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House of Frost and Feathers
Spinning Silver meets Howl's Moving Castle in this beautiful debut Slavic folklore fantasy.
Marisha's life is not going as she expected. With the sleeping plague only a few months away, she's as desperate for money as she is to escape her aunt's torturous marriage prospects. Leaving all that she's known behind, Marisha accepts a job working with the notorious koldunya, Baba Zima in her house that glides on chicken feet through the snow.
But Baba Zima is renowned for being both clever and cruel. And most difficult of all is her current apprentice, Olena, who wants nothing to do with Marisha. Despite her fears and Olena's cold demeanour, Marisha finds herself drawn into the magical world of koldunry and delves further into Olena's research - a cure for the sleeping plague.
Accompanying Olena on an increasingly dangerous, seemingly impossible search for a cure, she finds hidden connections between the sleeping plague, her own family's history, and her bizarre, recurring dreams: dreams of a masked ball where the deep sleepers are trapped endlessly dancing - and a monstrous beaked man haunts her every step . . .
Marisha's life is not going as she expected. With the sleeping plague only a few months away, she's as desperate for money as she is to escape her aunt's torturous marriage prospects. Leaving all that she's known behind, Marisha accepts a job working with the notorious koldunya, Baba Zima in her house that glides on chicken feet through the snow.
But Baba Zima is renowned for being both clever and cruel. And most difficult of all is her current apprentice, Olena, who wants nothing to do with Marisha. Despite her fears and Olena's cold demeanour, Marisha finds herself drawn into the magical world of koldunry and delves further into Olena's research - a cure for the sleeping plague.
Accompanying Olena on an increasingly dangerous, seemingly impossible search for a cure, she finds hidden connections between the sleeping plague, her own family's history, and her bizarre, recurring dreams: dreams of a masked ball where the deep sleepers are trapped endlessly dancing - and a monstrous beaked man haunts her every step . . .
1 pages, Audio CD
First published January 16, 2025
124 people are currently reading
12146 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Wiesebron
2 books66 followersLauren Wiesebron is a fantasy author, writing adventures for characters who do not yet know they need them. She grew up in France and is now an itinerant academic studying sea creatures. When not writing, you can find her acquiring yarn and naming houseplants. She has also been known to pick up cats even when they don’t want to be picked up. The House of Frost and Feathers is her debut novel.
To learn more, and to join her newsletter for sneak peeks—including a prequel short story to The House of Frost and Feathers—visit laurenwiesebron.com
To learn more, and to join her newsletter for sneak peeks—including a prequel short story to The House of Frost and Feathers—visit laurenwiesebron.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
June 20, 2025
To the surprise of absolutely no one, none of the comparisons slapped on this book applies. Neither "The Bear and the Nightingale" (unless you squint hard and count the Russian folktale influences) nor "Juniper & Thorn" (except maybe the overhype), and much less "Spinning Silver" (not even remotely similar unless you squint harder and count the courtesy title "pan" as a similarity) and definitely not "Howl's Moving Castle." (Who thought of the last one?)
But that is 100% on the publishers, who don't seem to consider the damage this kind of advertising does to début authors by creating expectations they can never meet. There are other ways to attract readers of a certain genre and type of book that don't involve pitching the apprentice against the master, and I wish publishers would use those instead. Many début authors have been burnt in the eyes of readers for these marketing tricks.
That's a discussion for another day, now let's get to the book at hand...
If you're in the mood for a nice and straight-shooting Cottagecore story with Slavic folktale inspirations, this is the book for you. It's not a book you can read in one sitting due to length and bloat, but it isn't a complex or demanding read at all. Just do not expect plotting complexity, do not expect much in terms of worldbuilding, and do not expect much of the characters beyond what is offered either.
To me, House of Frost and Feathers was easy to compartmentalise and enjoy the positive offered overlooking the negatives, which were mostly "what could have been" type of observations. For making a clear case for or against this book to potential readers, I'll break it down by points:
The Good:
It has a nice all-female cast of characters, each of them strongly crafted. I liked all three of them: Marisha, Olena, and Baba Zima. Even the evil female villain is done well, if a bit tropey.
My personal favourite was Olena, and although she did have a good portion of the plot to herself, I do wish she had been the main girl instead of Marisha. So much about her is implied instead of said, and she's an interesting girl. I appreciated that she wasn't made to be a pretty bombshell and that she couldn't use koldunry to get rid of her disabilities (nor did she want to). Very refreshing to have a character like that, for once.
The story is broadly a Baba Yaga tale, but so spread out that you can't call this a retelling. Too much mishmash of elements to be one. Like that Baba Zima is the "good" side of the legendary Yaga, but the "bad" side of Yaga is another Baba. And the role of Vasilisa is split between Marisha (the "beautiful" version of Vasilisa) and Olena (the "brave" version of Vasilisa). And there's a house with chicken legs that is the same one from the Baba Yaga folktales. And that's where similarities end, for the most part, because those familiar with the Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Beautiful/Brave folktales will pick on small details and homages throughout.
It's a setting that does lack the same solidity of Arden or Novik's Slavic folkloric fantasies, but it does provide a workable slate to paint the plot on.
The Bad:
I can't believe I'm going to say this, allergic to demanding romance as I am, but this story would've been much better WITH romance. Specifically sapphic romance, and should've skipped the hetero romance it had.
I'll explain it: Marisha and Olena have great chemistry, great rapport, and generally great dialogue. True, it still works perfectly as friendship, stories of positive female friendships in fiction are much needed, so I'm not arguing that there should have been romance between these two. What I'm saying is, that if there had to be romance at all, it should've worked better with these girls than between Kiril and Marisha, for example. Olena and Valdim work better as there's a backstory to their feelings, but the other one was . . . last minute pepper thrown in to the soup that didn't require spice.
Succinctly: there should've been no romance at all. It was perfect without. And to be honest, it isn't like the romance that exists does anything, it's hardly a blip on the radar, more an afterthought than a bothersome plotline.
Secondly, the story should've been shorter. Much shorter. Maybe hardly over a novella-length book, because it's so bloated in the middle it's ridiculous. The beginning and the ending are excellent set up and wrap up pieces, but the middle takes up over 60% of the plot for . . . what? Domesticity. It's one domestic scene after another, which I suppose makes sense for a character-driven story. But even character-driven stories can be streamlined, and this needed the hanging fat cut out. You feel like you're about to sleep during this portion of the book, and for me it's singlehandedly why it wasn't more enjoyable. I love my cozy cottage slice of life lull as much as any fan of the style, but don't overdo it to the point of boredom.
Thirdly, the Slavic fairy tale atmosphere isn't as developed as it should. If you changed the names of the characters to something Western European, you'd not notice much difference between this and any witch coven in the forest setting as in many Cottagecore and mainstream Fantasy involving sorcery & witchcraft. There's so very little of the setting we see that it could've anything, and what gives it a "Slavic" flavour isn't so much what we are shown but what we are told in terms of names. Call a witch a koldunya and her arts or coven a bolshina, and that is it. None of the attached lore and spirits and rituals and beliefs of Slavic folklore is present. It's generic witches with Russian names, very basic and underdeveloped.
The time period is also vague and generic, because of how little outside of the house with legs and the occasional street/house in town we see. You could always ignore this in favour of the characters, but for those that like a more solid sense of time and place, this might not work.
The Ugly:
This is a bit of a nitpick, but it does add to the above point on vagueness of the time and place and culture: The names and naming convention of the characters is strange.
It's evidently meant to evoke a Russian emvironment, and for the most part isn't incorrect. But . . . it shows that the author isn't familiar with the Russian naming convention, because she has:
- People introduce themselves by their nickname and patronymic. E.g. Dunya Ignorovna. This can't be done in the Slavic way of addressing people; when you call people this way, you have to use their name and patronymic, not their nickname.
- People go by their nickname all the time. At least, we never hear Marisha's name, she's always her nickname, and other characters are also never called by their name. They're Volya, Dima, Dunya, etc, etc. And whilst it's not incorrect to go by nickname alone, it's not exactly the norm to never use one's name and call elders and people of other social strata by their nickname only.
- Some of the patronymics are either poorly spelt or wrong. Ignorovna? I hope that was a typo and she meant Igorovna. But then how do you explain "Simonevna" instead of Simonovna, or "Elyasevna" instead of Ilynichna?
In sum, all of this could be overcome by better research and more editing; this book definitely needed more work on it to fulfill its potential. 2.5 stars it is!
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
But that is 100% on the publishers, who don't seem to consider the damage this kind of advertising does to début authors by creating expectations they can never meet. There are other ways to attract readers of a certain genre and type of book that don't involve pitching the apprentice against the master, and I wish publishers would use those instead. Many début authors have been burnt in the eyes of readers for these marketing tricks.
That's a discussion for another day, now let's get to the book at hand...
If you're in the mood for a nice and straight-shooting Cottagecore story with Slavic folktale inspirations, this is the book for you. It's not a book you can read in one sitting due to length and bloat, but it isn't a complex or demanding read at all. Just do not expect plotting complexity, do not expect much in terms of worldbuilding, and do not expect much of the characters beyond what is offered either.
