THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE is the perfect book for people who like to read Russian retellings. It captures the coldness and the hardships of Russian wilderness and the opulence of the kingdom, with amazing and lovely cast of characters. But most importantly, it captures the wildly alive, beautiful magic of Russian tales with its creatures for us to enjoy.

This was a book that I wouldn't have usually chosen for myself but I am glad I was given the chance to read it. It kept me gripped that I finished it within a day. Would recommend to a friend.

Prepare the hot cocoa and grab all of the house cats as this is one of those books you are going to need to rug up for to absorb in a quiet space.

Winter in a remote Russian village must be diligently prepared for and stoically endured. The gods of home and hearth exist alongside that of the Christian deity but so it is that a wise person in these times may only be perceived to serve the singular. The family of Pyotr Vladimirovich live at quite a distance from Moscow but they are not immune to its influences and politics. Pyotr raises his sons and daughters with the help of a wise nurse and domestic staff but becomes aware as his children grow older and more independent that a new wife would be a wise addition to the household.

Pyotr's beloved first wife was only ever on loan; an ethereal creature that never thrived in the harsh conditions and who passed after birthing their daughter Vasilisa. So to Moscow Pyotr must go, to secure a pious new wife and to strengthen his ties to the royal family. There a mysterious stranger encounters Pyotr with a special request that he hold in trust a protective jewel for Vasilisa until she is of age. As the years go on, Pyotr's hold on the wilful Vasilisa becomes more difficult to maintain and there is talk amongst the villagers that Vasilisa and her visions are something to be feared. The winters are becoming harsher, and they are looking for someone to blame.

Being the first entry in a series, THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE needed to deliver on a number of fronts. The world of Russian folklore is relatively new territory to this reviewer but there are commonalities to the stories of other cultures i.e. that of Jack Frost, winter kings, and of domestic spirits and the sacrifices that are required to appease them. It also needed to engage and we can tick that box as TBATN pulls gently but insistently at your attention throughout with fully fleshed characters who all have their own paths to tread, descriptions of a beautiful and icy landscape and the lure of a enigmatic saviour not from the realm of man. Vasya (as Vasilisa is mostly called in this novel) is trapped by the conventions and misapprehensions of her gender in a more restrictive time. She is both incredibly naive and intuitively brave at the same time and you will need to accept her character as one that tries to do the best she can in oppressive circumstances. Vasya can be sometimes irritating but this is her story, her trials, and her onward journey.

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE trips between two sensibilities; those of mature adult fantasy readers who are prepared to encounter darker themes and those of young adults or children who might not necessarily want to. The intended market is never quite clear in this read though so the expectations of this adult reader were not quite met. This is not necessarily a negative thought as THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE is delightful regardless; it is more that the anticipated adult entanglements and violent encounters are only thinly referenced or left out altogether.

The continuum of this book has some well prepared scope; book three of the series is now being written. THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE is a solid first entry and beautifully crafted piece of fantasy that will keep you happily immersed in a wintry world of folklore that is quite familiar and yet fresh once again in the hands of an author who obviously loves her creations, and has great respect for their land of origin.

I have just fallen in love. With this book, with these characters, with this writer.

Set deep in the world of Russian literature and folklore, Vasya is the last daughter born of an older mother who dies shortly after childbirth. From a young woman, she is quite different to her older sister and brothers, and extremely different to the new wife that her father brings home during her adolescence.

Despite that, people are drawn to her. All except for her stepmother Anna.

Maybe it is for that reason that this book had very much the feel of a new fairy tale being told. Maybe it was the snow covered Russian landscape, or the house and land creatures that only Anna and Vasya could see. Anna, of course, is incredibly religious. The one god only, and all others are demons. She is aided in her vision by a Father Konstantin who is determined to bring the entire region to the new god, forsaking the old entirely.

However, strangely, the more they do this, the worse things become for them.

