Review: The Bear and the Nightingale

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There is a lot of new and fresh material here if you’ve not encountered Slavic myths before, and boy was I taken in by them. The story though reads a bit like a fairytale it’s a dark one. I really liked getting to know new myths and religious beliefs. As someone who has read a lot of myths and mythology stories from across the world, this new or rather old and intriguing myths came as a present story.

Now the author has, I believe fused some parts of the actual historical elements, that serve as background props, with the story that is built around Slavic myths in a christianizing Russia. And it was good. While telling the story it also felt like showing the chaos that can be brought upon because of ‘fear of god’ which is what a lot of conservative religious sects seem to push everyone towards.

Gripping story, but ending felt a little abrupt and sudden. For a story that was progressing so good the last few chapters felt very anti-climactic, which has spoiled, a little, the overall experience. But still it’s a good read. Well, to be frank one might read this book for the way different elements are amalgamated, and in that respect it fares very well.

If the first couple of chapters don’t hook you then leave it. Else you’re going to enjoy this.

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