To me, House of Frost and Feathers was easy to compartmentalise and enjoy the positive offered overlooking the negatives, which were mostly "what could have been" type of observations. For making a clear case for or against this book to potential readers, I'll break it down by points:
The Good:
It has a nice all-female cast of characters, each of them strongly crafted. I liked all three of them: Marisha, Olena, and Baba Zima. Even the evil female villain is done well, if a bit tropey.
My personal favourite was Olena, and although she did have a good portion of the plot to herself, I do wish she had been the main girl instead of Marisha. So much about her is implied instead of said, and she's an interesting girl. I appreciated that she wasn't made to be a pretty bombshell and that she couldn't use koldunry to get rid of her disabilities (nor did she want to). Very refreshing to have a character like that, for once.
The story is broadly a Baba Yaga tale, but so spread out that you can't call this a retelling. Too much mishmash of elements to be one. Like that Baba Zima is the "good" side of the legendary Yaga, but the "bad" side of Yaga is another Baba. And the role of Vasilisa is split between Marisha (the "beautiful" version of Vasilisa) and Olena (the "brave" version of Vasilisa). And there's a house with chicken legs that is the same one from the Baba Yaga folktales. And that's where similarities end, for the most part, because those familiar with the Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Beautiful/Brave folktales will pick on small details and homages throughout.
It's a setting that does lack the same solidity of Arden or Novik's Slavic folkloric fantasies, but it does provide a workable slate to paint the plot on.
The Bad:
I can't believe I'm going to say this, allergic to demanding romance as I am, but this story would've been much better WITH romance. Specifically sapphic romance, and should've skipped the hetero romance it had.
I'll explain it: Marisha and Olena have great chemistry, great rapport, and generally great dialogue. True, it still works perfectly as friendship, stories of positive female friendships in fiction are much needed, so I'm not arguing that there should have been romance between these two. What I'm saying is, that if there had to be romance at all, it should've worked better with these girls than between Kiril and Marisha, for example. Olena and Valdim work better as there's a backstory to their feelings, but the other one was . . . last minute pepper thrown in to the soup that didn't require spice.
Succinctly: there should've been no romance at all. It was perfect without. And to be honest, it isn't like the romance that exists does anything, it's hardly a blip on the radar, more an afterthought than a bothersome plotline.
Secondly, the story should've been shorter. Much shorter. Maybe hardly over a novella-length book, because it's so bloated in the middle it's ridiculous. The beginning and the ending are excellent set up and wrap up pieces, but the middle takes up over 60% of the plot for . . . what? Domesticity. It's one domestic scene after another, which I suppose makes sense for a character-driven story. But even character-driven stories can be streamlined, and this needed the hanging fat cut out. You feel like you're about to sleep during this portion of the book, and for me it's singlehandedly why it wasn't more enjoyable. I love my cozy cottage slice of life lull as much as any fan of the style, but don't overdo it to the point of boredom.
Thirdly, the Slavic fairy tale atmosphere isn't as developed as it should. If you changed the names of the characters to something Western European, you'd not notice much difference between this and any witch coven in the forest setting as in many Cottagecore and mainstream Fantasy involving sorcery & witchcraft. There's so very little of the setting we see that it could've anything, and what gives it a "Slavic" flavour isn't so much what we are shown but what we are told in terms of names. Call a witch a koldunya and her arts or coven a bolshina, and that is it. None of the attached lore and spirits and rituals and beliefs of Slavic folklore is present. It's generic witches with Russian names, very basic and underdeveloped.
The time period is also vague and generic, because of how little outside of the house with legs and the occasional street/house in town we see. You could always ignore this in favour of the characters, but for those that like a more solid sense of time and place, this might not work.
The Ugly:
This is a bit of a nitpick, but it does add to the above point on vagueness of the time and place and culture: The names and naming convention of the characters is strange.
It's evidently meant to evoke a Russian emvironment, and for the most part isn't incorrect. But . . . it shows that the author isn't familiar with the Russian naming convention, because she has:
- People introduce themselves by their nickname and patronymic. E.g. Dunya Ignorovna. This can't be done in the Slavic way of addressing people; when you call people this way, you have to use their name and patronymic, not their nickname.
- People go by their nickname all the time. At least, we never hear Marisha's name, she's always her nickname, and other characters are also never called by their name. They're Volya, Dima, Dunya, etc, etc. And whilst it's not incorrect to go by nickname alone, it's not exactly the norm to never use one's name and call elders and people of other social strata by their nickname only.
- Some of the patronymics are either poorly spelt or wrong. Ignorovna? I hope that was a typo and she meant Igorovna. But then how do you explain "Simonevna" instead of Simonovna, or "Elyasevna" instead of Ilynichna?
In sum, all of this could be overcome by better research and more editing; this book definitely needed more work on it to fulfill its potential. 2.5 stars it is!
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2025
I had the ARC for months but I couldn't possibly start it in any kind of warm weather. Now it was icy November and I finally deemed it the right time, only to learn that the book didn't really radiate the thick winter atmosphere that I was expecting. But well. It's the story of 21-year-old Marisha who is in desperate need of a job and so she knocks on the door of the local house on chicken legs. She starts working for the powerful Baba Zima and her apprentice Olena and never has a quiet day from that point on. She's learning about magic and plants and herbs, does chores around the house and helps researching the plague that's haunting the land every few years when putting people to never-ending sleep. There were many things that worked for me here. I love reading about house magic and here there was of course a very special one that's bigger on the inside than on the outside and that's walking around and needs to get its nails clipped from time to time. I also liked reading about the group traveling around and tending to the magical needs of people and I would have been satisfied if the book was only about that. But overall it was more like a mystery novel and a family drama. The main plot was about the sleeping plague and finding out more about it to eventually create a potion to treat it. Along the way Marisha and Olena learn more about Baba Zima and her past and also about Marisha's sleeping family. It wasn't a bad approach, but I can't say that I cared much about the characters. I liked that there were actually quite a few people living in the house on chicken legs, but truly great character moments were missing for me. I was also not a fan of how Olena was so hostile towards Marisha for no reason, but I hoped for some enemies-to-lovers lesbianism there. The book was unfortunately very heterosexual, even if Marisha's thing didn't make any sense to me. House of Frost and Feathers was overall way less fantastical than I had anticipated and I also don't know why it had to be 500 pages long. It's not exactly low stakes, but there is only little plot, especially for such a long book. I still wasn't bored and it was an easy read for me. The writing isn't as dense or as lyrical as in books with similar premises (The Bear and the Nightingale; Thistlefoot) and it just went by pleasantly. Sure, it could have been more exciting and also way more magical and I totally see the five star potential with a book like this, but it just wasn't that kind of story for me. There was a flying guinea pig though, and I definitely was a huge fan of that. 3.5 stars.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2024
This is such a strange story, but I really enjoyed it in the end. I think the blurb doesn’t do a good job laying out what to expect here either.
This is a slow-paced, character driven fantasy story. The bulk of it is spent in the house, with Marisha learning to become an apprentice, and Olena searching for a cure for the sleeping plague. There’s a lot of day-to-day life in the chicken leg house as they work and travel to different towns. We get a hint of something mysterious around the 30% mark, but we really don’t pick it back up until around 65% in.
Olena and Marisha both have a lot to learn about each other and working together. Baba Zina fosters an atmosphere of secrets and competition. There are a lot of layers and secrets and intricate connections that are revealed by the end. The character development is well done and I appreciate the growth we see.
The last 20% has a lot of action and magic and emotional impact. I think a lot of people will enjoy the ending. There’s a bit of an open end to allow for possible more adventures in the future, but this also works really well as a standalone.
I should mention that there is only the teeniest bit of a pinch of romance (F/M) in this book. I know that’s important for some folks, so I wanted to make that clear.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
This is a slow-paced, character driven fantasy story. The bulk of it is spent in the house, with Marisha learning to become an apprentice, and Olena searching for a cure for the sleeping plague. There’s a lot of day-to-day life in the chicken leg house as they work and travel to different towns. We get a hint of something mysterious around the 30% mark, but we really don’t pick it back up until around 65% in.
Olena and Marisha both have a lot to learn about each other and working together. Baba Zina fosters an atmosphere of secrets and competition. There are a lot of layers and secrets and intricate connections that are revealed by the end. The character development is well done and I appreciate the growth we see.
The last 20% has a lot of action and magic and emotional impact. I think a lot of people will enjoy the ending. There’s a bit of an open end to allow for possible more adventures in the future, but this also works really well as a standalone.
I should mention that there is only the teeniest bit of a pinch of romance (F/M) in this book. I know that’s important for some folks, so I wanted to make that clear.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
October 25, 2024
Deliciously dark, bold, and vivid, The House of Frost and Feathers is an imaginative tale of hope, fear, obsession, and found family filled with stunning imagery and beautiful prose.
Marisha seeks to escape a life of misery and find her independence. But the infamous and feared sleeping plague is looming and there's no cure in sight. Finding work as an apprentice to Baba Zima's spiky understudy, Olena, Marisha is drawn into a world of magic and mystery. Can a cure for the sleeping plague be found before it's too late? And why are dreams of masked balls and questions over Marisha's family hounded her?
