December's book pick was The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. I picked this book because it sounded like a such a wonderfully cozy read as we transition from autumn into winter, and snow begins to fall.
Not to mention, I love stories with a Slavic/Russian aesthetic. Eastern European history has always been fascinating to me.
I’ve paired it with a Gingerbread Latte because gingerbread is my absolute favorite holiday flavor. I looked forward to gingerbread that way most people look forward to pumpkin. (Don’t get me wrong, I greatly love pumpkin, too.)
Check out my review below!
Page Count: 313
Format: e-book
Genre: Fantasy & Young Adult
Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble
Content Warnings: arranged/forced marriage, blood, death/dying, fear, gender discrimination, nightmares, physical abuse, religious conflict, witches
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.
After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.
The Bear and the Nightingale is a magical debut novel from a gifted and gorgeous voice. It spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent.
I have been fascinated by Russian culture and history since I was a kid and the cartoon Anastasia movie came out. Since then, I have read nearly everything I could get my hands on about the 300 year Romanov dynasty as well as the legend of Anna Anderson, The Lost Duchess.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more and more fascinated by Slavic folklore, and this story appeased my soul on that score. It was beautifully rich with culture and folklore, as well as a bit dark and scary at times. All elements make this a magnificent read for those blustery, freezing winter nights by a warm, cozy fire.
This book is the first of a trilogy and spends most of its time introducing the reader to Vasilisa Petrovna — Vasya — and the struggles of growing up the granddaughter of a witch who can see the folk from the fairytales. Vasya’s stepmother Anna thinks are demons and her stepdaughter a wicked witch who summons them. However, we see from Vasya’s point of view that these folk are the reason their village thrives, they protect homes, horses, crops all in return for a few offerings of milk, bread, or a little fear.
Once Father Konstantin comes to the village and he and Anna begin to pray the ‘demons’ away, the village begins to suffer, and the Bear’s prison weakens because the folk are weakening themselves, and unable to protect the villagers’ homes as they once did.
I was enthralled from the beginning. Katherine Arden has a poetic way with words that makes this whole book feel like an aged folktale itself. I cried for abuse Vasya suffered at the hands of her misguided stepmother and cheered for her strength in sacrificing her own meals during the harsh winter months as offerings to keep her family safe.
I’m delighted to continue Vasya’s tale in The Girl in the Tower.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (can’t live without it)
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