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The Bear and The Nightingale

(Winternight Trilogy)

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The Bear and The Nightingale

By: Katherine Arden
Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
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About this listen

Random House presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, read by Kathleen Gati.
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Beware the evil in the woods...

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.

But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods. . .

Atmospheric and enchanting, with an engrossing adventure at its core, The Bear and the Nightingale is perfect for readers of Naomi Novik's Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.
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Now with over 100 5* reviews, readers are spellbound by this magical story:

'This book stayed with me, I didn't want it to end'

'A beautifully written story'

'An entrancing story, which swept me up from the very first chapter'

'Full of magic'
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Make sure you've read all the books in the acclaimed Winternight Trilogy

1. The Bear and the Nightingale
2. The Girl in the Tower
3. The Winter of the Witch

 Classics Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Magic Magical Realism Heartfelt Scary Feel-Good Russia

Critic reviews

beautiful literary fairytale...incredibly lyrical prose...a joy to read. Arden opens her imagination wide and succeeds in transporting the reader to an evocative world...with a heroine it's impossible not to love...
[A]n enchanting wintertime read... fierce and otherworldly[.]
Wonderfully inventive
Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical. The novel is deceptively simple, but its characters and plot are sophisticated and complex. Arden explores what happens when fear and ignorance whip people into a furore, and how society can be persuaded to act against its own interests so easily. It’s a rather apt tale for our times.
An extraordinary retelling of a very old tale. A Russian setting adds a 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. A wonderfully layered novel of family roles 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.
Haunting and lyrical, The Bear and the Nightingale tugs at the heart and quickens the pulse. I can’t wait for her next book. (Terry Brooks)
A thrilling tale...perfect...
A beautiful snowy Russian fable set at the border between myth and reality; a cast of demons, priests and royalty centre around a girl fighting to find her own path. Magical, thrilling and entrancing.
...so detailed and vivid you can practically feel the chill numbing your fingers. Beautifully written and richly textured, it’s a beguiling read.
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A good retelling of a Russian fairy tale that would be a great book for younger readers or those that simple love fairy tales but it was a little too tame on action for me

A good fairy tale but a little tame

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Perfect listening for a cold dark winter night. Fantastic narration brings the story to life.

Wonderful wintery fairy tale delight

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An engrossing and beautiful story of a fight for self determination, good, family, and understanding. I hadn't had the opportunity to read about Russian folklore and found learning about it enjoyable. Really loved the narrator's work.

Amazing. So sad to finish it

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good story. well read and you feel as though you get to know the characters

good story

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I went into this book with absolutely no idea what to expect and wow, what a find!

I think what really does it for me is the unique setting. How many fantasy books have an old Russia theme? The book teems with fascinating folklore and has a strong flavour of the time period it's set in. Obviously, it's not a history book, but it felt authentic. I was immersed in the time: the injustices, the struggles, the understanding of tradition.

Then you add Vasilisa Petrovna, the girl born to break traditions. But yet still it is realistic. She doesn't suddenly defy men and traditions of her time. Her defiance is built up and oh so satisfying in its own special ways. She's assisted by a host of rich side-characters who are main characters in their own right. Add on to that old God magic, hailed as Devil's work by the Christians, and you get a book that is charming, engrossing, emotive and captivating.

I have to give a shout out to the Audiobook here. I would have never known how to pronounce the names and such - my knowledge of Russia is tiny - and having the accent and the correct pronunciation really made this one of the best audiobooks I've listened to. I had a conflict between the performance and the story. I couldn't listen as fast as I wanted to read the story! In the end, I bought the Kindle book and read the rest in the night. Yet, I loved the audiobook so much, I went back and listened to it all anyway! So finally, I will finish this series on Audible.

A unique delight from start to finish

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