A review by tien
The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I find there aren't many books featuring Baba Yaga so I was instantly curious. Plus, I also love any Russian setting books so I just couldn't let this opportunity passed.

It started a little bit slow as the setup was a little bit long (about a third of the book) however as the story itself started to unfold, it was a beautiful unfurling with a great character development along with a soulful romance.

It is a dark fantastical tale set in brutal Middle Ages Russia but the protagonist's love for her land and the people around her were palpable; a shining hope amid the blood and gore. Highly recommended for historical (Russian) fantasy fans.

My thanks to HarperVoyager for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts