The best book I read this month was a magical tale, a retelling of the Russian legend of Baba Yaga. Olesysa Salnikova Gilmore’s The Witch and the Tsar transplants Baba Yaga to Russia during the rule of Ivan the Terrible, where the witch and the tsar are first allies and then enemies.
The story is infused with magic and the supernatural side by side with history. It even includes my favorite figure in Russian folklore, Koschei the Deathless. We learn Yaga’s story—past and present—as she fights to save Russia from a supernatural threat that has consumed the tsar. It is an interesting take on Ivan’s madness and blood-thirst.
But the story is about more than death. It is about love too: love of country, love of family, romantic love, platonic love, filial love.
I enjoyed this book. I found Yaga a sympathetic character, not the boogeyman she’s often portrayed as, and her love story, compelling. I especially loved being immersed in Russian mythology. I discovered new legends and new figures that I want to read more about. I am eager for Gilmore’s next book.
