The Witch and the Tsar: A captivating 2022 debut historical fantasy retelling of the Russian folk tale of the legendary Baba Yaga

‘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 Yaga lives deep in the Russian forest, tending to any that call upon her for her healing potions and vast wisdom. She has been alone for centuries, with only her beloved animals for company. But, when Tsaritsa Anastasia, wife of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, shows up at Yaga’s cottage on the brink of death, Yaga is compelled to travel with her to Moscow to keep her safe. However, the Russia Yaga sees as she makes her journey to the heart of the country is one 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. Set in sixteenth-century Russia, The Witch and the Tsar upends the stories we know of Baba Yaga as the bony-legged witch of Slavic fairy tales and the stuff of nightmares. For beyond the rumours of her iron nose, fangs for teeth, and house on chicken legs, is the story of a woman so wise and strong that she has to be cloaked in lies to hide her true power. The Witch and the Tsar is a top-notch historical fantasy that delves deep into the heart of mediaeval Russia, its folk tales, and its legends. Olesya Salnikova Gilmore's latest work is a delicate weaving of myth and history, a must-read for any literature enthusiast. For fans of Katherine Arden (The Girl in The Tower), Sophie Keetch (Morgan Is My Name), Claire North (The Sudden Appearance of Hope), Samantha Shannon (The Mask Falling), and Leigh Bardugo (The Familiar). HarperCollins 2022