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oisinthewizard's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I loved this book up to about page 340.
The characters are robust and dynamic, even in their flaws. I appreciate Yaga's flaws and limited perception of time and place, even as the daughter of a god. It takes a deft hand to write a vulnerable immortal and Salnikova Gilmore pulled it off. The landscape of Ivan the Terrible's Russia draws the reader in with its starkness and brutality. I enjoyed the found family dynamics with the Skomorokhi Knights, although sensitive readers may find the brutality of the Oprichniki to be too much. (To be fair to the author, they were far more brutal in actual history than in this fantasy novel.)
As my issues with the book are primarily with the ending, I will write them as spoilers.Once it became obvious that Selica, Lady of Death, sister of Baba Yaga, is also Kostroma, Lady of Spring nad Rebirth, sister of Kupalo, I thought the plot to kill Selica would have an obvious ending - it is in the killing to of the deity of winter that she can become the deity of spring. This is a known mythological cycle and makes sense. So when Yaga's ritual just perma-kills her and the goddess of spring and winter is no more - I am honestly confused as to how that would possibly restore the order of seasons in Russia, especially with Morozko, who has been inflicting eternal winter on Russia, unpunished and unfettered.
I also found Vasily's story from page 340 on to be unnecessarily complicated and without proper resolution. He could have just disappeared in the war against the Lithuanian and Polish armies. To have him under some unexplained spell and then just appear, perfectly fine, at the end of the book, despite Yaga and Marina waiting for him for months in Psok makes no sense.
Selica's anger at men does not have any textual support, as it was her mother who sold her into marriage and her husband, Morozko, who supported her escape from it. On page 344, she accuses Morozko of infidelity and punishes Vasily for "Yet he is a man, and how easily they forget. She is doing Yaga a favor. Look where men have gotten Selica. Like all women, her sister is better off on her own." None of this is supported by the text. We have no evidence prior to this of Morozko having any lover other than Selica and Vasily has loyal to Yaga.
Lastly, I was very disappointed that after Selica is banished to the lands of the dead, none of the characters who were participating in brutal massacres for basically the entire book have any responsibility to their actions and in fact, appear to just stop now that the Lady of Death is gone. Do they not have any agency of their own?
The characters are robust and dynamic, even in their flaws. I appreciate Yaga's flaws and limited perception of time and place, even as the daughter of a god. It takes a deft hand to write a vulnerable immortal and Salnikova Gilmore pulled it off. The landscape of Ivan the Terrible's Russia draws the reader in with its starkness and brutality. I enjoyed the found family dynamics with the Skomorokhi Knights, although sensitive readers may find the brutality of the Oprichniki to be too much. (To be fair to the author, they were far more brutal in actual history than in this fantasy novel.)
As my issues with the book are primarily with the ending, I will write them as spoilers.
I also found Vasily's story from page 340 on to be unnecessarily complicated and without proper resolution. He could have just disappeared in the war against the Lithuanian and Polish armies. To have him under some unexplained spell and then just appear, perfectly fine, at the end of the book, despite Yaga and Marina waiting for him for months in Psok makes no sense.
Selica's anger at men does not have any textual support, as it was her mother who sold her into marriage and her husband, Morozko, who supported her escape from it. On page 344, she accuses Morozko of infidelity and punishes Vasily for "Yet he is a man, and how easily they forget. She is doing Yaga a favor. Look where men have gotten Selica. Like all women, her sister is better off on her own." None of this is supported by the text. We have no evidence prior to this of Morozko having any lover other than Selica and Vasily has loyal to Yaga.
Lastly, I was very disappointed that after Selica is banished to the lands of the dead, none of the characters who were participating in brutal massacres for basically the entire book have any responsibility to their actions and in fact, appear to just stop now that the Lady of Death is gone. Do they not have any agency of their own?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Death, War, and Injury/Injury detail
imogenoakes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Violence
lovosii's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Murder, Sexual content, Abandonment, Violence, Confinement, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Animal death, Classism, Gun violence, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
pvbobrien's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Religious bigotry, Blood, Pregnancy, War, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Misogyny
leahjanespeare's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Don’t mind me, just picking up the pieces of my heart after finishing this sucker punch of a book.
On the brink of a changing world in the 16th century: old gods, wondrous and dangerous magical beings, all slowly being replaced by the Christianity sweeping through Russia. We come across the infamous witch, Baba Yaga. But she is not who you know from the storybooks written by men. Her story is not one of terror and wickedness, but of power and love. Yaga takes it upon herself to rid her country of the tsar Ivan the Terrible, and the malicious gods behind the curtain of his madness. Crossing decades and worldly realms, Yaga is unstoppable in her determination to protect those in need, and in the process discovers more about her immortal self. Expertly blending real historical events such as the Oprichnina’s massacres and bloody reign across the land, with ancient pagan Slavic beliefs and tales, this is truly a unique, fiercely feminist, and inspiring story to behold. I’ve never read anything like it before.
ALSO! It avoided one of my biggest pet peeves in ‘feminist’ stories which is the woman who has power cannot also have love at the end of the day- and visa versa.
Love AND power all the way in this one!!!
On the brink of a changing world in the 16th century: old gods, wondrous and dangerous magical beings, all slowly being replaced by the Christianity sweeping through Russia. We come across the infamous witch, Baba Yaga. But she is not who you know from the storybooks written by men. Her story is not one of terror and wickedness, but of power and love. Yaga takes it upon herself to rid her country of the tsar Ivan the Terrible, and the malicious gods behind the curtain of his madness. Crossing decades and worldly realms, Yaga is unstoppable in her determination to protect those in need, and in the process discovers more about her immortal self. Expertly blending real historical events such as the Oprichnina’s massacres and bloody reign across the land, with ancient pagan Slavic beliefs and tales, this is truly a unique, fiercely feminist, and inspiring story to behold. I’ve never read anything like it before.
ALSO! It avoided one of my biggest pet peeves in ‘feminist’ stories which is the woman who has power cannot also have love at the end of the day- and visa versa.
Love AND power all the way in this one!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Death and Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts
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