Having first encountered Baba Yaga in a children’s book by Joan Aitken, I was intrigued to read this interesting fantasy which combined Slavic mythology with the history of Ivan the terrible’s reign over Russia and its neighbours. The collision of the two worlds is devastating in its impact but described rather brilliantly by the author. I’m not usually a fan of fantasy novels but this one was gripping.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Yaga generally keeps to herself in her hut in the woods, avoiding mortals unless they seek her out for her help. When her old friend Anastasia, now the Tsarina, reaches out to her Yaga is keen to help. Whilst helping her friend she realises that an old friend (turned enemy) has reappeared at Russian court, and that Anastasia's mystery illness and her future fate are tightly linked to that of all of Russia.

I gave up on this one at 30%, hence the 1 star rating. My general rule for reviewing books is that anything I give up on is automatically a 1 star rating, but I have to have read at least 25% of the book in order to do that (otherwise I haven't given the book a chance).

That said I think my struggle with this one was partly due to the book and partly because it just wasn't the book I was expecting and I couldn't get past that. I was expecting this to be more like a folk tale and follow that sort of path, but found that it actually was more focused on the political aspect. I'm not a huge fan of reading about politics so this put me off.

Another thing that put me off was the incorporation of random Russian words, that are then explained in English. I am more than OK with using Russian words in the narrative, but am more than capable of inferring their meaning (or looking them up if I can't). Having them explained really interrupted the flow of the writing, and made the whole idea seem more gimicky than anything else.

For a character that has supposedly lived for centuries, and lived through many wars and dangerous situations, Yaga seemed incredibly naive. She takes herself off to court to protect her friend, showing up with an owl and a wolf, flaunting her magic left right and centre and expects not to get noticed. I'm not really sure how she thought that was ever going to work!

From what I know of Baba Yaga (and I admit that my knowledge is limited) she was a total badass - she's powerful and wise, ruthless and also a bit of a trickster. I didn't feel any of that coming through in this book.

All together there was too much that wasn't working for me and not really a lot that was so I decided to call time and move on to something else.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review

#Netgalley

I found this captivating novel hugely enjoyable. The story of Baba Yaga plays out amid the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The author provides an enchanting tale threaded with the characters of Russian folklore. I have read reviews that suggest the writing is 'chunky' but I would dispute that. I found the writing to be clear and concise. The story flowed well, the characters were relatable and likable and the plot was well thought out, holding your interest.
I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of Baba Yaga as a younger woman rather than the old hag we usually see.
I shall bookmark the author and look forward to reading more of her work.

I finished this a couple of weeks ago and cannot believe I forgot to write my review. So, forgive me for being so late.

I loved this book. Baba Yaga is one of the best characters I’ve read this year. I love her strength and resilience, not to mention her humour, heart and courage. She is nothing like the stories I have heard before.

I was hooked from the opening of this book because the writing and language are exquisite. It’s so beautiful I would have happily read the whole book even if I didn’t enjoy it (thankfully, I LOVED it).
We are thrust into a magnificent world full of magic, deceit, madness and heartbreak. A world so beautifully created, it was as if I was walking side by side with Yaga herself. I adore many of the other characters, but Little Hen is exceptional.
I know that may sound silly once you read it, but Little Hen has a personality all of their own!

I honestly don’t have the words to praise The Witch and the Tsar enough.

There are some words and names that, being Russian, were difficult to understand, read and/or pronounce, but it doesn’t detract from the pure joy and pleasure I had reading this book.

If you love fantasy, folklore and historical fiction with a kickass MC I urge you to read this and read it now.

Thank you, Harper Collins UK & NetGalley, for the amazing eArc, in return for my honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Even though I was very excited to read a retelling of the legend of Baba Yaga from a different perspective, I think the book deviates a bit too much from the original story. As someone who has grown up in Eastern Europe listening to various stories about the old hag, I thought her representation as a young, even though seemingly immortal but yet completely clueless woman which is too much out of character for my liking. The book would have been way more tolerable for me if the main character was just a random witch living in the woods and was never referred to as Yaga.

I enjoyed the feminist perspective with which the story was twisted. It offered a new take on the mindset of women in 16th-century Russia. The characters and their stories were interesting to follow. However, I thought the tension building was a bit weak so sometimes I did not feel too invested in what was to come.

I thought the basis of the story and the writing was good and I was excited to read something about Eastern Europe. But, for me, there was something missing. I will still follow the writer’s next books, I hope we see more witches’ stories!

This an interesting take on the stories of Baba Yaga, however, if you're looking for the Baba Yaga from myths and legends you are in the wrong place!

I found this to be a fresh and interesting story with likeable characters and plenty of detail. The story is rich with information and the time periods are well-researched.

Overall a good debut for the author and an interesting guide into the history of Russia and Baba Yaga. Also an enjoyable read for the most part.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore is a book inspired by a Slavic folklore tale of an old witch called Baba Yaga. Only she's not an old witch who steals children and eats their souls. She's a misunderstood healer who throughout centuries have helped people by healing them or breaking curses.

At the beginning of the book we meet this half- mortal woman who lives in a secluded forest in a house that stands on a chicken leg. She's not a scary looking witch that could trick someone, and Yaga most of the time is willing to help people in need. That is why, when Tsarista Anastasia shows up in a forest and asks for her help, Yaga is willing to risk her life by going to Moscow to find out who is poisoning Anastasia.

I have to say, I didn't enjoy reading this book. It felt long, very slow paced and boring to me. Probably, the reason of it was because I expected something entirely different. I expected to read a story of how Baba Yaga as we know came to be. I wanted the book to be fast paced, at least medium paced. There were way too many explanations of magical rituals and way too detailed writing of a process of it (if that makes sense). I didn't got connected emotionally to any characters and did not care much for any of them, which is a problem to me. Right away, it's a less enjoyable experience reading something you don't connect to.

The Witch and the Tsar didn't quite work for me and it felt like personal torture that I put myself through to finish it. Every time I had to come back to the book, I kept making up excuses in my head to not read it. I know, it's not fair for an author's book to be getting this sort of reviews, as we all should know how long and how much work it takes to write a book, but I'm trying to be as honest as possible ( honesty should help, right? ). Loving a book is like loving a movie or a song. We all have different tastes and unfortunately, this story was not for me.

I do hope that The witch and the Tsar finds it's own fans. I can see a potential of people liking it.

Being a lover of Katharine Arden's Winternight Trilogy I was intrigued to read more fantasy based on Russian mythology/folk tales. I first heard of Baba Yaga as a child so was delighted to read more about her (after Sophie Anderson's children's book The House With Chicken Legs)
This is the tale of Yaga, daughter of a goddess and her battle to save Russia from the clutches of Ivan the Terrible who is massacring the population .

She is trying to keep her promise to her friend, Anastasia (who was the wife of the tsar ) when she died to look after her 2 sons.

As a demi God should Yaga interfere? Will she be able to help and will she find peace and love herself.

I got somewhat confused at the roles and plot about the various gods (partly told through interludes) The story lost some impetus at times but it was always good to come back to Yaga's story and her narration.

A worthwhile read but Arden is a hard act to follow.

The Witch and the Tsar is an interesting Baba Yaga retelling. Set in sixteenth century Russia, the author starts the story deep in the forest and captures the time period perfectly. This took a while for me to get into but I did enjoy the story following Yaga as she travels to Moscow and is caught up in the dramas of Ivan and Anastasia, this is a great Wintery read.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the chance to read The Witch and the Tsar.

I’d hoped to love this book, there have been a range of mythology/folklore retellings lately but this one sadly missed the mark. The characterisation seems lacking, it is hard to fully feel like you know and can empathise with any of the characters, equally the pacing seems quite slow which again makes it a struggle to engage. The plot is good, and the second half more engaging, but not something I would rush to reread.

A retelling of Baba Yagas story, using the folktales of old before her tale was adapted for a Christian society.

An intriguing and absorbing tale of Yaga as a younger, kinder character than is traditionally told. You become lost in the history of Russia, feeling the chill of the snow creeping into your bones as the description is so good.

A must read for anyone who loves history, Russia and folktales

Fans of Katharine Arden's Winternight Trilogy will all want to read this book. Set in a magical 16th century Russia, it takes the legend of Baba Yaga and looks behind it to the story of elemental beings of earth, wind and fire who battle to preserve Russia from its mad Emperor Ivan the Terrible and then the invading foreign armies who prey on its people. It's an interesting take on the old witch with the hut on chicken legs - in this story Baba Yaga is an ageless beautiful demi god who seeks to help and heal people and who battles elemental forces of evil to win her husband and daughter's safety and that of her country.

