I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.
Publisher: Del Rey Books / Random House Audio
Published: Paperback – June 27, 2017 / Audio – January 10, 2017
Summary:
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.
My thoughts:
This was the January pick for my Literati bookclub (clearly a little late writing up this review!) and I’m glad I went with this book. It was definitely a bit out of my wheelhouse, as I don’t tend to read a lot of fantasy, but I love books set in Russia and as I am a big series reader, I thought I would give it a go.
I will say I am not familiar with the fairy tale that this story is based on, so I think that perhaps some of the story is a bit lost on me, but I still enjoyed it. I really fell in love with the main character, Vasilisa. She is so strong and fierce and I always love characters like that. I think what really appealed to me about this story in general is that it’s not your typical princess needing to be swept up by her prince charming.
While it took me a little bit before really getting into the story, once I did, I found myself totally immersed in it. I loved the way the story weaves fantasy and religion together – it was a really interesting way to bring the historical part into the story. The visual images and the character development are amazing and I cannot wait to continue on with the rest of the trilogy. This book really took me by surprise and I’m so glad I ended up reading it.
Audio thoughts:
When I saw that Kathleen Gati was narrating this, I knew I had to listen to it and what a delight it was. I could not think of a more perfect narrator for this book. Her accent made this book come to life and feel so authentic at the same time. Because I listened to it, I didn’t get caught up in the names, though I did have the book on hand to see what they were. I do hope she continues to narrate the series, but if I can, I will most likely continue listening to it.
Books in this series:
- The Bear and the Nightingale
- The Girl in the Tower
- The Winter of the Witch
