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Narrator
Kathleen Gati
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Length
11 hours 48 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“These two books have a very similar feel! I will often hear that one reminded someone of the other, and both are fantastic worlds with strong female leads.”
— Kate • Ballast Book Co.
Bookseller recommendation
“I lie awake at night thinking about this trilogy! A beautiful and thrilling Russian folklore re-telling. Kathleen Gati's narration is excellent.”
— Lafe • Oblong Books
Bookseller recommendation
“#1 recommendation for fans of Uprooted by Naomi Novik! Deep in 14th Century northern Rus’ (Russia) lies a village surrounded by a forest as thick with magic as it is with snow, and in that village, a fearless girl caught between the old household gods and the Holy Trinity. Katherine Arden’s debut novel is a brave-hearted, richly woven tale that simply enthralls. ”
— Megan • Underground Books
Bookseller recommendation
“The Bear and the Nightingale draws you into a lush, wintery world shaped by Russian folklore, where a fearless young girl sees the forest spirits everyone else has forgotten. She never doubts what she knows to be true, even as old magic and new beliefs collide around her. The narration immerses you in this beautifully written story. Prepare to be transported to the magical winter forests of Russia. ”
— Simone • Plott Hound Books
Bookseller recommendation
“The narration is outstanding! A truly enjoyable audio book for all ages!”
— Rachel • Idler books
Bookseller recommendation
“The Bear and the Nightingale is an enchanting mix of fairy tale, fantasy, and historical fiction set in medieval Russia. Nestled between the northern wilderness and civilization is a village where old and new traditions live side by side. Vasya, the last daughter of Pyotr and Marina, is born on the howling winds of autumn. Different from the others in her village, she is destined to be like her grandmother and is gifted with powers by birthright. As time goes by, Vasya is tested. Caught in the conflict between the old spirits and the new religion, Vasya must do everything in her power to save her family and village. Arden's novel is the rich, mesmerizing fairy tale you've been waiting for!”
— Jennifer Steele • Boswell Book Company
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A wild and willful young woman finds herself at the center of a tale of spirits, ancient evils, and the mysterious winter-king Frost—in the lyrical first novel of the Winternight Trilogy.“A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik, bestselling author of UprootedWinter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village.But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.“[The Bear and the Nightingale] has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington PostDon't miss any of the Winternight Trilogy:THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE • THE GIRL IN THE TOWER • THE WINTER OF THE WITCH
Born in Austin, Texas, Katherine 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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Audiobook details
Author:
Katherine Arden
Narrator:
Kathleen Gati
ISBN:
9780399567179
Length:
11 hours 48 minutes
Language:
English
Publisher:
Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication date:
January 10, 2017
Edition:
Unabridged
Libro.fm rank:
#535 Overall
Genre rank:
#103 in Fiction - Literary
Reviews
“Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington Post“Vasya [is] a clever, stalwart girl determined to forge her own path in a time when women had few choices.”—The Christian Science Monitor
“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)
“Utterly bewitching . . . a lush narrative . . . an immersive, earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid, dynamic characters, particularly clever, brave Vasya, who outsmarts men and demons alike to save her family.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Arden’s supple, sumptuous first novel transports the reader to a version of medieval Russia where history and myth coexist.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Radiant . . . a darkly magical fairy tale for adults, [but] not just for those who love magic.”—Library Journal
“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. The Bear and the Nightingale is a wonderfully layered novel of family and the harsh wonders of deep winter magic.”—Robin Hobb
“A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik
“Haunting and lyrical, The Bear and the Nightingale tugs at the heart and quickens the pulse. I can’t wait for Katherine Arden's next book.”—Terry Brooks
“The Bear and the Nightingale is a marvelous trip into an ancient Russia where magic is a part of everyday life.”—Todd McCaffrey
“Enthralling and enchanting—I couldn’t put it down. This is a wondrous book!”—Tamora Pierce Expand reviews
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