I saw a review that described this as reminiscent of Robin McKinley, and I could not agree more, also being a huge fan of her fairy tale retellings. But there was something just so original and vibrant in this one, like Katherine Arden made up the fairy tale herself. Maybe that is a lacking of knowledge to do with Russian fairy tales speaking.

In any case, I cannot wait to begin the next book of this series.

The Bear and the Nightingale is not a book that I completely connected with upon first reading. However, now knowing that it is the first in an expected trilogy, and having enjoyed the style and atmosphere of the book, it is a world that I am intrigued to dive back into.

This fairytale set in Russia has a wonderful lyrical prose that uses classic Russian myths and folklore to create a fresh take on the historical novel with strong characters.

Vasya, our leading character, is a child of nature, wild and willful, in a world of courting politics and religion, as well as superstition and suspicion surrounding her powers.

Other characters were not quite as compelling as Vasya though, and this as well as a somewhat languid pace may not be to everyone’s taste. For me, the style and atmosphere were enough to immerse me in the world and compel me to the end of book. In anticipation of the subsequent books, I would definitely give this another read.

GIVE ME ALL THE RUSSIAN FAIRYTALE ADAPTATIONS RIGHT NOW! OK, I'm sorry, was that a bit much? I just really love Russian folk tales and I also really love fairy tale adaptations, so The Bear and the Nightingale is like the perfect mix. It also came at just the right time for me, as I was hitting another, rather deep, reading slump and had no idea what was going to drag me out of it this time. Turns out it was Katherine Arden's beautifully atmospheric novel. And of course it was a novel I had accidentally ignored as it slowly gathered dust on my digital bookshelf. Shame on me, I know. But I got there in the end and it was glorious. Thanks to Ebury Publishing, Del Rey and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fairy tales are a magical thing because they make no sense and yet they make the most sense. This may seem like a contradiction, but fairy tales thrive off those. You can only see what something is if you believe in it, and yet it can be whatever you believe it. Fairy tales can combine the familiar and the uncanny, and switch it around. Whether it is Christianity which becomes abstract and absurd, while the pagan gods feel comfortable and familiar, or the suffocating love of parents that eventually aids salvation. This may all sound very abstract, but, in my opinion, it is the best novels that make you revel in these kinds of thoughts. Many Western European fairy tales have been retold many times, most of its themes explored almost exhaustively to the point where it's a rare adaptation that manages to add something new or interesting to the story. To me, Eastern European and Middle Eastern tales are much more unknown, and therefore make for very exciting and new reading. The Bear and the Nightingale therefore held the same kind of fascination as A Thousand Nights for me. Discovering something new, new in the sense of generations old, discovering old traditions, old tales, old myths, is wonderful because it enriches the way you read any new book and look at your own traditions.

At the heart of The Bear and the Nightingale is Vasya, a girl born from her mother's determination and death. Growing up with a wildness and freedom in her, she sees what others only believe in, communicates with what many fear. There is not necessarily a major reveal in which Vasya's powers erupt for the first time, as many other YA novels do feature. Rather, the magic around her has always been a part of Vasya and the reader can feel this from the very beginning. When the more supernatural elements of the novel come into play and horrify some of the more Christian characters, it forms a nice contrast to Vasya's acceptance. Her headstrong and independent ways never feel forced, Arden never pushes her to be more rebellious or adventurous than feels natural. Partially this lies in the fact that we spend enough time with Vasya from young child to maturing girl, without having annoying romances or twists forced upon her. Her narrative is occasionally interrupted with chapters or aside dedicated to other characters, informing the reader as to what's happening around her. This way the reader occasionally knows more than Vasya, endearing her even more. And as the plot of the novel speeds up, growing more intense by the chapter, Arden doesn't neglect her characterisation. The work she puts in in the first chapters really pays off here, allowing her to increase the more fantastical elements of the novel without losing its grip on reality.

