What a fun read. The descriptions of place, people, and events draw you into the beauty, savagery, and magic of 14th Century Russia. The Characters are well drawn and you care about the good ones and are glad to see the bad ones get what they deserve. A fast paced adventure story that puts you into the action. Loved it.

“Sister, the truth,” said Sasha again. Vasya swallowed, licked her lips and thought, I was saved from my dead nurse by a frost-demon, who gave me my horse and kissed me in the firelight. Can I say that? To my brother the monk? “I cannot tell you all of it,” she whispered. “I barely understand all of it myself.” This story, which starts soon after The Bear and the Nightingale, moves away from Lesnaya Zemlya, beginning in Moscow, where the Christian/Orthodox God is more present than in the woods and the old religion gods aren’t as prevalent. The story is again focused on Vasya, her trusty stead Solovey and of course the elusive Morozko. Vasya in part has left her home and she and Solovey are off to see the world, and are soon in the middle of a political war. But she doesn’t back down, and the maturity and growth she shows in the midst of all of this is wonderful. Morozko, everyone’s favorite anti-hero has a bigger part in this as well. Vasya’s choices could effect his place in the old order. I have to tell you, I have chosen The Bear and the Nightingale my personal Best Book of 2017, and as much as I looked forward to this book from NetGalley, I was afraid that it wouldn’t be as good. I love that a book built on the tales of Russian lore begins with a story, and not one with a happy, but one with a tragic ending and interpretation. It will take me a while to fully integrate the story. Arden has infused this second of the Winternight Trilogy with the same perception changing magic as the first book. The Girl in the Tower could be read as a stand alone, however I highly suggest you read the first as well as we await the last of the trilogy,The Winter Witch. 5/5

The Girl in the Tower is a fascinating fantasy that takes place in Russia during the medieval times. Vasya Petrovna was a free-spirited woman, on the run. It was rumored that she was a witch. Her father tried to marry her off, but Vasya wanted nothing to do with marriage. She also had no interest in becoming a nun. So, Vasya decided to dress as a boy, adopt the male version of her name, Vasilii, for herself, and gallop off into the woods, on a magic horse. Running into her brother Sasha, and her cousin, Dmitrii, the Grand Prince of Moscow, complicated matters, though. Sasha was reluctant to play along with his sister’s ruse, but did so, for safety’s sake. He knew, however, that if the Prince discovered her deceit, things would not go well for her. Much to Sasha’s dismay, his sister, Vasya, now, Vasilii, was joining them in the fight against the bandits, who were destroying Russian lives. Young girls were being kidnapped, families slaughtered, and villages burned to the ground. War was something that was now unavoidable. The Girl in the Tower is an intriguing novel, well-written and captivating. I would suggest reading, book one in the series, The Bear and the Nightingale, first, though. I had a difficult time, especially in the beginning, following this novel, but wouldn’t have; I’m sure if I had already read the first book. Thank you, Del Rey Publishing and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy.