It was not that twilight tasted differently, though on my tongue, the humid spring air had the bitterness of snowfall. It was that, even this deep in the Russian forest, dusk bled into the light with infuriating leisure. The clouds had smothered the last of the sun’s rays in scarlet. Yet day clung on, delaying what mortals intended to find their way to my izbushka. So first off, this is not actually a book featuring Baba Yaga. This is a book about a half-mortal child of a Slavic goddess, a woman who is physically frozen in her thirties and works as a magical healer, especially of women. Her name is Yaga, but she is not Baba Yaga. The myths and folklore we know are false, lies spread by hateful Christians, particularly hateful Christian men. This was an engaging, violent, and emotional story that kept me engaged. Those that enjoy reimagined folk tales and mythology may want to consider this book as their next read.” Beyond that, I had a hard time connecting to Yaga. Yes, part of me was simply disappointed that she was a young woman because I’ve read a million and one novels about young women in fantasy and it’s always refreshing to read about different age groups (people over 30 exist! especially older women! things happen to them and there is a unique power and experience to be mined there!). But beyond that, Yaga, while still young-looking, is in fact meant to be quite old. And yet she routinely seemed to be quite naive in a way that I found hard to reconcile with the amount of lived experience she should have under her belt at this point. This is a feminist retelling of Yaga, deconstructing the conventional stories around the figure and exposing the ostracised wise woman behind them. Gilmore sets out to do for Baba Yaga what Miller did for Circe, Saint for Ariadne, North for Penelope…and achieves it beautifully…[A] rich and heady blend of historical fiction and mythological retelling.”

Me, I’m the reader frustrated by the aged-down Yaga! But before I get to that, let’s start with my general impression. Unlike Kate, everything about this book is directly up my alley, so it was a bit of a no-brainer that I was going to read it either way. But I was happy she suggested we joint review it, since I think that has left us in an interesting position now. Since…the very fact that this was up my alley might be why I wasn’t this book’s biggest fan? More precisely, I feel like I’ve read this book before and better versions of it.

Hold still, Little Hen,” I said and swept on. But I kept a close eye on the wood beyond the skulls. There is certainly that message because that is what women have had to do for centuries. To hide their wisdom, their intellectual curiosity, their ambitions and interests. Or they were not only branded as witches and sorceresses and other evil beings, but put on trial (both in court and in the arena of public opinion) to defend their beliefs, and their lives. It is another reason why I decided to approach Baba Yaga the way I did: to show a woman who has been unfairly judged by the society of her day simply because she is different in not conforming to its social mores and expectations. When Yaga first comes to Moscow, there is that element of disguise; she knows she must look like she’s conforming because that is survival at Tsar Ivan the Terrible’s court. She then must work very hard throughout the novel to become at peace with herself and to fully embrace being a powerful witch and woman, unapologetically and without disguise. Already?” I asked in Russian. Someone was coming. Someone desperate enough to risk being seen. “Who is it?”

They are here, Ya. Her voice, in the language she spoke, reverberated through my mind, becoming words I could understand. In The Witch and the Tsar, Baba Yaga is transformed by the magic of Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s prose from a shadowy figure into a breathing woman with a beating heart… A powerful and moving debut.” And yet, The Witch and the Tsar, written by a Russian and thus presumably above accusations of cultural appropriation and racist stereotypes and Russophobia, is really no different in this sense.

A rich and vivid tapestry of old Russia in an age when Tsar Ivan the Terrible grappled not only with political foes but with the legendary witch Baba Yaga and her command of magic and pagan gods. An evocative journey into old Russian myth and history, and a poignant exploration of what it means to be both human and immortal.” Expertly drawing from Russian history and mythology, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore transforms Baba Yaga into a complex heroine, whose quest to save her country sparkles with folk magic and supernatural intrigue. A powerful, original story.” Gilmore’s immersive prose steeps readers in this wonderfully epic folktale full of magic and myth.” – Library Journal (starred review) But overall, I think that I didn’t have enough working knowledge of the mythology (and even the history! I don’t know much about Russian history, honestly), and that meant that I couldn’t fully appreciate what Gilmore was trying to do. I also thought that it was a little ambling at times as the story went on. It wasn’t really a slog, but I did sometimes find myself skimming a bit to get through specific scenes. But there’s far more to it. When reading the author’s note, you learn of what inspired the author and what she hoped to achieve. I think she did. This is one of those books that will only grow richer with rereading.

This book retells the entire folkloric story with another perspective, humanizing Yaga, giving her true defiant, powerful voice she needs. She doesn’t feed herself with children, flying around in a mortar, terrorizing her community as it’s told. It’s a remarkable redefinition and recreation of the character! I truly loved this version more! Ivan Bilibin, Baba Yaga, illustration in 1911 from "The tale of the three tsar's wonders and of Ivashka, the priest's son" (A. S. Roslavlev) This epic tale brings both history and folklore to vivid life. It’s a fresh, exciting take sure to capture fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe and Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne.”– Publishers Weekly An utterly enchanting, wholly immersive debut that deftly reimagines the legend of Baba Yaga. This one is unmissable” - Alexis Henderson, author of THE YEAR OF THE WITCHINGA celebration of the beauty, complexity, and majesty that embodies Russia—her people, her history, her folklore, her culture, her triumphs, her tragedies, her heart. THE WITCH AND THE TSAR is gripping, heartbreaking, romantic, and mesmerizing, and Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s storytelling is its own enthralling magic.