Beware the evil in the woods

There are a few quote from readers that put in words exactly what I felt when reading this book! Here they are:

‘A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of groei growing up.’ Naomi Novik
’Haunting and lyrical, The Bear and the Nightingale rugs at the heart and quickens the pulse.’ Terry Brooks
‘Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical. The novel is deceptively simple, but its characters and plot are sophisticated and complex. Arden explores what happens when fear and ignorance whip people into furor, and how society can be persuaded to act against its own interests so easily. It’s a rather apt tale for our times.’ Washington Post

It took me some time to get into it, but that was just because the writing is done so beautifully and you don’t want to miss any details. The characters are multi-layered and you can’t help but fall in love with Vasya, our FMC.

Anastasia is one of my favorite Disney movies and this book is filled with Russian folklore, giving you all these vibes but with a darker edge.

I loved how all the characters grow and how you can see that Vasya is becoming such a strong women, underestimated by everyone.

I read it when the weather here was particularly cold and with some snow, so it was the perfect setting for this tale!

This story had it all, a diverse cast of characters, dark fairytale vibes, coming of age timelines and all of that set in an eerily beautiful and dark world.

Some of my favorite quotes:
The men, the priest, the convent. The snow, the frost-demon, his fingers on her throat, the cold, a white horse. He had meant to kill her. He’d saved her life.
All my life, I have been told ‘go’ and ‘come’. I am told how I will live, and I am told how I must die. I must be a man’s servant and a mare for his pleasure, or I must hide myself behind walls and surrender my flesh to a cold, silent god. I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it scars a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.