The central character is a young girl, Vasya Petrovna, who is able to communicate with mythological creatures, at a time when Orthodox Christianity is attempting to stamp out all belief in such beings.

His wife, Marina Ivanovna, the daughter of the Grand Prince of Moscow, Ivan I, and their four children, Kolya, Sasha, Olga and Alyosha are huddled around the kitchen oven being told the story of the frost-demon by their housekeeper and nanny, Dunya.

While in Moscow, Sasha meets a local monk who makes a good impression and returns to ask his father if he can leave and spend his time at the Christian monastery.

After making their way back to Lesnaya Zemlya, Pyotr also informs his daughter Olga of his success in finding her a husband in Moscow and that Anna is now their step mother.

Once Anna realises that Vasya can also see the creatures, but is not afraid of them, she becomes convinced that Vasya is a witch on the side of evil and when the new, young and handsome priest, Konstantin Nikonovich, arrives they plan to ensure that every individual in Lesnaya Zemlya is convinced of Christianity and turns their backs on folklore and traditions of leaving offerings for little creatures believed to be safe guarding their village from the evil bear, Medved.

However, in the midst of all the madness that arises, Vasya escapes into the forest, where she is taken under the wing of Morozko, the frost demon, who then reveals that he is the brother of Medved and is tasked with keeping him locked up for as long as he can.

As the novel concludes, Vasya convinces her brother, Alyosha, that she must leave and allow him to establish himself as a man among men and that her presence will only affect him negatively, being a witch-woman.

Being set in medieval Russia, Arden challenges these issues in her novel and this is noted in her interview with BookPage as Ping states, “Vasya is a truly compelling heroine.

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.

These creatures include: When asked why she incorporated so many myths and legends into her novel Arden responded, “Slavic paganism never really disappeared from the Russian countryside after the arrival of Christianity; rather they coexisted, with some friction, for centuries.

Official translations include Bulgarian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian, Croatian, Hungarian, Persian, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Czech and Russian.

Publishers Weekly wrote that “the stunning prose (“The blood flung itself out to Vasya’s skin until she could feel every stirring in the air”) forms a fully immersive, unusual, and exciting fairy tale that will enchant readers from the first page".

Arden explores what happens when fear and ignorance whip people into a furor, and how society can be persuaded to act against its own interests so easily.”Some critics were disappointed with the later chapters of the book.

In an otherwise glowing review, fantasy writer and critic Amal El-Mohtar finds fault in the book's conclusion, for a "mishmash of affect and style, and an ending that undercuts much of its former power.