Yaga is immortal. Her mother is (or rather, was) the Earth Goddess Mokosh. Her father: an unknown mortal man. Her closest friends: an owl named Noch, a wolf named Dyen, and her house with chicken legs which is named Little Hen. Her one calling in life: to heal and help the people of Russia. Unfortunately men are cruel and they do not like things or people who are different. And so the people of Russia know her as Baba Yaga, the evil witch, and now she hides away in the forest and waits for those in need to seek her out. One such seeker is Anastasia, Empress of Russia, and what she asks for will change the course of Yaga’s life forever.

This is a book I was really excited about and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Yaga is a complex character with strengths and weaknesses, dreams and fears, a past and a future. She is a powerful being who is determined to use the gifts given to her for the benefit of others. Yet she is also human and she makes mistakes. However, it is the depths of her emotions and her loyalty that make her into such a lovable character. This trait of loyalty is also something she looks for in those that she surrounds herself with, making for a strong cast of characters with deep bonds.

The plot is straight-forward and easy to follow yet also engaging in its stakes and in the emotive way that the characters engage with it. There are clear heroes and clear villains and clear routes to victory or defeat. Yet there are also extenuating circumstance that allow us to sympathise with the villains and Yaga’s motives slowly change from noble to personal. Initially Yaga wants to save Russia because she can and because it is the right thing to do, but she has no personal stakes beyond preserving her own fragile mortal body. Then she slowly begins making emotional connections and by the end of the book she is saving Russia so that the people she loves can live happily within it: with or without her if necessary.

This is an interesting view point on a well told story. The story takes you on a journey that almost has a feel of Studio Ghibli in the presentation. It is a tad on the long side but defiantly worth a read if you love fairy tales, Russian Anastatia and ancient gods then grab it. It covers women's representation in history, the role of religion, friendship and love.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC.

This review contains some spoilers.

This is a retelling of an old Slavic folk tale. I hadn't heard of the original but love this kind of thing so was intrigued to give it a read.

I enjoyed the descriptive language used in the book. It breathed life into the magic and the different worlds portrayed in the story. I also enjoyed that Yaga was a complex character often conflicted, much like her opposite Koshey, who I would've liked to have seen more of. Selica was a bit of a hollow villain, who never felt like a true threat. I liked the slow burn romance between Yaga and Vashily - although I wasn't a huge fan of her fretting about her 'barren womb' and then immediately and conveniently falling pregnant a few pages later.

The plot was disjointed and the constant time skips became tiring. The first part of the book delving into Yaga's past particularly with Koshey and the poisoning plotline was interesting and had me hooked. However, all of a sudden that was over and we had pages of Yaga out in the middle of nowhere doing rituals which was a huge change of pace. Similarly, there was a huge build up to this battle with the Tsar and Selica only for it to be little more than a whimper followed by pages of domestic bliss. I found this to be quite jarring and made everything much less tense and atmospheric than it could have been.

All in all, I thought the book had the potential to be great but the jumpy plot meant it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC

The Witch and the Tsar is set in the 16th Century. Yaga is living a life of solitude avoiding the association with being a wise woman. Tsaritsa Anastasia, wife of Tsar Ivan the Terrible requests Yaga's help. All is not well in Mother Russia and Yaga must find the courage to join society once again in order to help it.
This novel is a wonderful story with it's Russian culture and lore. The combination of history, mythology and folklore creates a deep and rich world which captives the reader.
I found this novel intriguing to read with it's tense and political balance between fantasy and historical.
It was definitely a great read and insight into Russian folklore.

A beautiful fairy tale for grown ups is how I would describe this book. Full of Russian folklore and magic. I did find some parts a little slow and easy to get lost so I rate this debut three stars. Thank you to NetGalley , the author and the publisher for this e advance copy.

The tale of Baba Yaga is redefined from Russian folklore into a fresh, feminine perspective with a uniquely creative narration.

Set in the 16th Century, Yaga is living a life of solitude avoiding the slander associated with being a "wise woman" when Tsaritsa Anastasia, wife of Tsar Ivan the Terrible (and an old friend), requests Yaga's help. All is not well in Mother Russia and Yaga must find the courage to join society once again in order to help it.

Gilmore is a wonderful storyteller, filling the novel to the brim with Russian culture and lore. The author masterfully weaves history, mythology and folklore with ease to create a rich and captivating world I became fully immersed in as I read.

Yaga is reconstructed from being an evil old hag who eats children into a character that is humane, defiant and bold.

With the backdrop of a Tsarist Russia, the prose is tense, political and blood-thirsty with the correct balance between fantasy and historical fact that respected the real-life characters as well as their fictional counterparts.

