The Winter of the Witch

"This is the last book in the series. With each book, it got better. It’s a very dreamy series, a retelling and updated version of old tales, very rich in imagery and world building. "

"what a satisfying ending to a beyond magical and fantastic series. this book was non-stop and had an amazing pace that kept you guessing which direction it was going at every turn. the characters and this story had a deep and lasting impact that i will never forget. "

"The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden 4/5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ This starts right up from the last book and keeps stride the whole time. I enjoyed the main characters back and forth between damsel and badass, and the chyerti are some of my favorite characters in a long time. The end felt well thought out and I liked the little history epilogue."

"The Winter of the Witch was a very strong finish. I was so proud to watch Vasilisa grow and change throughout. I binged all three of these in a month still the first book felt years in the past. Arden wove this fairytale with a rich culture and lush surroundings even when it was in the dead of winter. Just overall beautifully written.<br/><br/>We aren't given enough of Vasilisa and the Winter King but in a good way. It feels good to want something passionately. Many writers over share or tell you how to think. Arden stayed on the edge of the knife. The couple had that soulmate quality. Unconsciously needing to be near one another. Scared to give yourself over completely. Omg and the hot tube scene..... be still my beating heart.<br/><br/>I never thought I would grow to like the bear haha. Of course I thought he was a murderous jerk but playful in a sadistic way. We got to see another side to him even if it didn't cancel out the bad. It was interesting to see Vasilisa struggle with morality. I loved the duo nevertheless."

"This series was incredible! Rich and imaginative and exactly what you need if you want to get into a winter mood! "

"What a great finale to this series!! Vasyas journey is exciting and beautiful. The way she reaches a resolution and protects all of her people is admirable. The perseverance and soul of this character just jumps out of the book. Read this series!!!"

"4.5 stars. I love Vasilisa. Travelling through Midnight was intriguing. I would have been interested to hear more about her time spent in this other realm as opposed to everything that happened with the war. Folklore is more fascinating than history to me. The story is well told and a worthy conclusion to the trilogy. "

"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (This review will contain #spoilers) Wiping away the tears from my eyes as I write this. Ugh! This book was a fantastic end to this trilogy - and it had everything that I felt missing from the first two books. There was action, tension, missions, lil critters, and Vasya’s incredibly well developed path to moral greyness. I love the quote about her doing both good and evil, but being neither. Yes, actual Queen! Solovey’s death was a hammer punch to the gut, but it honestly wasn’t nearly as awful as him coming back. The feels were too big at that point! That’s mostly why I’m wiping away tears. I don’t want to talk about it. And don’t even get me started on the complete whiplash of emotion fricken Konstantin and the Bear put me through. Why KATHERINE! It’s such a feeling to have your hate fizzle away into melancholy empathy in such a short time. I’m sad Sasha didn’t get to live after everything, but his death only made me sad for Vasya. Pozhar, Midnight, and Ded Grib were such whimsical characters - I think they’re what I was desperately missing in the first two books. I will say the ending came upon us rather suddenly. What’s next?! What happened to the horse Vasya won from the douche Tartar (she never wanted to be alone, but she had 2 mins of page time)?! What’s up with Marya?! Are we going to get a sequel storyline of her; she’s got her own prophecy?! What about Vasya’s two other brothers?! I need a “what are we” convo between Morozko and Vasya too, cuz seriously, what are they. Their romance was severely underwhelming and complicated, but not bad by any means. I just thought it’d be more… powerful. This trilogy is amazing, but I think it’d be sooo much better after a reread. Now that I know the story and characters, I think I’d enjoy the parts I considered boring in the first two books a lot more. Vasya is easily one of the best heroines of all time. I’d explore this world some more if Arden is interested, but I don’t have plans to read TWHOG. "

"I love when I can’t anticipate what will happen in a story. I was surprised over and over again in this book and the last quarter of the book was wholly unexpected, but wonderful. The ending was perfect and I couldn’t be more pleased with how the entire story was wrapped up nicely, resolved, but still full of wonder of what the future of the characters might hold. I love Vasya and she has cemented her place as one of my favorite characters of all time. A must read for anyone who loves a fairy tale brought to life."

"The Winter of the Witch was a beautiful ending to a magical series. Arden neatly wove a complex plot, bringing in a vast array of characters, both mythical and historical, together. Vasya continues to grow, learning from her mistakes, never betraying her values, and navigating a world that would rather see her silenced than free. The ending was the perfect way to see Vasya off, and I appreciated how Arden decided to bring the worlds of Chyerti and the Church together while using the history of Russia as a guideline. The Winternight Trilogy was the perfect cozy winter read and a new favorite."