Winternight Trilogy Series

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The fate of two worlds rests on the shoulders of Vasilisa Petrovna as she contends with forces both mortal and magical in the stirring conclusion to the story that began with The Bear and the Nightingale.

“A tale both intimate and epic, featuring a heroine whose harrowing and wondrous journey culminates in an emotionally resonant finale.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF THE DECADE

Vasilisa Petrovna is an unforgettable heroine determined to forge her own path. Her gifts and her courage have bound her fate to 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. And a wicked demon returns, determined to spread chaos.

Caught at the center of the conflict, her destiny uncertain, knowing that her choices will determine the fate of two worlds, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself as she desperately tries to protect her family, her country, and the magical world she loves. But she may not be able to save them all.

“Luminous from page one . . . Featuring Rus nobles, witches, frost gods and a magical horse-with-the-soul-of-a-bird, The Winter of the Witch finds Arden at her best.” —Paste

Don’t miss any of the bestselling Winternight Trilogy:
THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE • THE GIRL IN THE TOWER • THE WINTER OF THE WITCH

In the sequel to the nationally bestselling The Bear and the Nightingale, a gifted young woman with ties to the old magic of her homeland blazes a trail out of the frozen wilderness and into the court intrigues of Moscow.

“A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all.”—Booklist (starred review)

Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention, even affection, of Morozko—the winter demon from her nurse’s stories. But his aid comes at a cost.

Orphaned, named a witch, and cast out by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent or marriage to a stranger. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the wide world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a young man and riding her trusted stallion, Solovey, into the wilderness.

But Vasya’s exploits soon reunite her with her long-estranged siblings and earn her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow. Disguised as a boy, she must walk a delicate line, safeguarding her family, concealing her identity and navigating her increasingly fraught relationship with Morozko—even as she realizes the realm is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

“A compelling, fast-moving story that grounds fantasy elements in a fascinating period of Russian history.”—Kirkus Reviews

Don’t miss any of the bestselling Winternight Trilogy:
THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE • THE GIRL IN THE TOWER • THE WINTER OF THE WITCH

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A wild and willful young woman finds herself at the center of a tale of spirits, ancient evils, and the mysterious winter-king Frost—in the lyrical first novel of the Winternight Trilogy.

“A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik, bestselling author of Uprooted

Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil.

Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village.

But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

“[The Bear and the Nightingale] has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington Post

Don’t miss any of the Winternight Trilogy:
THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE • THE GIRL IN THE TOWER • THE WINTER OF THE WITCH