I especially found Gilmore's exploration of prejudices aimed at those who were different from the "norm" at that time to be utterly fascinating and a valuable lesson to be taken away at the end.

This is a debut novel that will capture much attention and I truly cannot wait to read what Gilmore writes next.

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore 

Thank you Netgallery for a copy for an unbiased review.

This is a debut novel. It is also a reimagining of Baba Yaga. If you are a fan of Madeline Miller for example, then this book is a great addition into that genre.

Baba Yaga, or Yaga as they are known here, is a woman who is also half-goddess. Due to being abused by gods and mortals alike, she’s retreated to hide away and is simply doing what she does best, hidden in the depths of the forest. Here she feels safe and in control. All this changes however from the moment the story opens, as her owl arrives to share that someone was arriving. Yaga instinctively knew heartbreak would follow. And follow it did when Anastasia arrives needing her help.

What I loved most about this book was it blended the fantasy side to the historical side brilliantly. To where it was often impossible to pry the two apart; they joined that seamlessly. Not a feat always managed in this genre.
It is not a quick read, but perfectly shows humanity and inhumanity, choices that are solid, choices that are flawed. It has vivid prose throughout and yet it isn't bogged down with too many details to overwhelm.

I did consider 5 stars and it was close, but it did just slow down a few times for me, and that was why I'm just taking a star off.

For a debut novel, this is one that deserves to be up amongst other notable writers and books in the genre. Historical fantasy mythical fiction at it best. I'd recommend and gift this with ease.

4/5 stars 🌟

I loved The Witch and the Tsar!
This book is a 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 in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully evoked, blending details from folklore and history. Although it didn't work for me this time, I will most definitely be watching out for more of the author's works.

3.0/5

An interesting blend of folklore and history, that didn't quite hit the mark for me.
It lacked that spark I look for in books that have witches.
At times it was slow,and I struggled with all the names, so keeping up with who was who in the beginning was an effort.
There were times this book was exactly what I hoped for , and I enjoyed them very much.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review, all opinions are my own.

A retelling of Baba Yaga, drawing from both Russian history and mythology, Unfortunately this tale wasn’t for me, I found it really hard to connect with the characters, to the point where I lost I in the plot. This was such a shame on my part, because the tale is beautifully written.

Unfortunately this didn’t work for me. I just didn’t connect the writing style and the characters,. Might work for others. Am giving it 3 stars because I see potential.

The Baba Yaga in this book is not the fearsome, grotesque witch that is in the Slavic folklore stories. The author has looked at different stories and found a reference to an Earth goddess and has breathed life into the legend and given us a Yaga who is the daughter of the Mother Goddess, Mokosh. This Yaga is not ferocious looking with iron teeth, although she does live in a hut with chicken legs. Yaga is immortal but she is also half mortal and even though she had lived hundreds of years, she still looks like a woman in her prime. She has an affinity with animals, she can converse with them and has a wolf and an owl as companions. Villagers and townsfolk seek her out for healings, and she uses the nature around her for her potions but sometimes these same people that she helps turn against her, so she tends to live on her own deep in the forests. A very different Baba Yaga and one you immediately like.

The story takes place in the time of Ivan the Terrible, although at the beginning of the story, he has not gained that reputation. The author mingles historical details with the 'fiction' of Yaga and over the decades we follow her as she follows Ivan's army as it rampages across Russia destroying all it its path, trying to bring comfort and healing. And, during this time she finds someone who sees her and not her magic. She finds love. However, to defeat Ivan and to save Russia, Yaga knows that she must contact the gods, an action that has the potential to destroy everything.

This is a wonderful book as the author gives us a glimpse into the Russia of the 16th century, its culture, food and traditions. The characters, so many wonderful characters that you fear for in the heat of battle. But out main character, Yaga, she is strong when she needs to be, but the mortal part of her allows her to be human. But ultimately, she is a woman taking control of her life and destiny. You follow her and her wolf and owl and feel her pain and uncertainty and you love her.

A super read.

My knowledge of Russian folklore comes mainly from film and tv so I can not attest the accuracy of this book but it left me wanting to know more and read more because this is a wonderful book that thrills and excites the reader whilst in typical Russian manner leaves the reader with a feeling of loss

I love historical fiction and one of the periods/ histories that I love reading about and learning about is Russian history and the Russian Revolution. I really enjoyed this book it was well written with a good level of character development and a gripping storyline. I really enjoyed it

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Yaga lives deep within the forest, but comes out when she cures the tsaritsa of poisoning and cares deeply enough to try and protect her. A skilful weave of myth and history that I have not encountered before, having read a few novels set in Russia but not many. This intrigued me, and so I requested a copy of it, and I am glad I did. The real Yaga at least the Yaga as imagined by the author, is revealed, and I really enjoyed the character development of Yaga.