Katherine Arden: I read nonstop as a child, as most writers probably did, and my favorite part of the day was bedtime, because I would lie awake in the dark and make up stories. When I was in high school I wrote a fantasy novel with shapeshifting dragons and a sort-­of-­like-­Iceland world of snow and volcanoes. 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. 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. KA: Wow, there are so many characters from folklore that I wanted to include but couldn’t! Some of them will make an appearance in future novels. There is a guardian spirit for everything in Russian folklore. The domovoi guards the house; the dvorovoi guards the dooryard. The bannik guards the bathhouse, the ovinnik, the threshing-­house. Their areas of influence are almost absurdly specific. And each creature has a certain appearance and personality, and people must do certain things to placate them.

The horses offer to help teach Vasya how to ride. She really enjoys it. One day when she’s bathing in the forest, she notices Konstantin watching something in the water a little ways down. Vasya saves him. At first, Konstantin doesn’t want to admit that she did so. But then he goes to thank her later. When he touches her hand, Vasya realizes how he gets so many of the women to follow him with his rough skin and beautiful eyes. But she shakes herself out of her reverie.

The Bear and the Nightingale was a finalist for the Locus Award, and Arden received nominations for the John W. Campbell Award. The full trilogy was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Series. [3] Synopsis [ edit ] Plot [ edit ] One particular priest (Konstantin) rises up above the others in Moscow. Aleksei decides to send this priest away so he doesn’t become more popular than him. He commissions Konstantin to go to Pyotr’s land to work in the small church there. Solovey will take me to the ends of the earth if I ask it. I am going into the world, Alyosha. I will be no one's bride, neither of man nor of God. I am going to Kiev and Sarai and Tsargrad, and I will look upon the sun on the sea.”

Don't let the Russian naming (why does every character have so many names?) or pronunciations (go with your gut even if its wrong) distract you from a gorgeous tale. Vasya continues to be smarter as she grows and only visits with the house spirits whenever others aren’t around. She particularly befriends a stable spirit and learns how to work with horses from him. Compare some of the fairy tales and creatures referenced here to your favorite Western fairy tales. What are some commonalties? How are they different? This book is magical. This book is whimsical. This book is one of the best things I’ve read in my entire life. I loved this with every bone, every red blood cell, every molecule in my body. This book was nothing short of perfection, and I’m sorry to gush, but I never expected this story to captivate me the way it did. In a certain princedom,” the old lady repeated, with dignity, “there lived a peasant who had a beautiful daughter.”If this is the last decision I can ever make, at least it is my decision. Let me go, Alyosha. I am not afraid.” Vasilisa soon realizes that she is indeed special, and that she can see creatures that most people cannot. And, again, instead of feeling fear, she feels compassion and befriends and takes care of all the different creatures that dwell on her lands. Nonostante questo, è un libro consigliatissimo: l’ambientazione è affascinante e pittoresca, i personaggi ben costruiti e variegati e la storia è intrigante, con alcuni momenti che sono riusciti a commuovermi. Konstantin discovers the voice that’s been directing him is not from God; it’s the Winter King. He can hardly believe it. The Winter King says he must sacrifice someone with the sight (a witch) to save Vasya. The only other one is Anna. Domovoy: the household spirit who lives within the boundaries of the household. In the novel, the domovoi is depicted as the guardian of the home, placated with food offerings in return for protection. [6]