The Bear And The Nightingale

 In the fiction novel The Bear And The Nightingale, the bear is not really a bear and the nightingale is not really a nightingale. Katherine Arden is the author of the novel, the first of three in a trilogy. Set in Russia during Medieval times the heroine of the story is Vasilisa. Her name is spelled several different ways but she is the daughter of Petrov. Her mother died soon after she was born. Her mother had special powers and Vasilisa has them too. She can see mythical creatures and communicate with them. One year Petrov goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife, Anna. Anna can also see mythical creatures but she is frightened of them and clings to a rigid faith. She spends much time in the church because the creatures don't go in the church. Russian fairy tales are much darker than Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales. The fairy tales in this book are not suitable for young readers. I am not sure that I will read the rest of this trilogy.