#like the bear and the nightingale has a great atmosphere but i love vasya more than that | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

analeoftwocities · 5 years

Photo

Book Read: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Beer Paired: Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Imperial Stout

What We Loved About the Book

I have put off this review for sometime. Not because I didn’t want to write, but honestly out of fear. From the second I read this book over two years ago, I knew it was something special. It was special to me. And as I read the rest of this series over the last two years that was only solidified more. How do you review one of the most important books in your life? That’s a lot of pressure, and that’s why I have been putting it off. But I have to start somewhere, and I want desperately to share the amazing Winternight Trilogy with you. So, here’s hoping I do it justice.

The first book of the Winternight Trilogy is The Bear and the Nightingale. This book is pure magic. Set in medieval Russia, this fantasy fairytale is true brilliance. Adventure epic, coming of age, folklore tale, feminist story, period piece, fantastic tale, and historical novel all in one. This book is truly spectacular.

With the heartbeat of a beautiful fairytale, The Bear and the Nightingale, is darker and more deeply felt. It seems a tale that is amazingly appropriate for our current times. Author Katherine Arden has worked her literary prowess and given us the story of a girl who is different and strong. The story of what happens to her when ignorance and misunderstanding push her away from other people, who then act against their better interests out of fear; a story of the new ways versus the old and magic versus faith. Disguised as a fantasy epic set in medieval Russia, this is a true fable for our times…or all time.

Beyond the genius of her story itself, Katherine Arden, also shows her strength as a writer in her characters. Beginning with the protagonist, Vasya, we are given a young woman who is maturing from childhood to adulthood. From the moment we meet Vasya, she refuses to be anything but herself, refreshing theme for a heroine. Not once over the course of the novel does Vasya doubt herself. Sure, she runs into many obstacles and stumbles along her journey, but through it all she trusts herself what she learns and sees. And yet, her rejection of society’s norms does not cause her to look down on those who find comfort and fulfillment in these. She is unapologetically herself and happy for each person to find this uniquely in themselves.

“All my life…I have been told ‘go’ and ‘come.’ I am told how I will live, and I am told how I must die. I must be a man’s servant and a mare for his pleasure, or I must hide myself behind walls and surrender my flesh to a cold, silent god. I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing.”

Even the characters that take the antagonistic roles in The Bear and the Nightingale are sympathetic. Arden does a beautiful job a making these characters heartbreakingly human, making the pain and turmoil they cause all the more real. With clear motivations like fear, shame, and pride, even the opposition is sympathetic. Beyond the heroine and her adversaries, Arden also includes a multitude of other characters, each of whom is as thoughtful and detailed as the first, over the course of the story.

If the characters don’t draw you in, the atmosphere will. Whether you read this on a sunny day outdoors, or a cozy café, Arden’s writing will transport you to the snowy tundra of rural Russia. You’ll hear the wind in the trees and the crackle of the fire. Although, sometimes slow in pace, her specific and thoughtful writing, make the pace worthwhile. The poetic, detailed prose will warp you up it its mythic splendor, and leave you wishing for winter (no matter how much you hate it).

Its not everyday that you stumble upon a book that shoots its was onto your favorites list. Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingaledid just that for me. Since first discovering it, I have read it several times, and would happily go back and read it again. The magic, humanity, and genuine girl power within these pages is both empowering and soul feeding. Do yourself a favor and read this book, in fact read this whole series. It will stay with you for a very long time.

“The world is wide, and the road will take us anywhere.”

What We Love About the Beer

What beer to pair with one of our favorite books of all time? How to choose? With such an atmospheric book, we wanted this pairing to give you the ultimate experience while you read The Bear and the Nightingale. So, we went with Siberian Night Imperial Stout from Thirsty Dog Brewing Company. This delicious beer felt like the perfect match, both dark and mysterious, Russian and wild.

Siberian Night Imperial Stout is a nice dry, dark, creamy stout with a soft and velvety mouthfeel. Just like the books this beer will keep you warm on a cold, blustery night, or transport you to the Siberian tundra on a normal spring evening. Its roasted notes are paired with caramel, toffee, coffee, and hints of chocolate, as well as a high ABV taste that balances out the flavor. Although not as richly dark as many Russian imperial stouts, this beer definitely has a great style and flavor making it the perfect match for Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale.

So, grab Thirsty Dog Brewing’s Siberian Night Imperial Stout, light a candle, and cozy up with this magnificent read. You’re sure to love it. We are not joking when we say this is one of our favorite pairings yet! Get ready for pure magic to shield you from the cold and the dark.

