The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

The Witch and the Tsar
by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
August 22, 2023
Genre: historical fantasy, magical realism, mythology

"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.

Praise for THE WITCH AND THE TSAR

“A fantastically spun tale like nothing you’ve ever read before.”—Buzzfeed

“Combining myth and history, this book is for anyone who enjoys retellings, especially one that gives voice to maligned characters.”—The Young Folks

“An engaging, violent and emotional story that kept me engaged. Those that enjoy reimagined folk tales and mythology may want to consider this book as their next read.”—Mystery and Suspense

"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

“Fierce and fearless, The Witch and the Tsar whisks the reader back to a 16th-century Russia that's enthralling, frightening, and completely unforgettable.. This is Baba Yaga like you've never seen her before, and you're going to love her.”–Allison Epstein, author of A Tip for the Hangman

Amazon

About the Author:
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Olesya Salnikova Gilmore was born in Moscow, Russia, raised in the U.S., and graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in English/political science, and from Northwestern School of Law with a JD. She practiced litigation at a large law firm for several years before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. She is most happy writing historical fiction and fantasy inspired by Eastern European folklore. She lives in a wooded, lakeside suburb of Chicago with her husband and daughter. THE WITCH AND THE TSAR is her debut novel.

Book Review: Thistlefoot by Gennarose Nethercott

Thistlefoot
by Gennarose Nethercott
September 13, 2022
Publisher: Anchor
ASIN: B09XL43TKT 

ISBN: 9780593468838
The Yaga siblings—Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist—have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive a mysterious inheritance, the siblings are reunited—only to discover that their bequest isn’t land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs.

Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas’ ancestral home in Russia—but not alone. A sinister figure known only as the Longshadow Man has tracked it to American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past: fiery memories that have hidden in Isaac and Bellatine’s blood for generations. As the Yaga siblings embark with Thistlefoot on a final cross-country tour of their family’s traveling theater show, the Longshadow Man follows in relentless pursuit, seeding destruction in his wake. Ultimately, time, magic, and legacy must collide—erupting in a powerful conflagration to determine who gets to remember the past and craft a new future.

An enchanted adventure illuminated by Jewish myth and adorned with lyrical prose as tantalizing and sweet as briar berries, Thistlefoot is an immersive modern fantasy saga by a bold new talent.

Amazon

Isaac Yaga has the ability to become anyone he meets or thinks of. He even calls himself the Chameleon King. He leaves New Orleans and ends up near his sister, Bellatine. He encounters a strange man in a bar, who is searching for something left by their ancestor, Baba Yaga. 

Bellatine has an ability too—she can make the dead or nonliving things come to life. So when she learns what Baba Yaga left them, a house with chicken legs that can run away to other places. Her brother offers her a way to buy out his half of Thistlefoot; although leery, Bellatine does it.

This different take on the Russian witch, Baba Yaga, that adds Jewish legends. The witches are Baba’s great-grandchildren and the house is sentient. All blended into a dark fantasy makes for a wild remade fairytale about how you shouldn’t count your chickens. It will surprise you, all the way to the end.

I gave Thistlefoot 41/2 sheep.

Reviewed by Pamela K. Kinney

About the Author:

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GENNAROSE NETHERCOTT is the author of The Lumberjack’s Dove (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2018), selected by Louise Glück as a winner of the National Poetry Series. Her other recent projects include the narrative song collection Modern Ballads, and Lianna Fled the Cranberry Bog: A Story in Cootie Catchers (Ninepin Press 2019). A Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellow, her work has appeared in BOMB Magazine, The Massachusetts Review, The American Scholar, PANK, and elsewhere, and she has been a writer-in-residence at the Vermont Studio Center, Art Farm Nebraska, and the Shakespeare & Company bookstore in Paris. Her debut novel THISTLEFOOT is forthcoming from Knopf Anchor.

