The Bear and the Nightingale. The Girl in the Tower. The Winter of the Witch. Quite a trilogy.

From a dark Russian fairytale world, full of the spirits of the woods, old gods, and the incoming church up through a more political fantasy, deep into the cities of Russia where spirits hold least sway. And now, it all comes to a climax, with ever more battles between summer and winter, between the old and the new, and between all of Russia and her foes.

There are no monsters in the world, and no saints. Only infinite shades woven into the same tapestry, light and dark. One man’s monster is another man’s beloved. The wise know that.

It’s been quite the ride, following Vasya from her child, into the blooming of her power, and now into her becoming a Power on her own–and watching the whole world twirl around her, both for good and for ill. Her growth remains the heart of these books.

I have plucked snowdrops at Midwinter, died at my own choosing, and wept for a nightingale. Now I am beyond prophecy.

Overall, I will admit that I still think I enjoyed the first the most of the three. And really, it would stand alone. But if you read and liked the second, the third is more of the same–plus a conclusion to some stories, even if at the end, we still have more that we could explore. Not the least of which could be the future of this world (which very well could have been ours) and the rest of Vasya’s family. We get some, but light on the details!

“You were such a sweet child, when I first met you by this very tree,” remarked the Bear. “What happened?”

His voice was mocking, but she could feel the tension in him when she began to undo the golden clasps.

“What happened? Love, betrayal, and time,” said Vasya. “What happens to anyone who grows to understand you, Medved? Living happens.”

Onward!