Olesya had me at Baba Yaga! I've been fascinated with stories about the Russian hag witch since years, so of course I had to read this book. Set against the backdrop of Ivan IV's reign, The Witch and the Tsar is a compelling blend of fantasy and historical fiction. I really appreciated the depth and nuance that Olesya brought to Baba Yaga, and the breadth and span of the novel. It's a slow read, but an engrossing tale that stayed with me long after I had turned the last page.

I finished The Witch and the Tsar last night and loved it. It’s made me want to read more about Russian folklore and the relationship between power and superstition. It’s fascinating. This book warmed my heart and broke my heart. A book worthy of cosying up to at the end of the year.

Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s debut novel, The Witch and the Tsar, presents a captivating blend of historical fiction and fantasy, set against the backdrop of Ivan IV's reign in Russia. The book explores the complex figure of Baba Yaga, traditionally depicted as a menacing hag, and reimagines her as a multidimensional character grappling with her place in the world. This portrayal adds depth and nuance to Yaga, depicting her as a mother, lover, and conflicted figure navigating her role in society. The novel is richly atmospheric, with its historical context providing a lush setting without overwhelming the reader with excessive detail.

However, the novel's pacing and character development face some challenges. Spanning several decades, the story's broad scope sometimes leads to uneven pacing and a diminished personal connection to the characters. The extended timeline and the focus on Yaga's long-term interactions with Ivan IV result in a narrative that occasionally lacks tension and coherence. A more focused timeframe might have allowed for a more intimate and cohesive exploration of the characters and their development.

Despite these issues, The Witch and the Tsar remains an engaging read, particularly for those who appreciate atmospheric storytelling over fast-paced plots. While it may not achieve perfect harmony, the novel's compelling portrayal of Baba Yaga and its evocative atmosphere make it a promising debut from a writer to watch.

I wanted to enjoy this one more than I did. There were certain aspects that I loved - the atmosphere was fantastic and the insight into some of the Slavic myths was great. Unfortunately, the pacing felt a little rushed at times for me and I felt like certain plot elements got a bit left behind as a result. Overall, I thought this was good, but I wanted it to be great!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book wasn’t for me. It wasn’t anything like what I was expecting it to be. It was a big disappointment

This looked so atmospheric and perfect for winter. I adore the cover, the colour choices are perfect and the aesthetic really gives those folkloric vibes I was hoping for.

Unfortunately this was another case of a file with formatting issues that would not load on mobile or on my ereader. I do still hope to try this story one day but for now I am unable to give a review on the contents.

I struggled a lot with this book. Every time I picked it up I would be engrossed but I just found picking it up so hard. I think I just didn't jive with the writing style perhaps? Or perhaps it's a book that needs to be read in one or two gulps by a warm fire on a cold day. It took me a month to read it, during which time I read three other books that was easier to pick up before bed every night. I like learning more about Slavic fairy stories and mythology, and the insights I was given into a bit of Russian history I know nothing about. I liked Yaga, a lot, she was a fantastically written, compelling character. But something about the way it was all tied up together didn't work for me, and I'm sad about that.

Rating it four stars because I know it deserves better than my memory of it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for a fair review.

What an amazing book! My head is a little bit fried!
There’s so so sooo much to get your teeth into with this book. I took quite a while reading this as I had to keep googling certain points to find out if characters and events were real, myth or imagined (although, I later found out that all this information was available in the notes at the back of the book! I was reading this on my Kindle). And then I had to keep checking what certain Russian words and terms meant AND finding out about Slavic Paganism and Gods!
I have a tiny grasp of Russian History and a sprinkle of knowledge of Russian Folklore. BUT I have quite a large collection of Baba Yaga stories - which is the main reason I was drawn to this book.
The character of this Baba Yaga is a total re-write of the traditional Pestle-and-Mortar-riding Baba from the Folk Tales and I absolutely LOVED her.
As I said, a huge amount to unpack, but this book was enchanting, educational and entertaining. And it’s left me curious to bone up more on Russian history and Slavic Paganism.
Fantastic stuff!

