Book Synopsis:
Yaga lives deep in the Russian forest, tending to any that call upon her for her healing potions and vast wisdom.
She has been alone for centuries, with only her beloved animals for company. But, when Tsaritsa Anastasia, wife of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, shows up at Yaga’s cottage on the brink of death, Yaga is compelled to travel with her to Moscow to keep her safe.
However, the Russia Yaga sees as she makes her journey to the heart of the country is one 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.
Set in sixteenth-century Russia, The Witch and the Tsar upends the stories we know of Baba Yaga as the bony-legged witch of Slavic fairy tales and the stuff of nightmares. For beyond the rumours of her iron nose, fangs for teeth, and house on chicken legs, is the story of a woman so wise and strong that she has to be cloaked in lies to hide her true power.
My Review:
The Witch And The Tsar is a perfect blend of fantasy and historical fiction that I really loved. It’s definitely a book that has stayed with me long after reading it.
Firstly I’ve always loved Russian history so I found all the little details in this book fascinating. I’d heard of Ivar The Terrible before so it was interesting to learn more about him and the events in this book that might have had an effect on his later rule. I enjoyed finding out more about life in court and the fashion of the time. It was particularly intriguing to learn more about the women at the court and how many rules applied to them – even the Tsarista.
The fantasy side of the story was beautifully imagined and described. I especially liked the wonderful description of Little Hen and the way Yaga can communicate with the animals so they become her friends. The descriptions of The Land Of The Dead were very chilling and helped provide an air of mystery and uncertainty as I wondered what would happen next.
Yaga was a great character and one whose strength I greatly admired. I loved the way she stood up for herself despite people’s suspicion and how loyal she was to people who needed her. It was interesting to learn more about herbal medicine at that time too.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author. The story took a little while to get going but I was soon thoroughly absorbed. The mystery side of the story kept me on my toes and I loved watching the story unravel as I never really knew where the story would go next.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper Voyager for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore was born in Moscow, Russia, raised in the U.S., and graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in English/political science, and from Northwestern School of Law with a JD. She practiced litigation at a large law firm for several years before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. She is most happy writing historical fiction and fantasy inspired by Eastern European folklore. She lives in a wooded, lakeside suburb of Chicago with her husband and daughter. THE WITCH AND THE TSAR is her debut novel.
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Thanks for the blog tour support x
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