[A quick note: I got these editions from Fairyloot because I knew I would love this trilogy. It took forever for them to come and then when they did, I didnโt get around to starting them for a couple of months. I knew I wanted to read them during winter, since I wanted the atmospheric vibes. The cute mug came from Illumicrate and features Morozko and Vasilisa on their trusty steeds.]
โ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฒ๐. ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ. ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ.โ โKatherine Arden
This whimsical, magical tale of an evil Bear, a courageous Nightingale, and one girlโs coming of age will grab you by the heart. Vasilisa is seen by her villagers as a strange thing. Sheโs not like other girls who dream of finding husbands and settling down to keep house. Instead, she sees monsters, ventures out into the forest alone, and rides horses better than most boys. Sheโs special, but no one sees it that way. They whisper behind her back, blame her for the failing crops, for the things that begin to go wrong, and talk about shipping her of to a convent.
There was something so real and raw about the storytelling. The hardships endured by Vasilisaโs family and her people in the dead of winter didnโt feel contrived. It felt almost bibliographic in nature. As if these events happened and Vasilisa was merely telling us her story. In short, this was just so special!
Set in the Russian wilderness, TBatN is filled with family, tradition, and tons of folklore. The main backbone of folklore follows Russiaโs frost king, Morozko, demon of death. Morozko is known for sweeping in on the coldest nights of winter, the darkest nights, and taking the young children and the infirm. But it is Morozkoโs battle with his evil brother, the Bear, that Vasilisa becomes involved with. The Bear wishes to bring famine and misfortune on everyone by nurturing fear and forcing the world to forsake the little fae folk. If he breaks free, the world will fall.
When a new priest comes to Vasilisaโs village, the villagers begin to turn from their traditions. They no longer leave small offerings for the tiny magical folk that keep them safe. No more offerings for the demon who lives in the stables tending the horses, or the demon who lives in the oven stoking the flames. And when these offerings stop, the chains holding the Bear in his prison break, allowing him to sweep in and set the dead walking. Itโs in this coldest part of winter that Vasilisa finally discovers whatโs happening. But sheโs the only one holding on to the old ways, the only one fighting to keep these special creatures alive.
In their fear, it seems that everyone hasโฆforgotten.
Vasilisaโs coming of age was a large portion of the story leading up to the main events. Vasiliaโs family accepts her, when her village doesnโt. But even her family tries hard to convince her to want the things normal girls do. Vasilisa isnโt easily swayed. She knows what she wants and struggles to hold true to herself, even when it seems that marriage is her only option. Even when it seems thereโs no other choice. There is a quote that sums her up so perfectly:
โ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐,โ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐, โ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐ โ๐ ๐จโ ๐๐ง๐ โ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐.โ ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐. ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐งโ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐, ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐. ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐, ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ . ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐. ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐. ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ.โ โKatherine Arden
What a charming story! I finally understand the hype. Thereโs so much to praise. The fairytale feel, Vasilisa being the perfect feminist MC, the magical forest vibes, morally gray characters, and all the folklore. It wasnโt what I expected by a long shot. But I loved it. Fair warning: there wasnโt any romance to speak of. It was entirely a coming of age story, but who doesnโt love one of those? I canโt wait to read the second one! ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐.๐/๐โญ๏ธ