Dunya tells the Petrovna family a fairytale they’ve heard many times before. It’s about Frost and the girl sent out in the frigid woods by her stepmother to find and marry him. Morozko: the winter demon and the brother of Medved. He takes in Vasya when she escapes from Konstantin and Anna and helps her realise her potential while aiding her in her battle with Medved. Utterly bewitching . . . a lush narrative . . . an immersive, earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid, dynamic characters, particularly clever, brave Vasya, who outsmarts men and demons alike to save her family.” — Booklist (starred review)

Arden also weaves a mix of Russian folklore and Slavic mythology into the narrative. She tells the tale of the intertwining but conflicting beliefs of tradition and religion by incorporating characters such as the ambitious priest, Konstantin Nikonovich and enchanting fairy-tale creatures. Vasya is used as a medium to explore the interactions between these opposing philosophies. These creatures include: Mason, Everdeen (January 5, 2017). " 'The Bear and the Nightingale' and other fantasy and science fiction books to read". The Washington Post . Retrieved October 23, 2018.

BP: Vasya is a truly compelling heroine. She is strong enough to embrace her differences, but she still reads as a woman of her time. How did you maintain that balance?

Being a fan of Game of Kings—of any Dunnett novel—is a strange experience. The fandom is passionate, but of plenty of folks, understandably, don’t get what the fuss is about. Dunnett makes no concessions to readers. You have to think about what you are reading. With Dunnett, it’s important to consider the possibilities and implications of each interaction—which can take you out of the story. The hearth spirits begin to starve, so Vasya begins to secretly feed them (especially the one in the stable) so they can survive. The winter is a very harsh one, and Vasya thinks it’s because they’re neglecting the hearth spirits. They freeze every night, and a village boy even dies. Vasya makes offerings in the forest to the demons there to try to get them to relent with the winter weather. They do what they can, but they still can’t reduce very much. Something is awakening. For a moment, Vasya thinks she sees a familiar tree in the shadows and thinks she hears a voice asking her if she is cold in the wind.During this period, much of Muscovy’s conflict was with other Russian city-­states (notably Tver), but Dmitrii Ivanovich (who is still a boy in The Bear and the Nightingale) is the first prince who will successfully oppose the Golden Horde and Mongol dominance in Russia. Vasya always possessed the second sight, which made for some interesting conversations with the various creatures living in and around her home. All the spirits that live in and around her house were quite peculiar,such as the origins of the domovoi: I am here because the house is here. If the house weren't here, I wouldn't be either Soon, Vasya's gentle childhood - spent conversing with the domovoi and the vazila (who guards the stables) - is put to an abrupt end. Her father remarries and while the new woman has the second sight, she interprets the gentle protective spirits as "demons." In an effort to "protect" the now-teenage Vasya, her father (egged on and persuaded by her step mother) is trying to marry her off.