The Girl in The Tower: (Winternight Trilogy)

Girl in the Tower runs seamlessly from the end of book 1, The Bear and the Nightingale, into a fast-paced and even more engaging story. Vasya has grown in confidence and refuses to conform to the ideals of her gender during Russia's 14th century patriarchal society. The people of her village have been convinced that she is a witch so she must leave; she will not be married off or be placed into a convent. Vasya decides to travel on her own, against the wishes of her brother and the Winter King. For the sake of her safety, she disguises herself as a boy as these are dangerous times in Russia and young respectable girls do not travel on their own. With her travel companion Solovey, Vasya makes her way to Moscow, but not without encounters of the dangerous kind that will later come back to challenge her. As she enters Moscow, her path crosses with her older brother, Sasha, and older sister Olga, who she hasn't seen for many years. Vasya soon finds out that her niece, Masha, is much more like her than the world would want and needs to be protected. The reader is very quickly thrown into the world of Moscow, where political intrigue and betrayal are vast. Vasya is forced to keep up the pretence that she is a boy in a city that is unlike anything she's ever experienced while living in the safety of her forest. She soon learns that even the Winter King can't protect her, because spring will soon be on the horizon. This story gains strength from its atmosphere and strong sense of place. Once again, the author has magically painted a very vivid picture of this snowy and dangerous landscape, and I was able to put myself into Vasya's world without any trouble. This beautiful story has 384 well written, fast-paced pages. It is suitable for 14+ confident readers of fantasy and contains folklore, vampires, religion, death, demons, politics and a dash of romance. This would also be a good book for reading groups or a classroom read. There are so many discussions points that could be raised and discussed. There is a glossary at the end of the book which I urge any readers to use to help with the unfamiliar Russian terms. As you read The Girl in the Tower, it becomes an emotionally engaging experience, one that you will not want to end. Thankfully, Book 3, The Winter of the Witch, is out in January 2019. 384 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Linda Brown, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 11+