Monsoon Book Club

Welcome to the launch of the Monsoon Book Club. Each month, we’ll be choosing a new book to read and discuss from the most-anticipated new releases that are vying for a place on your bookshelves. From exclusive extracts to discussion questions, we’ll be inviting you to host your very own book clubs with friends, as well as offering Q&As with authors, competitions and much more. To start things off, our first read of the year is The Bear and The Nightingale, a glittering, magical fairy tale from debut novelist Katherine Arden. For your chance to win a copy of the book, let us know what makes a perfect fiction book for you in the comments section below.

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift – a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, the father hides the gift away and his daughter, Vasya, grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family.

But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay.

Chapter 1.
FROST

It was late winter in northern rus’, the air sullen with wet that was neither rain nor snow. The brilliant February landscape had given way to the dreary gray of March, and the household of Pyotr Vladimirovich were all sniffling from the damp and thin from six weeks’ fasting on black bread and fermented cabbage. But no one was thinking of chilblains or runny noses, or even, wistfully, of porridge and roast meats, for Dunya was to tell a story. That evening, the old lady sat in the best place for talking: in the kitchen, on the wooden bench beside the oven. This oven was a massive affair built of fired clay, taller than a man and large enough that all four of Pyotr Vladimirovich’s children could have fit easily inside. The flattop served as a sleeping platform; its innards cooked their food, heated their kitchen, and made steam- baths for the sick.
“What tale will you have tonight?” Dunya inquired, enjoying the fire at her back. Pyotr’s children sat before her, perched on stools. They all loved stories…

To read the rest of the chapter, access our free download here.

Win! One of 25 copies of The Bear and The Nightingale

To celebrate the launch of the Monsoon Book Club, we’re giving away 25 copies of The Bear & The Nightingale by Katherine Arden. For your chance to win, let us know what makes a perfect fiction book for you in the comments section below.

UK residents only. Terms & Conditions apply >