The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore Published by Penguin on September 20, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Historical, Fiction / Feminist
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780593546970In 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.
I guess when I first heard about this book I didn’t fully read the summary or something because what I read wasn’t what I was expecting.
I thought this was going to be an origin story of Baba Yaga and how she became the ferocious, old hag who kidnaps and eats children. Or at least something similar to this cause eating children is wrong. Instead, the book was a reimagining of a woman who is half-mortal, half-goddess who is basically a medicine woman. While a fascinating story, again it wasn’t what I was expecting nor a story of the real Baba Yaga.
The story itself was interesting. It starts with Anastasia begging for Yaga’s help, and Yaga goes against her rule of not interacting with mortals to help save Anastasia from poison. The whole poisoning of Anastasia and Yaga being in Moscow is the first act and that really sets up everything for the rest of the story. This was probably the strongest part of the book. I really loved getting to see Yaga taking care of Anastasia and trying to solve the mystery of who’s poisoning her, while also trying to stay off of Ivan’s radar.
Part 2 was Yaga learning rituals from another woman and fighting against Ivan’s reign. This went really in-depth history wise. There wasn’t necessary filler in this part more it felt too much like a nonfiction history book then a fantasy, historical fiction novel. It became really complicated with all the side characters and the nicknames of each side character, I’d have really loved a chart at the beginning with their names and nicknames.
The last part of the book was the end game, the real fight between Yaga and Selica. I’m a bit annoyed that much of Ivan’s and the other men’s actions came down to Selica using her dust magic stuff to influence them. I don’t like that the agency was taken away and that Ivan’s actions were a bit swept under the rug. I mean there is explanation that no one really feels sorry for him, but Ivan’s actions were still his own.
By the end, I was rooting more for Selica than Yaga. Selica’s story was so heartbreaking and her attacking back made a lot of sense. I support women’s right and wrongs!
If you’re looking for a fantasy novel that is detailed in Russia’s history, then I’d definitely pick this one up.
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