The Girl in the Tower (The Winternight Trilogy, #2) in Shadow Lounge Readathon Group

Aug 10, 2018 Elyse rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: stars-3, genre-fantasy, free-netgalley-arcs, gr-challenge-2018

NetGalley ARC.

I LOVE VASYA. So much. She's my heroine!!! And I may have a book crush on a certain frost demon...! lol. I loved the Mulan-ness of this book. Obviously it's been done many times but Mulan sticks out the most in my head (child of the 90's). Kasyan was a surprising twist! And I wasn't sure where this book was going. And now I have no idea where the final book is going! But the phoenix on the cover of the third book...ahhhh!! Magical! Vasya has grown a lot from the first book to the s ...more

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Dec 04, 2017 Juli rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-arcs, publisher-arcs

I would like to thank Del Rey Publishing (Random House) and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book is more than a solid 5 stars! I loved it. The characters were exciting, the story gripping, the fairytales and folklores magical, and the scenery picturesque. All in all, this is a wonderful holiday season read (or winter night read) and an amazing sequel!

In her second book, Katherine Arden showcases the heroine through and through. Vasya is a stro I would like to thank Del Rey Publishing (Random House) and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book is more than a solid 5 stars! I loved it. The characters were exciting, the story gripping, the fairytales and folklores magical, and the scenery picturesque. All in all, this is a wonderful holiday season read (or winter night read) and an amazing sequel!

In her second book, Katherine Arden showcases the heroine through and through. Vasya is a strong, independent, stubborn, and progressive young woman (yes she has grown since we last met her). In this story, she does not only fight bandits without morals and scruples or evil and scheming kings but also the patriarchy and deep-rooted traditions. Not wanting to be married away or sent to a covenant, we find Vasya fleeing her home, setting out to travel the world, and living a nomadic life. Armed with only her loyal horse and her strong will to be herself, she finds herself thrust into a series of mysterious events forcing her to pretend to be a boy fighting alongside the Grand Prince, her brother, the monk, and her sister, the married aristocrat. Family troubles (for example her siblings having to lie about her true identity) and an impending plot to overthrow the crown come all crashing together in a crescendo filled with death, forgiveness, truth, and new beginnings.

In addition to this are also her inner struggles - her feelings for the Winter King, her desires to find her place in the world, her confusion about what's right or wrong, and her coming to grips with necessary goodbyes. Vasya's personal growth and coming-of-age is relatable. Her urges to fight traditions and religious doctrines at a time where women were labeled as witches made me root for her all the way. I devoured this book because I saw myself (or any modern girl) in Vasya. I am intrigued by Russian culture and folk tales and loved every moment they were mentioned. Katherine Arden perfectly interweaved her plot with stories of old spirits and mythical creatures. I did enjoy the first book in this series enough to want to read on. But Katherine Arden far exceeded my hopes and produced a work of straight brilliance with this sequel.

See also my blog (spoilers possible!) here: https://ichleseblog.wordpress.com/201.... ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Donna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

Challenge: Fall into Reading 2020 - Fantasy (4). A magnificent second installment in this trilogy. Arden is a master at intertwining history, folklore, and fiction to create an unforgettable epic set in the Russian winter. In truth, a woman could only be a wife or a nun; if neither, and she stepped out of expected womanly behaviors, the only word to describe her was witch, therefore, she must die. Vasya defies all of these fates, and in her defiance causes chaos from which comes peace and releas ...more

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