The Winter of the Witch

By: Katherine Arden

Narrated by: Kathleen Gati

Length: 14 hrs

Publisher's Summary

New York Times Best Seller

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 best-selling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen. "A tale both intimate and epic, featuring a heroine whose harrowing and wondrous journey culminates in an emotionally resonant finale." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF THE DECADE

Vasilisa Petrovna is an unforgettable heroine determined to forge her own path. 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, 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 as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

Praise for The Winter of the Witch: “Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy isn’t just good - it’s hug-to-your-chest, straight-to-the-favorites-shelf, reread-immediately good, and each book just gets better. The Winter of the Witch plunges us back to fourteenth-century Moscow, where old gods and new vie for the soul of Russia and fate rests on a witch girl’s slender shoulders. Prepare to have your heart ripped out, loaned back to you full of snow and magic, and ripped out some more.” (Laini Taylor) “Luxuriously detailed yet briskly suspenseful.... a striking literary fantasy informed by Arden’s deep knowledge.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

©2018 Katherine Arden (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

“[Katherine] Arden’s gorgeous prose entwines political intrigue and feminist themes with magic and folklore to tell a tale both intimate and epic, featuring a heroine whose harrowing and wondrous journey culminates in an emotionally resonant finale.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)  

“Luxuriously detailed yet briskly suspenseful...a striking literary fantasy informed by Arden’s deep knowledge.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)    

“Visceral descriptions of battle, an atmospheric sense of place, and some truly heartbreaking moments of loss make this a gut-wrenching read, but there’s ample hope and satisfaction to be found as Vasya chooses her own unique path to triumph.” (Booklist)

“Exciting, moving, and beautifully written, this is a story readers will savor.” (Library Reads)

first third of book a struggle

the author seemed to struggle with her previous fluid style, and the first third is all over the place and hard to follow. Finally it begins to pull together. At the end of the 2nd book she explains that this series is written as an analogy to Russian turmoil of long ago; and it read as if she tried to take on too much

4 people found this helpful

A rare perspective on myth

This is one of the most interesting takes on a mythology I've ever had the pleasure to encounter in a work of fiction. It's rare to see the relationship between organized religion and folk belief play out in a work like this, and even rarer to see the conflict handled with such grace and consideration.

No ideological villainy here. Just good storytelling.

8 people found this helpful

Wonderful

I love this story. I wish it could go on forever. But this was a sad, yet beautiful ending to the trilogy. The narration as always was wonderful

5 people found this helpful

Amazing conclusion!

Though not my usual fare, this trilogy captured my imagination and held me in its thrall. What a wild, wonderful, mystical adventure. Vasya is everything I have ever wanted in a heroine, and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to take this journey with her.

5 people found this helpful

Fabulous ending to the teilogy

This entire trilogy was absolutely captivating! Granted, I am partial to Russian/Slavic mythologies and ancient religious practices, bit the character building, world building, and blend of fact and fiction was astoundingly brilliant!

1 person found this helpful

Wonderful but I liked the first two better

This is a wonderful series however the first book is my favorite. This one seemed as if she was moving somewhere specific and the actions seemed less organic. Still beautifully written and narrated.

1 person found this helpful

Didn't let me down

This was a great conclusion to the trilogy. The character behaviors remained consistent with the author's rules for the world, and the protagonist grows to maneuver within the gray between good and evil. The conflict between the church and local mythology mirrors the larger war in the plot. Creative Nonfiction or Historical Fiction, regardless of what you want to call it, I love how real events and characters are woven into the story. The narrator is great.

1 person found this helpful

More wonderful narration for fantastic conclusion

Kathleen Gati brings more wonderful narration to the final installment of this trilogy. I could listen to her for days, and she does such a great job with the characters and their highs and lows in this book. The book itself is a compelling and rich addition to this trilogy. The characters all experience growth and are written with nuance and depth. The story twists and turns and goes in surprising directions. I was sad to come to the end, but it closes on the right note. This was well worth the listen, and something I can imagine listening to again.

1 person found this helpful

Decent end to a great series

While I've greatly enjoyed this series I have to say this last book is also in last place as my favorite. Its not bad but it felt weaker to me overall than the other 2. The first half dragged, some of the points that should have been really emotionally engaging fell kinda flat, and some points felt overplayed. I like at the end the author explained why the book ended at the point it did, but I felt the journey to get there was a little forced feeling.

The first book was a beautiful faire tail, the second was wonderful high adventure, and this third one was a little too much politics.

Still worth reading for sure but not the best of the 3.

1 person found this helpful

My new favorite fantasy series

This book is wonderful. It has everything I like: strong female characters, strong male character, a well researched historical setting, magical animals, magical spirits, romance, battles, princes, kingdoms, action scenes, and beautiful language. The first book feels a little abrupt. When you understand it is one story split into three parts and each part satisfying... well... I will be rereading it. The audiobook performance is also wonderful.

1 person found this helpful