I have mixed feelings. Since I was a child I loved the story of Baba Yaga and her house on chicken legs. It was the coolest thing for me and so I was very excited when I heard about this novel. We finally get a story from her perspective, but unfortunately the characterization is really off. Most of the characters don't feel like people - they feel one-dimensional and do not grow throughout the story which is a shame. This version of Baba Yaga is not at all how I imagined her to be which is probably my fault and problem but it was disappointing to me. In the novel she does not even see herself as a witch ...
But I liked Gilmore's writing style and to learn more about the Russian gods and some historical events. All in all, a mixed bag.

Before starting reading, it seemed "The Witch and the Tsar" ticked all the boxes for the prefect book for me. The promise of fairytale folklore-inspired tale of Baba Yaga, with elements of Russian history at its most turbulent times. Unfortunately, nothing about this book delivered.

The only think I enjoyed was the correctes of it. Because the author is Russian, finally we got correct names, historical facts, and folklore. As an Eastern European myself, nothing annoys me more than ignorance about our history, and fortunately, that is the only place where the novel defends itself.

The main problem for me were essentialy all the characters. None of them had any distinct personality traits, the main love interest was the most boring man on the planet and I don't think anyone can care less about the side characters. Most importantly, when you have a book with a first-person POV, it has to be someone, whose head you want to be stuck in 24/7, and Yaga was not only annoying, but also repetitive. She dropped not-so-suble exposition every chapter, her inner struggles seemed to last endlessly, and again, she had a personality of a damp paper towel. She was not funny, she was not particularly smart, and generally she was not a person you would like to get to know in the real life.

The pacing of the book also created some issues for me. It started painfuly slow, before picking up around 40% mark, only to get painfuly slow again until the very end. Despite the dates, and sometimes time-jumps months at a time, the reader couldn't feel it at all, maybe because over the 20-year span of the book, none of the characters grew emotionally or changed in any way whatsoever.

I really wish I was one of the people loving this book, but unfortunately, it was a huge miss for me this time.

https://lynns-books.com/2022/12/06/the-witch-and-the-tsar-by-olesya-salnikova-gilmore/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Epic Retelling of Baba Yaga
4 of 5 stars

The current trend for retelling stories from the perspective of either those characters who lived in the shadows or those that have been misrepresented continues here with a fictional account of Ivan the Terrible and the woman who helped to stop his period of tyranny. Baba Yaga is a figure of folklore, a witch who ate children and lived in a hut with chicken legs. As history shows us women with a knack for healing were often vilified and hunted and tormented and Baba Yaga is often described as a hideous crone – here we have a story with a different perspective. Here we have a woman, half immortal, daughter of a union between a human and a Goddess, with a special connection to the old spirits and Gods, a knack for healing and the ability to communicate with animals and birds. So, to be clear, and I realise this is a long-winded way of saying this, if you’re expecting to read about the ferocious Wicked Witch of Russia then you may wish to look elsewhere. This is a reimagining of a turbulent period of history told through the eyes of a woman who passionately cares about her homeland and will go to great lengths to stop the interfering Gods who are meddling in the lives of its people.

So, a little bit about the plot. The story begins with Yaga, living in the woods and occasionally healing those with enough courage to seek her aid. She has long since learnt to mistrust humans and has become a solitary figure until she receives a visit from an old friend. Anastasia, wife to Ivan IV. Yaga soon discovers that Anastasia is being poisoned and eventually makes the difficult decision to follow her back to Moscow to offer protection. Here she discovers the machinations of a life at court and the political maneuvering that is part and parcel of everyday life. It soon becomes apparent that other forces are at play and if Yaga cannot protect Anastasia, the only person who can keep Ivan’s inner demons at bay, then Russia will fall into chaos.

For me, this is a story in two halves. The first is, I guess something of a set up and an introduction to the characters. The second is much more turbulent with death and destruction aplenty and a much more frenetic pace. Personally, I enjoyed the second half more than the first which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the first part of the story, just it felt a little slow in places.

I really enjoyed the writing and the descriptions which I felt helped to pull me into this strange world of wars and scheming Gods. And I also enjoyed the addition of extra characters such as the Tsar’s son along with some of the people that Yaga joined during their fight back against Ivan.