There was a strange sense of nostalgia and sadness to The Bear and the Nightingale. This didn't make it a sad reading experience, but rather made me all the more fonder of the novel. It's almost as if all the characters know they are living in a time that is passing, that their traditions will, if not fade, recede to the shadows and become stories fondly remembered rather than strongly believed in. It makes finishing the novel a shame, because now the reader themselves will also have to leave this world behind. We can revisit it, but it won't be a whole new world to discover, rather, it will be a fond retreading of remembered paths. (Although thankfully the beginning of a trilogy, so hopefully Arden continues along this path and brings us more new old legends to revisit.) This is part of the beauty of The Bear and the Nightingale and other brilliant fairy tale adaptations, that they tap into the timelessness, that is yet dated, of old folk tales. They remain true, while becoming fantastical.

Katherine Arden's writing style is beautiful. Her characters and settings are both fantastical and incredibly grounded. She describes the Russian landscape in such a way that you can feel the cold and see the trees. She describes the house spirits in the same way, their appearances seeming as natural as the feelings of a young girl growing up. Her characters become dear to the reader, as do the settings, and the time flies by while you're reading The Bear and the Nightingale. I also really enjoyed the way she kept some Russian words in her writing, which settled her narrative even more in Russian folklore. Her writing flows so easily that the pages fly by and you reach the end of the novel long before you're ready for it. No matter what mood she tries to create, she nails it: suspense, the fantastical, mystery, coming of age, it all works. The fact that this is a debut novel still blows me away and I can't wait to read what else she comes out with. (It's coming soon, right?)

I absolutely adored The Bear and the Nightingale and will most definitely be rereading it. Thankfully the second novel in the trilogy, The Girl in the Tower, is coming out next December so that gives me plenty of time for a reread or two. I'd recommend this to fans of folklore, fantasy and fairy tales (the best F-words in the world).

An absolutely stunning vivid tale. I know nothing about Slavic fairy tales and so I found myself inherently charmed by Arden's evocation of a world alive with those deities in conflict with Catholicism (something I'm all too familiar with). I found myself despising so deeply some of the characters and so in love with others that this book has lingered long after I finished the plot with its well paced race to a climax.

This was without doubt one of the most magical and captivating books I have read this year!

Drawing inspiration from Russian folklore this gorgeous book dripping with atmosphere and brimming with lyrical charm. The perfect read for those who appreciate delicately woven fantasies such as Uprooted by Naomi Novik and authors like Robin McKinley and Sharon Shinn. The book is subtle and and graceful and quietly beautiful.

A guaranteed delight for anyone who loves fairytales.

A well written book, it sweeps you away to the chills of Russia. It gives us the story of Vasilisa and her family. To the folktales that surround her home and the magical beings. There is much going on in this book and there were a few undertones that did not jibe with me However for those who are looking to read a classic farytale type, with a few influenced undertones then this is a good book to go to.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Fabulous book - read it immediately!! Based on old Russian fairy tales and folk stories , Katherine Ardens language and storytelling is spot on.
I can't wait for the sequel!

DNF at 33%.

I was invited to review this book and I really wanted to like it but it was so dense and I really couldn't see where it was going. I find Russian books difficult because of all the names which look alike or they get called different names by different people (I had the same trouble with [book:War and Peace|656]), I guess that's my problem.

I couldn't tell whether this was supposed to be a children's book full of stories about house spirits and a child who sees them, or a magical fantasy akin to those by David Eddings. Then the Russian court got involved and fanatical priests.

It all felt too heavy, too much as if I was supposed to be drawing clever parallels with politics or something. I just felt that I was wading through treacle and unsure as to whether this was my kind of story anyway.

So, I stopped reading a while back and I just never felt the inclination to start again. DNF.

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.



This book, man, this book…. I haven’t loved a fantasy novel so much in quite some time and the fact that it combined two of my favourite genres (fantasy and historical fiction) made me giddy with excitement. Add some of the most fleshed-out characters I’ve ever encountered and you’re bound for an emotional rollercoster and a fantastic read!

