4.0
The Girl in the Tower
ByPublisher Description
A remarkable young woman blazes her own trail, from the backwoods of Russia to the court of Moscow, in the exhilarating sequel to Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale.
Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch.
Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey.
But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.
Praise for The Girl in the Tower
“[A] magical story set in an alluring Russia.”—Paste
“Arden’s lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all.”—Booklist (starred review)
“[A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don’t get better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters.”—Library Journal
Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch.
Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey.
But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.
Praise for The Girl in the Tower
“[A] magical story set in an alluring Russia.”—Paste
“Arden’s lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all.”—Booklist (starred review)
“[A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don’t get better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters.”—Library Journal
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities7061 Reviews
4.0
Ashley
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“The audiobook narration is beautifully done, though I’ll say you’ll need to really pay attention since the narrator has a Russian accent, and some of the names can be a bit tricky to follow. The story picks up right where the first book left off, and the plot is amazing. It reads like a fairy tale set in medieval Russia. Vasya’s internal and external struggles are written so well, and the slow-burn romance is something I enjoyed (albeit controversial). There are a ton of oh sh*t moments that really surprised me!
I would recommend it—this second book has really made the series for me. I gave it a 4-star rating mainly because I’m not super into Russian literature, and while it’s fast-paced in some parts, it can feel slow in others. If you’re into that kind of thing (Russian lit and all the drama), you’ll love this!”
Anett_Rz
Created 1 day agoShare
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“The second book is gripping, but… I really missed that dark, fairy-tale magic that captivated me in the first one. Instead, we get more action, political intrigue, and battles—which can be exciting in their own right, but it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.
Biggest disappointment? Vasya and Morozko’s relationship. Where’s the chemistry, the tension, the development? I was waiting for sparks to fly, and I got… almost nothing. Such a shame, because I really wanted more of those two!
That said, the writing is still gorgeous, and the story pulls you in, even if it didn’t sweep me away like book one. Luckily, the ending is the strongest part of the whole book—finally, something that packed an emotional punch (and slightly bumped up my rating 😉)”
About Katherine Arden
Katherine Arden is the author of the national bestseller The Bear and the Nightingale. Born in Austin, Texas, Arden spent a year of high school in Rennes, France. Following her acceptance to Middlebury College in Vermont, she deferred enrollment for a year in order to live and study in Moscow. At Middlebury, she specialized in French and Russian literature. After receiving her BA, she moved to Maui, Hawaii, working every kind of odd job imaginable, from grant writing and making crêpes to guiding horse trips. Currently she lives in Vermont, but really, you never know.
Other books by Katherine Arden
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