In terms of criticisms. Well, in some ways I felt like Yaga seemed less powerful than I’d imagined her to be – but having said that this is a retelling, and Yaga herself is adamant that she isn’t a witch, I think her powers lie more in communicating with the Gods and moving between different dimensions, also she finds herself almost leading the small rebellion at certain points formulating plans and the like.

Overall, this was very easy to read, I had few expectations going into the read and also very little knowledge of Baba Yaga so I had no preconceptions about how she would come across. I really loved the setting and the way the author pulls you into the story with her little details about everyday life and I thought this ended on a positive note. I seriously would read more about Yaga and given that she ages very slowly I could quite easily see her popping up again at other historic points during Russia’s history.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

This is the story of Baba Yaga only, it's not the tale we know. Instead of an old crone who curses people, our Yaga is a half-goddess, blessed with immortal life she spends her time in solitude after prior engagements with mortals leading to heartbreak. Instead of curses, she makes potions to help the sick, so when her old friend Anastasia, now Tsarita of Russia arrives asking for help with her mysterious illness, Yaga finds herself forsaking her home in the woods for one in the capital city of Moscow. When she arrives, Yaga realises that Russia is in chaos, Tsar Ivan, soon to become Ivan the Terrible is a man determined to see enemies in every shadow, volatile and angry, but what Yaga does not yet know is that there is a bigger power behind Ivan. One that has set it's sights on not just Russia, but Yaga herself. Yaga will have to acknowledge both sides of herself, mortal and immortal, seeing the strength in both, if she is to save Russia, herself and those she loves.

Yaga was such a fantastic POV to read this story from. She is someone who, after being named Baba Yaga and set out from the only home she knew, has lived her life in somewhat solitude. Still open to those in need, but no longer travelling through towns offering her help. Her only companions are her house with legs named little Hen, Dyen and Noch, a wolf and owl respectively. She is someone who is incredibly old, and yet reads as incredibly young in a lot of ways. Her determination to be alone, her lack of knowledge for certain things, but she also holds a wisdom that can only come with age. As I said before, she is not the Baba Yaga you will read about in Russian fairy tales, although the author does give some credence as to where that imagery came from, but rather a young women whom too many men felt threatened by and the only way they saw to discredit her was to sow fear.

The story is told solely from her POV, except for a few chapters that are shown as 'interludes.' These chapters were SO incredibly well done. They not only added to Yaga's own story, but gave us a larger insight into the world of the gods, the folklore and history of the world as well as being used as some truly epic foreshadowing. But I think Gilmore's portrayal of Ivan was what really stood out to me. He is a truly scary character. His decent into madness was shown so incredibly well, and although he only appears in the story minimally, his scenes and actions had the hair standing up on the back of my neck.

You all know me, I am a sucker for anything that features folklore and The Witch and the Tsar has it in spades. I was shocked by how many figures from Russian mythology were actually mentioned in this, and despite that it never got bogged down, they were all introduced naturally, through storytelling or Yaga's own experiences, and I loved the deep dive we got. I learnt so many new stories and figures that I had never heard of before, and got a different look at some old favourites... I'm looking at you Morozko. She weaves in themes of feminism, religion as well as the battle between light and dark, but I think what really hits about this story is that the some of the events actually happened. She shows how Ivan's decent into madness turned him against his people, the development of the Oprichnina, them wandering the land and murdering those the Tsar thought against him. It was a truly terrible set of events, and the authors choice to set her book at this time added a whole new depth and reality to an otherwise fanciful story.

Gilmore's writing style is lyrical and prosaic, but there were also elements of modern language in there that threw me a little at times. But she has an ability to keep you glued to the pages, whether you are reading an epic fight scene, or simply Yaga off searching for new herbs. The story wasn't filled with twists and turns, through there are certainly a few emotional hits in there that I didn't see coming, but there's an underlying intensity to the story that bleeds through every page, something that his helped by the historical setting and time period chosen. There was a romance arc that popped up mid way through the story and I adored it. It's not overly steamy, nor does it overtake the story, rather it is used to help Yaga understand that her mortal side, loving the mortals that she finds herself with is not a weakness, but rather a strength. It was sweet, slow and had just the right amount of steam and I was wishing the whole way through for them to get their HEA.