Nethercott tours nationally and internationally performing from her works (often with a hand-cranked shadow show in tow) and composing poems-to-order for strangers on a 1952 Hermes Rocket typewriter. She is the founder of the Traveling Poetry Emporium, a team of poets-for-hire, and is an Associate Producer at Grim and Mild, where she conducts supernatural and historical research for the podcast Lore. She lives in the woodlands of Vermont, beside an old cemetery.

Book Review: Wickedly Powerful (Baba Yaga #3) by Deborah Blake

Wickedly Powerful (Baba Yaga #3)

by Deborah Blake
February 2, 2016

304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
ASN: 9781101987445
ISBN: B012QH52MK
Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

The only thing more fiery than Bella Young’s red hair is her temper. She knows that a Baba Yaga’s power without strict control can leave the people she cares about burned, so to protect her heart—and everyone around her—the only company she keeps is her dragon-turned-Norwegian-Forest-cat, Koshka.

But when Bella is tasked with discovering who’s setting magical fires throughout Wyoming’s Black Hills, she finds herself working closely with former hotshots firefighter Sam Corbett—and falling hard for his quiet strength and charm.

Sam may bear the scars of his past, but Bella can see beyond them and would do anything to help him heal. Only before she can rescue her Prince Charming, she’ll have to overcome the mysterious foe setting the forest fires—a truly wicked witch who wields as much power and even more anger than Bella.

amazon

The third novel in the Baba Yaga series, is about the Babs Yaya, Belle Young. Unlike her Baba Yaga sisters: Barbara, who has one part of the US and Beka, who guards the West Coast, particularly California, Belle watches over the Midwest—mainly forests and deserts. She is called to Wyoming’s Black Hills and settles there with her caravan and her dragon shifted as a Norwegian Forest cat in the National Forest. Some people from town approach her, tasking her with finding who is behind the forest fires that have been happening. The Queen of the Otherworld also instructs her to find the three missing Riders: Day, Sun, and Knight. She puts aside her loner ways and begins working closely with former Hotshots firefighter Sam Corbett who is now a watcher and looks out for fires for the Forestry Department. She also meets and takes under wing, a teenage girl named Jazz, who has runaway from a foster home and now  lives in the woods. All this, as she searches for the supernatural force behind the fires—an evil, made witch.

Though not as good as the former book, Wickedly Wonderful I have read in the series, it is still an entertainingly magical read.

Review: Wickedly Dangerous (Baba Yaga #1)

Review: Wickedly Wonderful (A Baba Yaga Novel #2)

I give Wickedly Powerful 4 sheep

Pamela Kinney

About this Author:

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Author of seven non-fiction books from Llewellyn. Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (2007), Everyday Witch A to Z (2008), The Goddess is in the Details (2009), Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (2010) Witchcraft on a Shoestring (2010), Everyday Witch Book of Rituals, and The Witch's Broom. I am also the author of the Baba Yaga series from Berkley Romance, including Wickedly Magical (novella), Wickedly Dangerous, and Wickedly Wonderful.

When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker, tarot reader, and energy healer. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane.

Interview: Paranormal Romance Author Deborah Blake + giveaway

Today we have the wickedly wonderful (see what I did there?) Deborah Blake visiting the flock. Read on to find out about her Baba Yaga series, how she got owned by cats and where she falls in the Coke vs Pepsi debate!

Sharon: I’m not sure where to even start with you! The writing, the witchcraft, jewelry making, tarot reading, the 120 year old farmhouse or your clowder! We should probably mention your successful Baba Yaga series, to keep the publicist happy (waves to Jessica) then we will leave the safety of the path and head into the dark and—OUCH! *rubs head*
Katie: *puts down broomstick prop* You were getting off topic…

Sharon: Would you tell our readers a little about the Baba Yaga series? And why you picked the Russian fairy tale witch
Deborah: The series (which currently consists of a prequel novella, Wickedly Magical, book 1, Wickedly Dangerous, and book 2, Wickedly Wonderful) is based on the classic Russian fairy tales about Baba Yaga, a witch of great power and (one might say) uncertain temperament. And I picked her for two reasons. One: I love retold fairy tales, but other authors have already used many of the usual bunch like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, and I wanted something completely different. And two: I love the fact that Baba Yaga was neither evil nor good (although she was often used to scare small children). How she responded was based on the goals and honesty of those who sought her out. A true seeker would be tested. Those who were unworthy, well, we won’t talk about what happened to them.

