Review of The Bear and the Nightingale

The Bear and the Nightingale
Katherine Arden
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Rating: 9/10

The Bear and the Nightingale is a fantasy set in old Russia, during the time of Khan's and Tsar's. The main character, Vasilisa, was born when her mother died. She grew up listening to the fairy tales of the woods, and can see the magical creatures no one else seems to notice. When Vasilisa gains a new stepmother, and a new priest comes into the community, the people of the villiage are frightened into abandoning the old ways. They couldn't do this at a worse time. The bear is breaking free, and unless Vasilisa and the Winter King stop him, he will cloak the world in chaos.

While reading this book, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the magic and beauty of the writing and stories. I would describe this book as a Russian Cinderella. It effectively captures the beauty of the Russian culture and the wilderness of its northern woods.

Romance
Not a lot here. Vasilisa is constantly described as a wild thing. More fairy than human. She doesn't recognize romantic love, not really, but you can see her love for her family and her people.

Plot
Though it takes a while to build, the plot and climax end fairly quickly. That was the only reason this book did not receive a 10/10. The whole time, we know that Vasya (as she is called by some in the book) is promised to the Winter King. We know she has power, but don't get to see too much of it. Even when the Winter King takes her, we don't get to learn much of her power or what she can do. I will say that this book is hard to put down. It is a great read that I would recommend to anyone with a love for fantasy.

Details
Oh my goodness for details. The author really put in a lot of time and effort researching every little bit of the culture and the time period. She even puts detail in the nicknames and mannerisms. The author does take a few artistic liberties with the myths and name spellings, but nothing that would detract from the book unless you are Russian and don't like the variations.

Voice
Vasya has an amazing voice. Strong, without being overpowering, bold, brave, and very innocent. Until the end, when she has to take responsibility for keeping the town safe, she sounds like a child and is described as such. She does what she wants, when she wants, and doesn't think before acting. But she is kind, and has a mischievous streak that will have you laughing at some of her actions. No matter what part of the book you are on, you are always firmly in Vasilisa's corner.