I really really tried with this book. It should've been a immediate win for me, I love retellings that twist the story we know, I love the Winternight Trilogy by Arden which this is comparable too, I love books set in cold atmospheres and mystery and politics... but this book just did not land how I expected it to. I had to put it down 50% of the way through the book. I could not connect to either the plot or the characters. It felt very one dimensional, mainly because of the protagonists motivations which were incredibly flimsy. To me, we were constantly told why she was making the choices she was, and told why she was doing what she was doing but we weren't shown it. This made the plot feel clunky and overly convenient. It meant that I didn't feel connected to Yaga because I couldn't get a sense of who she was. And I know this is a retelling, but I really wanted her to be a little sharper. She lost all her teeth in this retelling and I think it would've been more intriguing and compelling if she'd just acted with a little more spark. I really wanted to love this and there were parts that I did, you can tell the author knows her Russian folklore, the small snippets or lore scattered in between were delightful, however I just wanted more and I could tell I wasn't going to get it.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨

This isn’t a book that I’d usually read but I was too intrigued by the synopsis to turn it down. I’ve very please to say that I really enjoyed this book. My attention was caught from very early on and I couldn’t stop reading!

The story is about Baba Yaga but it takes a different direction which I really enjoyed. Instead, our main character, who goes by Yaga, whilst still being hundreds of years old, appears to be in her 30s and has a youthfulness to her and a fierce loyalty to those she loves. But with her immortality comes loneliness and isolation.

That is until she meets her love interest, Vasily. You can see how Yaga is drawn to him from the start. Despite their age difference, he’s the only one who really tries to understand her and who she can truly confide in. I love that she starts to find her place in the mortal world and her own little found family which is something she’s never really had before.

I found our villain to be quite interesting. You can’t help but feel a little sorry for her because she didn’t choose her circumstances. It’s a bit heartbreaking that she hates Yaga for everything that she didn’t have yet Yaga isn’t even aware of her existence until later in the story.

I highly recommend this book to those who love tales of Baba Yaga or love fictional stories based on history.

A huge thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and Olesya Salnikova Gilmore for the eARC!

Review has been posted on GoodReads as well as on Instagram (22/01/23)

Part history lesson and part fiction narrative, The Witch and the Tsar utilises an interesting method of blending folklore and accepted history, whilst introducing characters to readers who may not have a huge knowledge of their history. Along with the choice of characters this makes for an interesting narrative, and the story moves along at a fairly decent lick.

The Witch and the Tsar delivers a beautifully descriptive narrative, weaving a historical setting that is thrillingly vivid. The way in which Salnikova Gilmore describes the countryside, clothing, even the buildings, shows a deep love of her subject. This shines through the pages of the novel, as the characters travel across both timeframes and 1500s Russia.

I will openly admit to having minimal knowledge of Russian history and folklore prior to reading The Witch and the Tsar, but had a vague awareness of Baba Yaga and her chicken-legged house. The novel gives a hard open, dropping you straight into Yaga's internal narrative, and positioning her front and centre as the teller of her own story.

Set over the span of more than twenty years of Russian history, The Witch and the Tsar is an interesting novel for a Western reader with little knowledge of the area in that time. While I have heard of Ivan the Terrible, my knowledge of 1500s Russia is poor at best, and Salnikova Gilmore does a decent job of taking us back in time and explaining some of the world such as it was. However for me there was a lot of exposition that felt heavy handed, and at times it took me out of the story. There is also a lot of use of Russian language which (being the person I am) I had to keep stopping reading and looking up. I very much appreciated the glossary at the end of the novel for its overview of characters from both folklore and history, and would recommend readers use this for reference.

With regards to pacing, there are regular interludes (labelled as such) that serve a purpose to forward the story and introduce a secondary narrator, but it took me out of the flow to an extent that I didn't enjoy them. As the laws of library science tell us, every book has its reader, but sadly this one was not the one for me.

This book was brilliant. I love a retelling, so this was right up my alley (in theory) and did not disappoint. 

There's history, mystery, detailed imagery, family feuds, something for everyone! 

A cosy winter read, I loved it!

Thanks: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sorry but I have to give up on this one. I'm about 1/3 through and I'm struggling. Been forcing myself to read a little every night, but at this point I really feel like nothing is going to be able to turn this one around for me.

My feedback:

The writing style did not work for me. That's a personal preference of course, but I found it a slog. It didn't engage me.

Also, this is not the book I was hoping for. I thought it would be a story about the Baba Yaga I know from folklore and fairytales, who is a very complex and mysterious character, however the Yaga in this book is bland. Uninteresting. There's no complexity at all.

I see the bones of a decent story here, and there's certainly something interesting going on in the background with the winter and the water of life, but as it stands this is not for me.

I'm giving it 3 stars because I don't find it fair to rate it lower when I didn't finish it, and for the "perhaps it's me" factor.

The Witch and the Tsar is a beautiful reimagining of the tale, the myth, the legend that is 'Baba Yaga'.