I’ve seen this book called slow-burner in many reviews, and not without reason. It’s not a book that relies on its fast pace and adventurous scenes. The Bear and the Nightingale is such a deeply atmospheric book, I can’t help but wonder if Arden has been influenced by Donna Tarrt’s pacing and way of story-telling. She has created such a beautiful, magical world, full of promises of monsters, and legends, and horrors that, even though her book is not a “natural” page-turner, you can’t wait to see what happens next.

And just like all good slow-burners and atmospheric books, this one also relies heavily on its characters and setting. Arden does not just describe a Russian setting that seems ripped out of the pages of a fairytale; she embellishes her story with multi-dimentional, layered characters that carry the entire book on their soldiers. The best by far is Vasilisa (or Vasya, as her family calls her) a young girl with a fearless, wild heart. At time’s she reminded me of Anderson’s Tiger Lily , a girl I will forever hold close to my heart.

I also loved almost the entirety of Vasya’s siblings, with Alyosha, Sasha and Irina being some of my favourites as well, and characters I hope we’ll see more of in the following book(s). Together, they all created such an amazing cast of characters and I hope to see them reunited pretty soon. I can’t help but notice now, how much they remind me of the Starks from the A song of Ice and Fire series, both because of their family loyalty and their commitment to each other, as well as my anticipation for an upcoming reunion.

What really impressed me in Arden’s story is how cleverly she avoided tropes and stereotypes. We have an evil step-mother; except we don’t, not really. She has her own motives, her own agendas and struggles, and they’ve nothing to do with tormenting Vasya for pleasure. We have a step-sister that could’ve easily been turned into a mean girl. Instead, we got a loyal, caring Irina.

“All my life,” she said, “I have been told ‘go’ and ‘come.’ I am told how I will live, and I am told how I must die. I must be a man’s servant and a mare for his pleasure, or I must hide myself behind walls and surrender my flesh to a cold, silent god. I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.”



**An ARCopy was provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review**

Folklore and fairy tales, magical powers and the Russian aristocracy. All woven together in a complex and endearing story that brings the characters to life.

This book captivated me from the very first word. It’s a book of rustic magic and mysticism and the story is fantastical and yet still realistic. It’s a masterpiece and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Set in Medieval Russia this book explores the old mythology of a newly Christian nation. Religion and mythology are at the centre of this novel as everything supernatural is considered a demon and people who can see them are often driven mad by their visions. Vasilisa is a strange child, one who has the sight and can see and speak to the creatures that inhabit her home and her father’s land, and she is the only one that can save her home from the evil lurking in the woods, something much more terrible than the Winter King that haunts local folklore.

Each character is fantastically well written and they all influence the story in their own way, despite the fact that Vasilisa is the main character. I really enjoyed the characterisation of Vasya’s father, a strong man who cares deeply for his children, despite the fact that he blames Vasya for the death of his wife. Vasya’s brothers and sisters are all equally well characterised and it’s wonderful to see such a great family dynamic in a story such as this one.

The final parts of the novel weren’t as good as the beginning or middle because it was used to set up the sequels but that doesn’t mean that it was bad. The ending was actually very good and I was fully satisfied by the ending. I wish that this book was a standalone because I enjoyed the ending so much, it just felt right for the book.

I would recommend this book to all of my friends because it’s such a richly detailed novel with a captivating plot. It feels as though you have stepped into a fairy tale and I love that. I will definitely buy this book for myself and I will re-read it several times in the future.

I look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out in January 2018.

Review featured in my blog under the title: The One with the Rusalka and the Domovoy

Enjoyable, but didn't love it like I expected too, sadly. Will definitely read further books written by the author though!

