Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the blend of Russian history and folklore affect your reading experience? Did you find one aspect more compelling than the other? 

2. This is the second book in the Winternight Trilogy. For those who read The Bear and the Nightingale, how did this story build on the first novel? If this was your entry point, did the novel stand on its own?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Vasya rejects the two paths offered to women in her society, choosing a dangerous, uncertain future over a life of confinement. Have you ever felt pressured to choose between limited options in your own life, and how did you respond? 

2. Did the idea of dvoeverie, or “dual faith,” resonate with you? Can you think of examples where older traditions coexist, sometimes uncomfortably, with dominant modern beliefs? 

3. Sasha is torn between his duty to the state, his faith, and his love for his sister. What did you think of the choices he made to protect Vasya, especially when it meant lying to his prince? Have you ever been caught between competing aspects of your life? 

4. When Vasya decides to impersonate a boy, she notes that she begins to inhabit characteristics that are societally male-coded. Have you ever been in the position of having to perform a different persona? How did it affect you?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The crowd instantly turns on Vasya when her gender is revealed, recasting her from a hero into a witch. What does this swift change in public opinion say about how societies react to women who don’t fit into accepted roles? 

2. How does the novel portray the process of cultural erasure, as Orthodox Christianity supplants older Slavic folk beliefs? Can you think of a similar circumstance in the modern world?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss the complicated relationship between Vasya and Morozko. How does the winter king support Vasya’s growth, and how does her relationship with him inhibit her? 

2. Several horses appear in the novel, including Solovey, Zhar Ptitsa, Zima, and Morozko’s horse, the white mare. Discuss the novel’s representation of horses and their role in both the plot and themes. How does their presence contribute to the representation of the clash between the old world and the new? 

3. Were you surprised by the revelation of Kasyan’s true identity as Kaschei the Deathless? What clues did the author plant along the way to foreshadow this twist? 

4. Is Morozko ultimately a tragic figure? How does his dependence on Vasya’s belief and emotion complicate his role as an ancient, immortal being? 

5. Vasya’s use of a male disguise for empowerment is a classic literary trope. How does her journey as “Vasilii Petrovich” compare to other characters who cross-dress for agency, such as the legendary Mulan? 

6. What role do the changing seasons contribute to the novel? In particular, how does the harsh, unforgiving winter landscape shape the story’s atmosphere and the characters’ motivations?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Marya also has the “sight.” If you were to write a short scene from her perspective during the attack on Moscow, what would she see that the other characters miss? 

2. The chyerti are tied to specific places like bathhouses and hearths. If you were to design a modern-day chyert, what would it be the guardian of, and how would it appear?