The Witch and the Tsar - Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

I received a copy of The Witch and the Tsar from NetGalley and I couldn't wait to dive in.

Baby Yaga is a witch. In 16th century Russia she is both respected for her knowledge but feared for her talents. Having been persecuted in the past, she lives in the forest with her companions, known as a healer and working with the communities and villages around to protect and cure them of their ailments.

But something strange is happening in Russia - her best friend, the Tsarina has been poisoned and the seasons are no longer behaving as they should. Travelling through the country, Baby Yaga must look to the old Gods to fix what has become unbalanced and see that her Motherland is not destroyed int he process.

The Witch and the Tsar is a beautiful story, mixing traditional Russian folklore with historical fiction set within an almost permanent winter backdrop. It has everything; myth, magic, love and war. I absolutely loved it and adored the way the writer described not only the story itself, but the loyalty and love that is felt towards the homeland.

Comments

A Merry Little Meet Cute - Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

What a bloody lovely Christmas beaut this was! If you're venturing into spicy romance books and have been on Instagram or TikTok recently, it's likely that you would have seen this little gem doing the rounds. Bee is a content creator for ClosedDoor (think.. OnlyFans) and Nolan is an ex-boyband bad boy that are both cast in a Hope Channel (think... Hallmark) Christmas movie, Duke The Halls. Nolan is reinventing his career and trying to rid himself of the bad boy image whereas Bee is brought in last minute because the Lead Actress has been taken ill. The best part? Bee was a massive fan of Nolan in her teenage years and Nolan has been following Bee on social media for a while. And they're getting paid to get to know each other. I adored this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and is perfect for those of us who love a Hallmark Christmas movie but wished there was a bit heat in the romances. the positive message around Bee's work is brilliantly handled, not to me...

The English Fuhrer - Rory Clements

There's something about an alternative Second World War or a "What If?" that intrigues me. After my somewhat disappointing experience with The Man In The High Castle a few weeks ago - I was hesitant that this would also miss the mark slightly but thankfully - it hit all the right spots. A few months after the end of the War, Tom Wilde is back from his OSS placement and is settling back into academia at Cambridge. But a visit to a sick friend lands him in the midst of a biological attack on British Soil and he's called up on by his previous colleague to investigate. I really enjoyed this story. I didn't realise that it was part of a series of novels based on the central character, Tom Wilde but that didn't stop my grasp of what was going on. The departments and fractions of military were easy to pick up though there are a likely a few backstories that would have been useful to piece things together quicker. My only criticism is that Clements' writing s...

My Killer Vacation - Tessa Bailey

I think I've found my new favourite Tessa Bailey. I really enjoyed It Happened One Summer and Hook Like and Sinker so when this one was on offer - I ust had to add it to my basket. But I definitely didn't expect to love it! Taylor is taking her brother on vacation - they've gone all out on a beach house in Cape Cod but when they turn up, they made a gruesome discovery. A Bounty Hunter-come-Private Detective rocks up on his motorbike and the fun starts. I won't lie - I think Myles is the reason I enjoyed this one so much. Long hair, tattoos and 2 wheels? Sign me up. Fox and Brendan were hot, but they didn't quite push the right buttons for me. And what I enjoyed most is that the murder mystery element of the story was just as good as the rest of it. I was definitely a little hesitant because, it takes a different type of skill, but Bailey aced it.

The Little Library Project

Search This Blog