The Witch and the Tsar [Goldsboro Exclusive]

by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Other authorsHolly Macdonald (Cover designer)
Hardcover, 2022

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Publication

HarperVoyager (2022), 432 pages

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. Mythology. Historical Fiction. HTML:"A delicate weaving of myth and history, The Witch and the Tsar breathes new life into stories you think you know."�??Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf   In this stunning debut novel, the maligned and immortal witch of legend known as Baba Yaga will risk all to save her country and her people from Tsar Ivan the Terrible�??and the dangerous gods who seek to drive the twisted hearts of men. As a half-goddess possessing magic, Yaga is used to living on her own, her prior entanglements with mortals having led to heartbreak. She mostly keeps to her hut in the woods, where those in need of healing seek her out, even as they spread rumors about her supposed cruelty and wicked spells. But when her old friend Anastasia�??now the wife of the tsar, and suffering from a mysterious illness�??arrives in her forest desperate for her protection, Yaga realizes the fate of all of Russia is tied to Anastasia�??s. Yaga must step out of the shadows to protect the land she loves.   As she travels to Moscow, Yaga witnesses a sixteenth century Russia 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.   Olesya Salnikova Gilmore weaves a rich tapestry of mythology and Russian history, reclaiming and reinventing the infamous Baba Yaga, and bringing to life a vibrant and tumultuous Russia, where old gods and new tyrants vie for power. This fierce and compelling novel draws from the timeless lore to create a heroine for the modern day, fighting to save her country and those she loves from oppression while also finding her true purpose as a goddess, a witch, and a woman. * This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF of the glossary and ma… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member spiritedstardust
She took the badass Baba Yaga and turned her into a naive, weak woman-child.
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
This novel had a great opening - I was immediately intrigued, wanted to know more, and was fascinated by the fusion of history and fiction. However, after the first third of the book, I started to loose interest. I finished the book and overall I liked this re-imagining of the Baba Yaga story, but
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I felt like the conclusion was abrupt and I was left wanting more.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2022-09

Physical description

432 p.; 9.45 inches

ISBN

0008555583 / 9780008555580

Local notes

Yaga lives deep in the sixteenth century Russian forest, tending to any that call upon her for her healing potions and vast wisdom. 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.

GSFF Book Club, January 2023. Signed and numbered #1824 of 2000 copies with a digitally printed scene on black page edges, head and tail bands, a ribbon bookmark and foil on the boards

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