Delving into slavic folklore and mythology, Wiesbron spins a moreish narrative that is hard to put down. While the folklore elements are alluringly otherworldly, she wisely grounds the story with themes that anyone reading will be familiar with - Marisha's story is one of identity and found family. Where does she belong? Where is her place in the world? Such deep-rooted questions help elevate the magical world Marisha finds herself in.
The central mystery is a good one and adds to the need for "one more chapter before bed." But there isn't a break-neck pace. The House of Frost and Feathers is expertly measured; Wiesbron allows the reader to discover Marisha's new world as she does and gives us a sense of time and place that's appreciated.
The House of Frost and Feathers is out in January, and is a perfect winter read. Mixing the familiar with something strikingly new, Lauren Wiesbron is a voice to watch out for, and The House of Frost and Feathers is a book to be devoured as soon as you can get your hands on it.
Marisha seeks to escape a life of misery and find her independence. But the infamous and feared sleeping plague is looming and there's no cure in sight. Finding work as an apprentice to Baba Zima's spiky understudy, Olena, Marisha is drawn into a world of magic and mystery. Can a cure for the sleeping plague be found before it's too late? And why are dreams of masked balls and questions over Marisha's family hounded her?
Delving into slavic folklore and mythology, Wiesbron spins a moreish narrative that is hard to put down. While the folklore elements are alluringly otherworldly, she wisely grounds the story with themes that anyone reading will be familiar with - Marisha's story is one of identity and found family. Where does she belong? Where is her place in the world? Such deep-rooted questions help elevate the magical world Marisha finds herself in.
The central mystery is a good one and adds to the need for "one more chapter before bed." But there isn't a break-neck pace. The House of Frost and Feathers is expertly measured; Wiesbron allows the reader to discover Marisha's new world as she does and gives us a sense of time and place that's appreciated.
The House of Frost and Feathers is out in January, and is a perfect winter read. Mixing the familiar with something strikingly new, Lauren Wiesbron is a voice to watch out for, and The House of Frost and Feathers is a book to be devoured as soon as you can get your hands on it.
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July 1, 2025firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!
unfortunately, dnf @53% — which is disappointing considering i was excited for a fresh baba yaga retelling (after not liking the many i had previously read). sadly, house of frost and feathers fell into the dislike category as i did not really care for the plot.
i did, however, really enjoy one of our fmcs olena! i appreciated her hard-work, wit, and the fact despite having magic, she did not want to heal her stump arm — this i felt a very refreshing take.
i saw another review that mentioned they wished marisha and olena ended up together — i DID think this was a sapphic retelling and so i’m disappointed to hear it is not.
as for the audio, the narrator did a great job!
unfortunately, dnf @53% — which is disappointing considering i was excited for a fresh baba yaga retelling (after not liking the many i had previously read). sadly, house of frost and feathers fell into the dislike category as i did not really care for the plot.
i did, however, really enjoy one of our fmcs olena! i appreciated her hard-work, wit, and the fact despite having magic, she did not want to heal her stump arm — this i felt a very refreshing take.
i saw another review that mentioned they wished marisha and olena ended up together — i DID think this was a sapphic retelling and so i’m disappointed to hear it is not.
as for the audio, the narrator did a great job!
August 18, 2025
3.5 rounding up 👌 This was a delightful read with a lovely cast of characters. It’s not quite a 4 star for me but I was definitely commenting to myself while I read and that is always a great sign. No spice in this one just a straight up fantasy where our cast of characters is looking to solve a sleeping plague. Great for upper middle school and older!
July 1, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.
Though I did enjoy this book, it was not completely what I was hoping for. Slavic tales with Baba Yaga always interest me if they are done right. However, I feel like the overall setting of the book provided that Skavic fairytale feel but fell short on actually being. It did have some interesting elements that helped , but I wish they could have been expressed more.
The pacing was just too slow for me and I feel like it could benefit feom being just a little bit shorter as again with many books nowadays there's a lot of talk with very little showing/action. I found myself trying to finish it quickly to come to an interesting part, so I did not have to DNF. The characters were a positive as they each had their own personalities, which were drawn out well.
I definitely still recommend it as I believe this will be a hit or miss kind of book, so give it a try if you find the premise interesting. However, it fell just a little short for me.
Though I did enjoy this book, it was not completely what I was hoping for. Slavic tales with Baba Yaga always interest me if they are done right. However, I feel like the overall setting of the book provided that Skavic fairytale feel but fell short on actually being. It did have some interesting elements that helped , but I wish they could have been expressed more.
The pacing was just too slow for me and I feel like it could benefit feom being just a little bit shorter as again with many books nowadays there's a lot of talk with very little showing/action. I found myself trying to finish it quickly to come to an interesting part, so I did not have to DNF. The characters were a positive as they each had their own personalities, which were drawn out well.
I definitely still recommend it as I believe this will be a hit or miss kind of book, so give it a try if you find the premise interesting. However, it fell just a little short for me.
May 15, 2025
I’m an absolute sucker for East Salvic folklore. It doesn’t matter the pitch, I see the chicken house & it zooms up my TBR really fast.
I absolutely adored Thistlefoot. And the Winternight triology. TBH, I’m clamoring for more in this arena.
But I feel bad. This was a swing and a miss for the category. Maybe the bar in this arena is higher than I realized.
Side characters were convenient vs critical/purposeful.
The transitions were confusing. Like the concept was there was the deployment lacked important tension.
Honestly, with another couple rounds of edits, this level of folk lore/mythology could shine brighter with the middle grade crowd.
I want to thank @Netgalley @Avonbooks and @HarperVoyagerUS for this ARC. Though it wasn’t a win in my book, I hope you keep your eyes out for more in this category.
I absolutely adored Thistlefoot. And the Winternight triology. TBH, I’m clamoring for more in this arena.
But I feel bad. This was a swing and a miss for the category. Maybe the bar in this arena is higher than I realized.
Side characters were convenient vs critical/purposeful.
The transitions were confusing. Like the concept was there was the deployment lacked important tension.
Honestly, with another couple rounds of edits, this level of folk lore/mythology could shine brighter with the middle grade crowd.
I want to thank @Netgalley @Avonbooks and @HarperVoyagerUS for this ARC. Though it wasn’t a win in my book, I hope you keep your eyes out for more in this category.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2025
This sounded so enchanting! Rich in Russian folklore- a sentient house, a curse plaguing the land, literal helping hands, a magical feathered friend, and a deal with a koldunya immediately piqued my interest!!
Unfortunately, I think this book tried to do too much. I also think it could have benefitted from a little heavier editing, as it was too light on plot to warrant over 500 pages- some of that was repetition (does sickbed yellow need to be used again and again? I fear I turned sickbed yellow hearing it just once) but at times I felt the dialog just ran in circles, and ultimately ended on an unsatisfying note. Will there be another book to tie up loose ends? I'm afraid I'm not interested enough in reading another 500 page book to find out.
Thanks to Harper Voyager for the eARC!
Unfortunately, I think this book tried to do too much. I also think it could have benefitted from a little heavier editing, as it was too light on plot to warrant over 500 pages- some of that was repetition (does sickbed yellow need to be used again and again? I fear I turned sickbed yellow hearing it just once) but at times I felt the dialog just ran in circles, and ultimately ended on an unsatisfying note. Will there be another book to tie up loose ends? I'm afraid I'm not interested enough in reading another 500 page book to find out.
Thanks to Harper Voyager for the eARC!
January 9, 2025
I was so excited to read this book after seeing it compared to The Bear and the Nightingale, one of my favorite books. While it didn't deliver as much as I'd hoped, it was undeniably beautifully written and an excellent tribute to Russian folklore. The prose was so lyrical and magical.
For me, the pacing was a little slower than I would've liked and it was a bit hard to push through at times, but at other points it was easy to immerse myself in the mysterious and beautiful story. The Sleeping Plague, a sinister illness that sweeps through the population, caught my interest the most, which is what the base storyline revolves around -- our main character Marisha searching for a cure with Olena.
The mysterious house of Baba Zima, which Marisha goes to in search of work in desperation, was both charming and eerie but the quirky and complex characters really held the show together. Though I was often frustrated by their lack of communication which could have solved so many things. On the other hand, the romance plot felt a little random and forced but it was a somewhat minor part of the story. Overall, this was an enjoyable read with breathtaking writing, but the slow pacing made it a bit hard for me. I think many fantasy lovers will still be a fan of this book, especially those who like Naomi Novak, Ava Reid and Katherine Arden.
Thank you so much to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC! 📚
For me, the pacing was a little slower than I would've liked and it was a bit hard to push through at times, but at other points it was easy to immerse myself in the mysterious and beautiful story. The Sleeping Plague, a sinister illness that sweeps through the population, caught my interest the most, which is what the base storyline revolves around -- our main character Marisha searching for a cure with Olena.
