A gorgeous story that anyone who loves Howls moving castle will enjoy.

I did find it a little too slow paced at the start compared to what I usually like and some hints at what's to come weren't picked up again until much later.

Was a perfect winter vibe story and I loved the baby yaga vibes

I really enjoyed this book! The House of Frost and Feathers gave me Russian folklore mixed with Howl’s Moving Castle. I enjoyed the whimsical nature of the setting. The characters themselves were interesting to read about, each with their own unique quirks and experiences. Three of the important characters have disabilities of some kind, physical and mental. I liked Lauren Wiesebron’s writing style and I wonder if this book will have a follow up. If so, I’d be interested to read it and delve more into this world of koldunyas and koldunis.

The House of Frost and Feathers is a weird novel but it was an interesting and exciting story about hope. This novel has an icy atmosphere which makes for the perfect wintery fantasy read.

I really enjoyed the plot of this novel, it had a strong fantastical storyline which is very heavily focused on the character development element rather than worldbuilding, so if you enjoy character focused stories this one is definitely worth your time.

The only issue I had with this story was the pacing, a lot of the action seemed to have taken place in the last 30% of the novel, so it's very slow in the beginning and seemed rushed at the end.

Nevertheless it was still an enjoyable read.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a beautiful book that feels like a wonderful mix of Howl’s Moving Castle and tales of Baba Yaga. The imagery and atmosphere this books evokes are just fantastic.

We have one of my favourite tropes in this book, found family. Our main character becomes an apprentice at the strange chicken leg house of Baba Zina, moving between different towns at pace and solving problems for townsfolk. She also assists in trying to find a cure for a sleeping plague that’s affecting the land, but the person she’s assisting is prickly and not happy to have her there.

The pace of the book is quite slow at first, with world building and history taking centre stage. However we do always have the undercurrent of the sleeping plague providing a sinister backdrop and a problem that must be solved. A mystery does gradually start to unfurl and towards the end the action ramps up and the last third of the book becomes a real page turned you can’t put down.

A beautifully written book that was very enjoyable to read.

An enchanting story of a young woman trying to escape the sleeping plague that left her parents and so many other victims in a sanatorium, who finds employment as an assistant to the witches who Iive and travel around in a house with chicken legs. This had a few pacing issues near the start but had me gripped to the end with lots of mystery, twists and betrayal, and even a slow burn romance (or two!). A wonderful fantasy story to curl up with on these long, dark winter nights.

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.

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.

I absolutely loved "The House of Frost and Feathers" by Lauren Wiesebron. It is the right side of fantasy for me - the more fairy tale side of Slavic Folk Tradition as opposed to the Terry Pratchett kind. It had echoes of "The Bear and The Nightingale" by Katharine Arden. A brilliant way to while away a few hours and get lost in another world.

The House of Frost and Feathers is a brilliant, captivating read. While it has echoes of Howl’s Moving Castle, it enchanted me in much the same way as Eiko Kadono’s Kiki’s Delivery Service. Much like Kiki, young Marisha sets out from the only family she knows, embarking on an adventure that leads her into the heart of a mysterious and magical world. The story introduces intriguing twists along the way, with the curse-like plague serving as only the beginning of Marisha’s journey into a world steeped in Slavic folklore—and just one of many surprises the book has in store. For those new to this folklore, it’s a rich introduction, opening a window into a fascinating culture.

Young Marisha’s transformation from vulnerable to strong is heartening, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. My only critique would be the need for a glossary, as some untranslated terms left me guessing.
That aside, it’s a haunting book you won’t want to put down!

A pleasant way to pass a few hours.
Some charming ideas that caught my attention.
The mention of the sleeping plague is what drew me in.
Enjoyable

This is the perfect read now that it's getting colder and wintery––howl's moving castle meets uprooted. I loved the house and all its residence.

How do they know the plague is coming? What is even the plague like how is that work? Is there even a reason to the plague? It feels like the author needed a tragedy but didn't bother to give any clarification.
I was expecting this to be inspired by Howl's Moving Castle but I wouldn't think that it would be a rip-off of it. All of the elements that were in the HMC was in this book. I understand being inspired etc but the book included all of the elements, even the fire, which was the last straw for me to call this book a rip-off.
There is too mamy details about the unimportant things rather than focus on the plague. I mean why philosophy is even discussed here? The first 100 pages were so unnecessary many things from these pages could have been cut and wouldn't have changed the plot at all.
The MC is so juvenile. She is 21 so I can't really justify her being this way because of her age. I mean having a disagreement with someone and going the the lady of the house. C'mon is she 5?