at the end of the first book with no father or stepmother, and having witnessed magic that will only strengthen the fear of others, for she does things a person of good religion would not do (in these new times), and especially not a woman. 

So she strikes out from her home, knowing there is nothing left there for her anymore. Morozko once promised her a worthy dowry, and she claims part of it to instead be a traveller, despite the weather and the dangers on the road. As dangerous as winter is, at least it means he is there following and helping her even when she doesn't realise it at the time, which is a very good thing when things get quickly out of hand no matter where she turns.

It helps that she's often mistaken for a boy, due to her underfed looks and the fact she, like everyone else, is bundled in furs against the elements. She is dressed thus as she comes across one of the countless villages that has been pillaged and robbed of their girls, and decides to track the bandits back to their camp for the night to steal the girls back. She runs into her former brother (now a holy man), who is with the Prince, and the charade of her gender must continue for her own safety, for the ego of the prince who would not take kindly to being tricked, and so she won't end up in a convent or married and kept in a tower like her older sister. 

In this there are gods, a niece who must be taught the ways of the spirits that keep their homes safe, a great fire, a few great challenges of bravery wit and talent, and of course, the encounters between Vasya and Morozko - both who are easily confused and hurt by their missteps.

I can not wait for the next book. I love this series more than I can say.

Last year BookEater Tam raved over Katherine Arden’s debut (and this books’ prequel) The Bear and the Nightingale. I added it to my ‘to be read’ pile straight away but I saved reading it until I knew that this book was within my grasp! As soon as I had my preview copy on my kindle I dug in. BookEater Tam’s review was right on the money and I loved the first book.

This second novel moves to Moscow, where Vasya’s older sister lives the life of a princess, gilded and luxurious but constrained by the walls of a tower which no maiden or woman of high birth must leave. Vasya’s brother, the monk known as Aleksandre Lightbringer is also there – a favourite at the court of the Grand Prince.

Moscow is plagued by power struggles and bandits roam the countryside, burning the villages and kidnapping its daughters. The Prince, Aleksandre and a retinue of trusted companions set out to destroy the bandits but on route they meet a young man riding a magnificent horse who has rescued three of the stolen girls.

But this is no boy, it is Vasya. Her brother must protect her identity until he can get her to safety. But when Vasya proves herself in battle, riding with remarkable skill and inexplicable power, he realises he must keep her secret as she may be the only way to save the city from threats both human and fantastical…

This book was just as good as the last, Arden has created a magical world and the medieval Russian themes running through it add a wintery fairytale element. Lit by ice and spiced with smoke.

The characters are wonderful- the villains are evil but their motivations make sense. The heroes are flawed and Vasya makes some mistakes fuelled by pride and ignorance, but ultimately they are all trying to do the best they can in a society that holds them back.

Having read (and loved) the first book in this series, The Bear and the Nightingale last Christmas, I saved my early copy of book two, The Girl In The Tower for over the festive season. Set in the Russian winter, this is a tale that’s perfect to read at this time of year. But truthfully, Arden’s writing will transport you to the Russian winter no matter the season outside.

If you haven’t yet read the first book, then make sure you check out my review of it here and go pick up a copy! This post will inevitably contain mild spoilers for that first book.

Where The Bear and the Nightingale was set in rural Russia, The Girl In The Tower takes us on an adventure through the rural landscape and into Moscow itself. Continuing from the first book, we follow Vasya who, with accusations of witchcraft lingering at home, looks to follow her dreams, break with convention, shun marriage or the convent and travel.

We also spend time with her older brother Sasha, the monk, who I personally really liked in the first book, as well as meeting other characters – old and new!

Once again, Arden engulfs us in a beautifully written tale, built around Russian history and folklore. Through Vasya she continues to explore the lives of, and expectations towards, women at this time in Russian history – weaving historical fact within her fiction.

Having become familiarised with the conventions of rural Russia, we arrive in Moscow as overwhelmed as Vasya herself. Together we uncover the lay of the land, the customs, expectations, and requirements of the upper echelons in the Russian city.

The development of the characters in this second novel is fantastic. I love the progression of Vasya’s character – she’s everything I hoped she would be!

Arden’s writing is once again a highlight for me. Her descriptions, turn of phrase and writing style swept me up. I felt I was, once again, there in the Russian snow. I loved the continuation of the story. For me, it felt more action-packed than the first book, filled with deception, death… and a sassy horse!