HOW ARE YOU? THANKS FOR STOPPING BY TODAY! LET US KNOW IF YOU TRY THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE OR SIBERIAN NIGHT IMPERIAL STOUT. WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! HAVE YOU HAD ANY REMARKABLE BEERS LATELY? READ ANY NOTEWORTHY BOOKS? LET US KNOW! WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS, OR JUST A QUICK NOTE TO HEAR WHAT YOUR UP TO ON YOUR DAILY ADVENTURE! DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW US HERE AND ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (FACEBOOK, OUR BLOG, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER) FOR YOUR REGULAR DOSES OR BEER OR BOOK RELATED GOODNESS! THANKS AGAIN FOR STOPPING BY!

CHEERS, ALEXANDRA & CHRIS

#katherine arden #the winternight trilogy #siberian night #fantasy #imperial stout #book blog #Books and beer #beer pairing

1 note · View note

yabookers · 7 years

Photo

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

'Frost-demons have no interest in mortal girls wed to mortal men. In the stories, they only come for the wild maiden.'

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.

But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods...

Disclaimer: I received a free copy via Netgalley for review purposes.

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, where the land is blanketed in snow for most of the year, a young girl named Vasya hears stories of magic and the Winter King – Morozko. Vasya is wild and spirited, and the spirits are not just tales to her, because she can see the spirits that guards her home and her forest. However, when a young priests comes to her village and preaches devotion to God and condemnation of the spirits, Vasya finds that the spirits are getting weaker and a dark magic is growing…

The Bear in the Nightingale is the first time in a while that I’ve read outside of my comfort zone – a richly detailed adult novel, but it was just my type of book.

One thing about The Bear and the Nightingale that I can say without a doubt, is that the writing is beautiful. Her writing is detailed and lush – creating a beautifully atmospheric read, perfect for snuggling up with on a cold winter’s night with a hot drink. The Bear and the Nightingale has the perfect blend of fantasy and history, making it truly feel like a fairytale read. I loved the Russian folklore and history, it made it a really interesting read.

There is no denying that Katherine Arden is a gifted writer, but at times her detailed descriptions and rich writing sometimes detracted from the plot, so at times the story felt very bogged down with very little plot progression. The plot didn’t really start to pick up until the last 30% or so. A strong beginning and an equally strong ending, but a weaker middle.

Vasya was formidable and a truly great female character with an endearing personality. She was wild, witty, intelligent, and a well-rounded character with some really great development. She was certainly a favourite and she was what kept me reading. I also loved her chemistry with The Winter King, Morozko. A great set of supporting characters, each with such a distinct personality.

Overall, The Bear and the Nightingale is an enchanting and atmospheric read filled with Russian folklore and culture. Perfect for fans of Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente.

RATING: ★★★☆☆

Buy now at Book Depository

#the bear and the nightingale #Katherine arden #megreviews #netgalley

15 notes · View notes

overdrivebookbytes · 7 years

Text

The Bear and the Nightingale is the perfect winter novel

A Medieval Russian village straddles the threshold between Christian and pagan values, while one young woman seeks to bridge the gap between the household spirits who keep the people safe and the changing mindset of her people in Katherine Arden’s debut novel The Bear and the Nightingale. The novel begins before Vasya, our main character, is born with the telling of a fairy story about a young girl who faces the winter demon and is rewarded for her valor while another suffers the consequences of insolence to the demon. This is the basis for the story to come. If you are seeking the PERFECT winter novel, venture no further. This novel literally has a winter demon as a focal point and if you think your winter is miserable you’ll quickly be reminded that northern Russia is not such a pleasant place to be in January.

Vasya is a young woman who has the ability to see and communicate with Russian folk spirits who watch over and care for the house, horses, forest, etc. The villagers offer small offerings to keep the spirits working, but when a new priest comes to town with talk of the wrath of God, villagers begin to forsake the old ways and slowly Vasya becomes an outsider. Little do the villagers know that an evil spirit is beginning to awaken, one that will wreck havoc on the village if he is not fended off by the spirits, but they cannot hold him back when their livelihood (the offerings of food and drink) are no longer available to strengthen them. Vasya never questions what she must do, even while people whisper behind her back and the situation becomes more precarious.

The novel offers a perspective on Russian spirits and demons of nature and household in a wild country that is being forced to lose its traditions and pagan ways for fear of God. Whether Arden, the author, is offering an opinion on religion, nature, or traditional ways is up to the reader’s discretion, but she is certainly using the olde tales to extricate a gorgeous, atmospheric story of family and sacrifice.

There is great beauty in Vasya. She is a wild, free, devoted woman who is imperfect but keeps to her core values even when all is against her. This is especially thrilling when the Medieval world she lives in steadily makes itself known. The place of a woman was marriage or convent and that becomes clear as the novel continues, yet Vasya fights against letting others make choices for her. At several points during the book I thought, “I’d fold. I’d just give in. How is she still fighting against a society who wants her to shut up?”. But Vasya knows that when things are at their bleakest, you must fight harder. It also helps that she has an older brother who trusts and fights alongside her. Sasha is a fabulous male character and while the author could have left Vasya to be totally friendless, she left a few people who stood beside her like Sasha, her brother, and Olga, her little sister.