This is a great fantasy book, it amazes me how writers can come up with such magical places and situations. The descriptions are great, 'dusty, stale, with a hint of rot' 

Love how things are described by the author, end of chap 3 - 'There are crystals in his coppary-brown beard' 

This book is filled with excitement, emotions, relationships and all sorts of other wonderful things. It was an unusual read but I enjoyed it a lot. It was a slow starter for me, but really picks up once you get into who is who and the connections.

4.5 stars

I love reading retellings of Baba Yaga and The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore did not disappoint! This version humanized her in a way I haven't seen before and I honestly loved it.

The author weaves a magical tale full of world-building and character development that just ticked all my boxes. I also liked all the historical references throughout and found myself doing my own research into this period of time in Russia.

Whilst this is a dark and emotional story I found myself unable to put it down, needing to know what Yaga did next. I definitely recommend this one if your a fan of Historical fiction with magic and the re-imagining of Baba Yaga!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've heard of Baba Yaga, but never really knew much about her or her story. I was intrigued to read this book to find out more, but I never quite clicked with the characters. The story libe was good though!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was very intrigued to read this story as although I have heard of Baba Yaga I am not very familiar with the slavic folklore.

I found this historical fiction was well written and descriptive which really brought the story to life and made it very atmospheric, but I didn't feel as though the overall story had enough bang to really grip me and I felt it was slightly lacking. I had always got the impression that Baba yaga was quite a fierce and frightening character that ate children and in the story she appeared quite ordinary and a bit boring. Perhaps it is my lack of knowledge surrounding the history that has given me this view point.

I did find it an enjoyable read but felt there was potential for a stronger story.

Sadly, this was a DNF for me. I think I might give it another go in the future but I felt no attachment to the characters and therefore had no motivation to keep reading...

TW// murder of animals, women and children </b>

I'm pretty sure this review will make zero sense because my brain makes zero sense, so good luck to anyone who chooses to read my train-wreck stream of consciousness.

Set in 16th century Russia, and spanning over several years, Yaga lives deep in the Russian forest, a witch whose lived a life riddled by rumours that have continuously tarnished her name. Yaga spends her life in solitude, with her owl, Noch, her wolf, Dyen, and her hut, Little Hen. Determined to help heal people from the ailments that plague them and fatal injuries that cannot be cured by normal medicine alone. One day Anastasia Romanov stumbles into the forest, pale, drawn and in danger of losing her life, she finds herself at her oldest friends doorstep. Anastasia has not seen Yaga for 13 years, when she comes begging for help after being poisoned. Yaga, deeply wounded by the lack of contact, struggles to fight her anguish at not hearing from her friend for so long, and saving her life. Yaga soon finds herself caught in a deadly game of politics, determined to protect Anastasia from further attempts on her life, but finding her past friend and immortal enemy Koshey Bessmertny involved in the Tsar's, does nothing to assuage her anguish.

This one is definitely a difficult one for me to review, because I really loved the story, and the characters felt strong and well developed, but for me it felt like it was lacking something that I can't quite put my finger on. It was compelling don't get me wrong and really explores some brutal and painful themes, but I spent a lot of the time feeling like I was slogging through. So.. it's a very mixed bag for me, which is really frustrating because part of me adored it but the other knows something is missing ( just not what apparently).




Anastasia is a Tsarista with a big, compassionate heart, who exudes nothing but warmth, happiness and kindness to all she comes into contact with, trusting them implicitly and often to a fault.

Yaga on the other hand is very isolated and alone, with only a few animal friends and her hut to keep her company, along with the occasional client, she's kept herself apart from the social and mortal world for a long time. After so much devastation from losing her mother in a house fire, to being discriminated against and used as a scapegoat for anything that doesn't go to plan, she decided to settle in the glades within the forest, far away from civilisation for her own slice of peace and tranquillity. Yaga is a kind, powerful and compassionate witch, whose also head-strong and exceptionally brave. She stands up for herself and what she believes in, despite the danger it poses towards her which was really empowering. I loved seeing her embrace her powers and herself in the process was really heart-warming and inspiring to read. Her tenacity and resilience in the face of so much peril was truly incredible,<spoiler> protecting Anastasia's sons and innocent villagers with her band of Robin Hood-esque soldiers to prevent the Tsar from tearing Russia apart, all whilst desperately trying to uncover the truth about the woman Nav, whose taken over Volo's seat of power as death was fascinating and awe-inspiring. </spoiler>

