Katherine Arden
Teoksen The Bear and the Nightingale tekijä
About the Author
Katherine Arden is an American writer, born in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Middlebury College in 2011 with degrees in French and Russian. Before becoming a writer, she worked on a farm in Hawaii and as a teaching assistant at a boarding school in the French Alps. Her first book was published näytä lisää in 2017, The Bear and the Nightingale. Her other books include The Girl in the Tower, The Winter of the Witch, and Small Spaces. näytä vähemmän
Sarjat
Tekijän teokset
Associated Works
Merkitty avainsanalla
Yleistieto
- Muut nimet
- Burdine, Katherine Arden
- Syntymäaika
- 1988
- Sukupuoli
- female
- Kansalaisuus
- USA
- Syntymäpaikka
- Austin, Texas, USA
- Asuinpaikat
- Moscow, Russia
Vermont, USA
French Alps - Koulutus
- Middlebury College
- Ammatit
- writer
teaching assistant - Agentti
- Paul Lucas
- Lyhyt elämäkerta
- Born in Austin, Texas, Katherine Arden spent her junior year of high school in Rennes, France.
Following her acceptance to Middlebury College in Vermont, she deferred enrolment 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 serving as a personal tour guide. After a year on the island, she moved to Briançon, France, and spent nine months teaching. She then returned to Maui, stayed for nearly a year, then left again to wander. Currently she lives in Vermont, but really, you never know.
She is the author of The Bear and the Nightingale.
Jäseniä
Kirja-arvosteluja
The Winter of the Witch: A Novel (Winternight Trilogy) Tekijä: Katherine Arden
Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.… (lisätietoja)
In The Girl in the Tower, Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, she has only two options left: 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 she 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.… (lisätietoja)
But after she 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.… (lisätietoja)
This book picks up right where The Bear and the Nightingale left off. Vasya is leaving her hometown to explore the world and find adventure, much to the chagrin of Morozko, the Winter King. The opening beautifully illustrates what made the first book so unique as Arden effortlessly blends the real world with the fae one. However, after Vasya leaves the safety of the forest, the book takes on a very different tone. Vasya travels through cities and towns and becomes more acquainted with mankind. This knowledge challenges everything she thought she knew, and it makes for an intriguing read.
While in the first book, we focused more on Pyotr and Aloysha, here we reunite Vasya's sister Olga and warrior-monk brother Sasha, and Vasya must reconcile the new reality with what she remembered of her siblings. Sasha is a very bad monk in that he's never in the monastery but always at their cousin Dmitri's side, providing counsel and traveling over the whole country while avoiding home. Meanwhile, Olga's world is confined to her tower and the towers of the other married women in Moscow. With Olga and her daughter Marya - who also sees the chyerti like Vasya - readers see how limiting it is to be a woman. The options are so few, the paths so narrow. Both Vasya and Marya struggle with the restraints, and they form a kinship. Having grown up in the country, Vasya makes mistake after mistake as she fails to realize that there are consequences for women who step out of line. She makes several enemies in the term - the women's rooms - because she doesn't stop to think how her actions affect them.
It's refreshing to see a protagonist make mistakes. I wouldn't say she exactly learns from them so much as she gets better at not getting caught circumventing the rules. For the majority of the book, she disguises herself as a boy so that she can rescue kidnapped girls, hunt down Tatars, and race Solovey around Moscow. While Vasya realizes just how much more freeing it is to be a boy, she fails to grasp that being a boy also comes with obligations. She makes promises to Dmitri - the Grand Prince of Moscow - without realizing their import. She is naive to the extreme, and sees the world in black and white. It's aggravating to her poor siblings who are continually cleaning up after her messes while not understanding their younger sister. Readers can see that Sasha and Olga are trying to help their family, so you sympathize with them. The tension between their rigid world and Vasya's fluid one is palpable throughout the story, made even more intense when Father Konstantin returns.
Because Vasya spends more time in cities this book, the story is more grounded in reality. The conflicts are more earthly: the patriarchy, the demands of state, and balancing power among the boyars. There's not as much about the chyerti until the climax. The climax and ending are more in the vein of the first book, and it is the most gripping part of the novel. It's perfectly horrifying and dark, and I loved it.
Admittedly, I found all of the horse races to be a bit tedious, and I found the whole "oh, what will we do with Vasya? She must be a proper girl" to be a bit overdone, seeing as that was the whole theme of the first book. On the whole, this sequel is still amazing, and everything is set up beautifully. Just like the previous book, The Girl in the Tower is a complete story but with the promise of a bigger reveal to come, which will have me racing to finish the third book.… (lisätietoja)
While in the first book, we focused more on Pyotr and Aloysha, here we reunite Vasya's sister Olga and warrior-monk brother Sasha, and Vasya must reconcile the new reality with what she remembered of her siblings. Sasha is a very bad monk in that he's never in the monastery but always at their cousin Dmitri's side, providing counsel and traveling over the whole country while avoiding home. Meanwhile, Olga's world is confined to her tower and the towers of the other married women in Moscow. With Olga and her daughter Marya - who also sees the chyerti like Vasya - readers see how limiting it is to be a woman. The options are so few, the paths so narrow. Both Vasya and Marya struggle with the restraints, and they form a kinship. Having grown up in the country, Vasya makes mistake after mistake as she fails to realize that there are consequences for women who step out of line. She makes several enemies in the term - the women's rooms - because she doesn't stop to think how her actions affect them.
