Hi ForeverBookers,
How are you all doing? I hope you’re all very well :)
I’ve just finished Polarthon (as of Sunday) and I thought I’d take you through what I read for it. I was on Team Walrus headed by Gavin at How To Train Your Gavin.
1 - One Piece Volume 4 - Cold Waters - A book featuring water. While this volume doesn’t really, the series does, so I counted it.
2 - Inuyasha Volume 2 - Dive In - A highly anticipated read - I LOVE anything Inuyasha related, so I was highly wanting to read this!
3 - Vinland Saga Volume 1 (Omnibus) - Artic Setting - Vinland Saga takes place in Norway, which is pretty close to the artic. There’s snow too!
4 - The Worst Witch - Dark Cover - my version of this has a purple cover. I consider purple a dark colour so it worked for me.
5 - Polar Fantasy - The Bear And The Nightingale - I’m really surprised with how quickly I read this, as it was a reread that I didn’t really enjoy before. I got LOTS more out of it this time, however, some of which I’ll go into below.
"THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE" REVIEW
I’m giving “The Bear and the Nightingale” 4 stars now, after reading it a second time. I found much more to like about it, which was good!
Readathons
POPSUGAR - A genre hybrid - “The Bear and the Nightingale” fuses together history and fantasy.
POLARTHON 2021 - This was my last read for Polarthon 2021, as I’ve noted above.
I highly enjoyed “The Bear and the Nightingale,” this time reading it, I’m very pleased to say. I didn’t really understand it when I read it before, I don’t think. That may have been due to the format I read it in, rather than the story itself. I read it as an e-arc before, which I sometimes find hard to get lost in. With a physical book it is much easier for me to be absorbed into the story. I only started making notes about 180 pages in as well, as I don’t feel anything of any true significance takes place before then. We see our characters travel in Russia and that’s about it. But after that, things start progressing in the plot.
“He will come for her at midwinter. She is no longer a child. But he is deceitful—all his kind are.” The words came out in a rush. “I love Vasya like my own daughter. She is too brave for her own good. I am afraid for her.”
This happens just after the 180 page mark I said about above. This is Dunya, our main character Vasya’s maid, talking about Vasya to Pyotr, Vasya’s father. Vasya’s mother dies right at the beginning of the story. Vasya is very loyal to her family. Dunya becomes like a mother figure to her. She’s telling him to be wary of the Winter-King, an evil presence in the story. Vasya can see spirits and things that others can’t, domovoi for example, and bannik as well as other things. They’re based on actual Russian folklore. I enjoyed seeing actual folklore interwoven in the plot. The Winter-King is another of these beings. His brother, Morozko plays a huge role in the last part of the story too.
When I first read this book in 2016, I wanted Vasya to get in a relationship with Konstantin, however this time reading it, I could see what a total creep Konstantin actually was!
“Why did you give me your cross?” asked Vasya abruptly. “After we met at the lake?”
His jaw set, but he did not at once reply. In truth, he hardly knew. Because she had moved him. Because he hoped the symbol could reach her when he could not. Because he had wanted to touch her hand and look her in the face, disquiet her, perhaps see her fidget and simper like other girls. Help him forget his wicked fascination.
Because he could never look at his cross again without seeing her hand wrapped around it.”
This is Vasya innocently asking Konstantin, the priest in the story who wants to ultimately end her life because of his loyalty to the Winter-King, something we learn in the second half of the book, to tell her why he gave her a religious cross! I don’t believe he really WANTS to be evil but he sees no other choice. I don’t feel pity for him like I did before though. He could have said no to the Winter-King and been good, instead of evil. There are other evil characters, like Anna. She becomes Vasya’s stepmother, or wicked stepmother, I guess. She sees Vasya as truly evil and not good. She sees her bringing the house and her family into torment and ruins.
“She must go to a convent,” Anna said. “The sooner the better. What other choice is there? No man of decent birth will have her. She is possessed. She steals horses, she made a horse go mad, she risked her nephew’s life for sport.”
This is Anna’s reaction to Vasya’s outward behaviour. She knows that Vasya can see spirits, just like her. She, herself, wanted to go to a convent before she met Pyotr. She wants to send Vasya there to get her out of the way, to bring down her family, as well as to atone for her sins. A lot of “The Bear and the Nightingale” is left up to interpretation, I believe. What someone reads as one thing, won’t necessarily be what someone else sees when they read it.
Finally I want to note Morozko and his part in this story. Morozko is the Winter-King, Medved’s twin brother. He’s good when his brother is evil. He grows close to Vasya and helps her see that everything that is bad, also has a good side.
“Your flowers are here. Be content.”
is what he says when Anna sends Vasya into the forest to find some flowers for her blood daughter, Irina. There are trials in the forest for Vasya to overcome. Morozko helps Vasya by saving and healing her. How will their relationship progress in the next books? You’ll have to read to find out! I really didn’t like Morozko when I read “The Bear and the Nightingale” in 2016. As I said, I wanted her with Konstantin. Now, however I DO like Morozko and see that he is so much better for Vasya than the creepy priest.
Lastly I’ll just mention that “The Bear and the Nightingale” is a retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” which I haven’t read. “East of the sun, west of the moon,” said Morozko. “Beyond the next tree.” is what Morozko tells Vasya when she asks for the way back to her family home. The place she feels safest with her family. I still loved seeing Vasya’s interactions with Morozko and I hope that there will be more in the other two books. All Morozko wants to do is protect Vasya in “The Bear And The Nightingale”. This is why he’s the good brother. Will he be able to, or will the Winter King get Vasya and bring her down? You’ll need to read to find out!
That’s my review of “The Bear And The Nightingale” as well as my little “Polarthon” review as well. Have you/will you read “The Bear And The Nightingale?” Does it sound interesting to you? I’m looking forward to reading the sequels soon!
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