Vasilisa by Julie Mathison - Book Review

Vasilisa by Julie Mathison

Series: Old Rus (Book 1)

Genre: Middle Grade, Fairytale Retelling, Historical Fantasy 

4.3 Stars 

One Liner: Slow start but engrossing and beautiful 

*****

Edenfall, Pennsylvania, 1919:

The Great War may be over, but its aftermath continues to affect people. Vasilisa’s father is presumed dead, and her mother is being pursued by an orge. Babka, her grandmother, assures her everything will be fine. But Vasilisa knows she needs to do something fast. The events appear beyond Babka’s control. 

Ivan arrives in Edenfall with a task at hand. When Vasilisa’s and Ivan’s paths collide, they realize what they have to do. Baba Yaga and Koschei are right in the middle of the mess, and The Old Tales are the only way to set things right. 

Vassy and Ivan need to take up their roles and rewrite The Old Tales. Good has to triumph over evil once more. But how hard will it be for these two young kids? 

My Observations: 

The book begins at a languid pace with the right amount of foreshadowing. As the story progresses, we see character development and world-building in parallel. The imagery is lovely. 

Vasilisa’s character comes out alive on the pages. She’s such a delight to read. Ivan complements her character very well, bringing out both sides at the appropriate times. 

Since the story is the retelling of the famous Russian folklore, the book leans heavily on it. This can be a little hard if you have no idea about Russian lore. I knew bits and pieces, so managed without looking up the characters when reading. 

The book deals with many topics like kindness, bravery, forgiveness, acceptance, compassion, and a few more. It is a layered book but doesn’t feel heavy or overwhelming. 

I loved the scenes where the characters show their vulnerability while trying to become a better version of themselves. 

Little Bruno is my absolute favorite! I’m not telling you who he is. ;) 

The book has a long ending, which felt a bit overdone. The intention is to lead book one to book two, but I’d have preferred some of it in book two rather than at the end of the first book.  

To sum up, Vasilisa is an adventurous and entertaining story of a young teen protecting her dear ones from mystical creatures. 

I received a complimentary copy from the author through Voracious Readers Only.