A quirky read that was a nice read but felt like it was a book that I would only ever read once

Thanks to NetGalley and to Random House UK/Ebury Publishing for providing me with an ARC copy of this book that I voluntarily choose to review.
I’m a big fan of fairy tales and I’m always happy to discover new tales and stories that fit in that category, or that retell some old classics. And I love the stories based on old folktales that capture the beauty of old language, customs and the historical times and places long gone. The Bear and the Nightingale reminded me how much I like these stories and how the best of them are irresistible, at least for me.
Set in Russia (before it was Russia, as the author explains in her notes), the novel creates a great cast of characters, those “real” (princes and princesses, labourers, farmers, villagers, a landed family with food connections), others with a touch of the paranormal, like the protective spirits (of the house, the door, the stables, the forest, the lakes) that might turn nasty if not fed or treated kindly by human beings, the horrific ones (Death, The Bear, vampires), and animals, like the magical nightingale/horse of the title.
The character at the centre of the story, Vasilisa (Vasya), is the youngest child of her mother, Marina, who wanted to have a girl who would be like her. Marina had the ability to see things others couldn’t (the spirits of the forest, of the house, and she could also talk to animals) and she wants to pass her ability on. She dies when her daughter is born, and young Vasya grows among a family who loves her but doesn’t fully understand her. She can talk to horses, they teach her how to ride, and she can talk to the spirits others believe in but can’t see. She loves the old fairy tales and later realises they’re not only fantasy and old-wives tales. As is still the case, people fear what they can’t understand, and a newcomer, a priest, tries to change things by getting rid of old beliefs and putting the fear of God into people’s hearts. This can only lead to disaster.
The descriptions of the landscapes, the houses, the creatures, the atmosphere and the weather are beautifully achieved, in a style reminiscent of classical fairy-tales. The characters are also fascinating and we get a good understanding of their psychological make-up and of what moves them. Particularly interesting are the priest and Vasya’s stepmother, who try as they might, can’t reconcile their wishes with what is expected of them, but Dunya, the housemaid and ersatz mother to Vasya is a touching character, the family relations are heart-warming and even the animals have their own personalities. The author explains that she has tried to adapt the Russian names to make them easier for English-speaking audiences, and in my opinions she succeeds in both, maintaining the particular characteristics of Russian names, whilst not making it confusing or disorienting. The poetry of the language is another great success and I found the book impossible to put down.
There are many moments of sadness, scary moments, and also moments of the story that will make us think (Vasya is different and misunderstood, accused of being a witch despite her efforts to save her village and her people, the weight of custom and the role of men and women in traditional societies are also subject to discussion, family ties and religious thoughts…), but it is a magical story that will make us remember the child we once were. A word of warning, this is not a story for young children, and although some of the imagery is familiar as is the case with many of the classics, there are cruel and terrifying moments as well.
As an example of the writing, I wanted to share some of the passages I highlighted:
At last, they saw the city itself (Moscow), lusty and squalid, like a fair woman with feet caked in filth.
“In Moscow, priests are in love with their standing and think overmuch of the gold in their churches. They eat fat meat and preach poverty to the miserable.” (This is Sasha, one of Vasya’s brothers, who later becomes a monk).
Here, Vasya complaining of her lot in life:
“I am foolish. I was born for a cage, after all: convent of house, what else is there?”
“All of my life,” she said, “I have been told ‘go’ and ‘come’. I am told how I will live, and I am told how I must die. I must be a man’s servant and a mare for his pleasure, or I must hide myself behind walls and surrender my flesh to a cold, silent god. I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me….”
Just in case I didn’t make myself clear, I love this book, and although I know it’s not the type of book that everybody will like, I’d recommend that you check a sample or the read inside feature and see what you think. You might be rewarded with a magical reading.

I love the idea behind this book. As I explained in some of my reading updates, I used to be fascinated with Russian culture, and as I am generally interested in folklore anyway, I thought this book would be perfect. However, it was quite disappointing and I'm still trying to decide whether to give it 2 stars or 3 stars. Bear with me (get it?)