Russian Baba vs Deborah's Babas

5 Sheep Review: Wickedly Dangerous (Baba Yaga #1)
5 Sheep Review: Wickedly Wonderful (Baba Yaga #2)

Sharon: Will each book feature a different Baba Yaga? And what’s with the dog on each cover? Speaking of covers…OMG what great covers you got! I also adore the retro cover of The Witch’s Broom.

Deborah: Wow—that’s a lot of questions. <grin> Yes, each book will feature a different Baba, although the others may appear when you least expect them. The old tales often referred to the Baba’s sisters (who had the same name), which gave me the perfect opportunity to create a world where Baba Yaga was a title, not just one person—which meant that I could give each Baba her own story, and her own happily ever after. (I love a good HEA.) The dogs, as you know, are actually dragons. In the Russian stories, Baba Yaga was often associated with a dragon called Chudo-Yudo. Each of my Babas has her own companion Chudo-Yudo, and the first two are disguised as giant dogs (a white pit bull and a black Newfoundland, respectively) because, well, people might notice a DRAGON. If I get to write book three, however, you might be in for a little bit of a surprise…

I love the covers too—I was fortunate enough to have Tony Mauro do them (you might recognize his work from Yasmine Galenorn’s covers). He did an amazing job bringing my characters to life. And I agree with you about the cover of The Witch’s Broom! Apparently, so did Llewellyn, since we are now doing a tarot deck with that same retro witch theme. Guess who is working on that right now?
Sharon: What a fun deck that will be! Do you have an example of one of the cards? 

Deborah: I do! The artwork is by a fabulous illustrator named Elisabeth Alba. This is the Queen of Pentacles.

Katie: Can there be a male Baba?
Deborah: As far as I can tell, all the Baba Yagas are and have been female.

Katie: If you were a bouquet which flowers would be included?
Deborah: Probably a bunch of wild flowers, many of which are not only pretty, but have both medicinal and magical uses. With a few crimson peonies just to add an exotic touch, and maybe a rose or two, complete with thorns.
Katie: *backs up slowly while laughing nervously*

*Sharon quietly hands Katie a pair of pruning shears...just in case.*

Sharon: When did you begin studying witchcraft? And how do you define it? What would you consider the most essential item a practitioner should have?

Deborah: I started practicing about 17 years ago. And there are almost as many definitions of witchcraft as there are witches, but for me, the best way to describe it is this: A nature-based spiritual path that follows both a god and a goddess, and is based on ancient Pagan practices that have been updated for the modern world. Plus, there’s magic.
The most essential item is heart, which luckily we all have.

Katie: And can you make me a potion to FINALLY track down a vampire?!

Deborah: Yes, I can. Of course, if I give it to you, I’ll have to kill you.

Katie: *runs to car but finds doors are locked, realizes the keys are back inside!*

Sharon: She’ll be back *shakes vampire teeth key chain*

Sharon: What was special about the farmhouse that made you want to live there?

Deborah: There were some practical issues, like the fact that it was the right distance from the town where I work, and within my (pathetic) budget, but mostly, it just felt right. I kid you not—I knew as soon as my Realtor and I drove into the driveway, before I ever set foot into the house itself. Although it didn’t hurt that it had wood floors, a space out behind the barn that was perfect for a magical circle, and was set back from the road and surrounded by trees, so it was private and quiet.