It's refreshing to see a protagonist make mistakes. I wouldn't say she exactly learns from them so much as she gets better at not getting caught circumventing the rules. For the majority of the book, she disguises herself as a boy so that she can rescue kidnapped girls, hunt down Tatars, and race Solovey around Moscow. While Vasya realizes just how much more freeing it is to be a boy, she fails to grasp that being a boy also comes with obligations. She makes promises to Dmitri - the Grand Prince of Moscow - without realizing their import. She is naive to the extreme, and sees the world in black and white. It's aggravating to her poor siblings who are continually cleaning up after her messes while not understanding their younger sister. Readers can see that Sasha and Olga are trying to help their family, so you sympathize with them. The tension between their rigid world and Vasya's fluid one is palpable throughout the story, made even more intense when Father Konstantin returns.
Because Vasya spends more time in cities this book, the story is more grounded in reality. The conflicts are more earthly: the patriarchy, the demands of state, and balancing power among the boyars. There's not as much about the chyerti until the climax. The climax and ending are more in the vein of the first book, and it is the most gripping part of the novel. It's perfectly horrifying and dark, and I loved it.
Admittedly, I found all of the horse races to be a bit tedious, and I found the whole "oh, what will we do with Vasya? She must be a proper girl" to be a bit overdone, seeing as that was the whole theme of the first book. On the whole, this sequel is still amazing, and everything is set up beautifully. Just like the previous book, The Girl in the Tower is a complete story but with the promise of a bigger reveal to come, which will have me racing to finish the third book.… (lisätietoja)
The entire time I read this book, Lana del Rey's "Season of the Witch" played on repeat in my head.
ANYWAY, this is the thrilling conclusion to the Winternight Trilogy. The Winter of the Witch begins with a blaze of fire and ends with a gut-wrenching battle. Continuing with where we left off, Vasya is branded as a witch by all of Moscow, and she must grapple with her decisions both good and bad. In my opinion, she experiences the most growth in this book, and while she is still an imperfect character (the best kind), she is now much wiser and more mature than she was at the start of her journey.
Father Konstantin still manages to terrorize Moscow, and his descent into madness as he makes a deal with the literal devil is gripping to read about. Meanwhile, Sasha and Olga have accepted Vasya's eccentricities and will aide her as best they can. However, their best isn't always enough. In general, these two take more of a backseat in the narrative as Vasya traverses the magical realm that has thus far been hidden from readers. Vasya finally learns the truth of her origins, as well as how to do magic herself, and what it means to inhabit both worlds.
Fair warning, this book is significantly darker than the previous two (if that was possible). It is violent, brutal, and sorrowful. Vasya is burdened physically and mentally by the consequences of her decisions and their ripple effects. It is oftentimes not an easy book to read, but it is so worthwhile. The ending is both gut-wrenching and sweet. You won't be able to put it down.
The reason this is four stars for me instead of five is because I detest drawn out scenes where the protagonist is so injured that they can barely move. Come on. There's magic. Just heal her up and get a move on. It's not like the broken rib has an impact on the story. It just slows everything down. As a result, I felt the beginning was a bit ridiculous as Vasya is constantly limping around despite the fact that she is surrounded by chyerti.
This book has everything: battles, intrigue, romance, magic, madness. It is both an origin story and an ending. I personally think there could be a fourth book, but I will be content with these three. I really enjoyed learning about Russian history and folklore through this series. It is a beautiful, well-written, and moving trilogy. It's not your typical fairy tale fare nor your typical fantasy, but you need to check it out regardless.
P.S. I loved every scene with Morozko the Winter King in it. He is my favorite character because you just can't guess what he's going to do next, and I loved every second of it.
… (lisätietoja)
ANYWAY, this is the thrilling conclusion to the Winternight Trilogy. The Winter of the Witch begins with a blaze of fire and ends with a gut-wrenching battle. Continuing with where we left off, Vasya is branded as a witch by all of Moscow, and she must grapple with her decisions both good and bad. In my opinion, she experiences the most growth in this book, and while she is still an imperfect character (the best kind), she is now much wiser and more mature than she was at the start of her journey.
Father Konstantin still manages to terrorize Moscow, and his descent into madness as he makes a deal with the literal devil is gripping to read about. Meanwhile, Sasha and Olga have accepted Vasya's eccentricities and will aide her as best they can. However, their best isn't always enough. In general, these two take more of a backseat in the narrative as Vasya traverses the magical realm that has thus far been hidden from readers. Vasya finally learns the truth of her origins, as well as how to do magic herself, and what it means to inhabit both worlds.
Fair warning, this book is significantly darker than the previous two (if that was possible). It is violent, brutal, and sorrowful. Vasya is burdened physically and mentally by the consequences of her decisions and their ripple effects. It is oftentimes not an easy book to read, but it is so worthwhile. The ending is both gut-wrenching and sweet. You won't be able to put it down.
The reason this is four stars for me instead of five is because I detest drawn out scenes where the protagonist is so injured that they can barely move. Come on. There's magic. Just heal her up and get a move on. It's not like the broken rib has an impact on the story. It just slows everything down. As a result, I felt the beginning was a bit ridiculous as Vasya is constantly limping around despite the fact that she is surrounded by chyerti.
This book has everything: battles, intrigue, romance, magic, madness. It is both an origin story and an ending. I personally think there could be a fourth book, but I will be content with these three. I really enjoyed learning about Russian history and folklore through this series. It is a beautiful, well-written, and moving trilogy. It's not your typical fairy tale fare nor your typical fantasy, but you need to check it out regardless.
P.S. I loved every scene with Morozko the Winter King in it. He is my favorite character because you just can't guess what he's going to do next, and I loved every second of it.
… (lisätietoja)
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