Title: The Girl in the Tower
Author: Katherine Arden
Pages: 384
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Adventure
Is this part of a series? Yes! This is book 2 of the Winternight Trilogy. You can see my review for book one, The Bear and the Nightingale here.
Published: December 5th, 2017
Summary:
Vasya leaves her home after the events in The Bear and the Nightingale. Determined to see the world, she disguises herself as a boy and sets off. When she comes under the attention of the Grand Prince Dimitri, she knows this can’t last forever, but doesn’t know how to extract herself and remain free. Other forces are awakening though, and would use Vasya and those dear to her for their own gain. Helping stolen girls, fighting evil forces, and hated for being a “witch”…. it’s all par for the coarse.
My thoughts:
I loved this book so much!!! The first book gave me a small taste of life in historic Russia, the mythology and daily life. I loved how the magic was enfolded into Vasya’s world, how she came to accept and embrace it. The descriptions here were gorgeous, the characters well developed and interesting, and the pacing of the book was fast, with just a few slow points. I loved the characters, especially getting to spend more time with the Winter King. One thing I will say is that I wish I had a better understanding of Olga, the older sister. We had a few chapters from her point of view, but even then it didn’t reveal much of her true feelings. I know that was purposeful, but I would have liked the insight. This is a five star book for me, with an extra one for creativity (I seriously love how the folklore was woven into the story). 
On the adult content scale, there is a lot of violence, and some language. I still want to get it for my niece and can’t see this being an issue for young teen readers. I give it a three. 
The book is out now. Have you read it?
Link to book:
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