The Bear and The Nightingale
Author: Katherine Arden
Published by: Penguin Random House UK
Pages: 456
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★★½
Beware the evil in the woods…
In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.
But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods…
My thoughts:
The Bear and the Nightingale is a wonderfully atmospheric book with a mixture of history, religion and Russian folklore at the heart of the story. It transports the reader back to medieval Russia, to a place thick with forests and deep crisp glistening snow.
This story focuses on a young woman named Vasya who takes her first breaths of life as her mother takes her last. Vasya holds the ability to see spirits surrounding her small town, and is a really fascinating character. As a young woman, Vasya is free to do as she pleases most of the time. Over time she develops a bond with the horses, speaking to them and whispering until they grow to trust her enough to come to her willingly. As friendly as Vasya can be, she is a force of nature, filled with determination, strength and aptitude, while also holding a strong family bond. The loss of her mother has inevitably weakened her place in the family, and at times she feels alone in the world, but this does not stop the young heroine from showing that she is truly willing to do whatever is necessary to protect them.
There was certainly something magical about having this novel set in the dead of winter with the old gods circling the dimly lit sleepy cottage, and despite being a little slow in places, I enjoyed the writing style. Arden uses absolutely beautiful imagery throughout, leaving you feeling completely transported to a new world of complex characters and interesting plots.
The imagery and vivid description is just wonderful; the characters leap off the page, and the storyline is layered and complex. However, I must admit I did find the pacing sometimes just a bit too sluggish. This is definitely a book that should be read slowly and with patience in order to really make the most of it. I struggled here and there with identifying the tricky names of the characters, and because of this I found it slightly difficult to keep track of who each person was, and began to kind of lose interest in what was going on. Of course, this is no fault of the author’s, I think it just partly diminished my overall enjoyment of the book.
As a result, I feel I can only fairly give this one a rating of three and a half stars.
Overall, The Bear and the Nightingale absolutely is a magical and atmospheric read, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I can see why this book has proved so popular with many readers. Unfortunately, it just didn’t quite hold my interest as much as I was hoping it might.
Overall reaction:
Published by: Penguin Random House UK
Pages: 456
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★★½
Beware the evil in the woods…
In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.
But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods…
My thoughts:
The Bear and the Nightingale is a wonderfully atmospheric book with a mixture of history, religion and Russian folklore at the heart of the story. It transports the reader back to medieval Russia, to a place thick with forests and deep crisp glistening snow.
This story focuses on a young woman named Vasya who takes her first breaths of life as her mother takes her last. Vasya holds the ability to see spirits surrounding her small town, and is a really fascinating character. As a young woman, Vasya is free to do as she pleases most of the time. Over time she develops a bond with the horses, speaking to them and whispering until they grow to trust her enough to come to her willingly. As friendly as Vasya can be, she is a force of nature, filled with determination, strength and aptitude, while also holding a strong family bond. The loss of her mother has inevitably weakened her place in the family, and at times she feels alone in the world, but this does not stop the young heroine from showing that she is truly willing to do whatever is necessary to protect them.
There was certainly something magical about having this novel set in the dead of winter with the old gods circling the dimly lit sleepy cottage, and despite being a little slow in places, I enjoyed the writing style. Arden uses absolutely beautiful imagery throughout, leaving you feeling completely transported to a new world of complex characters and interesting plots.
The imagery and vivid description is just wonderful; the characters leap off the page, and the storyline is layered and complex. However, I must admit I did find the pacing sometimes just a bit too sluggish. This is definitely a book that should be read slowly and with patience in order to really make the most of it. I struggled here and there with identifying the tricky names of the characters, and because of this I found it slightly difficult to keep track of who each person was, and began to kind of lose interest in what was going on. Of course, this is no fault of the author’s, I think it just partly diminished my overall enjoyment of the book.
As a result, I feel I can only fairly give this one a rating of three and a half stars.
Overall, The Bear and the Nightingale absolutely is a magical and atmospheric read, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I can see why this book has proved so popular with many readers. Unfortunately, it just didn’t quite hold my interest as much as I was hoping it might.
Overall reaction: