Love, War, and Magic in The Winter of the Witch

The Winter of the Witch (2019)
Written by: Katherine Arden
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 285 (Hardcover)
Series: Winternight Trilogy Book #3
Publisher: Del Rey

Why I Chose It: The first book in the Winternight Trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale, is one of my favorite books that I have reviewed for Speculative Chic. I also enjoyed the second book, The Girl in the Tower. I had to know what happened to the characters I have come to know and love, the fiercely independent maiden, Vasya, and the mysterious ice king, Morozko. I was so excited for The Winter of the Witch that I bought it in hardcover, which I rarely do.

The Premise:

Vasilisa Petrovna is an unforgettable heroine determined to forge her own path. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers — and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

Spoilers ahead.

Discussion: In The Girl in the Tower, Vasya disguises herself as a boy and earns the trust of the Grand Prince of Moscow. By the end of the book, her deception is revealed and she is blamed for an accidental fire that destroys most of Moscow. The Winter of the Witch opens with Father Konstantine inciting the peasants to burn Vasya as a witch. She narrowly escapes into Midnight, a magical land made up of all the midnights that have ever existed. Vasya is safe in this supernatural realm but her family, especially her niece, Marya, who can also see the chyerti (spirits), is in grave danger.

The Winter of the Witch is packed full of conflicts — there is the fight between Christianity and the old traditions that honored the chyerti, the war between Morozko and his brother Medved (the bear), and the battle between the Russians and the Tartars. Then there is the complicated relationship between Vasya and Morozko. And Vasya’s struggle to find her place in a world where women can be mothers or nuns, and anything else is condemned as witchcraft. Arden covers an immense amount of territory in only 354 pages, and although nothing goes unresolved, I felt like some storylines got shafted.

My biggest regret is that Arden spends so little time on the romance between Vasya and Morozko. After two books of longing, their love gets a chapter, which is hauntingly beautiful and gorgeously written but still far too short. They spend one night together in a bathhouse, after Vasya finds him in a village in the past through the magic of Midnight. “His skin was cool under her hands; her sweat streaked them both. She was shivering all over, she didn’t know what to do with her hands. It was too much: skin and spirit, hunger and her desperate loneliness, and the rising tide of feeling between them” (p. 158). Morozko and Vasya are not the typical fairytale romance between a maiden and a monster. Although he saves her life numerous times, her love makes him more human. I was surprised that Vasya was not more tempted to stay in Morozko’s lands. Instead of trying to murder her, these villagers there call her the Winter Queen.

But Vasya’s love for her family has always come first. Her loyalty to them is undying, in spite of the many times they have tried to force her into marriage or a convent. Her brother, Sasha, finally admits that “A convent would have broken her. Even a marriage, no matter how kindly the man, how fair the house” (p. 200). In this book, Baba Yaga, the famous old witch of Russian fairytales is Vasya’s great-grandmother. Baba Yaga is the guardian of Midnight but she abandoned her daughters and refuses to help Vasya. She is a witch who has turned her back on the mortal world. In spite of her powers, Vasya never loses her humanity. One of the most charming characters in this book is Deb Grib (grandfather mushroom) a chyerti who pledges his allegiance to Vasya because she cries when she hurts him. Vasya’s empathy and independence make her a memorable heroine.

In conclusion: My main criticism of The Winter of the Witch is that it isn’t long enough and I didn’t get to spend enough time with these beloved characters. These books aren’t your typical fairy tale — it’s the maiden, not the monster, who has the wisdom and compassion to save the day. Seeing Vasya grow from a misunderstood girl to a powerful witch is the best part of this trilogy. If you’re tired of hot, humid, ninety degree weather, the Winternight Trilogy will transport you to a magical, wintry Russia.