Waiting On / Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. This week I’ll also be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa.
My selection for this week is The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden. It’s the second book in The Bear and the Nightingale series, the first book in which is one of my favorite 2017 releases so far. I can’t wait to further immerse myself in all of that beautiful Russian folklore all over again.
THE GIRL IN THE TOWER by Katherine Arden
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
From Goodreads:
The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.
Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.
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Praise for The Bear and the Nightingale (for those who haven’t yet read the first book in the series):
“A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik
“An extraordinary retelling of a very old tale . . . A Russian setting adds unfamiliar spice to the story of a young woman who does not rebel against the limits of her role in her culture so much as transcend them.”—Robin Hobb
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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your WoW selection for this week. 🙂
I haven’t read The Bear and the Nightingale but I’ve been on the lookout for it. Haven’t found it at any bookstores yet so might have to order a copy of it soon, I think.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It’s definitely a favorite of mine, just a magical read.
I haven’t read the first book yet (or heard of it before now) but the cover for book two is beautiful and from the praise for book one I am going to have to check it out! Thanks for sharing!
The first book in the series is a lovely read. Very atmospheric and I loved all of the Russian folklore that was infused into the story. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it!
I listened to the first book on audio recently and enjoyed it. Hopefully I can get this one when the time comes as well! 🙂
Ooh, I can imagine that with the right narrator, it would be absolutely amazing.
Still need to read the first one but hoping to get to it this winter. For some reason, this series screams winter read for me – maybe it’s the setting. Lovely cover and nice choice!
It’s such an atmospheric read that I would totally agree about it being a perfect winter read. I am hoping to re-read it this winter actually.
I still need to read the first book in the series! It sounds great, and I hope you love the second one.
Thanks! If you read The Bear and the Nightingale, I hope you love it as much as I did. 🙂
I still need to read the first book in this series, which I intend to do very soon! I’m so excited to get started, I know so many readers who love these books:-)
Same here. Everyone I know who has read it loved it, so I hope you do too!
Oh I have the first book but I still haven’t read it yet! I should probably get on that lol! I didn’t realize it was going to be a series until now. Great pick this week!
Crystal Book Snob
I didn’t realize it at first either, but I’m so excited that it is. I loved everything about the first book so I’m very hopeful that this will be an equally amazing read. 🙂
I didn’t realize this was a series! I still need to read The Bear and the Nightingale .
I honestly didn’t realize it at first either. I’m glad it is though because I loved the main character and can’t wait to read more about her and all of that incredible Russian folklore.
I like that cover a lot, and didn’t realize this was the sequel to Bear and the Nightingale at first. Definitely looks promising, and nice that the first one was such a favorite!
Yes, the covers for this series are some of my favorites. They just look so magical. I hope it’s as good as the first book was. I really loved the character, Vasya, and can’t wait to read more about her.
I haven’t read the first book but I hear great things. I’m glad you’re excited for the second book – hope it’s just as amazing.
Thanks, I hope so too!
I haven’t read any of this series but I really want to now – sounds fantastic!
If you read it, I hope you love it as much as I do!
OK WHAT I had no idea about this book. I need to read The Bear and the Nightingale SOON.
I hope you enjoy The Bear and the Nightingale as much as I did. It’s one of my favorite 2017 releases so far.:)
Hallo, Hallo Suzanne!
🙂 I have been itching to read the first book in this series for a long while – I have boomeranged the book in/out of my hold’s queue at my library whilst attempting to secure a hold on the audiobook version! I am thinking, I might try listening to the audiobook this Autumn rather than attempting to check-out the book again! Either way, knowing there is a sequel coming is heart-warming as it will give me extra motivation to finally read the story! lol
I love folklore myself and I love Fantasy worlds in general – this one appealed to me because it’s a uniquely told story and one which felt as if I’d feel caught up inside it’s world. So happy to learn it was a #mustread of your own and that you’ve enjoyed it immensely! I recently felt hugged close to another Fantasy world: Croswald, as the link is attached to this comment, which was my own selection for #WoW both this week and last! 🙂
I’ve seen several comments saying that the audiobook version of this book is fantastic, so that sounds like a good plan to me. If you enjoy folklore, I think (hope!) you’ll love this book as much as I did.