The story itself is unforgettable, the writing enchanting, what more can I say? It’s a must-read for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale!

Absolutely ADORE this series!!!
I loved the Bear and the Nightingale and I love this book as much, which is extremely rare in a series.
Arden, has a flair for weaving magical realism into historical fiction and the pages of this books were turning themselves.
Cannot recommend this enough and I cannot wait until the third book!

I actually don’t think I can put into words just how much I enjoyed this book. The Bear and The Nightingale was amazing but The Girl in The Tower far surpasses it. The first book was a lot about setting the scene and the world that the author has created is better for it, but this book slides right into the action and doesn’t stop.

Vasya is once again my heroine, a girl who knows her own mind and doesn’t want to succumb to a life of being a wife or living in a convent. She wants to travel and to do so must disguise herself as a boy, which is where she finds her freedom. I admire her for sticking to her own beliefs and for not doing the things that are expected of her, I am envious of her wild spirit and wish that I had such tenacity. Although this story does make me extremely grateful for the freedoms that I have.

I really loved the bond between Sasha, Olga, and Vasya and even when things were tough and their relationship was tested, in the end, they were all there for each other. I did like that they weren’t accepting of each other all the time because it felt real, they are family but they still question each other and were stronger for it.

The writing is just as expressive as in the previous book but stronger, creating amazing imagery so that it was playing out like a movie in my mind. Again it was wonderful to journey to a setting that I have not experienced but to this time get the contrast of the remote village and the forest to the grandness of Moscow.

It also, of course, helped in making me feel every emotion. I would go from joy and wonder when Vasya and Solovey are riding and experiencing new things, to complete and utter hatred and devastation (I won’t tell you why though you just need to read it to understand).

The Girl in The Tower has definitely sunk its claws into me, I found myself completely losing track of time desperate to find out the fate of Vasya and Moscow. I also know that I’ll be thinking about this book for a good few days to come. I cannot recommend this book, well really this series, enough and I will be waiting on the edge of my seat for the next book.

I read "The Bear and the Nightingale" and "The Girl in the Tower" back-to-back so I can't help but compare these two books. They are alike in some aspects—at the same time, they're entirely different from each other. "The Girl in the Tower" managed to pull me in from the first page even though the pacing felt quite slow to me after the first couple of chapters. I understand that the jump back in time was needed in order to explain the circumstances properly, but I still feel like it could have been shortened quite a bit.
"The Girl in the Tower" also felt less magical than its predecessor—that may be the case because Vasya has grown up and hides her Sight more carefully; or maybe it is because the story now plays in Moscow where the house spirits are rapidly fading. While this installment still focuses heavily on family dynamics (which I loved!), new themes have been added like politics or gender roles. I loved reading how Vasya struggled under the pressures of society but still tried to choose her own destiny. She's such a brilliant, authentic protagonist that has grown on me immensely. I can't wait for the final book—The Winter of the Witch—in this beautiful trilogy.

This review will be posted on my blog, Foxes and Fairy Tales on 21 Jan 2018.
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/review-the-girl-in-the-tower

I found the first book, The Bear and the Nightingale, a little difficult to get into at first. Somewhere I got my wires crossed and thought it was a YA fairy tale retelling (it's wasn't) and that threw me. It was absolutely worth sticking with though. There were so many characters, each with their own objectives, and so many overlapping themes -- folklore, religious conflict, the harshness of winter, women's positions and power (or lack of it), family saga, political machinations -- I absolutely loved the depth. The Medieval Russian setting seemed completely authentic and somehow had more 'realness' to it than some of the other Russian-inspired fantasy I've read lately. From all the little references to the wider world and the level of detail in Vasilisa's, you could tell Arden really knows her stuff.

The Girl in the Tower continues the story and is even better! Everything I loved about The Bear and the Nightingale is back, but with a faster, more action-packed plot. Perfection. Again, you really get the sense Arden might have visited Medieval Russia at some point because Moscow is just as vivid as Vasya's village was. It's amazing to see some more of the things hinted at, or briefly mentioned in TBATN -- especially Olga, Sasha, the Grand Prince (and politics between him and the Khan).