Sharon: Did you pick your cats or did they pick you? And since cat pictures are considered gold in internet currency would you share some pics?

Deborah: Ha! They definitely picked me. Especially Magic the Cat, Queen of the Universe (my black cat). I originally went to the shelter to get one kitten to be company for the elderly cat I had at the time. There was one set of four kittens (it was March) along with their skinny, sickly, terrified mama. I was looking at one of the gray kittens when this little black ball of fur muscled her way up to the front of the cage and said decisively, “MEOW. MEOW. MEOW.” Which clearly translated to: “I don’t care who else you pick, but lady, you are taking me.” So I did, of course, along with her brother Mystic, and their mom Minerva, who was so clearly unadoptable that the shelter folks begged me to take her as a “bonus” and waived all the usual fees. A few years later, I went to a different shelter for one cat, and came home with two, because the second one picked me too. Needless to say, I am now banned from going to shelters. Here are a few pictures of Magic, Angus, and Samhain (named after the Celtic holiday they based Halloween on, because she is black and orange).

Sharon: *collective sigh at cuteness* So when did you learn to speak cat?

Deborah: What? Can’t everyone?

Katie: If you could be a sundae, what flavor and toppings would you have? 

Deborah: Hot fudge, with extra hot fudge, and real whipped cream.

Sharon: Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry you’ve made?

Deborah: I have a LOT of favorites. (I know—I’m supposed to be selling the things, not keeping them!) But my most favorite are the pentacle necklaces I make for myself that have stones for prosperity, or healing, or just for beauty. (http://theartisansguildoneonta.com/) [Note: we don’t sell things online]. I do have an Etsy store…and any day, I’m going to put things in it! https://www.etsy.com/shop/deborahblake?ref=hdr_shop_menu )

we are a PG13 site you silly lambs!

Sharon: If you could own any piece of art in the world which would it be?
Deborah: Michelangelo’s David. (What can I say—I like beautiful naked men.)
Katie: Ok, chocolate and naked men had me running back! Now we're talking!

Rapid Fire

Sharon: Ability to fly or breathe underwater?

Deborah: Fly!

Katie: Dragon pet or Shark pet?
Deborah: Have you read my books? Dragon, of course!
Katie: Hey, you never know! hehe

Sharon: ghosts or goblins?
Deborah: Ghosts, as long as they’re friendly.

Katie: Kill'em fast or Make it hurt?
Deborah: Fast. I’m efficient that way.

Sharon: mountain air or ocean air?
Deborah: Ocean! I love the ocean, although I rarely get to go.
Sharon: Do you like to get in the ocean or just watch
Deborah: I don’t actually swim well (I am definitely not a surfer like Beka in Wickedly Wonderful), so I like to wade in up to about my ankles. But I do love to sit by the ocean or walk on the beach.

*Katie scratches asking Deborah to play canon ball in the dungeon pool...will feed some sheep instead*

Katie: Dick Tracy or Perry Mason?

Deborah: MacGyver

Sharon: Coke or Pepsi? (you have to pick one…even if it is just which can you think is better <G>)
Deborah: I don’t drink either, but I grew up with Coke, so I think Pepsi tastes weird. Personally, I’d rather have a glass of wine!
Katie: Yes, but she said COKE! *fist pump*
Sharon: *grumble, grumble*
Deborah: I said WINE


Katie: Halloween party or New Year’s Eve party?
Deborah: LOL…Halloween, of course.
Sharon: “Kow-a-bunga” or “yippie-kai-ay mofo” (we are a PG13 site <G>)
Deborah: Yippie!

Wickedly Wonderful (A Baba Yaga Novel #2)
by Deborah Blake
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
December 2nd 2014
by Berkley
Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

Though she looks like a typical California surfer girl, Beka Yancy is in fact a powerful yet inexperienced witch who’s struggling with her duties as a Baba Yaga. Luckily she has her faithful dragon-turned-dog for moral support, especially when faced with her biggest job yet…

A mysterious toxin is driving the Selkie and Mer from their homes deep in the trenches of Monterey Bay. To investigate, Beka buys her way onto the boat of Marcus Dermott, a battle-scarred former U.S. Marine, and his ailing fisherman father.