The mysterious house of Baba Zima, which Marisha goes to in search of work in desperation, was both charming and eerie but the quirky and complex characters really held the show together. Though I was often frustrated by their lack of communication which could have solved so many things. On the other hand, the romance plot felt a little random and forced but it was a somewhat minor part of the story. Overall, this was an enjoyable read with breathtaking writing, but the slow pacing made it a bit hard for me. I think many fantasy lovers will still be a fan of this book, especially those who like Naomi Novak, Ava Reid and Katherine Arden.
Thank you so much to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC! 📚
Want to read
January 2, 2025Okay first of all, I don't know what frost or feathers have to do with anything, but this book should have been called "House with Legs of Chicken". I mean sure, frost because it's winter and it's cold outside, and feathers because chickens have feathers but their LEGS don't! So House with Legs of Chicken is a much better title. Also, the only acceptable cover is the one with the house displaying it's glorious chicken legs.
January 7, 2025
Lets start with the positives 👀 The writing is pretty good and engaging, and the story idea as a whole sounds brilliant and had my initial attention. I loved Wiesebron's inclusion of the old Slavic tale of Baba Yaga's, or Baba Zima's in this case, house on a chicken leg and her use of Russian words and phrases to give the story a warming, Slavic folklore atmosphere.
By all means, I should have loved this book. Based on Slavic folklore and fairy tales I remember from my childhood, it should have been a hit for me. The synopsis sounded amazing and I was over the moon when I first started it. Sadly, in the end, for me this debut just didn't deliver.
At about 40% in, I was ready to quit. This book could have been half the length. For the most part, nothing happens and the story seems to drag needlessly. The search for the cure... it could have been done in a more exciting and entertaining way. As it was, it fell a bit flat and uninspiring. There is a little excitement towards the end of the book when a baddie enters the scene, but this whole part of the story felt a bit cartoonish, like a caricature. I haven't bonded with any of the characters which is the biggest issue for me when reading a book and ultimately, did not care what was happening to them.
Slavic folklore is clearly having its moment which, being Polish, I'm all for it. And it can be done well, like AB Poranek's Where the Dark Stands Still (such a wonderful story written so well!) or Naomi Novik's Uprooted, which are two books I’d recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
By all means, I should have loved this book. Based on Slavic folklore and fairy tales I remember from my childhood, it should have been a hit for me. The synopsis sounded amazing and I was over the moon when I first started it. Sadly, in the end, for me this debut just didn't deliver.
At about 40% in, I was ready to quit. This book could have been half the length. For the most part, nothing happens and the story seems to drag needlessly. The search for the cure... it could have been done in a more exciting and entertaining way. As it was, it fell a bit flat and uninspiring. There is a little excitement towards the end of the book when a baddie enters the scene, but this whole part of the story felt a bit cartoonish, like a caricature. I haven't bonded with any of the characters which is the biggest issue for me when reading a book and ultimately, did not care what was happening to them.
Slavic folklore is clearly having its moment which, being Polish, I'm all for it. And it can be done well, like AB Poranek's Where the Dark Stands Still (such a wonderful story written so well!) or Naomi Novik's Uprooted, which are two books I’d recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 21, 2025
This was a fun story based on Slavic folklore with major Howl’s Moving Castle vibes. Marisha lives in Chernozemyla, a land inflicted with an ancient sleeping plague. Every ten years on the dot people fall asleep. Both of Marisha’s parents are deep sleepers (people who sleep for more than a year) and her brother left her. Marisha escapes an inevitable arranged marriage at the hands of her awful Aunt by becoming an apprentice to an apprentice for a Koldunya. This particular Koldunya, Baba Zima, controls n orange chicken-legged house that travels from city to city. Baba Zima’s apprentice, Olena, is trying to find a cure for the plague. Marisha must overcome her disbelief of magic to help pursue a cure.
This book is very character driven. If someone does not enjoy character driven books, they will not enjoy this book. I’m not a huge fan of character driven stories, but the folklore was so dang good. The plot takes a back seat to the story told through Baba Zima, Marisha, Olena, and eventually Valdim. The pacing is a little skewed. The book starts off very strong, is incredibly slow, and is non-stop through the last 20%. I really enjoyed the last 20% of the book. I wish there would have been more character development between the two couples. I feel like there was a lot of potential between both love interests to further explore those particular characters. I feel that with some consolidation (the book is over 500 pages) this story would be even more enjoyable.
I enjoyed the book and will definitely recommend it as long as the readers are okay with a slow pace and character driven story. 3.75 stars
Thank you SO much to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the early copy.
This book is very character driven. If someone does not enjoy character driven books, they will not enjoy this book. I’m not a huge fan of character driven stories, but the folklore was so dang good. The plot takes a back seat to the story told through Baba Zima, Marisha, Olena, and eventually Valdim. The pacing is a little skewed. The book starts off very strong, is incredibly slow, and is non-stop through the last 20%. I really enjoyed the last 20% of the book. I wish there would have been more character development between the two couples. I feel like there was a lot of potential between both love interests to further explore those particular characters. I feel that with some consolidation (the book is over 500 pages) this story would be even more enjoyable.
I enjoyed the book and will definitely recommend it as long as the readers are okay with a slow pace and character driven story. 3.75 stars
Thank you SO much to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the early copy.
November 27, 2024
Marisha is a young woman struggling to find her way in the world following her parents falling to the sleeping plague and her brother, Dima, leaving her to find a way to make money for the family. Marisha finds a job as the assistant to Baba Zima and Olena, a travelling koldunya and her apprentice.
The novel weaves between Marisha and Olena's perspectives as they find a way to work together in the search for a cure for the sleeping plague. The tale was rich in folklore, and felt perfect for getting lost into on a cold, dark wintry night. The development of the characters was well placed, and I found myself rooting for each of them.
My main critique of the novel would be the pacing, which was overall good, but the ending seemed very sudden and with a lot of threads unresolved. I think these will be resolved in a sequel, however I'd have liked a bit more of the resolution within this tale.
Overall, an enjoyable read I'd give 3.75 stars and would recommend to anyone looking to curl up into an atmospheric, folklore inspired tale of a cold, wintry evening. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this novel.
The novel weaves between Marisha and Olena's perspectives as they find a way to work together in the search for a cure for the sleeping plague. The tale was rich in folklore, and felt perfect for getting lost into on a cold, dark wintry night. The development of the characters was well placed, and I found myself rooting for each of them.
My main critique of the novel would be the pacing, which was overall good, but the ending seemed very sudden and with a lot of threads unresolved. I think these will be resolved in a sequel, however I'd have liked a bit more of the resolution within this tale.
Overall, an enjoyable read I'd give 3.75 stars and would recommend to anyone looking to curl up into an atmospheric, folklore inspired tale of a cold, wintry evening. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this novel.
August 25, 2025
I love a retelling/reimagining of folklore and fairytales. House of Frost and Feathers felt like Baba Yaga meets Howl's Moving Castle with dark curses and a magical moving cottage.
In a world where a sleeping plague is sweeping over the land, Marisha finds herself searching for a job and potentially a cure to save her family when she comes upon a posting for a koldunya's apprentice (pretty much a sorcerer/healer). Accepting the job she joins a cast of odd characters including the mysterious Baba Zima and her apprentice Olena.
I loved Olena and Marisha's banter and journey from begrudgingly having to deal with each other to actually becoming friends. I thought their relationship would become more than friends but it looks like even with all their chemistry, it's a strictly platonic friendship.
While I loved the imagery of this book and the cast of characters, I feel like this is one of those novels that could have benefited from being a little shorter. At around 500 pages, there's a lot to take in but there were sections I felt could have been more concise. Overall, a great debut and I look forward to reading more from this author!
In a world where a sleeping plague is sweeping over the land, Marisha finds herself searching for a job and potentially a cure to save her family when she comes upon a posting for a koldunya's apprentice (pretty much a sorcerer/healer). Accepting the job she joins a cast of odd characters including the mysterious Baba Zima and her apprentice Olena.
I loved Olena and Marisha's banter and journey from begrudgingly having to deal with each other to actually becoming friends. I thought their relationship would become more than friends but it looks like even with all their chemistry, it's a strictly platonic friendship.
While I loved the imagery of this book and the cast of characters, I feel like this is one of those novels that could have benefited from being a little shorter. At around 500 pages, there's a lot to take in but there were sections I felt could have been more concise. Overall, a great debut and I look forward to reading more from this author!
August 29, 2025
DNF @ 50% with 2.5 stars. This did not need to be 500 pages.
Overarchingly, this was inspired by Baba Yaga. It has overtures of it and I did like those similarities. I also loved the disability rep with Olena and how it made her a better kodulna because of it. I liked Marisha and her bullheadedness. I even liked Baba Zima and her theatrics.
But oh my heaven does it drag in the middle. So much that I don't even care who the big bad is anymore, what caused the sleeping curse, how to break said curse, or even what happened to Baba Serafima. I also don't like the hints of budding romance based on nothing but watching a guy sleep? Creepy.
If you like slow paced plots paired with slice-of-life domesticity you'll probably like this one better than me.
