I've finally got around to reading the last book in this series, and it's as good as the others. I love the main character, but what I really love is the setting - of course, it's a historical fantasy that includes actual historical events, but everything here is just so embedded in landscape that it gives such a sense of realism. Even the purely fantastical scenes, such as the land of Midnight, feel like actual places, populated with mushroom spirits and bird-horses as they are. It's such a clever mash-up of history and fantasy, and the care given to the setting really underlines both aspects of the novel.

I admit, I was even happy to see the awful priest reappear. I get a lot of enjoyment from loathing him; he's such a terrible person that he makes a genuinely compelling antagonist. There are a number of antagonists in this story, really, and Vasya's story is ultimately one of negotiation with all of them, trying to balance competing interests and her own sense of identity and agency. It's really so well done.