While diving for clues, Beka drives Marcus crazy with her flaky New Age ideas and dazzling blue eyes. She thinks he’s rigid and cranky (and way too attractive). Meanwhile, a charming Selkie prince has plans that include Beka. Only by trusting her powers can Beka save the underwater races, pick the right man, and choose the path she’ll follow for the rest of her life…

About this Author:

website-FB-twitter-blog
Author of seven non-fiction books from Llewellyn. Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (2007), Everyday Witch A to Z (2008), The Goddess is in the Details (2009), Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (2010) Witchcraft on a Shoestring (2010), Everyday Witch Book of Rituals, and The Witch's Broom. I am also the author of the Baba Yaga series from Berkley Romance, including Wickedly Magical (novella), Wickedly Dangerous, and Wickedly Wonderful.

When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker, tarot reader, and energy healer. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane.

Book Review: Wickedly Wonderful (A Baba Yaga Novel #2) by Deborah Blake

Wickedly Wonderful (A Baba Yaga Novel #2)
by Deborah Blake
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
December 2nd 2014
by Berkley
Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

Though she looks like a typical California surfer girl, Beka Yancy is in fact a powerful yet inexperienced witch who’s struggling with her duties as a Baba Yaga. Luckily she has her faithful dragon-turned-dog for moral support, especially when faced with her biggest job yet…

A mysterious toxin is driving the Selkie and Mer from their homes deep in the trenches of Monterey Bay. To investigate, Beka buys her way onto the boat of Marcus Dermott, a battle-scarred former U.S. Marine, and his ailing fisherman father.

While diving for clues, Beka drives Marcus crazy with her flaky New Age ideas and dazzling blue eyes. She thinks he’s rigid and cranky (and way too attractive). Meanwhile, a charming Selkie prince has plans that include Beka. Only by trusting her powers can Beka save the underwater races, pick the right man, and choose the path she’ll follow for the rest of her life…

Beka Yancy looks like any California girl who enjoys the beach and the sea, and owns a dog—except she is not. She’s a Baba Yaga, a witch from Russian fairy-tales, who lives in a hut with chicken legs. In this retelling, there are more than one Baba Yagas. She is young and has a dog, but the dog is in reality a dragon. When something appears to be poisoning the merfolk and selkies, she is tasked with finding out what is causing it. Hiring a fishing boat owned by the Irish father of a former marine, Marcus McDermott, who at first seems to not like her. But over time both become attracted to each other. There is a third male trying to woo her, a Selkie prince, who isn’t all that he seems.

This paranormal romance is wonderfully wicked, in that once you start reading it, you can’t put it down. Addiction was never more enchanting.

5 Sheep Review: Wickedly Dangerous (Baba Yaga #1)

5 sheep

Pamela K. Kinney

About this Author:

website-FB-twitter-blog
Author of seven non-fiction books from Llewellyn. Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (2007), Everyday Witch A to Z (2008), The Goddess is in the Details (2009), Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (2010) Witchcraft on a Shoestring (2010), Everyday Witch Book of Rituals, and The Witch's Broom. I am also the author of the Baba Yaga series from Berkley Romance, including Wickedly Magical (novella), Wickedly Dangerous, and Wickedly Wonderful.

When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker, tarot reader, and energy healer. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane.

Book Review: Wickedly Dangerous (Baba Yaga #1) by Deborah Blake + giveaway

Wickedly Dangerous (Baba Yaga #1)
by Deborah Blake

You may think you know about Baba Yaga: the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales who lives in a hut that moved about on chicken legs, rides in a mortar and pestle, and eats small children if they misbehave. But you’d be wrong. For Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather, a title carried by a chosen few whose job it is to guard the borders between our world and the Otherworld and keep the balance of nature.