Overarchingly, this was inspired by Baba Yaga. It has overtures of it and I did like those similarities. I also loved the disability rep with Olena and how it made her a better kodulna because of it. I liked Marisha and her bullheadedness. I even liked Baba Zima and her theatrics.
But oh my heaven does it drag in the middle. So much that I don't even care who the big bad is anymore, what caused the sleeping curse, how to break said curse, or even what happened to Baba Serafima. I also don't like the hints of budding romance based on nothing but watching a guy sleep? Creepy.
If you like slow paced plots paired with slice-of-life domesticity you'll probably like this one better than me.
January 16, 2026
We follow Marisha, a young Russian woman currently living with her aunt as her family are victims of a mysterious ever-sleeping plague that’s affecting many in the land, who is currently trying to find a job in hopes of escaping from being a young bride. Finding an odd advertisement and entering a strange but magical house that has chicken legs, she unexpectedly becomes an assistant for the knowledgeable witch Baba Zima and her icy apprentice Olena. However, she immediately becomes entranced with the world of witchcraft and taken reluctantly under Olena’s stern wing while attempting to help find the cure to end the sleeping plague.
Marisha’s story is a very mysterious and slow-moving fantasy that has so much magic and drama. Its Russian fantasy folklore is definitely what makes it worth reading as there’s lot to explore and learn, as well as its very interesting cover. It does have small familiar hints from other fantasy books like “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Harry Potter”. Our cast of main characters, including our determined heroine, bring a lot of personality while Olena takes a while to warm up to. There are times when the story can drag in some parts while being a bit long too, but it’s does leave enough for a possible sequel.
“Frost and Feathers” is a great folklore fantasy that has a plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
B+ (83%/Very Good)
Marisha’s story is a very mysterious and slow-moving fantasy that has so much magic and drama. Its Russian fantasy folklore is definitely what makes it worth reading as there’s lot to explore and learn, as well as its very interesting cover. It does have small familiar hints from other fantasy books like “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Harry Potter”. Our cast of main characters, including our determined heroine, bring a lot of personality while Olena takes a while to warm up to. There are times when the story can drag in some parts while being a bit long too, but it’s does leave enough for a possible sequel.
“Frost and Feathers” is a great folklore fantasy that has a plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
B+ (83%/Very Good)
June 21, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was such a fun story! I’ve never read a story featuring Baba Yaga’s house (or in this story, Baba Zima’s) until now, but I loved following Marisha’s and Olena’s story as they worked and tried to coexist together in this sentient home. We see our two FMCs butting heads often, but at the end of the day they looked out and took care of each other when it mattered most.
Marisha was hands down my favorite character. Even though she had her moments of dishonesty for the sake of self preservation, she was still a kind, young woman with a strong sense of morality and integrity. Olena was a bit more of a prickly character and self-centered at times, but we still get to see her softer side, such as when she took care of Marisha or when she was cuddling and baby talking to Golgolin.
I wish we could’ve explored more of the other world but maybe we’ll still get that opportunity. I was under the impression this was going to be a standalone novel, but there were definitely some unanswered questions and loose ends left untied by the end of the story, potentially setting up for a sequel.
I would definitely recommend this story to anyone looking for a cozy, folklore fantasy to read in the colder months!
This was such a fun story! I’ve never read a story featuring Baba Yaga’s house (or in this story, Baba Zima’s) until now, but I loved following Marisha’s and Olena’s story as they worked and tried to coexist together in this sentient home. We see our two FMCs butting heads often, but at the end of the day they looked out and took care of each other when it mattered most.
Marisha was hands down my favorite character. Even though she had her moments of dishonesty for the sake of self preservation, she was still a kind, young woman with a strong sense of morality and integrity. Olena was a bit more of a prickly character and self-centered at times, but we still get to see her softer side, such as when she took care of Marisha or when she was cuddling and baby talking to Golgolin.
I wish we could’ve explored more of the other world but maybe we’ll still get that opportunity. I was under the impression this was going to be a standalone novel, but there were definitely some unanswered questions and loose ends left untied by the end of the story, potentially setting up for a sequel.
I would definitely recommend this story to anyone looking for a cozy, folklore fantasy to read in the colder months!
January 12, 2025
2,5 stars rounded up to 3
As a fan of Slavic folklore, I was hoping for an engaging story that would bring back memories of home. That didn`t happen.
Most of the book resembles folklore only in its settings. It consists of a huge amount of dialogue and lots of arguments, but not much is actually going on. The characters aren't convincing either—grown women behave like teenagers. The first chapter was quite interesting, but then it all became boring. I was begging the universe to somehow speed it all up.
As a fan of Slavic folklore, I was hoping for an engaging story that would bring back memories of home. That didn`t happen.
Most of the book resembles folklore only in its settings. It consists of a huge amount of dialogue and lots of arguments, but not much is actually going on. The characters aren't convincing either—grown women behave like teenagers. The first chapter was quite interesting, but then it all became boring. I was begging the universe to somehow speed it all up.
August 5, 2025
This is wildly out of my comfort zone zone, but I was attracted by the cover so I was willing to give it a shot and I ended up enjoying it but u don't think that the blurb does a good job of explaining what this book is really about either.
This is a fantasy no doubt, but it is very slow, and I know that is typical in fantasy because there is so much world building but so much time is spent inside and the day to day life the house with chicken legs as they live with and learn about each other. Baba Zina fosters an air of mystery and competition amongst Olen's and Marisha but tits not til the last 20 or so percent that anything major stars to happen and with a book this thick, Thats a long time to wait. It's kind of left open ended so there's a possibility of a sequel but I'm not positive that I would rush to read it. I am curious about the creeping plague though
My favorite thing about it was probably the found family because I am a sucker for that. Where does Marisha fit in in this world which is a question we have probably all asked ourselves at one time or another.
If you're a fan a Slavic folklore, you will probably enjoy thus story.
Thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
This is a fantasy no doubt, but it is very slow, and I know that is typical in fantasy because there is so much world building but so much time is spent inside and the day to day life the house with chicken legs as they live with and learn about each other. Baba Zina fosters an air of mystery and competition amongst Olen's and Marisha but tits not til the last 20 or so percent that anything major stars to happen and with a book this thick, Thats a long time to wait. It's kind of left open ended so there's a possibility of a sequel but I'm not positive that I would rush to read it. I am curious about the creeping plague though
My favorite thing about it was probably the found family because I am a sucker for that. Where does Marisha fit in in this world which is a question we have probably all asked ourselves at one time or another.
If you're a fan a Slavic folklore, you will probably enjoy thus story.
Thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
July 7, 2025
I need to have a word with whoever used The Bear and the Nightingale to describe the vibes of this novel… Nice concept, but overall a mess.
December 19, 2025
3.5
Fun folklore, but it felt a bit surface level. I think perhaps it was trying to do too much or tie too many things/people together. There was too much to focus on for me to truly love the characters and care about what happened to them. However, I did really enjoy learning about the house and some of the other stories that are imperative to our characters.
Fun folklore, but it felt a bit surface level. I think perhaps it was trying to do too much or tie too many things/people together. There was too much to focus on for me to truly love the characters and care about what happened to them. However, I did really enjoy learning about the house and some of the other stories that are imperative to our characters.
August 5, 2025
My Selling Pitch:
A Slavic folktale retelling with good bones but muddy plotting and pacing issues that make it more frustrating than enjoyable to read.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
The cover gives Baba Yaga, and Valente’s Deathless permanently altered my brain chemistry, so like I’m sat.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Sighs in painfully clumsy fmc because she’s not like other girls.
It’s an abrupt beginning, but I’m in.
That’s my hair color haha.
Is this sapphic? (No, but it should’ve been.)
It reminds me of A Dark and Drowning Tide.
Girl, this is screaming lesbian rivals to lovers.
This book makes me hungry.
To whatever end <3
This is a little slow, but I’m hoping it’s about to pick up. It’s A LOT like Deathless, but Deathless is a toothy masterpiece.
This book has the characters ruminate on their decisions before they make them AND after, and it’s getting repetitive. This book needs to move faster. Just trust your audience to read motive.
Also, I no longer think this is gonna be sapphic. I think it’s the witch x musician rivals to lovers and skeptic x dreamer. Which like cute, but the girlies have chemistry. I'd rather something messy between all of them. Get Kelly Andrew’s flair on this.
Requisite YA fantasy masquerade ball
I'm sure she's in his dreams right now. (Duh)
Oh shit, or is this the love interest? Damn, everyone's compelling. (Bird man is barely a character.)
We’re due for a villain appearance.
Camaraderie, I mean-🎶 (From my cold, dead hands.)
Could Nightingale be the dream bird man?
If you're gonna put a romance between them, it’s weird for him to compare her to his mom.
I'm so intrigued, but this is very, very slow.
Ma'am, your house has chicken feet. Just believe in magic already.
It took me a second to realize she was saying beard and not kitty boy.
This book’s pacing is crippling it.
It's so frustrating when a book summarizes what you just read. And then it’s even more frustrating that this book is so convoluted and so easy to check out from that I kind of like having the summaries because I’m like okay, THAT’S what was going on.
Well damn. The book’s being annoyingly obscure, but Zima better be okay.
