The Bear and the Nightingale: A Novel
Katherine Arden
Jan 2017 · Winternight Trilogy Book 1 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Kathleen Gati
4.5star
29 reviewsreport
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11 hr 48 min
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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A wild and willful young woman finds herself at the center of a tale of spirits, ancient evils, and the mysterious winter-king Frost—in the lyrical first novel of the Winternight Trilogy.
“A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik, bestselling author of Uprooted
Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.
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.
But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
“[The Bear and the Nightingale] has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington Post
Don't miss any of the Winternight Trilogy:
THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE • THE GIRL IN THE TOWER • THE WINTER OF THE WITCH
“A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik, bestselling author of Uprooted
Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.
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.
But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
“[The Bear and the Nightingale] has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington Post
Don't miss any of the Winternight Trilogy:
THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE • THE GIRL IN THE TOWER • THE WINTER OF THE WITCH
Ratings and reviews
4.5
29 reviews
Gabbi Coalman
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November 12, 2024
I am nearly done with the book. it took quite the effort to stay focused. the first 2/3 of the book are like the first 4 lines in a fairy tale drawn out over 8 hours. Very in-depth. What kept me going was the supernatural aspect. I think if I had read it myself instead of the audiobook, I could set my own emphasis and pace. The voice is like a lullaby even when there are moments of tension and horror, which I felt was making the entire book feel drawn out. Some conversations should have been portrayed with more intensity than a wispy fairy tale... More animation came near the end which I really appreciate. I look forward to book 2 as I things just get better.
Destiny Valenzuela
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June 25, 2020
I'm not one for trusting reviews but.... ooooowwweeee I'm glad I did. its good and the books after the first just keep getting better.
Killy Willy
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January 26, 2024
I'm on chapter 7 and I gotta say... wheres the story? I feel like theres a lot of words with little story and I'm getting bored.
About the author
Born in Austin, Texas, Katherine 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.
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