The Girl in the Tower is the sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale, and wow, does it live up to my expectations and more! Our heroine Vasya is forced to flee her village after being labeled a witch for saving her people from destruction and death. She dresses as a boy for safety and sets out for freedom and adventure, but trouble quickly finds her.
This book is action-packed from the very start. There is mystery and intrigue, magic, sinister villains, shifty characters with baffling motives, and dangers around every corner. The action doesn't seem to slow down, and once I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down.
Vasya is the same feisty and vibrant girl that I loved in the first book, but older and more mature now. Her character has grown naturally with the progression of this series, and we get to see the courageous, but also conflicted and complex person that she has become. She is everything that I love in a female protagonist--strong, brave, clever, and of her own mind, and I can't help but cheer her on at every turn.
Arden has also matured as a storyteller. Her lyrical, earthy passages bring this world into sharp relief, and her nuanced portrayal of Vasya's dilemmas and complicated relationships with those around her are real highlights of this book. Every time Morozko or Solovey show up, they just steal the scene, and my heart. The painfully conflicted relationship between Morozko and Vasya is captivating, with the vast emptiness of all that is unsaid and unrealized between them.
Without a doubt, this series has stolen my heart. I don't think there has been a fantasy series that has so enchanted me in recent memory, and I can't wait for the next book!
Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!
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