Take a photo of a barcode or cover
thecaptainsquarters 's review for:
The Bear and the Nightingale
by Katherine Arden
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
So me crew had been adding this novel left and right to their ports for plunder lists . . . know as tbr to ye landlubbers. So I read the blurb. It is a Russian fairy tale retelling set in the middle ages which appealed to me. Plus it had a beautiful cover.
This book was savoury and a delight. I was instantly entranced by the scene of the household of Pyotr Vladimirovich gathered around the hearth listening to a story. This story within a story set up the novel perfectly. It only got better from there.
I fell in love with the main character, Vasya. She is strong, brave, loving, and unique. Her relationships with her family members were absolutely wonderful to read about. I particularly liked her relationship with her brother Alyosha. It felt so refreshing to read about families that cared and loved one another especially when life’s conditions were so very hard.
The juxtaposition of Christianity and pagan beliefs in this book were fascinating. I loved that people could practice both because Christianity was for the afterlife and pagan beliefs were to survive the harsh realities of day-to-day living. The Rus’ vazila and the use of horses in the story especially tickled me fancy.
The author’s writing was rich and beautiful, making me want to delve into and discover the story. I was transported into another space and time where the blending of myth and village life seemed real, possible, and achingly beautiful in its own way.
Words fail me really, so check out me other crew members reviews where they describe the feel of this novel better than I ever could:
Erin @ Proud Book Hoarder
Emily May @ The Book Geek
Side note: This was the author’s debut novel and apparently is the first in a trilogy? It ended as though a standalone so I am interested to see where the next book will go.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Random House!
See me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
So me crew had been adding this novel left and right to their ports for plunder lists . . . know as tbr to ye landlubbers. So I read the blurb. It is a Russian fairy tale retelling set in the middle ages which appealed to me. Plus it had a beautiful cover.
This book was savoury and a delight. I was instantly entranced by the scene of the household of Pyotr Vladimirovich gathered around the hearth listening to a story. This story within a story set up the novel perfectly. It only got better from there.
I fell in love with the main character, Vasya. She is strong, brave, loving, and unique. Her relationships with her family members were absolutely wonderful to read about. I particularly liked her relationship with her brother Alyosha. It felt so refreshing to read about families that cared and loved one another especially when life’s conditions were so very hard.
The juxtaposition of Christianity and pagan beliefs in this book were fascinating. I loved that people could practice both because Christianity was for the afterlife and pagan beliefs were to survive the harsh realities of day-to-day living. The Rus’ vazila and the use of horses in the story especially tickled me fancy.
The author’s writing was rich and beautiful, making me want to delve into and discover the story. I was transported into another space and time where the blending of myth and village life seemed real, possible, and achingly beautiful in its own way.
Words fail me really, so check out me other crew members reviews where they describe the feel of this novel better than I ever could:
Erin @ Proud Book Hoarder
Emily May @ The Book Geek
Side note: This was the author’s debut novel and apparently is the first in a trilogy? It ended as though a standalone so I am interested to see where the next book will go.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Random House!
See me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/