I put off reading this book for months. I loved the first book so much and I couldn’t dream how Arden could pull off a second book that was anywhere near as good as the first. At some point, I finally knew I could put it off no longer, so I pulled out the first book again and did a reread. Oh. My. Gosh. I loved it even more the the 2nd time, so my anxiety (yes I sometimes have anxiety over books….don’t judge me for that I won’t judge you because you don’t! #justsaying). I forced myself to start this book.
At 20% I was just…well….heck….what can I say…I was surprised….I was honestly loving it even more. I knew there was no way the 2nd book could be even has as wonderful as the first…yet somehow it was turning out EVEN BETTER!!!! I was terrified to ask my friends who loved the first book to read it…to see if they would feel the same way….I spent page after page wanting to rush and ask them to read this and the need to keep silent so I didn’t jinx it…At about 30% the need to share my love won out…I let the world know I was in love! I was crushed with myself…I KNEW I had ruined it and jinxed the novel…that it would all go downhill quickly…At 70% I couldn’t believe all of the emotions I was feeling…at 75% I had to stop reading and take a half day off from reading…I couldn’t slow down enough to make sure I didn’t miss anything…I was just loving it so much that I wanted to race heedlessly to the end…so I forced myself to set it aside for most of the day to calm myself…
What can I say? There’s no way I can express all the wonder in this book. No way to explain why this is so much better than the first book. I don’t even know why….well…sure…I mean, there’s the part of spending more time with Vasya…and the Winter King…But seriously…I just can’t do a review to put all of my feelings into words…So different from the first book…but also so much the same…less of a made-up fairytale feel and more of a real-life fairytale….yes perhaps that’s it…instead of just wanting a warm cozy fire nearby reading the first book, this book I found myself snuggling deep within the covers…of both the book and my bed…Every time that Morozko spoke I felt the kiss of the cool fresh air of first light on cold winter’s morn…
See, I am rambling…I am like some over stimulated child that has had too many sweets and too much excitement all in one day…
I loved this book so very much that I am ALREADY having anxiety through the roof about the third book…I just want to keep these characters near…I woke up with morning (after staying up past midnight to finish this novel!) knowing I had dreamt of horses and domovoi…
I just want to be one of those crazed fans and run out and meet Katherine Arden and thank her for the beauty she has brought into my world. For making me believe…well…in all the wonderful things this book brings to me…that magic does exist….that love is the greatest gift…that there are those that will sacrifice anything for the right cause….that loyalty can’t be bought…nor sold…that kindness matters…the list goes on and on….and honey oat cakes…I want to bake her honey oat cakes over an open flame…and FFS I don’t even know what those are!!!
Until next time…
Urania xx
ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review
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