The Bear and the Nightingale is a historical fantasy novel set in a remote community in northern Rus' in the 14th (I think) century that utilizes the stories, characters, and creatures of Russian folklore, though as far as I can tell it is an original story and not a re-telling. It starts with the birth of the protagonist Vasilisa (Vasya) and with her mother's death. Her mother's mother had been known for her mysterious origins and uncanny qualities, and Marina Ivanova knows that her youngest daughter will be heir to those magical gifts. As predicted, Vasya grows into an untamed girl with an air of magic about her, but eventually Vasya's father re-marries a woman from court. This "evil stepmother" character is given a compelling storyline of her own. You see, Anna Ivanova can see the same house and nature spirits that Vasya considers her friends, but believes them to be demons, and believes herself mad. Add a self-aggrandizing priest to the mix, and things are doomed to become perilous for wild young Vasya. The plot itself involves a struggle between powerful forces that sweep Vasya up and threaten her community, and the lengths to which she must go to restore order and balance, but the details of the storyline are less memorable here than the atmosphere of brutal winter and encroaching magic. 
 There's a lot that's thematically familiar to me in this book as a frequent reader of medieval historical fantasy (folk beliefs vs. the coming of Christianity, women's brutal lot in life, fear of witchcraft), and The Bear and the Nightingale doesn't really break any new ground in this regard, though I must admit that the Russian setting was unfamiliar to me, and I enjoyed learning a bit about this place and time. (Russia wasn't a country yet; the Grand Princes of the region were under the authority of the Mongols. You learn something new every day!) 
 This has attracted comparisons to Uprooted, and the comparison is fair in terms of the Slavic fairy tale inspiration, rural setting, and young protagonist with some similar traits. But while I felt that Uprooted was a pretty formulaic fantasy novel with fairy tale trappings, The Bear and the Nightingale has the genuine feel of an adult fairy tale in novel form. It's a book that takes care to remind us that it is more of a curse than a blessing to be something out of a fairy tale. It's a book to read with a hot mug of tea on a deep winter night and give thanks that your life is untouched by such magic (and also that you don't live in remote medieval Rus' with its harsh winters and lack of modern comforts). Also, it has no romance storyline. I don't imagine this will have the same YA crossover appeal that Uprooted has, but I think that readers looking for grown-up fairy tales will find it more rewarding. 
 Unfortunately for such a slow, lush, and atmospheric book, the ending felt really rushed to me, and so it left me less emotionally moved than I would have hoped for. But that's the only clear fault I can find with this novel, which is really impressive for a debut. I think I'll be giving copies to a lot of friends come Christmas next year.