I loved the first 2/3 of the story despite the relentless religious preaching and harassment. I could feel something big was going to happen. Good fairy tales invite the reader to playfully suspend disbelief. But my suspension was stretched until it shattered as the story approached its conclusion.

I’m so glad I stumbled upon this book because I loved it!! I haven’t read a fairy tale in a really long time, and it was such a treat to dive back into that genre with a book so beautifully written. The intertwining of Russian language, culture, and stories made me nostalgic for my own Eastern European heritage and the time I spent there. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series!

I don't know why but I have a weird soft spot for Russian folklore. This one is definitely a feminist take. Despite women having literally two choices in life (the home or the nunnery) this story manages to empower the protagonist and still have the femininity.

The priest lusts after Vasya but this too is feminist as he sees it as a weakness and controls it. This is also part of his toxic masculinity as he wants to rid her of her demons and make her a 'proper' woman. He doesn't necessarily want her under HIS power but he wants her under SOMEONES power.

I like the inclusion of horses as allies and Vasya's ability to understand them.

There is also the difference between Vasya and Anna. They both see the old gods but Anna thinks they are demons and wants to be rid of them to the detriment of her mental health. Vasya listens and becomes stronger for it.

I like the relationship between Vasya and the winter god. Give me an enigmatic all-powerful being whose seeking the help of a mortal woman he can't resist and I'm hooked. Add a mystical horse that is not exactly a horse and well... I was already won over okay!

The way Alyosha looks after Vasya is also loveable. He wants to help and protect his sister and he sees how everyone around her treats her and what they think of her. He's still on her side. To be fair I think all her family is but they aren't all there or able to do something.

This was a fun read. Many fantasy novels for adults are rote and predictable and lean too much on either darkness or sex. The mirrored Russian mythology was a nice touch. What an adventure!

An elegantly woven first instalment of the Winternight Trilogy set in the frigid wilderness of Russian. Follow the strong heroine Vasilisa as her village struggles with continuing to honour the cultural mythology of their past or following the church.

I want to review the whole series here because I stayed up way too late last night finishing it. This is mytho-historical fiction set in late 1300's Russia.

In a land of opposite extremes, Vasilisa Petrovna is always on the wrong side. She is pagan in the land of the Russian Orthodox Church. She is a woman in a male dominated society. She is a believer in the ancient ways who lives in a world longing to be modern. Vasya fears the land she loves is dying with the relentless march of time.

Vasya sees and nourishes the pagan nature spirits around her. Vasya's stepmother also sees these spirits, but she fears and hates them as demons. Vasya fights to keep the old gods from fading in the new world, but the evil around her in both the Christian church and her own spiteful deities forces her to shed her innocence and become a powerful woman in a time where such a person is not supposed to exist.

The prose is magical in the way it weaves this world around the reader. The author's note at the end states that some of the characters and events are factual, which only added to the enchantment for me. I finished this series 12 hours ago, and I already want to reread it.

A beautifully written fantasy set in medieval Russia, based on Russian folklore. It’s told in a whimsical, fairy-tale-like tone, with a very rich atmosphere. A great beginning to an amazing series. Recommended for fans of lyrical prose, magical realism, and atmospheric stories.

Vasilisa lives on the edge of a Russian forest in a place where mythic folk thrive until her father brings home a new wife, one who doesn’t believe in the fairy creatures. Vasilisa lives in a time of change, loves someone who shouldn’t exist and fights to save her family. Love this trilogy!

Excellent 1st book, love me some Russian tales, excellent fairy tale😉

Surprisingly wonderful! I was dubious at another fairytale setting but... the characters are strong and endearing, their plight moved me to tears, the adventure is exciting, the culture of Rus' takes me back to my earliest days of reading Baba Yaga stories. AND there are Zombies!! The series is nominated for a Hugo Award in 2020.