Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden Narrator: Kathleen Gati
Series: Winternight Trilogy #3
Published by Random House Audio, Penguin Audio, Del Rey Books on January 8, 2019
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 336
Length: 13 hours, 2 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.
Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.
I was excited and terrified to see what would happen to Vasya next. In The Girl and the Tower, we see her decide to make her own way in the world, not wanting to be locked in to the traditional female role of a wife or nun. She learns a lot and enjoys her varied and widened view of the world.
Unfortunately, the world is not ready for her. There are always people who hate anyone different or things they don’t understand. She finds she has much more to learn. And there are always greedy men who want power and control. War comes to Russia. Vasya struggles, working incredibly hard to help Russia and the magical world to succeed and live together. It is a viscous, bloody, brutal battle, where not everyone survives. Vasya also has to deal with politics, egos and misinformation which are somewhat new concepts. Even with her mistakes, and everyone makes mistakes, I am proud of Vasya’s courage, determination and selfless commitments.
“I missed you so,” she said to the horse, hot tears sliding into his black mane.
I am sure of it, said Solovey, nosing her. He shook his mane looking superior. But I am here now. You are the warden of the lake now? It has not had a mistress for a long time. I am glad it is you. But you should have had me. You would have done it all a great deal better if I’d been there.
“I am sure of it,” said Vasya, and she made a broken sound that was almost a laugh.
Here’s an interview of the author at Unbound Worlds talking about writing and finishing this Winternight Trilogy. I’ve listened to all three on audio and loved them all. Arden does an amazing job of creating this fantastical world. Highly recommended.
Narration:
Kathleen Gati continues to impress me with her magical performance of this tale. Both the male and female voices were comfortable. Her voice gives a slight accent which feels like a hint of the era and region. It was all clear and easy to understand, even at 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Katherine Arden
Born in Texas, Katherine studied French and Russian at Middlebury College. She has lived abroad in France and in Moscow, among other places. She has also lived in Hawaii, where she wrote much of The Bear and the Nightingale. She currently lives in Vermont.
| Rating Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Plot |
|
| Writing |
|
| Characters |
|
| Dialogue |
|
| Narration (Audio) |
|
| Overall: | |
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- 🎧 Lightning in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland @poet_raquelvgil #MarcellaBlack @AceRocBooks@BerkleyPub@PRHAudio#LoveAudiobooks - October 10, 2024
- Gathering Mist by Margaret Mizushima @margmizu @crookedlanebks - October 8, 2024
- Sunday Series: Joe Pickett by CJ Box @cjboxauthor #DavidChandler @RecordedBooks#SundaySeries #LoveAudiobooks - October 6, 2024
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Audiobooks
- 2019 Releases
- COYER WINTER
So glad to see you’ve enjoyed the entire trilogy! I’ve got the first two on audio.
You’re going to want them all. The narrator is perfect. The fairy tale feel is magical. It’s an amazing series.
You make me want to rush right out and grab the series! It is on my want to try list and it’s one of my goals this year to actually read from the list. The cover is stunning!
I don’t always pay attention to covers but these covers are all gorgeous. Better yet, the books are amazing.
Everyone is loving this series and I’m so intrigued to try it too
It’s SO good. The words are almost lyrical with a real fairy tale quality. I have really enjoyed the whole trilogy;
I am so glad to see this one held strong through the last book. I want to read this series at some point. My library has it, but the waiting list is long. 🙂
I know that feeling. When I was listening to the Harry Potter books the first time I thought. Oh it’s been around for awhile, it will be easy to get them. NOT. After the first few I ended up buying them, but even them I could barely wait for the monthly credit. It was torture! And they are like 30+ hours but I’d devour them in maybe 2 days. UGH.
I hope you get these and really enjoy them!
This series is totally on my short list to read. Looks like it is holding up well so I’m excited.
It’s an amazing series. If you enjoyed Uprooted or Spinning Silver it is that kind of world, sort of. This is a trilogy so it is complete now! While I wanted to read on in the series, I didn’t feel like any of them were cliffhangers though.
yaya another series hat is going well for you Anne! Happy! I NEED to start this series! Especially after this review 🙂
All 3 of these are magical. I just loved them.
I love this book so much. I had tears at the end and I almost never cry while reading. I am definitely going to have to get the audio for when I am ready for a re-read.
It’s a special trilogy. I’ll be interested to see what the author does next.
I’ve read so many great reviews of this trilogy 🙂
I think I would enjoy the books when I get a chance to read them
If you like Russian fairy tales, I highly recommend it. The words flow so magically.