I don’t know how you can look like a bird and a sunburst at the same time, but I also don’t give a shit. This mask nonsense makes no sense.
This book is so rough, but the bones are so good. It’s so frustrating.
God, what a mess. That’s not an ending.
Post-reading:
You know what’s a bad sign for a book? If you’re wishing it was one you’ve already read the whole time.
It’s not the same story as Valente’s Deathless, but it’s the same vibe, and you’re going to be stuck comparing them the whole time. And this book comes up really, really short.
The plot is so muddied, the book’s forced to constantly summarize a chapter’s contents for the reader. That’s bad, bad writing in my opinion. The pacing is all over the place. You’ll complain about the slog you’ve been on only for an action scene to wrap up quicker than it started.
And it’s frustrating because the bones of this story are so good. The character archetypes are compelling. A witchy scientist and a musician. A skeptic and a dreamer. Sapphic rivalry. Like it was all there, and I was desperate for the mess. We don’t get any of that. It needed to be sexier. It needed juicy drama.
The audience is kept frustratingly in the dark for most of the book, and you can guess at backstories, but dragging them out until the 90% mark only to leave them largely unresolved is cruel.
The book doesn’t end neatly either. I can’t tell if the author was leaving room for a sequel, or if she genuinely thought this non-ending sufficed.
Side characters are forgotten about. One romance tentatively works. The other makes no sense. It’s instalove with nothing to ground it, but the audience is expected to root for it.
It’s just lacking a compelling plot to anchor it and then you’re reading 400-odd pages for what? Witchy chores, a blip of forced romance, and a nod to folktales? That’s not enough. If you’re looking for a folktale retelling with bite I really recommend skipping this and picking up Deathless instead.
Who should read this:
Folktale fans
Ideal reading time:
Winter
Do I want to reread this:
Nope.
Would I buy this:
Nope.
Similar books:
* Deathless by Catheryne M. Valente-same book, better font. Russian folktale retelling, historical, messy romance
* A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft-fantasy, mystery, sapphic, rivals to lovers, academia
* The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers-fairytale retelling, magical realism, family drama, deal with a demon
* The Book of Love by Kelly Link-magical realism, family drama, ensemble cast, deal with a demon
* The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden-historical, magical realism, family drama, deal with a devil
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A Slavic folktale retelling with good bones but muddy plotting and pacing issues that make it more frustrating than enjoyable to read.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
The cover gives Baba Yaga, and Valente’s Deathless permanently altered my brain chemistry, so like I’m sat.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Sighs in painfully clumsy fmc because she’s not like other girls.
It’s an abrupt beginning, but I’m in.
That’s my hair color haha.
Is this sapphic? (No, but it should’ve been.)
It reminds me of A Dark and Drowning Tide.
Girl, this is screaming lesbian rivals to lovers.
This book makes me hungry.
To whatever end <3
This is a little slow, but I’m hoping it’s about to pick up. It’s A LOT like Deathless, but Deathless is a toothy masterpiece.
This book has the characters ruminate on their decisions before they make them AND after, and it’s getting repetitive. This book needs to move faster. Just trust your audience to read motive.
Also, I no longer think this is gonna be sapphic. I think it’s the witch x musician rivals to lovers and skeptic x dreamer. Which like cute, but the girlies have chemistry. I'd rather something messy between all of them. Get Kelly Andrew’s flair on this.
Requisite YA fantasy masquerade ball
I'm sure she's in his dreams right now. (Duh)
Oh shit, or is this the love interest? Damn, everyone's compelling. (Bird man is barely a character.)
We’re due for a villain appearance.
Camaraderie, I mean-🎶 (From my cold, dead hands.)
Could Nightingale be the dream bird man?
If you're gonna put a romance between them, it’s weird for him to compare her to his mom.
I'm so intrigued, but this is very, very slow.
Ma'am, your house has chicken feet. Just believe in magic already.
It took me a second to realize she was saying beard and not kitty boy.
This book’s pacing is crippling it.
It's so frustrating when a book summarizes what you just read. And then it’s even more frustrating that this book is so convoluted and so easy to check out from that I kind of like having the summaries because I’m like okay, THAT’S what was going on.
Well damn. The book’s being annoyingly obscure, but Zima better be okay.
I don’t know how you can look like a bird and a sunburst at the same time, but I also don’t give a shit. This mask nonsense makes no sense.
This book is so rough, but the bones are so good. It’s so frustrating.
God, what a mess. That’s not an ending.
Post-reading:
You know what’s a bad sign for a book? If you’re wishing it was one you’ve already read the whole time.
It’s not the same story as Valente’s Deathless, but it’s the same vibe, and you’re going to be stuck comparing them the whole time. And this book comes up really, really short.
The plot is so muddied, the book’s forced to constantly summarize a chapter’s contents for the reader. That’s bad, bad writing in my opinion. The pacing is all over the place. You’ll complain about the slog you’ve been on only for an action scene to wrap up quicker than it started.
And it’s frustrating because the bones of this story are so good. The character archetypes are compelling. A witchy scientist and a musician. A skeptic and a dreamer. Sapphic rivalry. Like it was all there, and I was desperate for the mess. We don’t get any of that. It needed to be sexier. It needed juicy drama.
The audience is kept frustratingly in the dark for most of the book, and you can guess at backstories, but dragging them out until the 90% mark only to leave them largely unresolved is cruel.
The book doesn’t end neatly either. I can’t tell if the author was leaving room for a sequel, or if she genuinely thought this non-ending sufficed.
Side characters are forgotten about. One romance tentatively works. The other makes no sense. It’s instalove with nothing to ground it, but the audience is expected to root for it.
It’s just lacking a compelling plot to anchor it and then you’re reading 400-odd pages for what? Witchy chores, a blip of forced romance, and a nod to folktales? That’s not enough. If you’re looking for a folktale retelling with bite I really recommend skipping this and picking up Deathless instead.
Who should read this:
Folktale fans
Ideal reading time:
Winter
Do I want to reread this:
Nope.
Would I buy this:
Nope.
Similar books:
* Deathless by Catheryne M. Valente-same book, better font. Russian folktale retelling, historical, messy romance
* A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft-fantasy, mystery, sapphic, rivals to lovers, academia
* The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers-fairytale retelling, magical realism, family drama, deal with a demon
* The Book of Love by Kelly Link-magical realism, family drama, ensemble cast, deal with a demon
* The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden-historical, magical realism, family drama, deal with a devil
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2025
I enjoyed this! This fantasy takes the scenic route to build a winter-in-an-ancient-forest ambiance with Slavic folklore elements. The emphasis on building the characters made me endeared to the various main characters, but the pacing did slow to a glacial pace at times.
The writing was great, and I could envision the scenes and the fantastical elements easily. I was not familiar with the folk tales referenced, but I was still able to follow the folklore ties the author had. Almost all of the main characters were women, and none were dependent on men to further their stories, which I appreciated. There is more dialogue than I expected given the vibe, but it mostly hit the mark to build the relationships between characters. The recurring arguments sometimes felt repetitive.
You should be in the mood for a slower-paced fantasy focusing on individual characters with very minor romance elements, or you might find this book hard to get into. The book focuses mainly on one location and one set of characters, and you really get to know them as a true standalone novel. I think this is an impressive debut, and I would definitely read more books by this author.
Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager, for the arc!
The writing was great, and I could envision the scenes and the fantastical elements easily. I was not familiar with the folk tales referenced, but I was still able to follow the folklore ties the author had. Almost all of the main characters were women, and none were dependent on men to further their stories, which I appreciated. There is more dialogue than I expected given the vibe, but it mostly hit the mark to build the relationships between characters. The recurring arguments sometimes felt repetitive.
You should be in the mood for a slower-paced fantasy focusing on individual characters with very minor romance elements, or you might find this book hard to get into. The book focuses mainly on one location and one set of characters, and you really get to know them as a true standalone novel. I think this is an impressive debut, and I would definitely read more books by this author.
Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager, for the arc!
dnf
July 15, 2025DNF @ 53%
I'll start off this review by saying that the book isn't bad. But I literally didn't read any books at all for almost two days because I was reading THIS book and I should finish it and not start other things... but also I just didn't want to read it. And it's time to admit to myself that this book just isn't working for me.
I like the setting of the magical house (though I'm admittedly confused about the greater world/time this is taking place in). I like some of the characters, particularly Baba Zima. I think the mystery with the sleepers and the plague is vaguely interesting, same for her dad's scar, but overall not *that* intriguing.
I don't like the shoehorned hetero love interests. This feels like the story was originally supposed to be strong friendship/vague romance between the two female characters and the men were written in last minute to prove they're so hetero. Zima's son has a little personality to him at least, but the rest of it and their storylines together is just so blah. It also feels like the plot isn't really progressing, but I'm not trading progression for character growth/development, world-building, nor atmosphere. Instead it's just dragging on and I honestly don't know for what.
I think if this was a good 150pgs shorter it could be a pretty tight, interesting story. But it's just not doing it for me and doesn't live up to its predecessors of Spinning Silver or The Bear and the Nightingale.
Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I'll start off this review by saying that the book isn't bad. But I literally didn't read any books at all for almost two days because I was reading THIS book and I should finish it and not start other things... but also I just didn't want to read it. And it's time to admit to myself that this book just isn't working for me.
I like the setting of the magical house (though I'm admittedly confused about the greater world/time this is taking place in). I like some of the characters, particularly Baba Zima. I think the mystery with the sleepers and the plague is vaguely interesting, same for her dad's scar, but overall not *that* intriguing.
I don't like the shoehorned hetero love interests. This feels like the story was originally supposed to be strong friendship/vague romance between the two female characters and the men were written in last minute to prove they're so hetero. Zima's son has a little personality to him at least, but the rest of it and their storylines together is just so blah. It also feels like the plot isn't really progressing, but I'm not trading progression for character growth/development, world-building, nor atmosphere. Instead it's just dragging on and I honestly don't know for what.
I think if this was a good 150pgs shorter it could be a pretty tight, interesting story. But it's just not doing it for me and doesn't live up to its predecessors of Spinning Silver or The Bear and the Nightingale.
Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 16, 2025
house of frost and feathers is a novel that will probably go over well for fans of rebecca ross’s prose and integration of folklore, as well as a.b. poranek’s debut novel where the dark stands still.
lauren wiesebron’s debut is another addition to the baba yaga retelling canon, with bits and pieces that feel straight out of howl’s moving castle or spirited away. the novel follows marisha, a woman in her early twenties who is desperate for any future besides a loveless arranged marriage. her search for a job finds her at the doorstep of baba zima’s bright orange, chicken-footed house, where she comes on as an assistant to olena, baba zima’s apprentice. the characters and the house itself give the book a whimsical energy steeped in slavic folklore, and while it’s hard to necessarily like the characters of baba zima or olena, they certainly give marisha’s experiences texture.
chernozemlya, the novel’s rendition of the russian/ukrainian chernozem “black earth” region , is stricken once per decade with a sleeping plague of unknown origin, and the women of baba zima’s house are driven by their desire to be the first to find its cure. this is the central motivating force of the novel, but it is where my more concrete issues with the book start to crop up. marisha does have a personal connection to the plague, as both of her parents are so-called “deep sleepers” (plague victims who never wake up). but marisha herself never really gets into the magic surrounding her. she resists the work that she is doing for olena, and most of the novel ends up feeling entirely situational. lots of things happen around marisha, and while she might play her part in some of these moments, she is not the character who is really shaping these events. the sustained focus on her character ends up paling in comparison to the occasional chapter we get with more of a focus on olena, who makes for a much more compelling protagonist.
marisha’s status as a blank canvas onto which wiesebron can throw exposition and plot progression only gets stronger as the novel progresses. there are at least two major revelations that come to the reader in the form of marisha hiding behind or in a tree, without the participants in these eavesdropped conversations ever knowing she was there. and her knowledge of these situations doesn’t even end up being particularly consequential—these scenes very much just exist so that key aspects of other characters can be revealed without having to drastically shift the novel’s perspective. marisha just bobs along from chapter to chapter, mostly personality-less and without any spark or motivation to speak of.
the ending was also very disappointing to me. i won’t go into specific detail, other than to say that marisha’s initial issue of having absolutely no idea what she wants out of life goes completely unresolved. the story more or less ends where it starts for marisha only, and not in a “wow life is so ambiguous and expansive, we are always changing” kind of way. rather, marisha managed to last for an entire 500-page novel without having any character development to speak of. the consistency would almost be impressive if it didn’t make for a pretty unremarkable protagonist.
would i generally recommend this? maybe—despite my complaints, i did manage to stick it out through the end without wanting to put it down and walk away from it. i think it might work really well if you love slavic folklore retellings, slow-paced light fantasy, or tend to prefer plot-based over character-based stories. wiesebron has a good eye and voice for detail and crafting very sensory scenes, but the actual events happening within this world missed the mark just a bit for me.
thank you to netgalley and harper voyager for an e-arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
lauren wiesebron’s debut is another addition to the baba yaga retelling canon, with bits and pieces that feel straight out of howl’s moving castle or spirited away. the novel follows marisha, a woman in her early twenties who is desperate for any future besides a loveless arranged marriage. her search for a job finds her at the doorstep of baba zima’s bright orange, chicken-footed house, where she comes on as an assistant to olena, baba zima’s apprentice. the characters and the house itself give the book a whimsical energy steeped in slavic folklore, and while it’s hard to necessarily like the characters of baba zima or olena, they certainly give marisha’s experiences texture.
chernozemlya, the novel’s rendition of the russian/ukrainian chernozem “black earth” region , is stricken once per decade with a sleeping plague of unknown origin, and the women of baba zima’s house are driven by their desire to be the first to find its cure. this is the central motivating force of the novel, but it is where my more concrete issues with the book start to crop up. marisha does have a personal connection to the plague, as both of her parents are so-called “deep sleepers” (plague victims who never wake up). but marisha herself never really gets into the magic surrounding her. she resists the work that she is doing for olena, and most of the novel ends up feeling entirely situational. lots of things happen around marisha, and while she might play her part in some of these moments, she is not the character who is really shaping these events. the sustained focus on her character ends up paling in comparison to the occasional chapter we get with more of a focus on olena, who makes for a much more compelling protagonist.
marisha’s status as a blank canvas onto which wiesebron can throw exposition and plot progression only gets stronger as the novel progresses. there are at least two major revelations that come to the reader in the form of marisha hiding behind or in a tree, without the participants in these eavesdropped conversations ever knowing she was there. and her knowledge of these situations doesn’t even end up being particularly consequential—these scenes very much just exist so that key aspects of other characters can be revealed without having to drastically shift the novel’s perspective. marisha just bobs along from chapter to chapter, mostly personality-less and without any spark or motivation to speak of.
the ending was also very disappointing to me. i won’t go into specific detail, other than to say that marisha’s initial issue of having absolutely no idea what she wants out of life goes completely unresolved. the story more or less ends where it starts for marisha only, and not in a “wow life is so ambiguous and expansive, we are always changing” kind of way. rather, marisha managed to last for an entire 500-page novel without having any character development to speak of. the consistency would almost be impressive if it didn’t make for a pretty unremarkable protagonist.
would i generally recommend this? maybe—despite my complaints, i did manage to stick it out through the end without wanting to put it down and walk away from it. i think it might work really well if you love slavic folklore retellings, slow-paced light fantasy, or tend to prefer plot-based over character-based stories. wiesebron has a good eye and voice for detail and crafting very sensory scenes, but the actual events happening within this world missed the mark just a bit for me.
thank you to netgalley and harper voyager for an e-arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
July 14, 2025
If you love adult fairytales rooted in myth and magic--think Ava Reid, Peter S. Beagle, Katherine Arden, House of Frost and Feathers by Lauren Wiesebron belongs at the top of your TBR. This book is pure perfection.
***Update: I’ve seen a few reviews saying this book is nothing like Ava Reid or Katherine Arden--and I absolutely disagree. No, it’s not trying to be those books. But it lives in the same imaginative space: richly built fairytale worlds, folklore-infused storytelling, and a lyrical writing style that pulls you in. This isn’t about copying Reid or Arden. It’s about creating a story with that same kind of magic, dark and whimsical, thoughtful and strange. House of Frost and Feathers does precisely that. It may not be their book, but it’s very much in conversation with them. And that’s a compliment, not a critique. Appreciate it for what it is: a beautifully written, original tale that absolutely belongs on the shelf with those other lovely fairytales.***
The writing? Lyrical and immersive. The world? Steeped in Slavic lore. We follow Baba Zima, a powerful (and often wildly unpleasant) witch, as she trains two apprentices while a mysterious sleeping plague sweeps through nearby villages. The two apprentices, rivals forced into reluctant partnership--must navigate jealousy, secrets, and spellwork to uncover the truth behind the plague and earn Baba Zima’s trust… or at least survive her long enough to find answers. It’s a story about power, trust, and choosing who you want to become. And yes, the house has chicken feet. Because obviously. This book is magical, atmospheric, and soaked in folklore. If you love stories about witches, curses, secret histories, and unlikely friendships, House of Frost and Feathers will absolutely enchant you. It's the perfect read for cozy fall or wintry nights.
Themes:
Folklore & mythology
Female mentorship (the messy kind)
Found family through reluctant friendship
Power, trust, and transformation
Secrets, curses, and magic as survival
Additionally, I had the opportunity to listen to the Advanced Listener Copy. The narration is fantastic; it pulls you into this magical world without overdoing it, and the tone fits the eerie, enchanted vibe of the story. Each character feels distinct, and Baba Zima’s sharpness especially comes through. If you enjoy audiobooks that feel like you're being told a dark fairytale by firelight, this one delivers. I would highly recommend an immersive read--I'm obsessed.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely. If you love atmospheric, lore-rich stories about witches, curses, and quiet personal growth, House of Frost and Feathers will charm you. It’s perfect for fans of cozy fantasy with a darker edge. Add it to your fall or winter reading list--you won’t regret it.
Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to read/listen to these advanced copies and provide an honest review. Both were fantastic.
***Update: I’ve seen a few reviews saying this book is nothing like Ava Reid or Katherine Arden--and I absolutely disagree. No, it’s not trying to be those books. But it lives in the same imaginative space: richly built fairytale worlds, folklore-infused storytelling, and a lyrical writing style that pulls you in. This isn’t about copying Reid or Arden. It’s about creating a story with that same kind of magic, dark and whimsical, thoughtful and strange. House of Frost and Feathers does precisely that. It may not be their book, but it’s very much in conversation with them. And that’s a compliment, not a critique. Appreciate it for what it is: a beautifully written, original tale that absolutely belongs on the shelf with those other lovely fairytales.***
The writing? Lyrical and immersive. The world? Steeped in Slavic lore. We follow Baba Zima, a powerful (and often wildly unpleasant) witch, as she trains two apprentices while a mysterious sleeping plague sweeps through nearby villages. The two apprentices, rivals forced into reluctant partnership--must navigate jealousy, secrets, and spellwork to uncover the truth behind the plague and earn Baba Zima’s trust… or at least survive her long enough to find answers. It’s a story about power, trust, and choosing who you want to become. And yes, the house has chicken feet. Because obviously. This book is magical, atmospheric, and soaked in folklore. If you love stories about witches, curses, secret histories, and unlikely friendships, House of Frost and Feathers will absolutely enchant you. It's the perfect read for cozy fall or wintry nights.
Themes:
Folklore & mythology
Female mentorship (the messy kind)
Found family through reluctant friendship
Power, trust, and transformation
Secrets, curses, and magic as survival
Additionally, I had the opportunity to listen to the Advanced Listener Copy. The narration is fantastic; it pulls you into this magical world without overdoing it, and the tone fits the eerie, enchanted vibe of the story. Each character feels distinct, and Baba Zima’s sharpness especially comes through. If you enjoy audiobooks that feel like you're being told a dark fairytale by firelight, this one delivers. I would highly recommend an immersive read--I'm obsessed.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely. If you love atmospheric, lore-rich stories about witches, curses, and quiet personal growth, House of Frost and Feathers will charm you. It’s perfect for fans of cozy fantasy with a darker edge. Add it to your fall or winter reading list--you won’t regret it.
Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to read/listen to these advanced copies and provide an honest review. Both were fantastic.
December 23, 2024
Howl's Moving Castle meets Baba Yaga.
Marisha doesn't believe in the magic of the koldunya (women who use magic to help and heal), but she's desperate enough that she secures a position in the house of the koldunya Baba Zima to escape her current life. Not only is she fleeing the threat of an arranged marriage, she is also fearful of the approaching plague. Every ten years the sleeping plague arrives, sending people into a year-long sleep if they're lucky, if they aren't, like Marisha's parents, they remain deep sleepers.
Marisha becomes the assistant to Olena, Baba Zima's apprentice, who is determined to discover a cure for the plague. She's a prickly character, pushed and tested constantly by Zima. As they continue their research, Marisha becomes haunted by strange dreams of masked dancers and sinister bird-faced men.
The story immediately drew me in, it's not fast-paced action, instead there's a lot of daily life in the house: Marisha learning her role, growing in confidence and understanding, discovering the hidden wonders of the house (I love a sentient building - it even skis!), Olena desperately trying to prove herself. I liked the mix of these elements with the darker mystery that is threaded throughout.
My only issue was that the ending felt a lot faster-paced and dramatic than the rest of the book, although I did like the setting for it.
I don't know if there are going to be more books with these characters, but I'll certainly look forward to reading more from the author.
Thanks to Hodderscape for providing me with a netgalley review copy
Marisha doesn't believe in the magic of the koldunya (women who use magic to help and heal), but she's desperate enough that she secures a position in the house of the koldunya Baba Zima to escape her current life. Not only is she fleeing the threat of an arranged marriage, she is also fearful of the approaching plague. Every ten years the sleeping plague arrives, sending people into a year-long sleep if they're lucky, if they aren't, like Marisha's parents, they remain deep sleepers.
Marisha becomes the assistant to Olena, Baba Zima's apprentice, who is determined to discover a cure for the plague. She's a prickly character, pushed and tested constantly by Zima. As they continue their research, Marisha becomes haunted by strange dreams of masked dancers and sinister bird-faced men.
The story immediately drew me in, it's not fast-paced action, instead there's a lot of daily life in the house: Marisha learning her role, growing in confidence and understanding, discovering the hidden wonders of the house (I love a sentient building - it even skis!), Olena desperately trying to prove herself. I liked the mix of these elements with the darker mystery that is threaded throughout.
My only issue was that the ending felt a lot faster-paced and dramatic than the rest of the book, although I did like the setting for it.
I don't know if there are going to be more books with these characters, but I'll certainly look forward to reading more from the author.
Thanks to Hodderscape for providing me with a netgalley review copy
January 8, 2026
I’m picky about “cozy” fantasy, but this was the perfect blend of cozy + plot! From the first pages, I was immediately charmed. This was the kind of read I knew I would enjoy from page 1. It follows a young woman, Marisha, as she desperately seeks a job in the last place she ever imagined looking for one. With Baba Zima and her enchanted chicken house. I’m sorry but…DID SOMEONE SAY ENCHANTED CHICKEN HOUSE?! Okay, it’s not an actual chicken, but it does strut around on chicken legs. How’s that for imagery??? Plus, it’s orange. So, yeah, it stands out.
I’m a sucker for all things enchanted houses. I adore stories that feature them. If the house has magic, sentience, and mystery IM 100% HERE FOR IT.
But what stood out the most with this story were the characters. Marisha, Olena, and Baba Zima…even Valdiem were deeply layered and DEEPLY flawed. They had periods of selflessness and periods of selfishness. Not a single one of them was perfect. Well, maybe Marisha was the least morally gray of the bunch.
Just when I started to think this story was leaning towards the slow + boring end of the spectrum (only for a few chapters), WHAM it immediately took a turn and I was inhaling pages.
And that ending?! The entire lead up to the final showdown + the final showdown was GRIPPING. I was glued to the pages. I loved how things wrapped up. I even loved the semi-opened ended way it finished.
The ending was ultimately what pushed this into 5 stars for me. It’s something I just might reread agains someday.
I’m a sucker for all things enchanted houses. I adore stories that feature them. If the house has magic, sentience, and mystery IM 100% HERE FOR IT.
But what stood out the most with this story were the characters. Marisha, Olena, and Baba Zima…even Valdiem were deeply layered and DEEPLY flawed. They had periods of selflessness and periods of selfishness. Not a single one of them was perfect. Well, maybe Marisha was the least morally gray of the bunch.
Just when I started to think this story was leaning towards the slow + boring end of the spectrum (only for a few chapters), WHAM it immediately took a turn and I was inhaling pages.
And that ending?! The entire lead up to the final showdown + the final showdown was GRIPPING. I was glued to the pages. I loved how things wrapped up. I even loved the semi-opened ended way it finished.
The ending was ultimately what pushed this into 5 stars for me. It’s something I just might reread agains someday.
May 28, 2025
This one had all the right ingredients: a folkloric forest setting, a prickly sorceress mentor, a deadly sleeping plague, and a house that may or may not be sentient. It promised big Bear and the Nightingale energy, and I was fully ready to be swept away by Slavic-inspired spells and dream logic. And yet… I never quite found my footing.
Marisha is a sympathetic lead, and the Baba Yaga vibes from Baba Zima were deliciously sharp. I was intrigued by the idea of magic as a kind of bitter inheritance—dangerous, beautiful, and isolating. The masked dream ball? Creepy and cool. The beaked man? Weird in a “what are you doing in my dreams, sir?” kind of way.
But the pacing dragged like a too-long ball gown, and the lyrical prose sometimes sacrificed clarity for style. I often found myself rereading passages thinking, Wait—what just happened? The tension flickered in and out, and while I wanted to care more about Marisha and Olena’s dynamic, it felt underdeveloped.
Still, if you’re craving dark fairytale vibes with a dash of melancholy and don’t mind a plot that wanders like a lost forest path, this debut might enchant you more than it did me.
🦴 3 stars — beautifully imagined, but didn’t quite cast the spell I was hoping for.
Marisha is a sympathetic lead, and the Baba Yaga vibes from Baba Zima were deliciously sharp. I was intrigued by the idea of magic as a kind of bitter inheritance—dangerous, beautiful, and isolating. The masked dream ball? Creepy and cool. The beaked man? Weird in a “what are you doing in my dreams, sir?” kind of way.
But the pacing dragged like a too-long ball gown, and the lyrical prose sometimes sacrificed clarity for style. I often found myself rereading passages thinking, Wait—what just happened? The tension flickered in and out, and while I wanted to care more about Marisha and Olena’s dynamic, it felt underdeveloped.
Still, if you’re craving dark fairytale vibes with a dash of melancholy and don’t mind a plot that wanders like a lost forest path, this debut might enchant you more than it did me.
🦴 3 stars — beautifully imagined, but didn’t quite cast the spell I was hoping for.
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