In the new book The Witch and the Tsar, Baba Yaga isn’t the frightening old woman who eats children. Yaga is a half-goddess living on her own and trying to spend as much time in her hut in the woods away from mortals as possible. Her heart has been broken by betrayals, and regular rumors that she is cruel and places evil spells on others. When her old friend arrives with a mysterious illness, Yaga goes to Moscow to try to protect her friend. The unfortunate thing is her friend just so happens to be married to the man who would someday become known as Ivan the Terrible. What follows is a tale of old Slavic Gods, magic, and political intrigue.
Author Olesya Salnikova Gilmore does an incredible job of blending folklore with the oft chaotic history of Russia. When combined, readers get drawn into an epic tale. The Witch and the Tsar is both beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure. For lovers of Russian mythology, this is a wonderful book; just don’t expect the characters to behave exactly as they do in other tales.
The Witch and the Tsar is available September 20, 2022.
