The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden: My Review
The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden: My Review
The Bear And The Nightingale
SYNOPSIS
Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.
Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village.
But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
The Girl In The Tower
SYNOPSIS
Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch.
Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey.
But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.
The Winter Of The Witch
SYNOPSIS
Vasilisa Petrovna is an unforgettable heroine determined to forge her own path. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.
Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.
MY REVIEW
Introduction
Before I start my review, I think it’s important for me to tell you that I didn’t read this series in the correct order… (Oops!) I actually read the second book first, then went back to the first, and then ended with the third.
I don’t really think this impacted my experience too much, as I fully believe you could read the second and third books without the first. Things are well explained throughout the second book, but I also feel like it’s a travesty not to return and immerse yourself in book one- The Bear And The Nightingale. I wanted as much of this series as I could get, and I loved seeing characters like Vasya and Olga as children, as well as getting more information on Konstantin and his experience with Vasya before the second book.
Anyhoo, I just want to start off by saying that this series has been undoubtedly my favourite of 2020, and I’ve read A LOT of books this year. (Thank you lockdown… at least you were good for my TBR if nothing else.) I haven’t read very many books based in Russian culture, an exeption being The Witches of St. Petersburg by Imogen Edward-Jones- a book which I also loved by the way.
Russian Folklore and Fairytales
I was fascinated by the integration of tradition Russian folklore and fairytale into this world, and also found myself absolutely entrenched with the characters. Vasya was the perfect heroine, a girl who we watch flourish into both a woman and a warrior over the course of years, not months. Her grit, determination, and loyalty made me root for her character all the way through the series, and also made me hate some of the other characters for how they treated her. She was a wild woman, a witch, and she embraced that despite the fact her culture literally tried to burn it out of her. I loved the way she embraced the unknown, how she was fearless in the face of the fantastical, and how she melted the heart of The Winter King against his consent. (Also… can we just talk about the hotness of Morozko… Swoon!)
Contrasting Struggle and The Supernatural
The fantastical nature of this novel and some of it’s more magical characters doesn’t however take away from the brutalities of Russian life, or of their way of life on women. Instead, it is used to exaggerate these concepts and make them blatant for the reader. The cold of Morozko’s winter can be felt as a bone-deep ache as you crack the novel’s spine and find an escaping gust of winter wind, right alongside the Firebird’s flickering embers that scorch your fingertips as you turn the pages and the homey warmth of the endless ovens we find our heroine sleeping around radiating off the page and onto the reader’s face. The world crafted by Arden truly is extraordinary, with details that put you slap bang in the middle of Russia.
Solovey… because I am obsessed with this damn horse.
By far my favourite part of this series was the way in which the mythical and the real collided and become beloved. Solovey in particular, stole my heart, and I was both devastated and then elated in the series’ final novel The Winter of The Witch as his journey reaches a heart wrenching crossroads. I could literally talk about this damn horse for like a year, as I am absolutely obsessed with him, but as I don’t want to ramble I’ll keep it to this- I love you Solovey… and I will be back for a re-read, for you if for nothing else!
The synergy of nature and man.
Additionally, I also enjoyed the way that time and space were played with in this novel, with Vasya’s collaboration with the natural world causing her to grow in power, where the mortal dominance of it and wandering faith makes them meek. Vasya’s linking of the mortal and mythical world, of bridging the two, turns her into someone truly formidable by the end of the series and I was absolutely enamoured with hey journey as well as the story’s conclusion.
Bridging the religious divide
The progression of the novel is fast paced, despite carrying us across the young life of Vasya, who when we begin is little more than a child, and when we end has fully come into her supernatural power as a witch and woman. I loved the way in which the series bolsters the idea that ideologies and religions can exist peacefully side by side if we give them space. For the first few novels, we watch as Konstantin the monk turns public opinion against the old gods and ways of Russia. This then weakens the spirits that defend houses, defend stables, and basically allows for great evil to rise. It is only in an alliance between the old and new ways that causes an ultimate and satisfactory resolution for both the Heroine, and her country.
Portrayal of Women
The book also makes several strong cases about the role of women being one requiring strength, regardless of them being mothers, warriors, servants, or wives. We witness the struggle of all women through this story, and also see the way in which men’s lives are considerably easier as Vasya spends a large portion of the second novel, The Girl In The Tower acting the part of a boy. She gains respect as a man for her skill, but as a woman with the same skills, she is burned at the stake. We witness the difficulty of confinement for Olga- Vasya’s sister, as well as her daughter, Marya who also sees the spirits of old Russia just as her aunt does.
Conclusion
To conclude, I really implore you to pick up this series as quickly as possible. It seriously smashed its way to the top of my list for Book and Series of the year. The imagery, the characters, the setting all work together to give the reader this incredibly emotional and yet beautiful experience as we are exposed to the full range of human emotion, magical potential, and contrasting seasons of Russia.
Stay Magical,
Kristy Nicolle x
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