Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.
Hey guys! Long time no see. Today I have a review for The Girl in the Tower, the sequel to one of my favorite books I read in 2017, The Bear and the Nightingale (you can read my review here!).
The Girl in the Tower starts shortly after The Bear and the Nightingale, though the focus is very much on Vasya as a young woman and what she wants out of life rather than the story behind her gifts of seeing spirits, which is a large part of the first book. Here we really get to see her take charge of her destiny after the traumatic events of her past.
One of the most interesting things about this book is how different Vasya is from the first, and how much she changes even in this story. She is more sure of her abilities and isn't afraid to use them to protect her siblings and those she loves (even when sometimes those people may not it). Vasya spends much of this book disguised as a boy and the freedom and confidence it gives her makes an interesting commentary about the social constructs of the time, especially since what makes Vasya rebel and run away in the first place is the idea of the convent or marriage.
If I'm being honest, I personally liked the setting and environment in the first book a little better than in this book. The eeriness of the forest and the bitter cold and Vasya's home was a more unique setting than Moscow, at least for me. That being said, the vastly different setting makes for a really fresh story with so many new details. The cast expands with great secondary characters, all orbiting Vasya as she navigates the new world of court life and her place within it, as a woman, a sister, and a witch. I thought that sometimes the plot lagged a little but Vasya is a strong enough character to quickly pull me through. I was also put on an emotional rollercoaster with Vasya and Morozco *swoon*. In the end I really liked the way their relationship grew but I can not wait until the last book to see what's going to happen.
The dangers being slightly more human in nature, though no less threatening. Seeing how Vasya takes them all head on, despite the doubts and limitations placed on her by society, is exciting and inspiring. I highly recommend this series if you liked The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo. The writing is dark and lyrical, the world more like a vibrant Russian fairy tale. Much like a Russian winter, Vasya's story is unpredictable and dangerous but also beautiful and magical.
** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Random House/Ballantine! **
Find out more about Katherine and her book here: http://www.katherinearden.com
Happy Reading!
Jasmine
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