the winternight trilogy by katherine arden

This is a series that will be unforgettable for many years 😊

I have often wondered why they have never had warlocks burned ?🙄 Arden is brutal when she describes patriarchy in Russia and the fate of the women who are forced to manipulate,lie ,act and use their powers of negotiation to preserve their families and pride in a society that hardly gives them their due.The treatment of women who are considered witches is despicable and it always has been so. Still,it is not all milk and honey in this historic fantasy. Every character was unforgettable right from the idealist Sasha,the practical homemaker Olga ,the prince Dimitri and even ancient and mad Baba Yaga. The narrative has lush descriptions and beautiful prose. Katherine Arden has succeeded in mixing fantasy and Russian folktales with history. Mankind and magical creatures alike find their fates resting on Vasya's shoulders.Ī very well written fantasy which will make us fall in love with winters in Russia ,a bay stallion Solovey and a tiny mushroom spirit Deb Grib who steals the show in the last book.The transformation of Vasya from a sweet wild child to a queen of the Cheyrti realm was stunning. Determined to engulf the world in chaos, he finds allies among men and spirits.

Then a vengeful demon returns, stronger than ever. Vasilisa, a girl with extraordinary gifts, must flee for her life, pursued by those who blame their misfortune on her magic. Moscow is in flames, leaving its people searching for answers – and someone to blame.

Setting out to defeat the raiders, the Prince and his trusted companion come across a young man riding a magnificent horse. Meanwhile bandits roam the countryside, burning the villages and kidnapping its daughters. The court of the Grand Prince of Moscow is plagued by power struggles and rumours of unrest. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods. In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories.

The winternight trilogy by katherine arden