In the Rus' world that Vasya is born into, spirits protect their domains, winter's cold is a thing to truly fear and a woman's place is at home or in a convent. But Vasya is a free spirit who not only can see the demons who work to keep her family safe, but she can interact with the fantastical world in a way that sets her apart from the other village girls. When a newcomer arrives to town with his own brand of religion, Vasya's world will be upended and a new kind of evil will be unearthed and she may be the only person who can see the danger for what it truly is.
This book was exactly what my wintery life needed right now. It is dark and chilling, a fantasy story in medieval Russia that has a strong young woman at its heart and enemies who are hard to put your finger on. I loved the richly imagined setting, the way the whole world seemed to have its own spirit and I particularly loved Vasya's tenacity - I even liked the creepiness of the tale. The evil here is nightmarish sometimes but Vasya is the kind of character that I was rooting for from the first pages. Reminiscent of Orson Scott Card's Enchantment, the Slavic vibe of this historical fantasy hit the spot for me. Looking forward to more.
2 comments:
Loved this series! Very appropriate winter reading for sure!
I have meant to read this for the longest time!
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