Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medvěd a slavík | 2017 | Katherine Arden | N/A |
| 2 | The Bear and the Nightingale | 2017 | Katherine Arden | Buy |
| 3 | Dívka ve věži | 2017 | Katherine Arden | N/A |
| 4 | The Girl in the Tower | 2017 | Katherine Arden | Buy |
| 5 | The Winter of the Witch | 2019 | Katherine Arden | Buy |
| 6 | Veštičina zima | 2019 | Katherine Arden | N/A |
The Winternight Trilogy is Katherine Arden’s debut series, beginning with The Bear and the Nightingale in 2017 and concluding with The Winter of the Witch in 2019. Set in medieval Russia, the trilogy follows Vasya, a young woman who can see the household spirits and forest creatures of Russian folklore at a time when Christianity is pushing the old beliefs aside.
Arden’s research into Russian history and literature gives the trilogy a sense of authenticity that grounds its fantastical elements. The conflict between the old pagan spirits and the new Christian order provides the backdrop for Vasya’s story, which is about finding a place in a world that has no room for women who refuse to be either wives or nuns. The prose is lush without being overwrought, and the Russian winter setting is so vivid it practically lowers the room temperature.