The Winternight Trilogy #1
“It is a cruel task, to frighten people in God’s name.”
Vasilisa Petrovna
I will freely admit to picking up this book solely due to the beautiful cover. I can see why some people adore this book, but I never fell in love with the characters or their stories. There was enough plot resolution at the end of this book that I am ambivalent about what happens in the rest of the trilogy.
Transition periods make extraordinary fantasy periods, and this book takes full advantage. The Russian Orthodox Church is gaining power while the household and nature spirits are weakening. Neither side is entirely good or evil, but the church, especially Konstantin, is shown as more corrupt. I am not familiar with Russian folklore, so it was interesting to see how different it is from Germanic and Celtic lore.
I wish the characters were as intriguing as the lore. None of the characters came to life for me or made me crave to know more about them. Even Vasya, who is the most vibrant of the characters, doesn’t have much spark. Apathetic and abusive parenting only makes trying to like the cast harder.
I can see what draws other people to this series. It just doesn’t click for me. If you are a fan of unique fairytales with very young protagonists (Vasilisa is only 13-14), it’s definitely worth giving this book a try. You may like it more than I did.
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