Review of The Witch and the Tsar
The Witch and the Tsar is a retelling of the Baba Yaga myth, set in Russia during the dark times of Ivan the Terrible. Instead of the child-eating Baba Yaga of cautionary fairytales, though, our wonderfully relatable heroine Yaga is more akin to the unfairly vilified “witches” of actual history: a healer, a midwife, an eccentric loner—in short, a woman. But as the half-human daughter of the Russian motherhood goddess, she’s also more than that, and she’ll do anything to save her beloved country from the Tsar’s reign of terror.
On the historical side, this book is refreshingly well-researched and full of exacting detail, while on the fantasy side, it is peopled with the Slavic pantheon of gods, who under Gilmore’s deft hand become a deliciously fickle and impulsive bunch. For me, it was the perfect creative combination of history and myth, a unique and unpredictable tale.
One of the most satisfying aspects of this book, which I think puts it in the company of other brilliant historical fantasies like Wecker’s The Golem and the Jinni, Neville’s The Eight, and Harrow’s The Once and Future Witches, is its thought-provoking depth and well-developed themes. The hauntingly vivid prose, the tough choices, the authentic humanity, and the unvarnished inhumanity all combine to make a memorable story that rings true even for our times. It’s not a quick and shallow escapist read, but a meaningful narrative with flawed but impassioned characters that stick in the brain and continue to challenge you afterward.
That said, it’s not all doom and gloom. Yaga’s chicken-legged house, Little Hen, is a whimsical joy. There’s a saucy talking owl, a protective dire wolf, spying ravens, and a cackling swamp critter. There is romance, both triumphant and tragic. There are witchy potions and earth magic, alternate dimensions, and feisty forest animals. And of course, lots of cold and snow, not all of it with natural origins.
Fans of The Bear and the Nightingale/Winternight Trilogy are sure to love The Witch and the Tsar. In fact, I actually liked it much more. As someone with Slavic heritage myself who has lived in Russia and speaks Russian, I found Gilmore’s imaginative perspective truer to history, culture, and language. The book tends toward dark fantasy and doesn’t shy away from the gory brutality of Ivan’s demented war against his own citizens, in tormented-Russian-soul fashion, but also showcases the fiercely loyal, courageous love for one’s country and people that is the other, brighter side of this coin. The author’s expert grasp of her subject matter, as well as her passion for it, really shine through. Highly recommend.
*I received an ARC from the author
On the historical side, this book is refreshingly well-researched and full of exacting detail, while on the fantasy side, it is peopled with the Slavic pantheon of gods, who under Gilmore’s deft hand become a deliciously fickle and impulsive bunch. For me, it was the perfect creative combination of history and myth, a unique and unpredictable tale.
One of the most satisfying aspects of this book, which I think puts it in the company of other brilliant historical fantasies like Wecker’s The Golem and the Jinni, Neville’s The Eight, and Harrow’s The Once and Future Witches, is its thought-provoking depth and well-developed themes. The hauntingly vivid prose, the tough choices, the authentic humanity, and the unvarnished inhumanity all combine to make a memorable story that rings true even for our times. It’s not a quick and shallow escapist read, but a meaningful narrative with flawed but impassioned characters that stick in the brain and continue to challenge you afterward.
That said, it’s not all doom and gloom. Yaga’s chicken-legged house, Little Hen, is a whimsical joy. There’s a saucy talking owl, a protective dire wolf, spying ravens, and a cackling swamp critter. There is romance, both triumphant and tragic. There are witchy potions and earth magic, alternate dimensions, and feisty forest animals. And of course, lots of cold and snow, not all of it with natural origins.
Fans of The Bear and the Nightingale/Winternight Trilogy are sure to love The Witch and the Tsar. In fact, I actually liked it much more. As someone with Slavic heritage myself who has lived in Russia and speaks Russian, I found Gilmore’s imaginative perspective truer to history, culture, and language. The book tends toward dark fantasy and doesn’t shy away from the gory brutality of Ivan’s demented war against his own citizens, in tormented-Russian-soul fashion, but also showcases the fiercely loyal, courageous love for one’s country and people that is the other, brighter side of this coin. The author’s expert grasp of her subject matter, as well as her passion for it, really shine through. Highly recommend.
*I received an ARC from the author
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