The Winter of the Witch
Contents ( 90)
- PRAISE FOR
- The Winter of the Witch
- PRAISE FOR
- The Girl in the Tower
- PRAISE FOR
- The Bear and the Nightingale
- Contents
- 1.
- Marya Morevna
- 2.
- Reckoning
- 3.
- Nightingale
- 4.
- The Fate of All Witches
- 5.
- Temptation
- 6.
- No Bones, No Flesh
- 7.
- Monster
- 8.
- Between the City and Evil
- 9.
- To Travel by Midnight
- 10.
- The Devil in the Oven
- 11.
- Of Mushrooms
- 12.
- Bargaining
- 13.
- Baba Yaga
- 14.
- Vodianoy
- 15.
- Farther, Stranger Countries
- 16.
- The Chains of the Winter-King
- 17.
- Memory
- 18.
- On the Backs of Magic Horses
- 19.
- Allies
- 20.
- The Golden Bridle
- 21.
- Enemy at the Gate
- 22.
- The Princess and the Warrior
- 23.
- Faith and Fear
- 24.
- Turnings
- 25.
- The Road Through Darkness
- 26.
- The Golden Horde
- 27.
- Oleg of Ryazan
- 28.
- Pozhar
- 29.
- Between Winter and Spring
- 30.
- The Enemy of My Enemy
- 31.
- All the Russias
- 32.
- Kulikovo
- 33.
- On the Cusp of Winter
- 34.
- Lightbringer
- 35.
- The Starlit Road
- 36.
- The Army of Three
- 37.
- Water of Death, Water of Life
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- A NOTE ON RUSSIAN NAMES
- FIRST NAMES AND NICKNAMES
- PATRONYMIC
- GLOSSARY
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- BY KATHERINE ARDEN
- FOR CHILDREN
- What’s next on your reading list?
PRAISE FOR
The Winter of the Witch
“Visceral descriptions of battle, an atmospheric sense of place, and some truly heartbreaking moments of loss make this a gut-wrenching read, but there’s ample hope and satisfaction to be found as Vasya chooses her own unique path to triumph.”
—Booklist
“Luxuriously detailed yet briskly suspenseful…a striking literary fantasy informed by Arden’s deep knowledge.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
PRAISE FOR
The Girl in the Tower
“A compelling, fast-moving story that grounds fantasy elements in a fascinating period of Russian history.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters.”
—Library Journal
PRAISE FOR
The Bear and the Nightingale
“Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”
—The Washington Post
“A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”
—NAOMI NOVIK
“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…an immersive, earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid, dynamic characters.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“[Vasya is] a clever, stalwart protagonist, determined to forge her own path in a time when women had few choices.”
—The Christian Science Monitor
“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 beautifully layered novel of family and the harsh wonders of deep winter magic.”
—ROBIN HOBB
“Arden’s supple, sumptuous first novel transports the reader to a version of medieval Russia where history and myth coexist.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“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
“Radiant…a darkly magical fairy tale for adults [but] not just for those who love magic.”
—Library Journal
“The Bear and the Nightingale is a marvelous trip into an ancient Russia where magic is a part of everyday life.”
—TODD MCCAFFREY
“Reading Arden’s debut novel is like listening to an entrancing tale spun out over nights in the best oral tradition….Mesmerizing…a spellbinding story that will linger with most readers far beyond the final page.”
—School Library Journal (starred review)
“Enthralling and enchanting—I couldn’t put it down. This is a wondrous book!”
—TAMORA PIERCE

The Winter of the Witch is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Katherine Arden
Reading group guide copyright © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC
All rights reserved.