Vasya is as wild as the countryside she lives in and as spirited as the folklore creatures she can see and communicate with. Set hundreds of years in the past, and in the heart of snow-filled meadows and woodland Russia – the book’s setting is as mystical and enchanting as the possibility of a new world, which is exactly how it feels. A historical fantasy the two mesh well together creating an atmosphere and temperament of the time; the politics in both the country and the capital; a tempting monastery; a growing religious fervour – as people switch to religious icons and not the spirits of the house, lake and woods that Vasya lives in. But she can still see them, knows of them and of the growing danger posed as they disappear, while something else in the forest grows all the stronger. Although the first book in the Winternight trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale can stand just as easily on its own – Vasya’s character richly powerful in more ways than one.
In the stories of old, and in Vasya’s childhood tales, comes sorcery, magical creatures and the Winter King – but as she grows older those around her forget these stories but not Vasya. Sticking fast to her beliefs, she’s not swayed by pressures to her reputation, of female attitudes, or the threats of the highly-religious Priest Konstantin, who becomes obsessed with her wild-eyes; wanting to control and tame them. Just as he tries to throw his religious reign over the peasant-filled population where Vasya’s father is Boyar (Lord), expanding his reach through Christian iconography, tales of heroics and of a God and Lord Jesus who will save them from their foolish ways, but only as long as the villagers stop their prayers and gifts to the spirits around them. But in doing so the village may become vulnerable to something much darker and deeper than they’ve known for many a year. And is the Priest with his trance-like words and beautiful features as holy as he professes? Or does he hear the voice of a demon stirring in the woods? Katherine Arden debuts with a book full of loving details, entrancing your mind to a place of mysticism. Its cold winters seep out of its pages to make you feel as though you can see your icy breath as you hurry along in your reading.
It’s rare to have such a genuinely strong female character as Vasya, who more than holds her own against the domineering men, and in a time when women had very little voice at all. Let’s just hope she’s strong enough for what’s coming, for not all the spirits are kind to Vasya, and in her seeing them, they too are able to see her – and now she might need to be braver than ever before. Even more when the stories of a Winter King living in their forest might just be true, but are the stories of his murderous nature? Or of the treasures to be bestowed?
The Bear and The Nightingale is a starting book into the world of Vasya and that of her brothers, one that shows a political landscape in a romanticised world of history, and with a textured surrounding of folklores to organised Christian beliefs. The fairy-tales of Russia being abandoned just as Vasya is living in one. This book is without the ‘Once upon a time…’, and may just miss the ‘happily ever after’ and its all the better for it, making a fantasy tale seem more real than any before. Its story told in a time of abject poverty, and a finger pointing of “witches”. Its textured heights making you feel as though you have fallen inside Vasya’s northern village and hopefully in time for the heroine to save the day.
There’s a lot of build-up throughout the book, that you expect there to be a large battle, and for it to be as sumptuously described as the rest of the book, but this is not so. Like many books before, its ending falls a little flat – the expected fight reduced to little more than a synopsis – leaving you to turn the pages back and forth to look for more. However, this could be because it’s following the old motto of ‘leave them wanting more’ – and here come the other two books in the trilogy. But even if you don’t pick the other two up, this is still a delightful read, the pages outside of the battle exciting and full of such enticing scenes that you’ll be more than happy to curl up with the book in front of the fire – just make sure you leave your offering for the spirit first.
Other Notable Works by Katherine Arden:
- Small Spaces:
+ Dark Waters 2021 (3)
+ Dead Voices 2019 (2)
+ Small Spaces 2018 (1) - Winternight Trilogy:
+ The Winter of the Witch 2019 (3)
+ The Girl in the Tower 2018 (2)
Book Edition Information:
Publisher: Del Rey (part of Penguin Random House)
ISBN: 9781785031052
Cover Illustration: Aitch/Margaux Carpentier
Presented Edition: 2017 Paperback
Background image courtesy of Jeremy Kovac on Unsplash
