Yaga is an immortal living deep in the forest and tending to those in need. However when her friend the Tsaritsa is being poisoned, Yaga has to travel to Moscow where she meets an old acquaintance. Accused of witchcraft and thrown into prison Yaga is helpless to stop her friend being poisoned. years later Yaga is called on to support those fighting the Tsar as he is possessed by evil. This is a supernatural enemy and Yaga may not be strong enough to survive.
This is a truly magical book weaving together several different strands of Slavic myth with the real life story of Ivan the Terrible. Yaga is made to be both human and yet more, she is not the evil witch of legend. The emotions are strong and the characters well drawn. A really wonderful fantasy.

The Witch and the Tsar is a story magnificently told. The frozen landscape of Russia is home to treachery, romance, and strength. My imagination was on fire so much I think I combusted a little!

It is books like The Witch and the Tsar reminds me why I enjoy reading literature from other cultures. The imagery in this story was stunning, the frozen landscape, the chill emanating into your bones from thousands of miles away, it is told so succinctly that if you look up you can almost feel the delicate snowflakes land on your skin. It is a book that makes you forget your sense of place, time, and everything in between. The Witch and the Tsar will stay with me for a long time to come.

It is really difficult to find the words to do this story justice – it’s fantastical and taut with glorious imagery and characters that breathe life into the mythology of the Baba Yaga – a firm favourite of mine. The author transports you with ease and it never really felt like reading a book, it was an experience.

The immortal witch, known as Baba Yaga (from the well-known Slavic folklore) she has always been known for evil deeds, residing deep in the forest in a home that sits on chicken legs. This story has forged a different path, one where Baba Yaga is humanised, she has emotion and an affinity towards animals. A visit from her long-time friend, Anastacia, the wife of the Tsar changes the course of her life. Anastacia implores her old friend to help her for she is being poisoned. She knows that the fate of her beloved mother Russia lies in the hands of Anastacia’s survival so she must step out of the shadows of her woods and travel to Moscow to ensure her friend’s safety.

I took an instant liking to Yaga. She’s spunky, resourceful, and doesn’t hesitate to put those whom she loves first, even if that means something catastrophic happens to her. She’s the strength of Russia, the scaffolding, the moral compass, and yet she is still left to deal with egotistical men that seek nothing but status and power. She is bold and powerful, but she has never had to harness the full extreme of her powers, never had to consider it until now when it appears The Lord of Winter is back long before his time – summer should still be in full swing. Where has the imbalance materialised from?

Set in 16th-century Russia, Anastacia is the wife of the future Ivan the Terrible. I really enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of the story; it gave a sense of knowing and I had to do some further reading on the terrible Tsar’s actions upon finishing this amazing tale. Isn’t it wonderful when you read something that makes you want to read more on the subject?

Every character in The Witch and the Tsar made me feel a part of their group, very quickly you get involved, you start caring about their outcome and pain and it becomes impossible to tear yourself away! The author has created a beautiful picture of Russia and its surroundings. I welcomed the path she took me down.

Mythological retellings seem to be very popular at the moment, but this was the first time I’ve seen a Russian one. I really enjoyed disappearing into the world of Russian folklore and the totally different take on the myth of Baba Yaga. Yaga is a brilliant character - strong, powerful and compassionate rather than the stereotypical old hag.

It was really interesting how her story overlapped with the reign of Ivan the Terrible. I don’t know much about this period of history in Russia, but I enjoyed how the mythology interweaved with the historical events.

There was a lot to like about this, but for me it did have something missing. I wasn’t gripped by the story or fully invested in the characters, although I did enjoy the central love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Baba Yaga is a legendary vedma (witch) living in the woods in her house on chicken legs in Russia. Daughter of a goddess, she’s lived for hundreds of years, but is moved to leave her woodland security when her friend, the Tsarita Anastasia, comes to her in danger.

This is during the rule of the notorious Ivan the Terrible who wrought terror across Russia. In this story, Ivan’s brutality is guided by the hand of other Gods seeking dead souls from across Russia to increase their power. Yaga is passionate about Russia and does everything in her power to stop its destruction.

This is a hard book for me to review. I love historical fiction and particularly Russian history, so was fascinated by these elements. But I’m not such a fan of fantasy, and this book is billed as historical fantasy.

