"Thistlefoot" First Impressions *No Spoilers*

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

Come talk about your initial, general impressions!

Please save all discussion of particulars, details from the story, character choices, plot questions, etc. for the full spoiler thread.

Content warnings for those who want them: (view spoiler)[ burning houses, references to the Jewish diaspora/pogroms, death of a loved one, coercion of will, xenophobia (hide spoiler)]

User-submitted content warnings on Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6...

(More about CWs here.)

[Cynda]

I love Baba Yaga ❤ I noticed her and fell in literary love with her when reading Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.

[Trude]

I read this fantasy novel on my Kindle. When I stumbled upon it, I at once noticed the cottage on the front cover, that humble abode on chicken feet. I had seen it before, surely!

And when I read the blurb and happened upon the name Yaga, I knew I was seeing something based upon Slavic folklore, for certainly I have heard of Baba Yaga, I even persuaded a friend of mine to name her dog Baba Yaga, because the name is so fantastic in and of itself.

The language is fresh, intriguing, and rich. The style is poetic. The writer tries to make all the characters alive to us, and she succeeds to a certain degree.

[Cheryl]

It's a fat book, I see. If it weren't so big, I'd say it looks like a children's book (and not just because kids on the cover). I'm feeling a bit intimidated, tbh.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

especially having just read the lathe of heaven again, it's true that our books have gotten meaty! but this one's only 100 pages larger than average and it's a good romp! I believe in you!

[HeyT]

Picked up my library hold at work so I'm excited to get started!

[Feliciana]

I have been alternating between audiobook and eye reading. It’s very good so far!

[Brett]

@Cheryl - can confirm it's definitely not a children's book.

Had my first literary crush in Thistlefoot, with Winifred.

[Olga]

Just read Prologue. And want to read it again… and again.
Nothing more from me at this point.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

<3

[Sarah]

I am absolutely loving this book so far. I think I'm just past the halfway point on the audio.

[Paul]

I have started this and about 100 pages in. There are elements of a Stephen King style horror story for me so far, but with a fantastic twist. A house that does what now ????

[Cheryl]

Thanks for justifying my dnf. It started out bad enough, then you say horror, and so, yes, I'm out.

[Gabi]

I have to choose one of the two BotMs, and since I've just finished the Red Rising trilogy I think I had enough of scheming brutal SF intrigues, so I will go with his one. Let's start!

[Gabi]

Great prologue.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

^^

[Olga]

I'm about 20% in and some things about rolling heads and Baba Yaga are absolutely baffling for me. They do not sound like the Slavic lore I grew up on. Like at all. And I thought I used to read a lot in childhood. Need to take a closer look at a fairy tales book I bought for my kids.
Not sure how I feel about it yet.

[Sarah]

I've always been curious about Baba Yaga and her chicken house but I've never actually read anything about it

[Brett]

The Baba Yaga in Thistlefoot is pretty much nothing like the one of folklore. As far as the chicken house, there are storehouses in the Baltic nations and further east that are set up on (four) posts with "feet" for support, that may be inspiration from time immemorial.

[Kaia]

Gabi wrote: "Great prologue."

I started this today, and I completely agree - the prologue was amazing! I'm also enjoying the description and the writing in general, so far.

[Bonnie]

Two chapters in.
So far reminds me a bit of The Night Circus: our world, but with magic to be found in the crooks and crannies, especially by those in the performing arts. Although that book took place in the 1800s (iirc) and was written in present tense, the style and way of describing the world feel similar to me.

Cell phones and orthodontists mentioned so this is the modern world? IMO it feels older... traveling by trains and Greyhound buses, the call of the steamboat, saying ~east of the Mississippi~, brothers dropping out of school to travel and perform. Could be more of a timeless story.

Screenwise, I am picturing Nightmare Alley or The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

[Melani]

I am getting a very strong Catherynne Valente vibe from the writing. Not like the author is trying to imitate her, but if she answered the question "who would you say your writing influences are?" with Valente's name I would be unsurprised. For me, this is very much a plus.

[Cynda]

So much to consider and to wonder at.

[J.W.]

I got this at the library. I’m cautiously optimistic. I like retellings of folklore or fairy tales so hoping this will be a good one.

[Ellen]

Seven chapters in and loving it so far.