Anya and the Nightingale (Anya #2)

My 10 year old has read it twice! She loves it.

Much like Anya and the Dragon, I enjoyed this story very much, however initially I had trouble reconciling how magic and Judaism is portrayed (since I am Jewish myself). More on that later, first I’d like to just say that I did very much enjoy the adventure, and in many ways found this more fun than the original. The action is more vivid, the build up more mysterious, the humor is a funnier (Ivan truly made me laugh out loud more than once), and overall it is just a fun story with fun characters.

Now, the things I had trouble with: Let’s just say, in real life the Jewish texts do not have a positive view of occult arts. Someone unfamiliar with Judaism might not be aware of it, but when they go into detail about Jewish customs such as Sukkoth, it feels weird to me. Like, the author is making the reader aware of certain ancient rituals but glossing over a major contradiction in another. But much like religious Christians who complained about holidays mentioned in Harry Potter, at some point you have to just remember it is a work of fantasy and suspend your belief for a fun story. The other thing I had difficulty with is Ivan’s implied romantic interest in both girls and boys. It just felt unnecessary and included for reasons beyond the scope of the story. If those two things don’t bother you, it is a fun read.

The first page says this is like Game of Thrones for kids. I assume Kwame Alexander, the book company’s founding editor, meant A Song of Ice and Fire, which is the name of the book series. Unless Kwame has only watched the HBO show. Which is how that comes off.

Whatever, this is not like Game of Thrones, or A Song of Ice and Fire. So don’t go into it expecting that. It is a medieval, viking, Russian Jewish fantasy. If you don’t like being “taken to church” in Christian oriented novels, you should be just as prejudiced being “taken to temple” here. Personally, I think those scenes are the novel’s strongest writing.

It has a lot of promise. The magic is interesting. Nothing is super heavy handed (even if it seems shoehorned in). But in the afterword, the author admits writing a sequel is . . . impossible. You can really tell, since this book has a meandering, jumbled-together plot. A mother crying over a father, who’s at war, and the daughter goes off to bring him back. And yet what comes after is a series of incidents with no real connection? Maybe it’s because nothing is resolved, and will be resolved in upcoming sequels. I still feel like there was very little thought that went into creating the plot. Just whatever moved the story along.

I should be more fair, since this is for kids and most kids books are lucky to have any kind of plot. But the author sometimes has poorly structured sentences/paragraphs that lead to boring writing (do I really need to know where everyone is standing, what expression is on everyone’s face, how many turns they make on a forest road) even though it’s evident she is good at “less is more” with other sentences.

Even worse, she often uses a poor word choice. I began to hate the word startled, especially when the author could just use the word jumped. Or flinch. Or another word that sounds better. See my headline. That’s how startled is used. And if you read enough, its never startled, it’s started. As in, gave a start. That sounds silly, but has been used for forever. And the author even uses it once herself! All of this just points to a need for a stronger editor.

I’ll point out some issues I had with the plotting/editing, non of which I consider spoilers: Misha shows Anya her room in the castle when they first arrive, yet Anya is surprised he knows the way later on? Anya also eats challah with Misha’s family, but claims to have eaten nothing when she leaves? No one is around the castle when Anyas trying out her key; so, great time to storm the castle is after everyone goes to bed? Anya hasnt eaten for a day or more, but just casually decides to eat, and no one spots her stealing in the kitchen; so great time to storm the castle is when breakfast is being prepared?

I did like the cave scenes at the end, and the fight with the sorcerer. I love the cover. Possibly I would read the next book (or even the first). But this book could’ve been much better.

Anya is back and as adventurous as ever. When her father fails to return home from war, she decides to go and fetch him. Her two besties, Ivan and Hakon (dragon), insist on coming too. They receive help and are magically transported near Kiev and a forbidden road, guarded by a being called a Nightingale. The Vasilia (princess) will recall Anyas father from the war, if they capture the Nightingale alive for the Tsar.

Like in the first book, Anya looks beyond the rumors and prejudice to discover the truth about the Nightingale. Ivan falls in love frequently with both boys and girls; in a sweet, awkward, age-appropriate way. Hakon is transformed into a human and has to learn how to behave as one. Anya meets other Jewish people and experiences dinner with them.

Anya and her friends are a delightful bunch that anyone would love to go on an adventure with. Judaism and Russian folklore are beautifully combined to create unforgettable world-building.

After the events of Anya and the Dragon, Anya sets out to bring her father home, but she and her companions Ivan and Hakon are sent to Kiev instead by Lena, and Hakon is turned into a human! The Tsar in Kiev asks them for a favor. If Anya brings him the Nightingale, he will help Anya find her father. The request seems straightforward at first, but upon finding the Nightingale, the Tsar’s request doesn’t seem so simple anymore. Now Anya and her companions must uncover the real evil besetting Kiev’s people, or they’ll never find Anya’s father, and won’t get out with their lives.

The Anya series is so interesting, with Anya’s strong Jewish heritage, the setting in Eastern Europe, and it’s set in the tenth century! Many young reader books are more contemporary, or have more “usual” settings, so this change of pace for a book intended for young readers was nice to experience. Anya’s a strong thirteen year old girl, and her companions are fun and somewhat unconventional. After all, one of them is a mythical creature-turned-human! The twist about who the Nightingale actually was, and the depth that character brought to the story, was a very nice touch. There are some common tropes, but they are used sensibly, and the uncommon characters bolster the proceedings as the companions venture deeper into Kiev’s secrets. The ending is solid, though it does leave a thread open for a possible sequel. I recommend Anya’s adventures for young readers, enjoyers of historical fiction, or anyone looking for a different fantasy setting. Anya’s adventure with the Nightingale is even better than her previous adventure with the Dragon, and you’d be remiss to miss this one.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member