Review: The Winter of the Witch

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This trilogy began as a story steeped in fairy story. Then it moved into something that felt as if it were playing out in the space between the historic and the fantastic. And here, in the conclusion, it walks into history.
Vasilya has grown ever further in this one. She’s lost her horse, she’s become a full-fledged witch, and she’s realized she doesn’t need to take sides in the ancient battle between the winter king and his brother. Instead, she is her own person, someone committed to finding a way for the fairy folk of Russia to live alongside the world that Christianity is ushering in.
So, I have enjoyed this trilogy throughout because Katherine Arden has managed so well to reinvent the stakes of her story. Each book has built on the last but also introduced new stakes.
And what makes this third one so distinctive is that it moves from the realm of a Russian Snow White through a Russian Mulan into a glimpse of actual Russian history. This works through a world of fantasy to a climax that takes place at the Battle of the Vozha River in 1378, the first Russian victory in its struggle to win free of the Tatar invaders.
Part of the fun in reading this is the gradual recognition that these characters aren’t just stereotypical Black Forest characters but are rooted in authentic history. Arden does acknowledge in her afterward that she’s taken some liberties, but this reflects a decent sense of what we do know as Russian history. I think it says a lot for what she accomplishes here that I found myself Wikipediing 14th Century Russian princes and holy men even as I was enjoying where this was going.
The good news, then, is that this is a series of books that simply works. I’m a little skeptical that Arden knew from the beginning where she wanted to take all of this – as she says in her final note – but that’s just curiosity. I’ve had friends recommend this, and I recommend it too.


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