I truly adored this story. I think I've found my new jam and it's feminist re-imaginings of women from history/folklore/mythology. She does a fantastic job of showing the fragility of men, and what it leads them to do to women. If you love your fantasies filled with folklore, history, just the right amount of romance and a truly brilliant female lead then you need to add this one to your TBR's.

I wanted to love this book so much and parts of it I really did. I just found the start of it so slow. It took a while for me to get into it and even when I was into it, it just felt a bit dense to read. I will say that my dyslexia was playing up a lot while reading it, so that was partly to blame, but it doesn't account for everything.

I did enjoy how the author had blended the mythical story of Baba Yaga and the old Russian gods with the real historical events of Ivan the Terrible. I've seen a few interpretations of Baba Yaga and this is definitely my favourite (and definitely read the author note at the back for more info of where she got her inspiration). I really enjoyed seeing the conflict between the old ways and the new religion.

All in all, there are parts of this book that I will look back on fondly and it got me very interested in the pre-christian Russian culture, but I just didn't enjoy it enough. If it looks interesting to you, definitely give it a try, because I do think it was worth reading even if I didn't enjoy it as much as I feel I should have.

Slavic mythology is very complex and there's some retelling but this one was the best I read so far. A mix of mythology, fantasy, and historical facts it kept me turning pages and I loved the world building and the characters.
The author is a good storyteller and I can't wait to read another book by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This is a lovely historical fantasy set in sixteen century Russia around the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

THE WITCH AND THE TSAR fits into the category of books that take real events and weave magic in (my favourite!) Here we have Russian myths about Baba Yaga and Koshey and Marya Morvena, mythical creatures like the firebird referenced, and a host of pre-Christian gods woven through a tale of a despot king and the terrors he brings.

I loved the way the magical conflict played into the real history, fuelling it and adding another enemy to defeat. It was so much fun to read - the best of both historical and fantasy novels rolled into one.

This is a great book to read in winter as for much of the book, the world is trapped in a magical (but terrible!) winter (or with brief summers.) Given the book extends over twenty years, that's a very long winter to endure.

Most of the book is told from Yaga's perspective, but there are interludes that provide the backstory of the gods and what some of the characters on the other side of the conflict are up to. It was a nice way to keep the story still tight to Yaga but while showing the breadth of the immortal, magical world.

THE WITCH AND THE TSAR is a slower pace book leaning towards a more lyrical, measured writing style. There are some gorgeous descriptions in here, evoking the natural world so well. This is a story with nature woven into it, the story rooted in it through Yaga's magic.

Russia, 1560. Yaga is a healer and a midwife, daughter of Earth Goddess Mokosh. She is visited by tsaritsa Anastasia Romanovna, wife of Tsar Ivan IV of Russia. Anastasia is unwell and in need of aid.

Yaga soon discovers that someone is poisoning the tsaritsa and Anastasia is desperate for Yaga to accompany her back to Moscow to uncover the culprit. Yaga is sure that there will be another attempt to end tsaritsa’s life.

Unfortunately, things don’t go to plan, and Anastasia dies, while Yaga is banished from court. Tsaritsa’s death sparks Ivan’s reign of terror.

Meanwhile, Yaga suffers terrible visions where Russia is threatened by mysterious forces. Yaga seeks help from the Russian gods to dispel Ivan the Terrible off the throne. Can she stop his reign and restore the balance in nature?

I really enjoyed this historical fantasy. There is magic, Slavic folklore and myths. As I grew up in Poland, I was familiar with some of them – I remember each spring, the children at my school would make a straw figure of Marzanna, which then later was burned to signify the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Yaga was such a formidable character. She was an unmarried woman, living in the magical hut in the woods (I’d love to have a hut with moving legs!). She tried so hard to dispel the myth of Baba Yaga, the vedma (“the witch”). I also loved her beloved companions, an owl called Noch (Night) and a wolf named Dyen (Day).

I loved the idea behind the story, trying to show that Yaga was a female who just wanted to live her life in peace. I remember as a child my Granny would threaten me with tales of Baba Yaga. When I misbehaved she would often say that Baba Yaga would come and take me away!

Overall, it’s a beautifully written story, with fantastic characters and plot. It’s also rich in Eastern European folklore and myths. I definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Harper Voyager for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title. The book is out now available for purchase from your favourite retailers.