There are a lot of things about the novel that irritated me. For one thing, it's a real slow burner - 90% of it consists of building tension, whereas the resolution happens in a couple of chapters, leaving the reader feeling slightly cheated. Furthermore, the overuse of obscure Russian language made it really difficult to follow, especially as I have an ebook version so couldn't refer back to the glossary - I kept forgetting which creature was which and who was related to who, and it ended up being a real mess. Plus, the main plot of the book isn't explained until 85% of the way through, by which point you're just feeling confused and want the point to be made already.

You can tell that so much passion went into this novel, but it just felt too heavy for the word count to do it justice. Things needed to be explained earlier on, the folklore needed to be introduced at a better pace, and the characters needed to do something aside from a) running around the forest chasing each other, and b) dishonouring the family.

Things I am yet to understand:
- Nightingale. The character is cool but pointless - why are they referred to in the title?
- Her mother. Okay, so she was special because she had the second sight...great, but why is everyone so fussed about it when no one gives a damn that Anna has the same power?
- The monk brother. A lot of emphasis was given to him initially and then POOF! Gone.
- A gazillion other things I can't be bothered to mention. The short story is that the idea was great, the execution was slow, and I'm not sure that I will remember this book in 2 months time.

I was attracted to this book initially by its cover and am so glad that I was. It is solidly rooted in the fairy tale tradition of Russia. It was obviously well researched but wore this mantle lightly. It was very evocative of medieval Rus. Vasya has a "faerie" heritage and inherits a magical necklace given by a mysterious pale-eyed stranger ( I thought of Joan Aiken's A Necklace of Raindrops or Alan Garner's The Weirdstone of Brisingamen with its Norse roots)

There are some readers who still love the fairy tale tradition with contemporary authors using this tradition in a fresh way and Arden is one of them. Neil Gaiman, Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child and Ludmilla Petrushevskaya's There Once Lived a Woman spring to mind.

The character of Father Konstantin- reminded me of Rasputin and I wondered if there was a whiff of anti - church feeling in that it is his arrival and the neglect of the household spirits (chyerty) which triggers a dangerous time for the village ( shades of Phillip Pullman?)

I particularly enjoyed Part 3 which reminded me of George Macdonald's The Princess and the Goblin with its fine and beautiful house.

Vasya is brave, impulsive but not conventionally beautiful. Her Father is both conventional in ordering his daughter to get married/enter a Nunnery but unconventional in being a caring Boyar (local Lord) Her brother Alyosha is brave but also sensitive and
I was attracted to this book initially by its cover and am so glad that I was. It is solidly rooted in the fairy tale tradition of Russia. It was obviously well researched but wore this mantle lightly. It was very evocative of medieval Rus. Vasya has a "faerie" heritage and inherits a magical necklace given by a mysterious pale-eyed stranger ( I thought of Joan Aiken's A Necklace of Raindrops or Alan Garner's The Weirdstone of Brisingamen with its Norse roots)

There are some readers who still love the fairy tale tradition with contemporary authors using this tradition in a fresh way and Arden is one of them. Neil Gaiman, Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child and Ludmilla Petrushevskaya's There Once Lived a Woman spring to mind.

The character of Father Konstantin- reminded me of Rasputin and I wondered if there was a whiff of anti - church feeling in that it is his arrival and the neglect of the household spirits (chyerty) which triggers a dangerous time for the village ( shades of Phillip Pullman?)

I particularly enjoyed Part 3 which reminded me of George Macdonald's The Princess and the Goblin with its fine and beautiful house.

Vasya is brave, impulsive but not conventionally beautiful. Her Father is both conventional in ordering his daughter to get married/enter a Nunnery but unconventional in being a caring Boyar (local Lord) Her brother Alyosha is brave but also sensitive and Her brother Alyosha is brave but also sensitive and funny. That it what I mean by nuanced characters.

I read this at a time when I needed an exciting, well written story . I always find fairy tales and myths satisfying at some deeper "primeval" level . I am very likely to re-read this wonder- full book and look forward to more from this author.