Special mention to Vasily, the absolute gentleman that he is, brave, tender, warm-hearted and passionate with a dash of impulsiveness, he deserves the entire world.
<a href="https://imgur.com/8n1qbpR"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/8n1qbpR.gif" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Ivan IV Vasilyevich is the arrogant, pompous Tsar of Russia, quick to anger with interchangeable moods, and opinions, he's absolutely chilling. His life is driven by revenge and hate, with little to no regard for human life, innocent or guilty, his mind is completely plagued with rage, fear and grief. A ruthless and tyrannical Tsar.

Koshey and Yaga's relationship was really interesting to dive deeper into. Despite Koshey's hunger for ambition and power, he holds a deep love for Yaga, and even in time where his ambitions and power are threatened, he still puts her and her life first. His personal arc was really intriguing and fascinating to read about as well.

I loved the history interwoven throughout this story, the fact it's full of mystery and intrigue was a highlight for me. It's also full of complex characters, and plot twists, which are always a joy, even if I do always seem to guess at least one (but that's a me problem). It was very immersive, it felt like I had fallen through the book into the 16th century, I personally didn't know much about this time period before picking this up and it was very engaging. It's a story that's heavily action and adventure driven, which I wasn't sure I'd enjoy, but it actually exceeded my expectations in that regard. Thought provoking and educational, this story shatters preconceptions and reminds you that everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard, particularly when that voice has been silenced for so long.

At points it was a little slow, the pacing was a bit off, and it felt like you weren't really progressing through the story line. I would've also liked more about Selica because it felt like her story line was a little rushed, and less fleshed out than the others. We never really got to see her battle with her feelings and whether it was authentic or not, which was slightly disappointing.

'The Witch and the Tsar' is a very whimsical and wholesome story, full of Russian folklore and mythology, interwoven with both new and old gods, battling for dominance. There are some truly gut-wrenching and brutal scenes in this book, it highlights the distressing, chilling and unmerciful reality of war, and the innocent casualties that come with the devastating and horrific events. The ending was lovely and tied everything together, which can be a really hard thing to do with so many different character arcs and story lines to wrap up, but I definitely was happy with the ending here. Definitely give this one ago if you like to immerse yourself in lyrical folklore, and well crafted characters because this book has tons of it!

For some reason I really struggled to get through this book, it took me months, although, this was not due to the plot line.

I found the narrative very engaging and was never bored while reading, it just seemed to be a story that would never end, possibly because the story spanned around 20 years that it just felt like it dragged in pace.

I would still 100% recommend this book. It was my first retelling of the Baba Yaga tale and I thoroughly enjoyed the author's take on it.

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore. I don’t know if I would have enjoyed this more if I had researched it a bit more before hand but essentially Yaga, who’s a bit magic, goes on a little adventure to save Russia from the mean Tsar. It’s Russia, I should love it, I hear you cry, but alas not. I know there is a book out there in the fantasy section that is for me, but it’s not this one. The problem I think I had is that this Yaga is just a bit too human, you want me to believe in magic and gods but you’ve made this woman normal. She’s also really quite thick. Don’t believe me though as I am yet to find said fantasy book to get behind. My take away from it is, you know, Russians, the wolf is fine.

Lovely writing with a strange pace and strange character who I could never decide if I liked or not!

Would like to give 3.5*

Wow, i was engrossed in this book. What a story, lots of twists, lots of excitement. Every time i got to the end of a chapter i wanted more.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

An enjoyable reworking of the tale of Baba Yaga and the hut on fowl's legs. Beautiful evocative descriptions of the Russian landscape make this an enjoyable read.
It contains lots of magic and can be a bit long winded in places but is an enjoyable read that blends history and myth together.
I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.