Book: The Winter of the Witch
Autor: Katrine Arden
Series: Book #3 of Winternight trilogy
Winter of the Witch
Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.
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.
Magic and reality intertwine in the last book of the Winternight series.
After their adventures in “The Bear and the Nightingale” and “The Girl in the Tower”, Vasya and Morozko return to battle both physical and magical enemies and save both the visible and invisible Russias in this hilarious conclusion to the fabulous Winternight trilogy.
This time a catastrophe strikes Moscow. The inhabitants are looking for answers… and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone and attacked from all sides. The Grand Prince is enraged and chooses allies who will lead him down the path of war and destruction. An evil demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to wreak havoc. In the midst of the conflict, Vasya discovers that the fate of both worlds rests on her shoulders. Without knowing what fate awaits her, she will discover surprising truths about herself and her past as she desperately tries to save Russ, Morozko, and the magical world she holds so dear. But she may not quite succeed.
After the events in “The Girl in the Tower”, Vasya has received forgiveness from her sister, who believed Sasha, and Kashchei Immortal has been defeated by her. Vasya Petrovna faces a great threat, but a blow to one of the most important beings in her life will bring her down. At the beginning of the book, the reader sees her almost broken, ready to accept the fate that has befallen her. The people want justice and the self-proclaimed witch must be caught and burned at the stake. Morozko is the one who manages to save her, through an alliance that will surprise everyone. The god of death is ready to pay a high price to save Vasya so that she can keep the magic.
The third part of “Winternight”
will answer all the questions we have been asking ourselves since “The Bear and the Nightingale”. We will explore the magical world in detail, meet some new chorts and find out who Baba Yaga and Chernomor are. The Bear returns with a bang and the Firebird becomes a faithful companion.
I love that the final battle is entirely inspired by the Battle of Kulikovo and that there is actually a monk named Alexander Peresvet who wants to duel Chelyubey. It was on the Don River where Dmitri was nicknamed Donskoi. It is obvious that Catherine Arden put all her heart and soul into this trilogy.
To be fair, there were also some things that were not good. The now famous Father Konstantine left the book almost as a martyr. On page 35, which was crucial for me, things happened as if by a lightning strike. I had to prepare myself for that. When did the trust between Vasya and Winnie come about? I am going to stop here because there will be a lot of spoilers.
My opinion for “The Winter of the Witch”
My humble opinion as a reader is that “The Winter of the Witch” is a good conclusion to the trilogy, but not an ideal one. What you’ll read in the review is very condensed because the events in the book spill over. Despite all my internal objections, I give the trilogy five stars because of the magic and Slavic mythology.
“The Bear and the Nightingale” “The Girl in the Tower” and “The Winter of the Witch” are all must-read books. Books that take the reader to lands long forgotten and fill your heart with magic. Books about faith, about honor, about kindness, about spilled blood and about pain.