The book itself takes places around the 16th century in Russia, where Yaga, living in the woods in her house on chicken legs is summoned by her friend Anastasia, the wife of the Tsar of Russia who is gravely ill and fears she is being poisoned and will soon die. Yaga must bring herself out of her isolation, from the comfort of her forest, and go to her friend in her time of need.

What follows is a magical and beautifully written story of Yaga and her life and the changes in Russia around her. I won't say much more about the plot itself as I went in knowing very little and I think it added even more to my enjoyment.

The book is beautifully written, if a little slow in the middle, and the author manages to capture the magical world surrounding Yaga and the Old Gods so well. I was honestly so amazed that this is a debut novel, I cannot wait to see what else this author has to offer in future if this is anything to go by!

Overall: 3.75 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for approving me for an ARC of this book. Special mention must also go to my fellow book friend Wendy for buddy reading this one with me.

Let me start by saying that it is clear the author has spent a lot of time researching all the historical facts and accuracies surrounding this time in Russian history. Baba Yaga was not a tale I was familiar with, and as a reader, I felt the story was told with a great sense of balance. We were given enough detail to entice us in as readers but not so much that it felt like we were overloaded. The author is clearly passionate about her culture and roots as it shines from the pages throughout. Here, we have a feminist retelling of Slavic folklore, mixed with a prominent part of 16th-century Russia.

The story spans several years throughout Ivan the Terrible’s reign, from when his beloved Anastasia is alive and he seems merry at court to when she is killed and his grief turns to bloodshed. I think it would be safe to say that he went mad and I had to keep reminding myself that these wars and massacres happened, this was not the fictional part of the story.

Alongside the bloodshed, we have the beautifully woven story of Yaga, a young woman desperate to save Anastasia and please the Tsar. Unfortunately, it’s not long till Yaga finds herself banished from court and becomes involved in a different battle altogether. Always being seen as an outsider and known as a witch, who should be feared, Yaga has never found her safe space, somewhere she can be herself. Throughout the story I wanted Yaga to find peace and acceptance, her herbal remedies and magic ways were fascinating, especially her hut and animal companions.

Interlaced in this story were folklore and mythical beings, I loved the balance between the real world and the mythical one. Seeing Yaga embrace her magic and evolving as a character was pure joy. The storyline between her and her mother was brilliantly done and I loved the final conclusion. Another satisfying reads for the historical fiction fans out there.

(3.5 stars!)

This is an interesting one to review!

Set in Russia during the time of Ivan the Terrible, this is a fictionalised account of the death of his first wife and his descent into paranoid despotism through the eyes of the fictional Russian witch Baba Yaga. Combining Russian history, myth, and folklore into a single storyline is no small undertaking and the resulting novel is certainly fascinating. It is brutal, unflinching in its portrayal of war, and in many places quite beautiful too.

That being said -- I just didn't love it. I found it had a compelling concept, but I quickly got bogged down in the middle section. There was an awful lot of very little happening and I was quite fed up trying to remind myself what was going on at any given moment. The ending was well enough paced, though.

I found the half-godess protagonist Yaga an interesting character although it seemed to me that she never really felt fully realised. At first I was completely on board with this reculsive healer, rejected by society, taken to Moscow against her better judgement to try and save a doomed woman.

But then I felt she never really developed or changed until she fell in love, and it has to be said that I find it trite and a touch predictable that the thing that finally bound her to her humanity was a (very underwhelming) husband and a child whom she'd never really been complete without.

Similarly, her animal allies were her allies from the very get-go. There was no development there. Her magical ability to call on them was always a guarantee and they very conveniently always provided for her. As much as I loved the role they played and in fact their characters, there was never any doubt that Noch or Dyen would fail. It did make her character fell stagnant to me. It doesn't bother me that she was basically overpowered, so much as her plot armour seemed so thick that the stakes never felt high.

For all the novel wanted to investigate the grey morality and depth of some of its other characters, like Ivan, his eldest son, and Koshey, Yaga's nemesis/ex, it seemed reluctant to give her any of the same grit.

I love Russian folklore and this Baba Yaga retelling did not disappoint. It's not Baba Yaga as we know her. It's the Yaga of old before men scared of the Old World and Magic rewrote her and made her into something that should be feared. This book has everything. Power, vulnerability, bravery, fear, war, love, magic, politics. Fantastic novel. Highly recommend.

I have long been fascinated by the legendary figure Baba Yaga. She is arguably, more than any other fairytale character, presented in such a multitude of ways. True, most commonly we know her a the large nosed witch who lives deep in the forest in the bone-adorned, chicken-footed hut. A crone who swoops eerily around the Russian countryside in her large pestle and mortar. However, the more one comes across her, the more ambiguous one finds her. Although in her fairytale, Vasilisa the Fair has think fast to solve her given tasks, Baba Yaga does come to her aid after all. Read about Baba Yaga further and there are more tales still of her being a representative of justice, swinging a warrior’s sword, being more goddess than witch and a staunch defender of women. It is very fitting then that she be the focus of her own feminist retelling. I found this new version of Yaga just as interesting, seeing what themes the author chose to keep, reinterpret or or to cast away.

