The Laughing Listener
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Kathleen Gati
Length: 11 hours & 48 minutes

Story Rating: 4 Stars
Performance Rating: 2.5 Stars
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Ugh, this book was slooooooooooooow… I’m so torn about this one and I’m pretty sure that listening to it on audio was a mistake. It also didn’t help that I went in with super high expectations, not only because it’s gotten good reviews, but the description sounded right up my alley. In the end, this book had high highs and low lows that were a little disappointing, but won’t deter me from continuing the series.



THE UGLY

Okay, W-O-W how annoying was Anna?!? Man did I HATE her character in this. I mean, I’m suppose to hate her, so good job to Katherine Arden, but damn was she annoying. Sorry, but I’ve been dying to say that for days. Any time she cried or fainted I wanted to rip her hair out.

Hmmmm where to start? … This is hard because the stuff I liked I really liked. The setting, writing, characters, and mythical guardians were all amazing to read about and built a magical world that I loved being a part of. But the story—particularly the beginning half—just drags on and on and on. My attention listening to the audiobook kept drifting in waves, which didn’t seem to negatively effect my understanding of the story at all. I paid attention in the beginning, then spaced out, then came back when Vasilisa got lost in the woods and found a one-eyed man, then spaced out again, then came back when her father went to Moscow for a new wife, and so on and so on. To me it feels like the entire beginning could be dramatically condensed and still weave the same amazing tale.

I also had a hard time with this narrator because she was a bit too monotone for me and didn’t help the whole almost-falling-asleep thing. Gati did an amazing job with the Russian accents, so I can understand why she was chosen, but truthfully I found her a tad dull.

THE GOOD

That being said, if the second book is anything like the last half of this one, I’m guaranteed to love it wholeheartedly. It was so good!!! That frost demon made me FEEL some things! PHEW!!



Also, Vasilisa asking the frost demon if ever gets jiggy with it pretty much made my life.



ANYWAY.

Similar to my experiences with [b:Sabriel|518848|Sabriel (Abhorsen, #1)|Garth Nix|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1293655399s/518848.jpg|3312237], I was practically falling asleep on my keyboard all through the beginning, but had to fight the urge to give this five stars by the end. Once Vasya gets older and Anna, her new stepmother, comes to live with the family, the story really picks up and finally managed to capture my attention. That’s when we start seeing more magical creatures and learning the rules of this magical world. And when Vasilisa FINALLY meets up with Morozko (a.k.a the frost demon) SHIT GETS REAL.

The writing and world building in this book are AMAZING all the way through. Arden weaves such an enchanting story that just feels like an old Russian folktale as you read it. I know absolutely nothing about Russia during this time period, but she makes it all sound true. It feels like I could time travel back there and find guardians hiding in the forest among the trees.

And Vasilisa’s character is SUBLIME. It’s no exaggeration when I say she’s probably one of my favorite female protagonists ever. Fierce and brave and wild—she always does what’s right for her family, but doesn’t let anyone get in the way of what she wants. Even though we have to suffer through the monotonous beginning, part of me understands why because her character transformation by the end is beautiful. The oppression of women is a physical weight on this book that effects every female character in different ways. Seeing that bear down on Vasilisa made me a little misty-eyed at times, but it was so rewarding to see her determination at the end.

FINAL WORD

This is just a beautiful book. If you can stick with the slow pace in the beginning, it’s definitely worth it by the end and I’m excited to see where Vasilisa takes us next.