This is a beautiful novel full of subtly building themes and a magical story. The author announced this is the first of three novels, so gobble this one up and wait for the next two. For those who loved The Snow Child or enjoy novels with a fairy tale base to them, pick this up…did you do it? Do it now!

#bear and the nightingale #book review #fairy tales #fantasy

0 notes

ishouldreadthat · 6 years

Text

I spent a good portion of yesterday convinced it was Wednesday. Where has this week gone? No, seriously. Where? September is absolutely flying by and I cannot believe it! Fortunately, we have books to keep us sane during these crazy months.

Books I read

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

What a great reading week this was! I finished two amazing books — Godsgrave was my audiobook read and Tempests and Slaughter was a proof copy. I absolutely loved them both. My review of Tempests and Slaughter will go live next week before the publication date, and both Nevernight and Godsgrave will have reviews the week after so keep an eye out!

Reading Tempests was such a great experience for me, and I now have a hankering to go back and read all her Tortall books. Would anyone be interested in a Tamora Pierce reading project?

Books I am currently reading

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson

Career of Evil is my audiobook for this week now that Godsgrave is over. I really love the narrator for the Robert Galbraith books, and I’ll be caught up on the series when Lethal White comes out next week!

I’m still reading Daughter of the Pirate King, I swear. I think it’s going to be my weekend book! I’m really loving it, but have had so many reading deadlines recently that I’ve just not had a chance to get stuck in. Now that most of those are cleared away, I’ll have a chance to get back to our sassy pirate captain. I’m also borrowing this and don’t want to take it on the bus with me!

Finally I’m powering through Sanderson’s latest novella, Snapshot. I’m starting to fall into it a little more, but it hasn’t grabbed me in the same way his other novellas have. I fully trust him to bring things to a stunning conclusion though!

Books I DNFed

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

Right. This is a weird one. I finally decided to put this down about halfway through, but it was a really tough choice to make. Why? It was so compulsive! One of the reasons I didn’t finish Tempests and Slaughter until late last night was that I was picking up The Water Cure as soon as I got home. But I wasn’t enjoying it? In fact, it made me incredibly uncomfortable. This book is filled to the brim with abuse and self-mutilation. Also heavily implied sexual abuse. It’s just not my thing at all, but I initially couldn’t stop. Finally, I ran out of steam and set it aside.

I’d love to know what you thought of The Water Cure if you’ve read it. Did you have this experience too?

Book post

A Time of Dread by John Gwynne

Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

I have received some amazing book post this week! First of all, A Time of Dread looks like a fantastic new series from John Gwynne. I’ve not read any of his books yet, although I recently discovered I own Malice on Kindle, and I’m so looking forward to this. I’ve heard amazing things about his books!

Okay, I’m sure you guys can imagine the excited noises I made when I opened up a package and Winter of the Witch slid out. I absolutely adore Katherine Arden’s books! The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower are two of my absolute favourites, and although I’m sad the trilogy will conclude with this book I’m so excited to see where Vasya’s adventures lead her. I’m going to hold off on this until the weather gets colder because these books are so atmospheric and gorgeous.

Books I bought

Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton

The Corset by Laura Purcell

I am weak! I walked into a bookstore yesterday and walked out with two books! At least they’re exciting new releases. I read and adored The Silent Companions last year, despite the fact that it scared the ever-loving shit out of me (hiss hiss), so I naturally had to pick up The Corset. Purcell writes masterfully spooky Victorian fiction and you should totally read her books if you haven’t yet.

Price Guide to the Occult is one I’m very curious about! I know people love her other series (which I have on hold at the library), but this sounds great! I really want to read more witchy books, and this seems like a great place to start.

NetGalley approvals

An Empress of all Seasons by Emiko Jean

Caged Queen by Kristen Ciccarelli

Gollancz is nailing it with fantasy this season! An Empress of all Seasons is a book I’ve been oh so curious about ever since I heard about it earlier this year. I’m loving how many east Asian inspired fantasy novels we’re getting in 2018!

I am beyond thrilled to read Caged Queen by Kristen Ciccarelli! I liked Last Namsara last year, but had some problems with the romance. I was unsure about reading the next book until I found out that Caged Queen is a companion novel rather than a straight up sequel. And it follows Roa, a very minor character that I thought had so much potential. This book has so many tropes that I absolutely love — marriage of convenience! Hate to love! Dragons that aren’t boring! I am on the blog tour for this book and you can expect to see a review on 24 September!