I liked that Yaga, who is so often depicted as an evil and cruel witch, is passionate and kind and good in this story. The mythology sections were interesting, but I got a little lost. When I got to the end (I was reading on kindle) I found a glossary which would have made a huge difference- so that’s my top tip - have the glossary at the ready as you read!

So not my favourite read, but an interesting and very different debut that’s thought provoking.

Thank you to netgalley for my advanced copy.

As soon as I read the description, I was hooked. The mention of Baba Yaga - the East European fairy-tale witch whose house is on chicken legs - grabbed me as did the stunning artwork on the cover with its twinkling stars on a turquoise woodland background.

The blurb
Set in sixteenth-century Russia, The Witch and the Tsar upends the stories we know of Baba Yaga as the bony-legged witch of Slavic fairy tales and the stuff of nightmares. For beyond the rumours of her iron nose, fangs for teeth, and house on chicken legs, is the story of a woman so wise and strong that she has to be cloaked in lies to hide her true power.

My review 4 stars
Baba Yaga & her creatures live in the middle of the woodlands, when she is contacted by the wife of Tsar Ivan, Tsarita Anastasia. Tsar Ivan is a real-life historical character who became Ivan the Terrible, and his story of merciless terror mixes fantastically with the fantastical world of Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga fears that Tsarita Anastasia has been poisoned, & they set off on a journey of discovery together, weaving through historical landscapes with fantasy and magical flourishes.
Their tale crosses decades& 16th century Russia, seeking the truth in order to save Russia. Baba Yaga is portrayed as a strong independent female, not dependent on anyone for approval or decisions, rather than the downtrodden and cast-out witch that she is more usually seen as.

Goodness me The Witch and The Tsar is a great book for a cold winter’s day, a sumptuous feast of words that can’t be rushed. It is a powerful and compelling re-telling of classic East European folklore The prose conjures up a rich landscape of natural beauty, supernatural magic and a historical setting.
There are words that are more unfamiliar to Western eyes too, ‘izbuhka’, ‘kokoshnik’, ‘muzhik’ ‘kvass’ and more, that make you pause for a moment to make full sense of the story. And the imagery 'a viper of unease' - just beautiful. This is a tale to be kept & revisited.

Wow-mix of Russian folklore and history.
It was also absolutely beautifully written and I really enjoyed reading about Yaga.
It had similar vibe to The Winternight Trilogy which is one of my absolute favourite series.
I really highly recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. HarperVoyager for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Witch and the Tsar’ by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore.

I found this a rich blend of Russian history and Slavic folklore and mythology. The witch of the title is Yaga, who lives deep in the forest in Little Hen, her chicken-legged hut. She is quite content in her aloneness and tends to those who call on her for both healing and wisdom.

One day Tsaritsa Anastasia, wife of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, arrives at Yaga’s door on the brink of death. After healing her Yaga feels compelled to return to Moscow with the tsaritsa to keep her safe.

As she travels through Russia Yaga becomes aware that the country is on the brink of chaos. Following a number of relapses, Yaga quickly becomes convinced that the tsaritsa is being poisoned by an unknown enemy and seeks to locate them. As for Tsar Ivan, who history will remember as Ivan the Terrible, he grows more volatile and tyrannical by the day. Yaga is unaware that there are ancient powers manipulating Ivan. Never a good sign. No further details to avoid spoilers.

In her Author’s Note Olesya Salnikova Gilmore writes of her memories of the frightening tales of Baba Yaga when growing up in Mother Russia and how later in life she discovered more of the origins of the mythology of pre-Christian Russia that was very different to the 19th century retellings.

She also details the history behind her story. I know almost nothing of 16th century Russian history, though recognised the name of Ivan the Terrible. I was surprised at how faithful the novel had been to history even while blended with folklore and mythology. The author also includes a helpful glossary of places and key figures, both historical and mythic.

Overall, this was a richly detailed novel that I found transported me to Yaga’s side as she told her tale. There were some anachronistic language though my assumption was that the immortal Yaga was telling us her story in the present.

There was an element of romance within the novel that felt somewhat out of sync with the independent witch living happily with her sentient chicken-legged hut, wolf, and owl scenario but I just didn’t particularly invest a great deal in that aspect of the narrative.

