About the book:
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.
After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
My thoughts:
This is unlike any book I have ever read and it’s difficult to pinpoint the genre it would slip into. As soon as I read the blurb I was intrigued – I have a love of Russia – but this book has just swept me up and transported me to a whole other time and place, and I love it.
The characters have amazing names and their relationships – familial, church and congregation, neighbours – are so real and traditional, that you can’t help but engage with the characters. I loved the mythical, fairytale element to the story (and how it was contrasted with the spread of religion, namely Christianity, throughout Russia) and with large portions of the novel set in harsh winters, snowed into their homes and villages, it had a truly magical feel.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am sure it will be one I remember (for all the right reasons), it wasn’t a quick read; reading it was almost like walking through snow – enjoyable but time-consuming. But, I think this is an ideal book to escape with this winter, and the cover design is also particularly gorgeous!
Many thanks to Katherine Arden, Random House UK and Ebury Publishing, and Netgalley for this advanced review copy. This was my honest opinion.
Fancy reading this book? Click here. If you have read this book I’d love to know what you thought, so please leave a comment below.
My Little Library in the Attic 