Overview

A remarkable young woman blazes her own trail, from the backwoods of Russia to the court of Moscow, in the exhilarating sequel to Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale. Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch. Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey. But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself. Praise for The Girl in the Tower “[A] magical story set in an alluring Russia.”—Paste “Arden’s lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all.”—Booklist (starred review) “[A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don’t get better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters.”—Library Journal

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Reviews

Advance praise for The Girl in the Tower Arden's lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all. --Booklist (starred review) Praise for Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale Arden's debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical. --The Washington Post A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up. --Naomi Novik, bestselling author of Uprooted Stunning . . . will enchant readers from the first page . . . with an irresistible heroine who wants only to be free of the bonds placed on her gender and claim her own fate. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) Vasya [is] a clever, stalwart girl determined to forge her own path in a time when women had few choices. --The Christian Science Monitor Utterly bewitching . . . an immersive, earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid, dynamic characters. --Booklist (starred review)

Arden's lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all. -Booklist (starred review) [A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don't get better than this. -Publishers Weekly (starred review) [Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters. -Library Journal A compelling, fast-moving story that grounds fantasy elements in a fascinating period of Russian history. -Kirkus Reviews [A] magical story set in an alluring Russia. -Paste

Arden's lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all. --Booklist (starred review) [A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don't get better than this. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) [Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters. --Library Journal A compelling, fast-moving story that grounds fantasy elements in a fascinating period of Russian history. --Kirkus Reviews [A] magical story set in an alluring Russia. --Paste Advance praise for The Girl in the Tower Arden's lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all. --Booklist (starred review) [A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don't get better than this. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) Praise for Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale Arden's debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical. --The Washington Post A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up. --Naomi Novik, bestselling author of Uprooted Stunning . . . will enchant readers from the first page . . . with an irresistible heroine who wants only to be free of the bonds placed on her gender and claim her own fate. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) Vasya [is] a clever, stalwart girl determined to forge her own path in a time when women had few choices. --The Christian Science Monitor Utterly bewitching . . . an immersive, earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid, dynamic characters. --Booklist (starred review)

Advance praise for The Girl in the Tower Arden's lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all. --Booklist (starred review) [A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don't get better than this. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) Praise for Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale Arden's debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical. --The Washington Post A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up. --Naomi Novik, bestselling author of Uprooted Stunning . . . will enchant readers from the first page . . . with an irresistible heroine who wants only to be free of the bonds placed on her gender and claim her own fate. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) Vasya [is] a clever, stalwart girl determined to forge her own path in a time when women had few choices. --The Christian Science Monitor Utterly bewitching . . . an immersive, earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid, dynamic characters. --Booklist (starred review)

Author Information

Katherine Arden is the author of the national bestseller The Bear and the Nightingale. Born in Austin, Texas, Arden spent a year of high school in Rennes, France. Following her acceptance to Middlebury College in Vermont, she deferred enrollment for a year in order to live and study in Moscow. At Middlebury, she specialized in French and Russian literature. After receiving her BA, she moved to Maui, Hawaii, working every kind of odd job imaginable, from grant writing and making crêpes to guiding horse trips. Currently she lives in Vermont, but really, you never know.

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