It can’t be denied that there was a lot going on within its pages. As a few others have noted given the breadth of the story it might have been better served written as a duology. Still, I found it a promising debut and look forward to Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s future projects.

On a side note, the cover art is fantastic and was very evocative of the novel’s content.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

“Seeing a raven was thought to be an unfavourable omen; it often foretold death.” - Olesya Salnikova Gilmore. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This was a book based around Slavic folklore, particularly around Baba Yaga - a supernatural witch who has more negative connotations in the original tellings.

The prose is very slow and enchanting. It was a beautiful book to read however the pacing was - like mentioned above - very slow and I found that I kept straying away from the book to read something else which was more paced.

That being said, the last 150 pages were slightly faster paced however did not hold the adrenaline expected for what the author was writing during those pages.

The characters were not fully fleshed out due to the fact the main focus is Baba Yaga however there is a lovely list at the end of the book explaining that some of these characters are based on actual individuals who feature in history which was quite interesting to read about after reading the book.

I especially enjoyed the witch-like aspects such as what different herbs were used for and Baba Yaga’s remedies, similarly the supernatural concept of gods and goddesses/other creatures was also enjoyable.

I would recommend this book to those who like mythology and hold an interest in witchcraft as there’s some very interesting descriptions throughout however be warned it is a very slow paced book.

Amazing book full of intriguing characters and a captivated world. I need more of this story. Will read other books by author when released

The Witch and the Tsar is a fantasy-infused historical fiction, and a feminist take on the Baba Yaga myth. It follows Yaga, an immortal half-goddess who lives in seclusion from mortals, having been shunned by them for being a ‘witch’. She is pulled out of her seclusion by her dear friend Tsarista Anastasia, who Yaga suspects is being poisoned at court. Soon Yaga learns that there is more to these suspicious poisonings than meets the eye, and that she may be key to stopping them - and saving the future of Russia. Set before, during and after the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, The Witch and the Tsar is as brutal as it is magical. I’d recommend reading the trigger warnings before you pick it up.

I did like reading this book, but I get the feeling that I did because I am not as familiar with the original tale of Baba Yaga. I have only heard the name in passing, knowing only that she was an evil witch figure from Russian and Slavic folklore. I will say the author touches on the folklore both in the narrative and in the following author’s note. I appreciate what she was trying to do. I also understand why people would not like what she was trying to do. Personally, it was okay for me because I decided early on that this character was only loosely inspired by Baba Yaga and ran with it. I also thought it was a clever idea to portray the crone image as a lie spread about Yaga by those following the Christian Orthodox Church, portraying that tension between pagan and Christian traditions.

That said, it would have been great to see, instead of creating a new version, what the author could have done in humanising the terrifying witch that has become so infamous in folklore. It probably would have been a more interesting book, especially since Yaga in this book is not the strongest lead. She does read, as other reviewers have pointed out, more like the stereotypical YA heroine than a centuries old immortal being.

The pacing of this also threw me off. The book spans multiple decades, skipping years at length when Yaga goes into hiding or she lives peacefully between battles. You would have multiple chapters detailing the events of a week, and then in one chapter you would move forward eight years in time. I won’t say that it didn’t work in forwarding the narrative effectively, but it was jarring. It also meant that I did not connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. I liked a lot of them, especially Marya and Vasily, but beyond that I felt no strong connection to them. Similarly, I did not feel that the villains were scary themselves, though their acts were horrific.

I did like the writing style in terms of language and description. The author’s descriptions of the landscapes and scenes that Yaga witnesses are vivid and at times quite graphic. It was easy to get lost in her writing to this end, which I loved. I also liked when the author included Russian in the text, as it made me as a reader feel a little closer to the world that she had created. Something about a second language being included in a text in this way really appeals to me as a reader.

I also liked the more magical elements of this book for what they were. I knew nothing of the magical rituals described in the text or the Russian and Slavic gods, so I enjoyed learning more about them in the story and the glossary at the back. It was cool to see how the author incorporated these elements into the text. I wish in hindsight that we had gotten more of this. This is why I enjoyed the interlude scenes, as short as they were. They provided insight into the gods and the more magical aspects of the story, and they were fun to read.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, but maybe to someone who doesn’t know much about Russian folklore or Baba Yaga as she exists in the myths. It’s a fun read but I think the portrayal of Yaga in this book would not appeal those looking for the evil hag of folkloric tradition.

