The Bear and the Nightingale: A Novel
A grand fantasy in a historic setting, 'The Bear and the Nightingale' deserves every ounce of attention its received.
Vasilisa, known as Vasya, is the youngest child of a lord deep in the wilderness of medieval Rus. Her mother died giving birth to her so she has been mostly left to grow up roaming the countryside and dressing as she chooses. Stopping only to hear the stories around the stove at night. Vasya slowly becomes aware that she is the only one who sees the figures from those fairy stories - from the spirits who guard their homes and maintain the hearth to the supernatural predators of the watering holes. When her father remarries a devout Christian woman and a zealous and gifted priest comes to their Church, the villagers are frightened into giving up belief in their folklore. Something is stirring in the deep woods, however, and without the guardian spirits, Vasya may be the only one to stand in its way.
The book feels like an authentic depiction of the period, with the characters behaving in the way one would expect. Its also beautiful. Vasya's childhood is lovingly depicted, and when the supernatural plot kicks in it does not let up. Vasya's father, nurse, siblings, step-mother and various other characters, some of them real figures, add to the richness of the picture. This was a complete surprise for me and I'm happy to see that Arden has another book ready and waiting.
Winternight Trilogy
Next: 'The Girl in the Tower'
