Bargain Ebook: Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles by Taisia Kitaiskaia for $1.99

 

Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles by Taisia Kitaiskaia is on sale for $1.99 in ebook format.

Book description from the publisher:

Dear Baba Yaga,

I think I must crave male attention too much. I fear that, without it, I would feel invisible.

BABA YAGA:

When you seek others this way, you are invisible nonetheless. Yr shawl is covered in mirrors in which others admire themselves; this is why they greet you so passionately. It is good to be seen, but it is better to see. Find a being to look hard into, & you will see yrself and what is more than you.

In age-old Slavic fairy tales, the witch Baba Yaga is sought out by those with a burning need for guidance. In contemporary life, Baba Yaga—a dangerous, slippery oracle—answered earnest questions on The Hairpin for years. These pages collect her most poignant, surreal, and humorous exchanges along with all-new questions and answers for those seeking her mystical advice.

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Bargain Ebook: Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga

Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga by Christina Henry (Author), Lindy Ryan (Editor) is on sale as a Kindle Daily Deal for $1.99 today.

Book description from the publisher:

A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by the Baba Yaga. Featuring Gwendolyn Kiste, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Mercedes M. Yardley, Monique Snyman, Donna Lynch, Lisa Quigley, and R. J. Joseph, with an introduction by Christina Henry.

Deep in the dark forest, in a cottage that spins on birds' legs behind a fence topped with human skulls, lives the Baba Yaga. A guardian of the water of life, she lives with her sisters and takes to the skies in a giant mortar and pestle, creating tempests as she goes. Those who come across the Baba Yaga may find help, or hindrance, or horror. She is wild, she is woman, she is witch— and these are her tales.

Edited by Lindy Ryan, this collection brings together some of today' s leading voices of women-in-horror as they pay tribute to the Baba Yaga, and go Into the Forest.

"Perfect for horror fans who can't get enough of folklore and fairy-tale retellings that veer in unexpected directions." — Booklist Starred Review

"Fans of folklore retellings will find plenty to enjoy." — Publishers Weekly

"The stories in Into the Forest collect the guts and bones of some of the world' s oldest witch tales and refashion them into something new, beautiful, and gruesome." — Foreword Reviews

"A powerful literary reflection... Outstanding in its diversity and interpretations, Into the Forest is very highly recommended not just for horror collections, but for libraries strong in women's literature, as well as for reader's book groups who would study the legend and realities of the Baba Yaga folktale as it journeys into the heart and soul of women's experiences and psychology." — Midwest Book Review

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Lots of Fairy Tale Inspired Novels on Sale Today Only

There are several fairy tale related books on sale as Kindle Daily Deals which are probably price matched with other sellers today, too. There haven't been many sales in the last several months, but today makes up for it with a lot of recent releases for at least half off.

 

  Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim which is a Six Swans retelling

 

 

  A Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton has Baba Yaga in it

 

Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente which has Bluebeard as inspiration

 

Malice: A Novel by Heather Walter is inspired by Sleeping Beauty

   

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber has nods to Tricksters (Jacks) tropes

There's also Holly Black's How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories and well, just check out the entire list at Kindle Daily Deals.
 

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Read a New Book: Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs: Activities During Corona

Smoke Bitten (A Mercy Thompson Novel Book 12) by Patricia Briggs was released last week and was one of my escape hatches from Coronavirus Isolation last week. I've been reading Briggs' for years and years. This newest entry in her Mercy Thompson series is fun and particularly suitable for SurLaLune (several in the series are) because of the appearance of fairy tales in it. Diamonds and Toads provides some inspiration. Baba Yaga is a recurring character who makes an appearance. And so much of the world building uses folklore and fairy tales in general.

In this one, another well-known fairy tale character is one of the villains in the book. It's a built-up reveal that fairy tale fans may pick up on earlier than others--the clues are fair and accurate--but I don't want to ruin it by saying who. However, it was a fun element of the book for me.

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman.

My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I'm going to need them.

Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill—until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything—even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.

It won't, can't, remain.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

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Newish Book: The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson

The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson was released late last year. This is a fun one and a different twist on Baba Yaga.

Book description:

All 12-year-old Marinka wants is a friend. A real friend. Not like her house with chicken legs. Sure, the house can play games like tag and hide-and-seek, but Marinka longs for a human companion. Someone she can talk to and share secrets with.

But that's tough when your grandmother is a Yaga, a guardian who guides the dead into the afterlife. It's even harder when you live in a house that wanders all over the world . . . carrying you with it. Even worse, Marinka is being trained to be a Yaga. That means no school, no parties -- and no playmates that stick around for more than a day.

So when Marinka stumbles across the chance to make a real friend, she breaks all the rules . . . with devastating consequences. Her beloved grandmother mysteriously disappears, and it's up to Marinka to find her -- even if it means making a dangerous journey to the afterlife.

With a mix of whimsy, humor, and adventure, this debut novel will wrap itself around your heart and never let go.

Newish Book: Finding Baba Yaga by Jane Yolen

Finding Baba Yaga by Jane Yolen was released in late 2018. The ebook version is available for $3.99, a technical bargain ebook to SurLaLune blog standards.

Book description:

Finding Baba Yaga is a mythic yet timely novel-in-verse by the beloved and prolific New York Times bestselling author and poet Jane Yolen, “the Hans Christian Andersen of America” (Newsweek).

A young woman discovers the power to speak up and take control of her fate―a theme that has never been more timely than it is now…

You think you know this story.
You do not.