A truly spellbinding and captivating read and I loved every moment. This pleasure if a book is full of Russian myth and folk lore and has made me want to find out more. I loved the authors use of language and I felt fully transported into this fantastical world. I felt this was an amazing retelling of Baba Yaga as I'd never thought if her before.

I was drawn to this book by the pretty cover, but also because it sounded similar to Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy, which I loved. Set in 16th century Russia, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, The Witch and the Tsar is a blend of history, fantasy and folklore featuring as its heroine the legendary Baba Yaga. Unlike the traditional idea of Baba Yaga as a ferocious old witch who eats children, however, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s portrayal is something very different.

We first meet Yaga, as she is known, living alone in a forest with her wolf Dyen, owl Noch, and Little Hen, a living hut who stands on chicken legs and has a mind of her own. Half-mortal and half-goddess, Yaga has been badly treated in the past so has chosen a life of solitude, interacting with other people only when they come and seek out her knowledge of healing and potions. She is reluctantly drawn back into society when an old friend, the Tsaritsa Anastasia – wife of Tsar Ivan IV – comes to her to ask for help. Convinced that Anastasia is being poisoned by someone at court, Yaga decides to accompany her friend on the journey back to Moscow to keep her safe.

Returning to the world from which she has hidden away for so long, Yaga is dismayed by the evil she senses all around her. Unsettled by an encounter with a former adversary, Koshey Bessmertny (usually known in Slavic myth as Koschei the Deathless), she is then introduced to Ivan Vasilyevich, the man who will later become Ivan the Terrible, and is struck by his power and volatility. When tragedy strikes the Russian court, Ivan becomes more unstable and launches a campaign of terror with his band of oprichniki burning, raiding and pillaging Russia’s towns and cities. It seems that Yaga is the only one who can stop him, but to do so she will have to learn things about herself and her family that she would prefer not to uncover.

I enjoyed some aspects of The Witch and the Tsar, but others not so much. I wasn’t sure what to think of Yaga herself. On the one hand, it’s good to see a much-maligned character given a more sympathetic interpretation; on the other, Gilmore’s Yaga has so little in common with the mythical Baba Yaga she’s really not the same character at all. Also, we are told that although she has the appearance of a young woman, she has actually lived for hundreds of years – yet she never sounds, thinks or behaves the way I would expect someone with centuries of wisdom and experience to sound, think and behave. She just feels like the young woman she appears to be.

It was interesting to see how Gilmore works characters from other Russian and Slavic myths into the story. As well as Koschei the Deathless, we meet Marya Morevna, Morozko the frost demon, the god Volos, the house spirit Kikimora and others. The fantasy/mythology element becomes very dominant in the second half of the book, more than I would have preferred, but Gilmore does a good job of tying it together with the historical storyline, showing how the actions of the gods and demons are linked to the actions of Ivan and his oprichniki.

Although I didn't love this book the way I had hoped to, I do think The Witch and the Tsar is worth reading if you’re interested in Russian history and mythology.

I picked this book as some of the characters seemed familiar from other books I had read. I thoroughly enjoyed this story which I gather is a different take on the Baba Yaga myth from Russia. I have always enjoyed myths and legends from an early age. I think I saw a review that did not care for the change and some of the more modern language but I feel that myths and legends are an ever evolving story. Originally told around a fire, I am sure each teller would put their own spin on the story.
Baba Yaga is originally portrayed as an old hag but here is a much younger person, falling in love and bearing a child. I began to think that this was an an unnecessary distraction but gently the author showed us that this was a necessary way to deal with the evil character.
I don’t know a lot about Russian history but I liked the fact interwoven with the legend.
All in all, a very enjoyable story.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I love Russian myth retellings/reimaginings and this is another excellent one. In recent years a few have come out-and I hope they keep coming!

The author has a new take on Baba Yaga and inserts her into history, as both a player and a bystander. I really enjoyed this take, and that it was set quite recently.


I would recommend this to anyone, and especially those who have enjoyed the recent spate in Russian myth retellings.

