“The Girl in the Tower” is the second book in Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy, which follows the story of Vasilisa “Vasya” Petrovna. In this book, Vasya has left her home in Lesnaya Zemlya and is traveling across medieval Russia disguised as a boy. She is accompanied by her magical horse, Solovey, and her brother, Sasha.
As they journey through the snow-covered landscape, they encounter bandits, demons, and other dangers. Vasya uses her wits and her abilities to communicate with spirits to outsmart these foes and keep herself and her companions safe.
Along the way, Vasya meets a handsome young prince named Dmitrii, who is also on a mission to save his kingdom from danger. The two of them form a strong bond, but their relationship is complicated by the fact that Vasya is still trying to figure out who she is and what she wants from life.
Ultimately, Vasya must face a powerful evil that threatens not just her own life, but the lives of those she loves. She calls upon all her courage and cunning to try to defeat the forces arrayed against her, even as she grapples with the realization that her destiny may be far greater than she ever imagined.
The Girl In The Tower / Winternight Trilogy, Book 2, Audiobook Online By: Katherine Arden
The magical adventure that began in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as the brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage and life in a convent and instead flees home.
But she quickly finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it is besieged.
The magical adventure that began in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as the brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage and life in a convent and instead flees home. – but she quickly finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it is besieged.
While the romance follows the traditional formula of a man with powerful magic falling in love with an “odd” prostitute, the formulas have their reasons! Katherine Arden’s storytelling is rich and engaging, and the details about medieval Russia are fascinating. The storytelling has a melody and the names are pronounced beautifully.
