The Girl in The Tower

Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet.

“Has the world run dry of warriors?' She asked...

'There were no heroes,' said Vasya between her teeth. 'There was only me.”

A woman married. Or she became a nun. Or she died. That was what being a woman meant.

“Vasilisa Petrovna, murderer, savior, lost child, rode away from the house in the fir-grove.”

“You cannot take vengeance on a whole people because of the doings of a few wicked men.”

“Do you think that is all I want, in all my life—a royal dowry, and a man to force his children into me?”

“…An aging woman, magnificent and solitary, whose tower door never opened, who would make her daughter a proper maiden but never count the cost.”

“Perhaps I will die here, as others have died. But I will not die your creature.”

Sudden anger burned out Vasya's gathering hurt. She pushed back her chair and stood again. "I am not a dog," she snapped. "You may tell me to go home, but I may choose not to. Do you think that is all I want, in all my life - a royal dowry, and a man to force his children into me?”

"Close your eyes," he said into her ear. "Come with me."
She did so, and suddenly she saw what he saw. She was the wind, the clouds gathering in the smoky sky, the thick snow of deep winter. She was nothing. She was everything.

Witch. The word drifted across his mind. We call such women so because we have no other name.

Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen

An adventure Vasya started in book 1 continues in The Girl from the Tower. More action, more folklore, more romance, more political intrigues - book two suppresses its predecessor in every aspect or is it?

One of the most amazing things i loved about the bear and the nightingale - its darkness. Without a doubt the book was a visibly darker interpretation of Russian folklore, which made the story alive with images of night creatures crawling in the cold cold northern winter, growing even more colder, if possible, with every nightmare coming alive in the darkness. The other thing that made the first book memorable for me is the cast of characters. None of them were a hero; they had struggles on their paths and it was clear book 2 would continue with the question: what will become of Vasya, Morozko, Konstantin, Sasha and Olga? I was extremely curious about this question as well.

The girl in the tower starts with Vasya on the run from her home where she was considered a witch, thanks to the priest Konstantin's vigilance. She has two choices: either be burnt on pyre as a witch or to be send to live in a convent. Free spirited Vasya, of course. chooses the third option: to run away and ask help from Morozko, the frost demon. But Morozko has his own secrets and Vasya's path will lead her to a different from the initial goal direction.

I was highly excited about Vasya going into Moscow. The capital as beautiful as it is dangerous for someone with Vasya's gifts. Everywhere eyes, everywhere plotting and danger behind corners. Even Vasya's siblings Sasha and Olga are not the same people as they were when they left home. And a new mysterious lord Kasyan Lutovich— who seems to be hiding something very important- adds to the pile of intrigues Vasya encounters in the capital. To say that I am satisfied with the direction the plot took in this book? Yes. But was it what I wanted from this book? Not exactly. Let me explain. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Katherine Arden twisted the plot, but I cannot say it was enough to make me surprised or to call political intrigues in this book actual intrigues. Of course, without a doubt, for Vasya it was a new experience as she started as a naive country girl who wanted to see the world, and it's quite understandable that the level of intrigue suits Vasya's perception of the world at the given moment. Alas for me, spoiled with a more prominent subplots and vicious twists in books I am reading, it was not enough to be fully engaged in the mystery Vasya tried to unravel. I already predicted the outcome and knew beforehand every secret that this or that character hid from Vasya. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story or characters, but it made it a little bit paler, not so vibrant as it was with the first book.

But if the plot failed to surprise me, the characters showed a great deal of potential in this book. Especially Morozko. I already said in my review for book 1 that he is the one character I was intrigued by the most. Well, well, finally we have a glimpse of true frost demon in this book and I loved that he is not so pristine clear and goodie-two-shoes as it might've seemed in book 1. I loved every scene he shared with Vasya in this book and I am looking forward to his role in book 3, which I've heard from the author will be a significant one.

As for Vasya herself, I can say the girl is getting older and wiser. In book 1 she was still that naive young child who only was learning her strengths and the world around. In book 2 Vasya shows herself as a very reliable and strong character who learns from her mistakes and opposes those who wish to harm her or people she loves; she turns into a woman: strong and independent *whisper * though I still love that Morozko is always there to save her. Vasya is a female character I can add to my list of favorites. As for the romance, things are getting more clear and steamer, but still I need more development from that side. And judging by the way the book ended, we will have something in book 3 *excited giggle*

I don't want to beat around the bush: The bear and the nightingale is fresh and masterly crafted new series that already has a special place in my heart. I recommend it to everyone who wants something new and something magical with a bit of crisp white snow to clear - metaphorically - their minds from everyday problems.