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Quick answer: If you loved The Bear and the Nightingale, try The Girl in the Tower, The Winter of the Witch, Uprooted, Spinning Silver, Deathless and Circe. Each one weaves folklore, winter magic and a fierce heroine into an atmospheric story.
Katherine Arden's novel is set in a village in medieval Russia, where Vasya, a girl who can see the household spirits, fights to protect her family when a newcomer forbids the old ways and an ancient evil stirs in the forest. Readers love its snowy atmosphere, its folklore and its brave heroine. These books share its fairy-tale magic, wintry settings and strong young women.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Girl in the Tower | Katherine Arden | Historical fantasy | readers who want more Vasya |
| The Winter of the Witch | Katherine Arden | Historical fantasy | readers finishing the trilogy |
| Uprooted | Naomi Novik | Fantasy | readers who love a dark forest |
| Spinning Silver | Naomi Novik | Fantasy | readers who like winter magic |
| Deathless | Catherynne M. Valente | Fantasy | readers who like Russian folklore |
| Circe | Madeline Miller | Mythological fiction | readers who like fierce women |
| The Witch's Heart | Genevieve Gornichec | Mythological fiction | readers who like Norse myth |
| The Snow Child | Eowyn Ivey | Literary fantasy | readers who love snowy settings |
| Daughter of the Forest | Juliet Marillier | Fantasy | readers who like retellings |
| The Golem and the Jinni | Helene Wecker | Historical fantasy | readers who like folklore in history |
| The Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern | Fantasy | readers who like atmosphere |
| The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern | Fantasy | readers who love fairy tales |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | YA fantasy | readers who like Russian-inspired worlds |
| Wintersong | S. Jae-Jones | YA fantasy | readers who like Goblin King romance |
| The Hazel Wood | Melissa Albert | YA fantasy | readers who like dark fairy tales |
1. The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
Vasya disguises herself as a boy and rides to Moscow, where she uncovers a plot against the prince.
Best for: readers who want more Vasya.
2. The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
The final book brings Vasya into conflict with both humans and spirits.
Best for: readers finishing the trilogy.
3. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A village girl is chosen to serve a wizard who protects the valley from a corrupted wood.
Best for: readers who love a dark forest.
4. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
A moneylender's daughter catches the attention of the winter king of the Staryk.
Best for: readers who like winter magic.
5. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
The tale of Koschei the Deathless is retold in Soviet Russia.
Best for: readers who like Russian folklore.
6. Circe by Madeline Miller
The witch Circe tells her story.
Best for: readers who like fierce women.
7. The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
A witch, Angrboda, falls in love with Loki and raises monstrous children.
Best for: readers who like Norse myth.
8. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
A childless couple in Alaska builds a snow child who seems to come alive.
Best for: readers who love snowy settings.
9. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
A Celtic retelling of the Six Swans fairy tale.
Best for: readers who like retellings.
10. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Two magical beings meet in 1899 New York.
Best for: readers who like folklore in history.
11. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
A magical circus appears without warning.
Best for: readers who like atmosphere.
12. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
A student discovers an underground world of stories.
Best for: readers who love fairy tales.
13. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
An orphan discovers a power that can save her country.
Best for: readers who like Russian-inspired worlds.
14. Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
A young woman goes to the Underground to save her sister from the Goblin King.
Best for: readers who like Goblin King romance.
15. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
A girl's grandmother wrote a cult book of fairy tales that turn out to be real.
Best for: readers who like dark fairy tales.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Bear and the Nightingale: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
Finish the Winternight Trilogy with The Girl in the Tower and The Winter of the Witch. If you love dark forests and folklore, choose Uprooted, Spinning Silver or Deathless. For mythic heroines, try Circe and The Witch's Heart. For wintry atmosphere, read The Snow Child. Teens can start with Shadow and Bone or Wintersong. Most readers say the trilogy is best read in a cold month with a warm drink.
Related: 15 Books Like The Nightingale You’ll Love: Women, War and Courage · The Nightingale Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Bear and the Nightingale a series?
Yes. It is the first book in the Winternight Trilogy.
Is The Bear and the Nightingale YA?
It is published as adult fantasy, but many teens enjoy it.
What mythology is it based on?
It draws on Russian folklore, including household spirits and the winter-king Morozko.
Is The Bear and the Nightingale slow?
The first half builds slowly, but the second half moves quickly.
Is it scary?
It has eerie moments and dark spirits, but it is not a horror novel.