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Title details for The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore - Available

The Witch and the Tsar

by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
Katia Kapustin
Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
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"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 map from the book.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 20, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593626368
      • File size: 401647 KB
      • Duration: 13:56:45

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 4, 2022
      Gilmore’s enchanting debut adds to the growing genre of mythological retellings that reframe the acts of supposedly villainous women. In 1560 Russia, half-mortal and half-goddess Yaga Mokoshevna is called Baba Yaga the Bony Leg by those who only know of her by her demonic reputation. Fearful of magic that they don’t understand, mortals seek out Yaga’s services in the night, coming to her for aid with illness, love, or other ailments, but never in the light of day—until the czaritza Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina-Yurieva arrives at her doorstep seeking a cure for a mysterious illness. After Yaga determines the czaritza’s been poisoned by an unknown would-be assassin, she’s reluctantly thrust into the political sphere. Czar Ivan IV, Anastasia’s husband, is a paranoid and controlling man who sees betrayal and treachery at every turn. As he drives Russia toward violence and war, Yaga discovers that higher powers may be pulling his strings. Spanning 20 years of Yaga’s immortal life as she fights to protect the homeland she loves from those with even greater powers than the czar, this epic tale brings both history and folklore to vivid life. It’s a fresh, exciting take sure to capture fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe and Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary.

    • Library Journal

      December 1, 2022

      Blending Russian folklore and history, Gilmore's thrilling debut offers a new interpretation of the fabled witch Baba Yaga. Here, she is not the witch of legend, but rather a half-mortal, half-goddess who contentedly lives in her beloved chicken house with her wolf and bird companions. One day she is approached by the sweet Tsarina Anastasia, who seeks a cure for her mysterious illness. Yaga sees that the Tsarina has been poisoned, and she agrees to help. Her efforts are complicated when Tsar Ivan, soon to become Ivan the Terrible, comes under the influence of fearsome immortals, who put the future of Russia and its people in grave danger. Narrator Katia Kapustin's briskly vigorous presentation conveys Baba Yaga's power and authority. Her distinct characterizations ensure that listeners can easily distinguish between characters. She employs her wide vocal range to great effect, using a forceful, sharp tone when giving voice to men, then switching to a deliciously creepy voice to portray an evil elder goddess. Kapustin's authentic pronunciation of Russian names adds to the overall experience of this Slavic tale. VERDICT Kapustin's deft narration combined with Gilmore's intriguing rendition of the often maligned Baba Yaga makes for an enchanting listen.--B. Allison Gray

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Brisk as the winter wind, Katia Kapustin manifests the witch Yaga with a surprisingly youthful timbre, as befits this reinterpretation of the famed Slavic folklore villain Baba Yaga. Here Yaga is a young heroine who is half goddess, rather than a deformed, ferocious old woman. Kapustin's precise enunciation of tricky Russian names and places draws the listener into the harsh and alluring landscape of sixteenth-century Moscow. However, there are times when Kapustin's even, measured tone and volume change in unexpected and inappropriate places. At the end of the story, author Olesya Salnikova Gilmore narrates a discussion of her motivations for this feminist refashioning. This enriching setting of the stage would have better served the listener at the beginning of the audio program, rather than at the end. E.E. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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