“It is a cruel task, to frighten people in God’s name.”

The Bear and the Nightingale is a beautiful, slow read. The setting was most interesting. I knew next to nothing about Rus going into this book, and found myself pausing to learn more about the time period. Even though I read this in the summer, I wanted to cozy up with a warm drink for this chilling read.

I loved growing up Vasya. It created tension since we didn't really know how fast time was passing. It kept telling us we were getting close, and then we were going through another winter. I was not expecting a beautiful sibling relationship while reading. At first with Sasha, then with Alyosha, and unexpectedly with Irina.

Arden tackles religion beautifully. The transition from Paganism to Christianity and the divide it created. Anna- the second wife- grew up with Christian belief; when she saw creatures she couldn't explain, they were automatically evil demons. Vasya, in contrast, grew up with the tales and befriended the creatures. Anna and Vasya are so similar; unfortunately, they never realize it due to their differences. Konstantin, the priest, is villainous. He is selfish and wants glory. He scares people into abandoning their beliefs and turning to God. And his fascination with Vasya is concerning, to say the least.

Honestly, I liked the ending. At this point, I don't really have the desire to continue the series.