Publisher: Harper Voyager
Released: 8th of December 2022
In this stunning debut novel, the maligned and immortal witch of legend known as Baba Yaga will risk all to save her country and her people from Tsar Ivan the Terrible—and the dangerous gods who seek to drive the twisted hearts of men.
As a half-goddess possessing magic, Yaga is used to living on her own, her prior entanglements with mortals having led to heartbreak. She mostly keeps to her hut in the woods, where those in need of healing seek her out, even as they spread rumors about her supposed cruelty and wicked spells. But when her old friend Anastasia—now the wife of the tsar, and suffering from a mysterious illness—arrives in her forest desperate for her protection, Yaga realizes the fate of all of Russia is tied to Anastasia’s. Yaga must step out of the shadows to protect the land she loves.
As she travels to Moscow, Yaga witnesses a sixteenth century Russia on the brink of chaos. Tsar Ivan—soon to become Ivan the Terrible—grows more volatile and tyrannical by the day, and Yaga believes the tsaritsa is being poisoned by an unknown enemy. But what Yaga cannot know is that Ivan is being manipulated by powers far older and more fearsome than anyone can imagine.
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore weaves a rich tapestry of mythology and Russian history, reclaiming and reinventing the infamous Baba Yaga, and bringing to life a vibrant and tumultuous Russia, where old gods and new tyrants vie for power. This fierce and compelling novel draws from the timeless lore to create a heroine for the modern day, fighting to save her country and those she loves from oppression while also finding her true purpose as a goddess, a witch, and a woman.
What I Have to Say
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.
My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with this copy for review.
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