The Witch and the Tsar pits this fascinating, multifaceted character against Ivan the Terrible and the supernatural forces that surround him. I really enjoyed how other Slavic mythological figures were drawn into the conflict and want to learn more of them too. These elements were skilfully interwoven against a backdrop of political unrest, economic turmoil and war. Sprinkled amongst dense world-building, were historical events and persons which really brought the story to life. This book is wild, fierce and magical: not unlike Baba Yaga herself.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

The Tsar and the Witch is a historical fantasy Movel Book by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore inspired by Russian Folklore about Baba Yaga

Set in the Reign of Ivan the Terrible, the first Tsar of all of Russia, it follows the story of Yaga as she re enters human society in her attempt to save her friend Anastasia Romanovna, the Tsaritsa, and follows her life as the reign of Ivan further deteriorates.

The historical facts merge with a magical supernatural plot of Yaga's secret sister, Selica, and her supernatural attempt to escape the world of the dead.

I enjoyed the book a lot. It can be quite episodic, which I felt had natural stop points, but once you get started again, it keeps you going.

Becayse Yaga in this story is not the hag most people might have heard of, I think she is not a retelling of the myths but rather a re imagining which serves as an archetype of all the misogyny women have experienced and the title of witcn has been applied to them.

A perfect fit for fans of Mythology/Folklore Retellings. It's more of a fantasy than historical book so I would advise that readers who are only interested in the historical element will have to read a lot of plots about magical creatures and Gods.

A very fun to read.

Video posted at TikTok and also at Instagram.

Really enjoyed this one, perfect book to read over those cold winter nights. Was a bit more political than I anticipated but still really enjoyed it

I do love good "faction" and for me The Witch and the Tsar certainly fits the mould. Difficult for me to pick out some good examples as I felt it all fitted together so well.

If you have any liking for historical "faction", this is a worthwhile book to get your teeth into.

The more that I read of this book, the more bewitched with it I became. There was much more magic than I was expecting but I just loved the setting and the re imagining of the reasons behind the historical events. The only part that I found slightly annoying was the 'productive' love affair (no spoilers), maybe I just prefer a bad boy! With its cold snowy setting, it's just perfect winter reading.

The horrors of Russian history, myth, and folklore are explored in this atmospheric, compelling, and character-driven book. I did feel there were some pacing problems - the time frames covered were jarring at times. A week's worth of events would be covered in several chapters, and then eight years would be added in one chapter. I won't argue that it failed to adequately advance the story, but it was startling.

Fantastical retelling of the Baba Yaga story. Magical!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. A stunning mix of myth and history, this enchanting story was the perfect Winter read.

The Witch and the Tsar is a lovely mash-up of Slavic folklore and history. During the 16th century Baba Yaga tries to save her friend Anastasia from getting murdered. At the same time she's also trying to save Russia from the chaos Anastasia’s husband Ivan The Terrible is causing. What she doesn’t know is that supernatural powers are at work who are connected to her own personal history.

Mythical figures as Baba Yaga, Morozko, Koshei, rusalkas, Kikimora, Mokosj… and historical figures and facts such as Ivan the Terrible and his wars and oppression are weaved together in this compelling novel that had me hooked from the beginning till the end.

Who is behind this all, is the question that drives the story forward. As I am more of a winter person, I did perceive this book as a lovely ode to winter, even though there's a lot of cruelty as well. The descriptions of storm, landscapes, mythological places are just beautiful.

I always love good retellings as they give us a new, more feminist perspective on characters we have been viewing as bad and evil for centuries. Just as Circe by Madeleine Miller, Baba Yaga becomes a human being in this story. She’s not an evil witch, but a good-hearted person with her flaws and frustrations, struggling with the sudden loss of her mother. She’s afraid of love, but is an amazing friend.

I realised during reading this story that I don’t know much about Slavic and Russian mythology. This book made me dive in a little deeper and has me longing for more.

Thank you Net Galley and Harper Collins for this lovely book!

I really loved this book. What a great combination of some Russian folklore and history and Slavic mythology with a wonderfully written story throughout.
I found it especially interesting growing up in Poland with stories of Baba Jaga and her chicken leg hut.

The stunning illustrated cover with its golden gilt reflects the majestic tale inside. This reimagined tale of Baba Yaga is a beautifully written and captivating novel. I was gripped by the extensive world building, the depth of all the characters and dramatic plot. As someone who was unaware of the folklore connected to Baba Yaga this was a refreshing read. The language and vivid descriptions brought the colourful Russian cities, the horror of war and the scheming gods to life.

This version of the immortal witch, Yaga was far removed from the hateful, child eating witch she’s famous for. Instead, she was portrayed as a caring and reluctant hero. Her strength, chemistry between those she loves, including the animals she can charm, and her desire to protect the Motherland at all costs, makes her unforgettable. In the uncertain times we live, the politics of the sixteenth century and the war it fuelled felt oddly relevant and made the story more impactful.

i adored Little Hen, her house on chicken legs despite the initial reaction being disgust. As a background character, she stole my hearts.

Olesya Salnikova Gilmore has successfully blended an inverted Yaga legend with the history surrounding Ivan the Terrible to create an immersive, dark and enlightening treat that will be well loved and is a strong contender to be one of my favourite novels of 2022.