What a magical book! I was totally transported into another land. I love Yaga, a strong, incredible woman pushing against the idea of female conformity. The folklore references throughout were brilliant, I only knew a little about the legend of Baba Yaga before I read this but this book totally flipped it on it's head. Retelling of legends and folklore have become a real love of mine and this will be up there as one of my favourites.

"The Witch and the Tsar" by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore follows Yaga a half goddess in Moscow who tries to save her country/people from the tyrant Tsar Ivan The Terrible.

I would give"The Witch and the Tsar" by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore a 2-star review because, 1; this says its a retelling of Baba Yoga but there is nothing to connect the two, 2; the U.K. edition is so pretty which is what drew me in, 3; there is a lot of information that would not correlate with the time period of the novel and 4; the adventure part of this is really intriguing.

The immortal witch, Baba Yaga, is a half-goddess living alone in her cottage in the forest, helping and healing mortals with her magic. When Anastasia, an old friend and the wife of the Tsar, comes seeking her help, Yaga heads to Moscow to save Anastasia. But Russia is on the brink of chaos and Tsar Ivan (the Terrible) grows more unstable by the day, corrupted by forces Yaga cannot hope to defeat on her own.

I love novels based on Russian mythology and folklore, and The Witch and the Tsar is absolutely brimming with it. The story, scenery and characters are magical, and I really appreciated the well-researched history used within the story. The combination of the old gods from Russian folklore and sixteenth-century Christianity was really well done, and I though they fit very well into the historical setting of Ivan the Terrible’s bloodthirsty reign.

Yaga is a wonderful character, and I loved the idea of the Baba Yaga figure as a healer witch rather than an evil crone as she is most often depicted. I do think she seemed very naïve and ‘human’ for someone who had been alive for centuries. I would have expected her to make better decisions with that much experience, but she was likeable and fun to read about.

However, the book did feel very long, even though it’s only about 400 pages. This may be due to the long-ish time period covered or the vaguely repetitive narrative – I’m not sure – but it could have been more concise.

The Witch and the Tsar is beautifully written with vivid descriptions and fantastic characters.

Set in Russia during the mid 1500's, this novel is a feminization of the classic European folklore tale 'Baba Yaga,' a story about an old hag who lived in the woods tormenting young children. Gilmore consistently uses this classic story to push a narrative of strong women during challenging times.
The MC, Yaga, is incredibly complex in her characterization. While she retains some of the nasty demeanor from her original folklore counterpart she is an incredibly loveable character.

Although I think this book would have been best split into a duology or even a trilogy due. to the info dumps that occur at points throughout the book, I really appreciated the Russian folklore as I have never read any before. This novel is clever, gritty and stunning.
Easily one of my best reads this year!

thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollinsUK for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Sainikova Gilmore completely swept me away into a frozen realm of magic and myth, and is a perfect fusion of fact and folk-lore. This spellbinding story captured me from the very beginning, drawing me into a story that is so vividly descriptive, beautifully created, and compelling, that I simply couldn’t put it down! The story flows seamlessly, the characters are so perfectly real, and I completely lost myself in the pages. The portrayal of Yaga is perfect - she is the ultimate Girl Power - and I loved her! The description of the wasteland after a battle was so desolate and bleak - I could actually see and feel it! The depiction of Tsar Ivan was haunting, and his name of ‘the Terrible’ is well-deserved. I loved the story of Yaga, Vasily and Marina, it was portrayed beautifully. There’s so much to love in this book - Little Hen, Dyen and Noch will stay with me I think - and the author painted a breathtaking picture with her words., I absolutely loved it, wholeheartedly recommend it, and will definitely go back to it again and again.

I was completely enthralled in this retelling of Russian Folklore, following the story of Baba Yaga and Ivan the Terrible. Baba Yaga lives in the woods and provides healing to those who come to her. When Anastasia arrives poisoned and seeks Boba Yaga’s help within her palace, Baba Yaga decides to go to her and protect her from her would-be killer. Then all hell breaks loose as there is more sinister beings meddling in the politics of Russia. A creature of darkness, lives in a swamp that provides life, with one thought of revenge and rebirth.

I think this would be best described as a grim dark fairytale with a sprinkle of romance.

I did not expect a love interest and oh how perfect it unfolded.

‘To choose to define each other in terms of forever, even in times of darkness, even in death. Wasn’t there a certain freedom in that?’

Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review.