Vasya's mother knew that her daughter was destined to be something special and she told her husband so at the same time she told him that she was expecting again, making him promise to take good care of their daughter when that time come sensing that she would not be there to raise her. She died shortly after Vasya was born.
Vasya was raised primarily by her nurse who had helped raise her mother. Surrounded by a family who loved and understood her, filled with the tales of the house and nature spirits, Vasya was never a typical girl preferring to run in the woods to sewing quietly in the house and her father feels that she would do better with a motherly influence so goes to court to find a wife. What he does not expect is to be given the daughter of the Czar, an extremely pious girl who wanted nothing more than to become a nun so she could be in a place where she could no longer see the demons that seem to be everywhere.
Now Anna is here to help Vasya's father with the house so he can take care of his lands and people but she still sees the demons. Except where she sees demons, Vasya sees the house and nature spirits that have been protecting them forever from the Winter demons. Now that Anna is there, along with the new Father, they are turning people from the old ways and their caring of the spirits and weakening the protections of the village with their insistence on worshiping only their one god. Vasya is trying to keep the spirits strong but she is only one girl and the village is starting to turn against her as her stepmother and the Father are.
But winter spirits are hungry and the village is becoming a ripe target.
This book kept popping in suggestions for me all over the place and I though it looked interesting so I finally broke down and picked it for my book club to read when it was my turn. I am so happy I did. I couldn't put it down. The characters were so engaging, the tale deftly woven. It had all the hallmarks of beautifully crafted fairy tale and it never disappointed. I'm now desperately trying to find time to read the rest of the series.
Page count: 338p/16,089p ytd/308,105p lifetime
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