The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is a rich fantasy novel that makes one remember the fairy tales told to them when young. Mostly set in the far northern woods of Russia, we read of Vasilisa Petrovna, daughter of a wealthy boyar and heir to her dead mother’s magic.

Vasya, as she is called, can see spirits, the small creatures that guard their hearth, their stables and live in the woods and lakes that form their land. When her father remarries Vasya realizes that her new stepmom can see the spirits as well, but she is afraid of them and calls them demons. She also dislikes her stepdaughter and wishes to be rid of her. The new priest who has come to their northern lands is obsessed with Vasya but also wishes to tame and control her. Furthermore there is something out in the woods that is watching Vasya with hungry eyes.

The Bear and the Nightingale is an excellent story. The author has woven together Russian folklore and fairy tale magic to come up with a beautiful tale of feudal Russia. The details are deep, colorful and exotic. The story did drag a little here and there as the author was very thorough in her descriptions but she has certainly left me craving more of this story. ( )

I loved this story and if you enjoy Russian folklore I think you will too! ( )

To be frank I chose to read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden for practical reasons in that it meets two prompts (A wintery fantasy/Set in the Arctic tundra) for two separate challenges I’ve joined in 2024. That said it’s also been on my TBR since it was published in 2017 so I was happy for the opportunity to finally read it.

The first in a trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale is set during the medieval period in Northern Russia. Arden blends the history, mythology, and folklore of the region to create an enchanting story that offers adventure, magic, tragedy and a hint of romance, full of heroes and villains, guardians and monsters.

Vasya (Vasilisa) is a compelling lead, a motherless girl born with innate magic, possessing a generous but headstrong spirit, with an immutable destiny. She is six years old the first time she encounters two strangers in the forest that surrounds her village, though she has no knowledge of who, or what, they are. It’s a meeting that triggers an ability which allows Vasya to see and communicate with the traditional spirits that inhabit hearth and nature. While Vasya takes this development in her stride, her new stepmother, and later a self important representative of the Orthodox Church who view pagan beliefs as evil, are determined to end such blasphemy. Vasya is the only one to recognise that denying the spirits is leaving the village and her family vulnerable to destruction, but she is unable to convince anyone else until it’s almost too late for them all.

There are moral lessons in The Bear and the Nightingale common to fairytales the world over about the importance of kindness, courage, truth, and love, and the perils of ignorance, oppression, greed, and ego. There’s even an evil stepmother, a predatory suitor, and a handsome prince, but the Russian flavour is prevalent with creatures such as domovoi (house spirits), rusalka (water spirit), and leshy (woodland spirits).

The Bear and the Nightingale is incredibly atmospheric, and helps to create an immersive narrative. Arden’s evocative descriptions conjure up the warmth of Vasya’s home, the deep chill of the Russian winter, the crowded markets of Moscow, and the menace of the forest as evil encroaches.

Though the pace of the story is measured to begin with, it’s bouyed by the lyrical prose, and as the aura of menace increases so too does the tension which builds to an exciting high stakes conclusion.

I’m really glad this challenge offered me the opportunity to read this novel, and I understand why it gained such popularity. The Bear and the Nightingale is a spellbinding, absorbing tale, and I’m hoping to make the time to finish the trilogy. ( )

Jälle üks Vene/slaavi mütoloogial põhinev lugu ja üsna tõhus lugemine, aga minu lemmikute riiulisse see ei pääse. Kui ma poleks kunagi Novikut lugenud, siis võibolla, aga kõik, mis on selles loos, on Novikul olemas ja palju parem.
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A vivid fairy-ish tale based upon a fairy tale, made all the better by being set in Old Russia. As a bonus, the audiobook reader brings the Russian accent to life but not at the cost being able to understand what was being said. ( )