The Witch and the Tsar

By: Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Narrated by: Katia Kapustin, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

"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.

Very Good

My initial comment is about the narrator Katia Kapustin. Her speech is precise to the point of distraction. The diction should not feel so forced. It is unnerving and uncomfortable. I hope I can get past this feeling as it is taking away from my experience of the book rather than adding to it.

It did get better though it was still distracting.

I have a passable knowledge of Russian mythology and fairy tales. Even so the PDF was absolutely necessary. There were times I was still a bit lost and I might have benefit from reading the story along with the audiobook. Seeing the Russian names while hearing them would have helped. The story was rich and magnificent . I loved this aspect of Yaga.

Great story concept; narration jarring

Narraration went from soft and loving to sharp amd forceful very suddenly, often when it wasn'tcalled for in context. I couldn't finish it because of this but the story concept is lovely. I'm going to read the book.

A great mix of fantasy and history!

As someone who loves believing in the possibility of magic and also a person who enjoys history this book was wonderful. The Slavic gods brought to life along side actual historical events were so enjoyable. Yaga's character is a great story. Her strength and growth is so well written. Never did I feel like the characters acted unlike themselves. Bought the physical copy after listening to the autobook!

Beautiful ties between folklore and history

As someone wholly unfamiliar with both Russian history and Eastern folklore, I found the story to be a beautifully woven tale of both. I appreciated the balanced feminism in the development of characters, depicting the duality of both male and female characters. The narration was also really helpful in enunciation that would have been lost on me had I simply read this.

This book hit all the marks!

Great narrator and amazing historical fiction. I love Yaga!!! If you like a story told by a strong female who has been maligned in history (myth) then this is your jam!