I loved Vasya, even more, this time. This story really felt like it focused in on her, giving her character more time to shine as she explores a wider world. I love how nuanced and brave and flawed Vasya is. I adored reading her interactions with Morzoko, the relationship there is so well written and subtle. And I loved her banter with porridge-eating Solovey.

I can't wait for the final book!

This is a FEMINIST fairy tale. I bow to Katherine Arden for writing this in a world where young girls are forcefully spoon fed unrealistic expectations by the media. Body image, The endless pressure to be beautiful, to be liked by men.

The story is set in medieval Russia, where magic is a part of the world like nature, fantastic creatures lurking in houses, forests, on roads; only certain people have the ability to see them. This is a world where a girl should not ride horses. A girl should not fight.  A girl should not disobey her father or brothers. A girl should marry when the time comes, and give sons to her husband or go to convent and become a nun if she cannot find someone to marry. A girl should not die in child bed. A girl should stay inside buildings: tower or shack, palace or a single room dwelling, and should not complain, even her life passes in there without experiencing the world. A girl should do what's expected of her. As you see, this magical, medieval world in Russia is no different than parts of today's world : Men decide for women.

The first book, The Bear and Nightingale, is the growing up tale of Vasya. She discovers that what is expected of her is not what she really wants. But luckily: She is not afraid to determine her own fate. 

Girl in the Tower picks up immediately from where the first book finished. Vasya begins an adventure where she will make good and bad decisions, and will discover things she doesn't know.  In this book we have dangerous Tatar bandits, mysterious noble Kasyan, Grand-Prince of Moscow, Vasya's siblings Sasha and Olga, Olga's children, and many more characters. And of course, Morozko. Swinging between his god-self to human-self, he takes a major part in this sequel.

This book is much more action packed than The Bear and the Nightingale , and reminded me a lot of The Mists of Avalon. 

...the constant church-bell reminded folk too often that banniki should not exist. The thought made her sad.

The unbearable sadness of the loss of magic is there between the pages, Christianity and the churches eating up the traces of magic in this world. 

I will go on by bullet pointing some things I really loved about this book:

-The imperfect characters. No one is a super hero. None of the characters are perfect. Vasya or the other characters can make bad decisions.  
-The dialogue between the characters gives the reader an insightful dose of "why we should not be racist" :
"You cannot take vengeance on a whole people because of  the doings of a few wicked men."

- Reading about Russian folklore is fascinating. Comparing it with other nation's myths to see the cultural differences, how history and geography determines the fairy tales for every country / nation is even more fascinating for me.
- Do I have to have another go on how incredibly feminist this book is? Probably not!

This is Book #2 of one of my favourite books of last year (The Bear and the Nightingale), so I was beyond excited to be offered the opportunity to read an advance copy. I had verrrrrrry high expectations, and I was not disappointed. Vasya, facing the choice between marriage or life in a convent, decides instead to run away and travel. Her adventures soon take her to Moscow, where she finds herself having to defend the city and the Grand Prince from something awful.

Katherine Arden’s writing is fantastic. She weaves clear and enchanting images, and no part of the story is boring. Every single word was a joy to read. There really aren’t many books I’ve come across that are quite as magically well-written. That being said, there was, sadly, a bit less magic in the book than in the first, but there was still just enough to keep it special.

Vasya and Morozko are two of my favourite characters to ever exist. Vasya is strong and determined – and nothing like the usual fantasy heroines – while Morozko is a powerful and compassionate… What a babe. I just love him. And I can’t not mention Solovey: I’m not usually a fan of horses in general, but his connection to Vasya throughout the story is so lovely.

My one and only criticism of this book is the ending. It was abrupt and kind of unsatisfying, I was completely unprepared for it to end when it did (and not just because I enjoyed the book so much I didn’t want it to end). There seemed to be a lot of only partially resolved threads, and the ending just felt very sudden. It was quite a jarring and unsatisfying end to my reading experience.

However, the abrupt ending does not take anything away from the magnificence of the rest of the story. I cannot wait for the next book. 10/10. 5 stars. Full marks.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The first complete book I read in 2018 (I did finish the last few chapters of Hogfather this year, but that doesn't count) lets me begin this year with hope. Not that I expected anything less from Katherine Arden after the gorgeous The Bear and the Nightingale but middle books in a trilogy are usually a challenge for authors. How to keep the plot moving and characters developing without going too far, how to save enough story for the final instalment without making the second part boring? Well, Arden definitely has an answer to those questions and the answer is this book.
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The Girl in the Tower opens not long after The Bear and the Nightingale ends, although it immediately shows the readers more of the world and more of its characters. The attentive reader will remember that some of Vasya's siblings were sent away or left their forest home to pursue other ways. Olga has become a princess and a mother, Sasha is a man of god. And Vasya... well, Vasya chose adventure over a confined life in a convent or in some minor lord's bed. With her fantastic horse Solovey, she rides out into the world, without much of a plan but with fierce determination not to be caged.

The changing viewpoints of this book give a good picture of the state of affairs in Rus' - taxes waiting to be collected, a looming war, bandits who leave villages burned down and steal Russian girls. As Vasya finds it makes things much, much simpler, she is dressed like a man with her long hair hidden away as she stumbles into all of this. As Vasilii Petrovich, she meets her siblings again and even gains favor with the Prince of Moscow. But navigating court is no easy feat even when you're not trying to disguise your gender. Although it's an old trope, it is one I can never get enough of. After all, who doesn't love a good girl-disguised-as-a-boy story?

But although the trope has been used many times by many authors, in this particular setting, it becomes so much more obvious why Vasya would choose to do this. Okay, it kind of just happens because she's practical and doesn't like what the world holds in store for women, but once she arrives in Moscow, the differences between men and women are so stark that I wonder why not more women would pretend to be men, if only to have the simple freedom of stepping outside a building when they wished to see the sky.

In Moscow, Vasya also meets her niece, Marya, for the first time, and the connection between the two made me so very happy, despite all the danger that constantly surrounds them. As family reunions go, this was a bittersweet one but the love these siblings have for each other was tangible on every page. Never mind the secrets between them, the difference in how they choose to live their lives (or the way they have to live the lives chosen for them, in Olga's case), there is a true sense of family there, and the way Marya and Vasya strike up a friendship out of the blue made that all the clearer.

Morozko makes a few appearences as well, to my utter delight. I admit I have been hoping for a romantic development here and I am not ashamed of my fangirling! He still holds a lot of secrets that Vasya, and us poor readers, don't quite know yet, but there are glimpses of humanity in this immortal being, as well as hints to the past and where Vasya's family came from. Not all questions are answered - this is only book 2, after all - but there were enough hints for me to have closed to book satisfied. Morozko isn't the only mythological creature in this book. Rest assured, there are domovoi and even more famous personalities to be met.

While this book was much more action-packed than the first, with a faster pace, more focus on politics and social structures, I still loved every bit of it. Arden's style is as beautiful as ever and her characters as multi-faceted. I particularly enjoyed any description of Vasya riding or dealing with horses and literally any interaction between her and Morozko. Even without stating a thing outright, you can still read the characters' emotions between the lines, in the description of their body language, a twitch or a sigh. It was just pure joy to read!

Katherine Arden has published her two novels at remarkable pace (two in one year!) and the next one is supposed to be published in August of this year. That's really fast, especially considering the quality of these books. Whether the publication date is fixed or gets pushed back a litte, I have already pre-ordered my copy of The Winter of the Witch and am waiting more than eagerly to find out how this gorgeous story concludes.

MY RATING: 8,5/10

I did enjoy this book but it seemed a bit long winded in places and I wanted a different ending even though that wouldn't have been the right ending. Excellent writing and interesting characters.