Barbara Yager is a Baba Yaga; trained since childhood by the previous holder of the title. Older than she looks, powerful beyond measure, and so far removed from the life of normal mortals, she has little in common with the human life she was born to. She travels through the country in an Airstream trailer, riding a classic BMW motorcycle and masquerading as an herbalist and researcher while she fulfills her duties. When she is summoned by a woman who is desperate to find her missing child, Barbara finds herself tangled in a web of lies and deceit, battling human enemies and Otherworld creatures, and most unexpectedly, her own heart.

Liam McClellan is the Sheriff of rural Clearwater County. Since a tragedy tore his life to pieces years before, he has dedicated himself to his job; protecting and serving the people who look to him to enforce the law. But after three children disappear in four months, without a trace or clue, Liam is beginning to wonder if he should hang up his badge. The sudden appearance of a beautiful woman with a dubious background and a curious habit of turning up where he least expects her makes him place her at the top of his suspect list, despite her uncanny gift for helping those in need. But as the danger mounts, and weird and inexplicable occurrences beset Liam and those he vowed to keep safe, he has to wonder if Barbara Yager is his enemy—or his only chance to save the lives of innocents in a world he no longer recognizes.

Natural gas drilling, political shenanigans, grieving parents, three mysterious motorcycle riders, twisted beasts out of nightmares, and yes, there are dragons. Because when Baba Yaga comes to town, nothing will ever be the same again.

You have probably heard of Baba Yaga—the archetypal wicked witch of Russian tales who lived in a log hut that walked about on chicken legs, rode through the forests in a giant mortar that she steered with a pestle, and ate small children if they didn’t behave. According to legend, Baba Yaga usually appeared as an ugly old crone, although she also wore other faces, and sometimes gave aid to a worthy seeker, if such a one could pass her tests.

You probably think you know who Baba Yaga is. But you’d be wrong. Because I am Baba Yaga, and this is my story

What can I say but Baba Yaga puts the rocks in my jellyroll and I loved Wickedly Dangerous. This tale is a wonderful blending of the legend of Baba Yaga brought up to date with all the flair a modern urban fantasy could possibly offer.

The story opens in a small town where children have gone missing. The hunky, emotionally damaged Sheriff, Liam, is out searching in some of the more remote areas for possible clues when he stumbles upon a clearing with an Airstream trailer parked smack dab in the middle and a beautiful Barbara Yager in residence. Barbara is the current Baba Yaga and she has been tasked to guard the borders between our world and the Otherworld to help maintain balance in both. Barbara is not really sure why she has been summoned this area, but she knows all is not right in Clearwater County, and finds herself caught up in the middle of all the intrigue surrounding the missing children and vows to bring them home and deliver justice.

The writing is very well executed and the characters are memorable, as well as a delight to get to know. The synopsis gives a great overview of the storyline and I will not try to improve on this, but will add that Wickedly Dangerous delivers humor, as well as intrigue with plenty of action, and a little side serving of smexy thrown in the mix. The ending is very satisfying and overall, in my opinion, this is a superb beginning for a new urban fantasy series, which I am eagerly anticipating following. I would recommend this book to fans of good meaty urban fantasy reads. I received this book from NetGalley.

5 Sheep

DeniseZ

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About this Author:

website-FB-twitter-blog
Author of seven non-fiction books from Llewellyn. Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (2007), Everyday Witch A to Z (2008), The Goddess is in the Details (2009), Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (2010) Witchcraft on a Shoestring (2010), Everyday Witch Book of Rituals, and The Witch's Broom. I am also the author of the Baba Yaga series from Berkley Romance, including Wickedly Magical (novella), Wickedly Dangerous, and Wickedly Wonderful.

When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker, tarot reader, and energy healer. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane.