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A review by gabberjaws
The Girl in The Tower by Katherine Arden
5.0
wow
It isn’t often that this happens to me, but I think I loved this book a smidge more than I liked the first one.
When I read The Bear And The Nightingale earlier this year, I was sure it was going to be one of my favorite reads of 2017. And y’know what? It’s December now, and it turns out my prediction was accurate. I’ve read the book twice.
The Bear and The Nightingale has everything I love in my fantasy novels. A spirited, strong willed heroine, a grumpy love interest, an animal sidekick, magic, folklore, a dash of romance, and a touch of darkness. The Girl in The Tower, I’m happy to report, is exactly the same way.
The sequel picks up immediately where the first book left off, with Vasya branded a witch and fleeing her village with Solovey, intent on being free – on seeing the world, even if it means disguising herself as a boy to do it.
Where the first book was a lot more… folktale-y, The Girl In The Tower reads distinctly more adventure-fantasy. Vasya’s decision to become a traveler leads her to reunite with her sister Olga and her brother Sasha, where she eventually gets mixed up in a world of politics, scandal, and old-world misogyny. As you do.
The book progressed pretty much the same way as its predecessor. Slow, and easy. If there’s one thing I love about Arden’s writing (and there are many things to love) it’s how she’s not afraid to take her time. She paces her books so carefully, it’s incredible. She sets up slowly, and lets the story unfold at its natural pace and then quickens during the conclusion, until you’re left stunned and desperately wanting more.
It’s so good.
The world building in this series is fantastic. Even with Vasya moving out of her little village, Arden manages to build upon the foundations she’d already alid with the first book – expanding the Winternight world until it feel so real. Her ability to seamlessly weave folkore, fantasy and history together give this world a realness that I really haven’t seen before. If you told me that Vasya was real and really went through the things she went through, I’d be compelled to believe you.
I’m going to stop talking now. I could go on forever, but I don’t want to say too much and spoil the book for you guys. What I will tell you that The Girl In The Tower was a fantastic sequel to The Bear and The Nightingale. It took the foundations Arden laid with the first book and built them to a whole new level. It was atmospheric, emotional, and epic in every way possible. I am blown away and desperate for the next book.
Many thanks to the folks over at Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for giving letting me read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has, in no way, affected my opinion.
This review and more here
It isn’t often that this happens to me, but I think I loved this book a smidge more than I liked the first one.
When I read The Bear And The Nightingale earlier this year, I was sure it was going to be one of my favorite reads of 2017. And y’know what? It’s December now, and it turns out my prediction was accurate. I’ve read the book twice.
The Bear and The Nightingale has everything I love in my fantasy novels. A spirited, strong willed heroine, a grumpy love interest, an animal sidekick, magic, folklore, a dash of romance, and a touch of darkness. The Girl in The Tower, I’m happy to report, is exactly the same way.
The sequel picks up immediately where the first book left off, with Vasya branded a witch and fleeing her village with Solovey, intent on being free – on seeing the world, even if it means disguising herself as a boy to do it.
Where the first book was a lot more… folktale-y, The Girl In The Tower reads distinctly more adventure-fantasy. Vasya’s decision to become a traveler leads her to reunite with her sister Olga and her brother Sasha, where she eventually gets mixed up in a world of politics, scandal, and old-world misogyny. As you do.
The book progressed pretty much the same way as its predecessor. Slow, and easy. If there’s one thing I love about Arden’s writing (and there are many things to love) it’s how she’s not afraid to take her time. She paces her books so carefully, it’s incredible. She sets up slowly, and lets the story unfold at its natural pace and then quickens during the conclusion, until you’re left stunned and desperately wanting more.
It’s so good.
The world building in this series is fantastic. Even with Vasya moving out of her little village, Arden manages to build upon the foundations she’d already alid with the first book – expanding the Winternight world until it feel so real. Her ability to seamlessly weave folkore, fantasy and history together give this world a realness that I really haven’t seen before. If you told me that Vasya was real and really went through the things she went through, I’d be compelled to believe you.
I’m going to stop talking now. I could go on forever, but I don’t want to say too much and spoil the book for you guys. What I will tell you that The Girl In The Tower was a fantastic sequel to The Bear and The Nightingale. It took the foundations Arden laid with the first book and built them to a whole new level. It was atmospheric, emotional, and epic in every way possible. I am blown away and desperate for the next book.
Many thanks to the folks over at Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for giving letting me read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has, in no way, affected my opinion.
This review and more here