Author: Katherine Arden
Review:
Review:
The Bear and the Nightingale is the first book of the Winternight Trilogy, a historical fantasy based on the Russian folklore. It is about a little girl Vasya, who grows up listening to the fairy tales her nanny tells her and discovers that she can communicate to the nature spirits around her, the ones who guard the household, the stables, the water, and the fire.
A young priest, Konstantin, resolute in his faith in God, is driven away from Moscow to the cold Northern Lands. When he comes to the fertile soil of Lesnaya Zemlya, he finds himself in a situation where he has to hold on to his beliefs stronger.
Set in the time when Christianity was gaining popularity in Russia, this book touches the age-old feud between Christianity and Paganism. It is a brilliant piece of work. As one flips through the pages, medieval Russia comes vividly alive before the eyes. The cold ruthless winters covered with snow, the delicate spring with the golden sun rays, the short pleasant summers and the breathtaking fall are so beautifully described. One gets a chance to know about the Russian lifestyle which includes their attire, their staple food which primarily comprises of cold meat, pie, and cheese, their commute, horses and sleds, the houses they live in, their church structures, the icon paintings of the angels and the saints and so on and so forth.
Coming to the characters, Vasya is so vibrant and free-spirited, you cannot help falling in love with her. Her brothers, Sasha (though he does not have much role in the first book) and Alyosha and her father Potyr come across as very amenable people. Konstantin, on the other hand, is a very keen observer and follower of rules.
To summarize, it is a book which is hard to put down. It has a gripping story and all the elements of a historical fantasy novel. I cannot wait to finish the trilogy.
Recommended: 👍👍👍👍
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