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A review by baknata
The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The first thing about this book that hooked me was that it didn't have a main character who was overall unhappy. It is too common in Slavic-inspired fantasy stories to create a setting that is the main obstacle for the main character. It is annoying and also inaccurate when Slavic characters are shown resenting their home and family. This book really encapsulated the fierce loyalty and love that Slavic people have for their homeland and their people. It may seem like a small detail, but no matter how well-researched and accurate to the folktales that the book may be, without the correct depiction of the people, it just feels hurtful. That being said, this book warmed my heart, you could tell the author really knew the culture and people that she was writing about and had a deep love and respect for these stories. I loved the way that the fantasy elements were incorporated so well into the historical elements. I am by no means a historian, but even I could tell that the author had invested time and effort into learning about the time period and portraying these events as they were. This is especially impressive given how few records remain from this time in Slavic history.
Another element of this book that I really enjoyed was the way the story was spread out over many years. In fantasy books, it is often the case that the events of the book happen within a few years max. This can make the story feel less realistic. Not to mention, if it is a continuing series, it can either create huge lulls in the second book or fatigue from too much action. This book captures the feeling of real-life political conflict. There is an ongoing struggle but there are also points where the main character is living a somewhat normal life in spite of it. She is very much involved in the conflict, but it isn't one big event that happens and then is over, allowing her to live. Just like in life, things get worse and then stagnate or get better and then worse again, it isn't a perfect plot structure. This also heightened the tension of the events seeing as you could see the effects of the trauma as well as the consequences of growing up in a time of uncertainty and strife. It was a really poignant story that was told in an effective way.
Finally, I loved the way the author transformed these classic Slavic folktales to tell a new story. It may seem overdone or cliche to retell an "evil witch" story, but I especially liked this one. In general, people see Baba Yaga as a harmful or evil character, but there are stories where she is a helpful entity for whatever main character. She is usually part of someone else's story. Having the story center on her and finally seeing her motivations and beliefs creates a really rounded and three-dimensional character. The combination of the folktales and the mythology gave a whole new element to the Yaga story and it played off the historical context so well.
Additionally, I listened to the audiobook version of this, and it was such a nice, and necessary, touch to have it narrated by a Russian-speaking person. While it seems like a no-brainer, there have been too many instances of Russian or Slavic people who are portrayed by non-Russian-speaking people, and it is one of my biggest pet peeves. Hearing the Russian words and phrases, and even just the names, actually being pronounced the right way added so much to the story. In fact, it allowed me to actually listen to the story rather than being distracted and frustrated the entire time. I mean even the smallest thing of putting the stress in the name Yaga on the correct syllable (something that is not done when English speakers pronounce the name, mind you) just makes all the difference.
Overall, my rating of this may be a bit biased since I was overjoyed at the fantastic representation, but I would still recommend it to anyone who is interested in Slavic mythos and folklore.
Another element of this book that I really enjoyed was the way the story was spread out over many years. In fantasy books, it is often the case that the events of the book happen within a few years max. This can make the story feel less realistic. Not to mention, if it is a continuing series, it can either create huge lulls in the second book or fatigue from too much action. This book captures the feeling of real-life political conflict. There is an ongoing struggle but there are also points where the main character is living a somewhat normal life in spite of it. She is very much involved in the conflict, but it isn't one big event that happens and then is over, allowing her to live. Just like in life, things get worse and then stagnate or get better and then worse again, it isn't a perfect plot structure. This also heightened the tension of the events seeing as you could see the effects of the trauma as well as the consequences of growing up in a time of uncertainty and strife. It was a really poignant story that was told in an effective way.
Finally, I loved the way the author transformed these classic Slavic folktales to tell a new story. It may seem overdone or cliche to retell an "evil witch" story, but I especially liked this one. In general, people see Baba Yaga as a harmful or evil character, but there are stories where she is a helpful entity for whatever main character. She is usually part of someone else's story. Having the story center on her and finally seeing her motivations and beliefs creates a really rounded and three-dimensional character. The combination of the folktales and the mythology gave a whole new element to the Yaga story and it played off the historical context so well.
Additionally, I listened to the audiobook version of this, and it was such a nice, and necessary, touch to have it narrated by a Russian-speaking person. While it seems like a no-brainer, there have been too many instances of Russian or Slavic people who are portrayed by non-Russian-speaking people, and it is one of my biggest pet peeves. Hearing the Russian words and phrases, and even just the names, actually being pronounced the right way added so much to the story. In fact, it allowed me to actually listen to the story rather than being distracted and frustrated the entire time. I mean even the smallest thing of putting the stress in the name Yaga on the correct syllable (something that is not done when English speakers pronounce the name, mind you) just makes all the difference.
Overall, my rating of this may be a bit biased since I was overjoyed at the fantastic representation, but I would still recommend it to anyone who is interested in Slavic mythos and folklore.