The Girl In The Tower is the enchanting sequel to Katherine Arden’s wonderful book The Bear And The Nightingale.
Despite having this book on my kindle for several months now I deliberately decided to wait to read it until it was colder outside as I knew this would be a perfect winter read and I wasn’t wrong.
Vasilisa is probably one of my favourite characters from any book I have read, she is certainly the most interesting.
The book begins with Vasya riding her horse through an unnamed forest in search of a hidden house.
Meanwhile, in Moscow Olga is stood at the window of the tower she lives in waiting for her brother Aleksandr to return from his travels. Whilst she is waiting her one of her servants begins to talk of a ghost of a woman who haunts the tower.
The ghost is described as being white as a bone…mouth fallen in, eyes dark pits to swallow the world.
The other servants listen intently to her as does Olga’s eldest child Marya.
When the servant has finished Marya begs Olga to tell a tale of her own so Olga tells the story of a child fashioned out of snow and brought to life for a couple who longer for a child of their own. I loved this story because of the magical element to it and also because its not what you would expect.
When Aleksandr or ‘Sasha’ returns he brings with him tells of an organised group of bandits, burnt-out villages and girls stolen for slavery. Sasha brings these tales to his cousin Dmitri, the Grand Prince of Moscow. The two decide to go in search of the bandits after a great lord named Kasyan visits asking for help after bandits attacked his territory and stole some young girls then disappeared seemingly without a trace.
As boys these two had live together at Sasha’s monastery, the Trinity Lavra, before Dmitri reached his majority.
When Sasha returned from his journey he brings a monk he found lost in the forest. The monk brings Olga news of her father’s death and that it was her sister’s fault he died. He also tells Olga that he thinks Vasya must be dead too but that it was for the best as she was a witch. Olga is troubled by the news but decides not to pass this news on to Sasha before his departure.
The group hunting for the bandits can find no sign of them but they do come across a burnt-out village and some agitated villagers whose daughters are missing.
“Bodies lay strewn as they had died, black as the burnt houses, with pleading finger-bones and grinning skulls.”
The prince and his companions end up seeking shelter with some monks and are startled to see a lone rider carrying some young girls heading for the monastery. Sasha is further startled later when he realises the rider is his sister Vasya.
Both know that he cannot reveal her true identity so together they decide to introduce her as his brother. Under this identity she quickly finds favour with Dmitri by helping track down the bandits.
Once we learn the identity of the rider we also learn how Vasya came to be there.
The house Vasya was looking for in the beginning of the book was that of the frost-demon Morozko. He questions why she has ridden out into the dangerous woods once again and why in particular she came searching for him. Vasya tells him that she cannot stay at home as he siblings are mad with her and her neighbours believe her to be a witch. She fears being burnt as a witch or being sent to a convent.
She then goes on to explain why she has come to him, that she has decided to travel and that she needs the dowry he once offered her. He is startled that she has come to him for this and tells her so.
“No, she might have said. It is not that. Not entirely, I was afraid when I left home, and I wanted you. You know more than I, and you have been kind to me. But she could not bring herself to say it.”
He is reluctant to agree to her request and says she should return home and the people of her village will soon forget. He also warns her of the dangers of the road including the possibility that she might be raped. Vasya is undeterred though.
“There among your own kind, that is the world for you. I left you safely bestowed with your brother, the Bear asleep, the priest fled into the forest. Could you not have been satisfied with that?’ His question was almost plaintive.”
I love the relationship between Vasya and Morozko and the way it develops throughout the book. The reader gets to learn more about Morozko’s interest in her but is still left wanting at the end.
This book also marks a change in the way Vasya views him. She is still sceptical of his intentions towards her and questions the motives behind his kindness but at the same time she cannot help but depend on him.
She feels like he is the only one who understands her especially when he gives her some saddlebags filled with all the things she needs to survive on her own.
“Vasya stared down at these things with a delight she had never felt for the gold or gems of her dowry. These things were freedom…they belonged to someone else, someone more capable and strange.”
During the course of the book, we get to see Vasya’s character develop as she begins to get a sense of who she is outside of the confines of other people’s expectations.
We also begin to get a sense of why Morozko keeps coming to Vasya’s rescue.
“I am not blind continued the mare. Even to things that go on two feet. You made the jewel so that you would not fade. But now it is doing too much. It is making you alive. It is making you want what you cannot have, and feel what you ought not to understand, and you are beguiled and afraid. Better to leave her to her fate, but you cannot…Let her go, then, said the mare, quietly. Let her find her own fate. You cannot love and be immortal. Do not let it come to that. You are not a man.”
If you love myths and fairy tales then Katherine Arden is definitely an author you want to check out. I loved The Bear and the Nightingale, but I loved this even more. The Bear and the Nightingale was my favourite book of last year and I wouldn’t be surprised if The Girl In The Tower ends up being my favourite book of this year.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Girl in the Tower from the lovely Ebury Publishing and Penguin UK. The Bear and the Nightingale was one of my favourite books of 2017 so I was eager to continue reading about Vasya and her family. This book opens in Moscow with Sasha and Olga who we last saw at the beginning of the first book. It was great to read more about these characters and to discover how their lives had unfolded since leaving home. Vasya's reunion with them was painfully realistic and felt emotionally true. Katherine Arden writes wonderful sibling relationships that are nuanced and full of emotional depth. It's easy to identify with each sibling and understand their frustrations underpinned by love.

Part two picks up where the first book ended, with Vasya leaving home and planning to travel. She first visits Morozko's house to stay for a while, and I loved the growing relationship between Vasya and Morozko. The mysterious bond they share threads throughout the book, overwhelming both of them at times. I'm eager to see what happens to them in the final book released next year. Solovey was definitely one of my favourite characters and I adore everything about him, plus his bond with Vasya is beautiful. A new character introduced in this book is the mysterious Kasyan Lutovich, and I was desperate to discover more about him and his motivations.

It seems like The Winter of the Witch promises to explore the secret of Vasya's magical heritage and reveal more about her grandmother and great-grandmother. I also need to know what happens with Morozko after the ending of The Girl in the Tower. I didn't think this could live up to my love for the first book but it turned out to be just as hauntingly beautiful and memorable. The imagery and language were wonderfully lyrical, and the storyline was pure magic. The final book in the trilogy is definitely my most-anticipated 2018 release.

The sequel to the amazing The Bear and the NIghtingale book, The Girl in the Tower doesn't disappoint the reader. I found the book to be really fast-paced with a lot of things happening in it. Vasya's character has grown a lot over the two books and I loved the way her character shaped. Morozko was another character I was glad to get more to see of. The best part of the book was the importance to horses. I so loved Solovey. He is my most beloved character of the book!

As a lover of Russian Folklore The Bear and the Nightingale was one of my favourite reads of 2017 so I was thrilled to receive the sequel and eager to rejoin Vasya and her family for the consequences of the first story. And there are consequences after the final confrontation with the Bear and Vasya's visit to the Winter King.
The world focus shifts slightly as Vasya's territory widens, while the first book occurred almost entirely within the confines of the forest we now see more of Morozko's world and more of Muscovy. Once again Arden's world-building is marvellous as she recreates the sights and sounds of medieval Moscow with the same detail as the wild forest. From the Grand Prince's palace to the women's Terem she creates such a textured setting full of history and dirt and life and magic that every page is a joy to read.

We also learn more of characters we glimpsed or lost contact with in the first book, Dmitrii who is now Grand Prince of Muscovy and Vasya's older brother Sasha, now a monk and warrior of some renown and a key adviser to his cousin, and Olga now a Princess in her own right. In Moscow there is a threat of war as the power of the Khan's wavers but Sasha worries about the banditry that has laid several villages to waste. Meanwhile Vasya leaves Morozko, desperate to see the world and escape the choice between marriage and the convent. With her horse Solovey she battles the dangers of the Russian winter, the threat of strangers and the realisation that she is vulnerable in the wide world where her determination to be free and independent lays her open to suspicion and persecution. As a hero she is perfect, strong but flawed and while it would be easy to characterise her as a "modern" woman Arden skillfully weaves her into the reality of the medieval world using the rich seam of Russian folklore so that she never seems out-of-place. And always there is the Winter King and the Chyert, the spirits of an older, mythic' Rus, fading in the sounds of cathedral bells and Christianity.

There is so much to love in this book. Each character has depth and voice that makes them irresistible, the plot is clever and thrilling, the writing superb and the foundation of that wonderful, rich world makes it difficult to let go. It's fortunate for us all that there is another book to come. I can't wait.

When I got to review this book I didn't realize it was the second book in a series, so I snatched the first one to get a better sense of the story and characters. Thing is, the first book was a very nicely created book with magic and magic beings and with a great lyricism but just not for me. I prefer books which move at a different pace than that one, so it was no surprise the same things were found on the second book.
Honestly I can't give it a rating as I can sense it is a wonderful book, convining the real story with snippets of magic and wondrous beings, and you can see all the effort it took the author to create this world; but is just something I wouldn't usually read for the reasons I have already stated.

[Note: I am giving it a two stars review on NetGalley as to be able to send the review, but as I've said I don't think I can honestly rate it, as it is a book I didn't enjoy but can see it has quite the potential]