Really more of a 3.5 as I did really enjoy this first in the trilogy. It started off so strong, so I guess I was expecting a bit more, but still a very enjoyable read, full of mythology, monsters, and good and evil. A great book for a cold winter night. ( )

dnf environ à la moitié
Je reconnais les qualités de la plume qui se rapproche de celle d'un conte. Malheureusement je n'ai pas trouvé plus d'arguments pour continuer ma lecture.

Les personnages sont sans relief, hormis Vassa qui se détache légèrement du lot. Je n'ai pas du tout trouvé de fil conducteur et j'ai presque eu l'impression de lire une succession de petits moments tranches de vie. Pourtant, il y avait de quoi faire avec le folklore russe.

Je me suis pas mal ennuyée pendant ces 170 pages, j'ai cru comprendre que la 3e partie relevait un peu l'action mais sur un livre de 350 pages, devoir attendre le dernier tiers pour que ça décolle ce sera sans moi.

fiaba russa ( )

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is a rich fantasy novel that makes one remember the fairy tales told to them when young. Mostly set in the far northern woods of Russia, we read of Vasilisa Petrovna, daughter of a wealthy boyar and heir to her dead mother’s magic.

Vasya, as she is called, can see spirits, the small creatures that guard their hearth, their stables and live in the woods and lakes that form their land. When her father remarries Vasya realizes that her new stepmom can see the spirits as well, but she is afraid of them and calls them demons. She also dislikes her stepdaughter and wishes to be rid of her. The new priest who has come to their northern lands is obsessed with Vasya but also wishes to tame and control her. Furthermore there is something out in the woods that is watching Vasya with hungry eyes.

The Bear and the Nightingale is an excellent story. The author has woven together Russian folklore and fairy tale magic to come up with a beautiful tale of feudal Russia. The details are deep, colorful and exotic. The story did drag a little here and there as the author was very thorough in her descriptions but she has certainly left me craving more of this story. ( )

I loved this story and if you enjoy Russian folklore I think you will too! ( )