In a Certain Kingdom: Fairy Tales of Old Russia

Russian Fairy Tales and Myths #1

by Nicholas Kotar

Deathless villains that can't help dying, idiots who are wiser than kings, and everyone's favorite mortar-riding hag ... These are not your tame happily-ever-after fairy tales!The traditional fairy tales of Russia transport the reader to a fantastical world filled with danger, wonder, and ultimately, consolation. They may be strange, they may be frightening, but Russian fairy tales take you to a place you never want to leave. A magical land of prophecy and adventure that helps you see your own life in vivid colors.This collection features nine stories, translated and retold by award-winning fantasy novelist Nicholas Kotar. These aren't stuffy academic translations. They are retellings by a storyteller, easy to read and filled with wit and whimsy.Discover delightfully entertaining tales filled with princes, warrior-queens, talking wolves, and everyone's favorite Baba Yaga herself!Don't miss In a Certain Kingdom, the first volume in an exciting new series of translations of classic Russian fairy tales and myths.

Genres: Russia, Fairy Tales

84 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2021

About the author

Nicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of the men's choir at a Russian monastery in the middle of nowhere, and a semi-professional vocalist. His one great regret in life is that he was not born in the nineteenth century in St. Petersburg, but he is doing everything he can to remedy that error.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful! It was easy for my younger children to read and understand as well. Now on with book 2.

5*****

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished it with the kids and I think it captured their imagination more than any other book I've read.

[Nicholas Kotar]

I retell Russian fairy tales on a podcast called "In a Certain Kingdom." This book is the text of the stories I retell from season 1 of the podcast. It has some of the most well known Russian stories in the "canon".

[Holly Walling · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories were a lot of fun. I read through them because was considering using them in my English class, and I think I will now. Both familiar and foreign in theme and characters, they didn’t always end how you would expect them to, but always ended on a good note. The plot and characters are too fun to ignore, and it’s exciting to see the classic (and new!) themes of fairy tales in other cultures.

[Ethan Engebretsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hut! Hut! Stand with your back to the forest and your front towards me."
I love fairy tales, and Kotar's collection is no exception. I couldn't resist reading this book after I read the first in his worldbuilding series "How to Survive a Russian Fairy Tale; or How to Avoid Getting Eaten, Chopped into Little Pieces, or Turned Into a Goat" which is also an excellent read.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a native Moscovite, I grew up with these fairy tales. I was delighted that my 6 y.o. all-American granddaughter got as fascinated with them as I had at her age!
I am very happy that Nicholas Kotar has researched and translated several of these.
I looked up Mr Kotar and listened to his podcast. All very interesting.
As a Jew and an atheist, I had some issues with Mr.Kotar's, who is a deacon in his church, allusions to Christian scriptures and their possible connections to Russian folklore. But it's just my bias.
Altogether a very worthwhile read!
.

[Zoe Kaylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a Certain Kingdom is a collection of 9 Russian fairy tales - some might be familiar to you and some might be new to you. I've read a couple of these in Russian, but it's lovely to have nice English translations/retellings. I'm looking forward to reading these to my son once he's old enough!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first volume of a delightful series of Russian fairy tales. Not only are they masterfully translated, there is also discussion on the importance of reading fairy tales. I look forward to the 2 other volumes in this series.

[Mary T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful
I love fairy tales and I am so happy to add this collection of Russian tales to my collection. The cover is great!
I received this as an ARC.

[Melanie Roese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this collection of Russian Fairy Tales that are teaching me so much about the soul and myths of the people. Would definitely recommend.

[Justin Scherrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give this more stars if I could.

[Daniel Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

9 great, strange, classic Russian Fairy Tales.

[Armanis Ar-Feinial · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't what I was expecting. Some of these stories are really close to classics like Cindarella.

[Jim Crigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful collection of Russian fairy tales shows the rest of us what fairy tales mean in their environment.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and enjoyable collection of short stories.