That’s it for this week! It has been such a good week for me and I’m so pleased with my reading progress. I’m still staggering under the weight of my TBR, but I’m clearing away obligations and getting through the stack.

For the curious, I have cleared out all the books I’ve unhauled from my Insane Book Mastersheet and have a clear count of all the books I own. I’ve read 195 of the 561 physical books I own. That is…not as good as I thought. But hey! At least it’s progress.

Not amused by human shenanigans

What did you read this week? Did you get any great new books? Let me know!

I read two amazing books, hauled some new books, and snuggled cats this week! Weekly Wrap-Up: 14 September 2018 #bookbloggers #reading I spent a good portion of yesterday convinced it was Wednesday. Where has this week gone? No, seriously.

0 notes

coffeeatmidnight · 7 years

Text

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for this bewitching debut ARC by Katherine Arden!

In Bear and the Nightingale, we open with the growing family of Pyotr Vladmirovich listening to the tale of Frost-Karachun, the death-god, now known as Morozko, the winter king. Marina, Pyotr’s beautiful wife, is pregnant again, and this time will be her last, for the girl Vasilia will be born and bring great joy and great calamity to this family of the Northern Rus’ wild.

Vasilia loves to be free, running through the forest and talking to the sprites. She leaves bread for their household spirits and convinces the hungry river-sprite not to eat her people. Her family, Pyotr and her four siblings, both love and fear for her, not realizing how much she knows. This sends Pyotr to take a new bride from the urban Moscow for both Vasya’s good and to strengthen family ties to the royal family.

New bride Anna is different like Vasya, but does not understand or accept in the same way. Moscow has fully embraced its Christian tenets, while the wild folk still believe in the old ways as well as the new. While Anna can see the spirits, she fears they are demonic, and thinks her unruly stepdaughter is evil with them. As Anna and her new priest Konstantin’s influence begins to grow, the old ways are slowly dropped, leaving Vasya alone and feared even more.

But with this change comes the realization of great horror. Crops are failing, winter is lasting longer and longer, and only Vasilia knows how to stop it. Can she save her people from themselves, meeting a destiny that the Winter King has laid out for her?

What works so well

First of all, the mood of this book is its driving force. This is a curl in your armchair, drinking whiskey-laced tea by a roaring fire kind of tale in which your arm hairs will still rise at parts. Winter is inextricably twined with the narrative, from Vasilia’s birth to Frost King’s plight. You will feel the hunger of the villagers, the bone chill even being next to a fire. Here, atmosphere is key. Arden does a spectacular job of creating it.

Second, this book is more than another fantasy novel, it is a tour de force in Russian mythology and folklore. Arden flawlessly combines the history of medieval Russia, its blossoming as a Christian nation, and the strongholds of the old ways into one narrative of opposing forces where coexistence is possible. I find that Bear and the Nightingale did this much better than the long-hoped for Last Days of Magic, whose narrative was too heavy-handed and biased. Here, we have a couple of misguided and possessed individuals instead of an entirely evil institution.

Peripherally related to point two is how authentic this narrative comes off as. The reader feels like they are living in the deep freeze of Russian wilderness, with its everyday struggle to survive and close family ties that result. Arden includes a glossary of terms in the back, and I used it to the fullest, but this did not detract but rather added to the experience. Here is a new addition to Russian canon.

What works slightly less well

The pacing was, shall we say, wonky. I separated the portions of this book into two parts: Pre-Konstantin and during Konstantin, as in when the priest showed up to Vasya’s village and began to wreak Christian havoc. The first half of the book is slow and languorous, showing Pyotr’s family, Vasya’s upbringing, and the trials of winter in a slow and richly complex manner. Once Konstantin arrives, however, the pace speeds into a mad dash to the finish line, a build up of pressure that leads to an explosive and bittersweet climax. It almost felt like reading two different books. I loved both sections, and didn’t mind either type of pace, but I wish it was consistent.

In a similar vein, the different perspectives were inconsistent, sometimes hard to follow from one person to the next. Split narratives are hard and often unnecessary, and while I liked how it added to characterization, sometimes I could not follow.

Conclusion

A bewitching, beguiling winter bouquet that sinks you deep into a whole new world. It is not often I am this happy that what I thought was a standalone is actually going to be a trilogy. I can’t wait for more folklore, kickass female leads, and medieval Russian politicking! Four waves but with so much potential for more. Order it on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or other retailers.

More Press Photos:

Out now: Katherine Arden’s debut novel “Bear and the Nightingale!” Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for this bewitching debut ARC by Katherine Arden! In Bear and the Nightingale…

#bear and the nightingale #book review #Book Reviews #books #fantasy #folklore #history #katherine arden #literature #novel #reading #russia

0 notes