Though set long ago, The Girl in the Tower is very much a novel of our time. The restrictions Vasya’s society has placed on her don’t feel so distant; while modern women certainly enjoy more freedoms than Vasya would have in feudal Russia, the inequality between the sexes lingers. As we follow the impetuous young woman into a world much bigger and more threatening than she’s ever known before, Katherine Arden spins a beautiful and relatable fairytale that reads something like a high fantasy novel bolstered by meticulous historical research. It’s instantly absorbing, full of magic and adventure at every turn.

See my full review at the Barnes & Noble Science Fiction & Fantasy blog.