The Sisters of the Winter Wood cover art

The Sisters of the Winter Wood

The Spellbinding Fairy Tale Fantasy of the Year

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Sisters of the Winter Wood

By: Rena Rossner
Narrated by: Ana Clements
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Every family has a secret...and every secret tells a story.

In a remote village surrounded by forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami's babka and the low rumble of their Tati's prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell - despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods.

As dark forces close in on their small village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realise the old fairy tales are true...and could save them all.

Captivating and boldly imaginative, Rena Rossner's debut invites you to enter a magical world of secrets, family ties and fairy tales weaving through history. Perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale, Uprooted and The Night Circus.

©2018 Rena Rossner (P)2018 Hachette Audio UK Family & Relationships Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Young Adult Village

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Toil & Trouble cover art
Book of a Thousand Days cover art
River Secrets cover art
The Witch's Heart cover art
The Thickety cover art
The Secret Sky cover art
Midnight in Everwood cover art
The Librarian of Crooked Lane cover art
Daughter of the Forest cover art
The Little Shop of Found Things: A Novel cover art
The Lost Castle cover art
Darkling cover art
The Killing Jar cover art
The Silmarillion cover art
The Revolution of Marina M. cover art
Villa Incognito cover art

Critic reviews

"'Luscious and hypnotic...A gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood. I gulped it down!" (Madeline Miller, author of Song of Achilles and Circe)

"An incredible achievement - a rich literary fairytale... The kind of book that Neil Gaiman and Naomi Novik might have cooked up together." (Robert Dinsdale, author of The Toymakers)

"A luminous debut by an exciting new talent." (Ilana C. Myer)
All stars
Most relevant  
the history of the place was interesting but I found the fantasy parts spoilt the narrative of the book.

the plight of the jews

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story had potential but wasn't one thing or another, neither history or fantasy. The worst bit was that for many Hebrew/Jewish words it seemed that the correct pronunciation had been cut in after the narration had been done which spoiled the flow.
I stuck with it but was disappointed.

Not what I hoped

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A completely unexpected story about all kind of love well read and enjoyed very muchz

Web or wonders

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Ugh just I couldn't even bare to finish it, it was so stupid. I was literally shouting at the radio with every new action, give it a miss.

Stupid, unimaginative and flawed

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I didn't enjoy this book. It's not what it's advertised to be. Instead of fantasy for adults, it's more like a teenage romance story. Would have preferred more focus on the Russian Folklore & mythology and less focus on the awkward & cringey fumbling of teenagers. It seems to focus more on the two sisters making the most of their strict parents being away and exploring their sexuality.
As for the narration; that was terrible and the writing was repetitive and chaotic. I feel this book should of been aimed at a teenage audience. Very disappointed.

Very disappointed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Sadly this has been my least favourite audible so far. The sister characters were weak, a-lot of whining and moaning. Quite predictable, better for a younger audience

A weak story- would be suitable for teens

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Weird and uncomfortable listening. Plot wasnt terrible, but too much gratuitous descriptions of supposed children and whiney narration.

Couldn't finish it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.