A harsh, controlling father. A quiescent mother. A house that feels like anything but a home. Natasha gathers the strength to leave, and comes upon a little house in the wood: A house that walks about on chicken feet and is inhabited by a fairy tale witch. In finding Baba Yaga, Natasha finds her voice, her power, herself....

"Jane Yolen is a phenomenon: a poet and a mythmaker, who understands how old stories can tell us new things. We are lucky to have her."―Neil Gaiman

Chicken Leg Socks--Inspired by Baba Yaga?

Today has become an unofficial Baba Yaga day! After sharing the Lego Baba Yaga in today's earlier post, I wanted to share these funny socks that immediately inspired me to think of Halloween costumes and Baba Yaga possibilities throughout the year.

Not much to say about them, but they made me smile and imagine so I thought I'd share. And if you are by chance unfamiliar with Baba Yaga, go read some of her tales on SurLaLune.

Sorry, the image loader isn't working. I've added my own image captures just in case. They can be acquired in sets or just one color, see them all on the Amazon page where I found them.

“Baba Yaga Clucking Cottage” in Legos by Gabe Huff

The Nashville Public Library recently held its annual Lego Building Contest. I happened to look through the many impressive builds and saw this lovely surprise which also won for its age category: Grades 8 – 12: Gabe Huff, “Baba Yaga Clucking Cottage”

I was not expecting to see a Baba Yaga cottage and such a great one at that! Again, the Russian fairy tale influence is strong right now. Love it! Some impressive engineering to get that house to sit on those chicken legs, too.

There are some other great builds in the gallery of entries. Be sure not to miss them. I don't envy the judges!

New Book: The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh

The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh was released in January. Minor spoiler alert, this is a book that uses Russian folklore, primarily the Baba Yaga character, who has just exploded in retellings the past several years. It's aimed at preteens, but sounds like it would be fun for any age that enjoys a Baba Yaga appearance.

Book description:

Twelve-year-old Mary Hayes can't stand her orphanage for another night. But when an attempted escape through the stove pipe doesn't go quite as well as she'd hoped, Mary fears she'll be stuck in the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies forever.

The very next day, a mysterious woman named Madame Z appears at the orphanage requesting to adopt Mary, and the matron's all too happy to get the girl off her hands. Soon, Mary is fed a hearty meal, dressed in a clean, new nightgown and shown to a soft bed with blankets piled high. She can hardly believe she isn't dreaming!

But when Mary begins to explore the strange nearby town with the help of her new friend, Jacob, she learns a terrifying secret about Madame Z's true identity. If Mary's not careful, her new home might just turn into a nightmare.

Award-winning author Katherine Marsh draws from Russian fairytales in this darkly funny middle-grade fantasy novel

New Release: Wickedly Powerful: A Baba Yaga Novel by Deborah Blake

Wickedly Powerful: A Baba Yaga Novel by Deborah Blake is a new release this week. This is the third title in her Baba Yaga series.

Book description:

The author of Wickedly Wonderful returns to her “addicting” world of Russian witches in the latest Baba Yaga novel.

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...

New Book: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

(US and UK covers)

Uprooted by Naomi Novik was released this month and it's a fun fantasy adventure building on many fairy tale tropes. In other words, you're probably going to enjoy it if you read it. I did. It is also new in the UK at Uprooted (UK edition).

I read the first few books in Novik's Temeraire series and then my interest died down. I remember loving the first few books, so I am not sure why I lost interest. But when I saw that Novik was writing in a new world, I was interested again. After all, this book has dragons and fantasy and some fairy tale influence, too, which is a little more in my catnip jar than the Temeraire series. Throw in references to Baba Yaga and other fairy tale tropes such as Beauty and the Beast--I am definitely up for a read.

I was not disappointed. This book offered a fun adventure with some sexual politics thrown in for good measure. I was entertained and amused while relieved with strong writing, too. Because all too often those are not mutual traits for a book. Most importantly, I liked Agnieszka, the heroine. Novik gives her a strong voice and grand adventure that earned this book a place on my permanent shelf--after I lend it to my niece this summer.

Book description:

Naomi Novik, author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed Temeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale.

“Every so often you come upon a story that seems like a lost tale of Grimm newly come to light. Uprooted is such a novel. Its narrative spell is confidently wrought and sympathetically cast. I might even call it bewitching.”—Gregory Maguire, bestselling author of Wicked and Egg & Spoon

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

Wickedly Wonderful (A Baba Yaga Novel) by Deborah Blake

Wickedly Wonderful (A Baba Yaga Novel) by Deborah Blake is released today, the second full book in her Baba Yaga series. The reader reviews for the first book--Wickedly Dangerous (A Baba Yaga Novel)--have been very strong. I've bought but haven't read it yet. Perhaps this weekend I should try these for some light fun.

Book description:

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…

Bargain Ebook: A Question of Magic by E. D. Baker for $1.99

A Question of Magic by E. D. Baker is bargain priced again--it was on sale this past spring--for $1.99. It is part of the The Big Deal: Kindle Books Up to 85% Off which started yesterday on Amazon and lasts through 10/5/14. It was the only fair tale related title on the list although there are some other fine titles for sale, too.

Published late last year, this one is part of the Baba Yaga trend in fairy tale retellings that I've mentioned on the blog here of late.

Book description:

Serafina was living the normal life of a village girl, when she gets a mysterious letter--her first letter ever, in fact--from a great aunt she's never heard of in another village. Little does 'Fina know, her great aunt is actually a Baba Yaga, a magical witch who lives in an even more magical cottage.

Summoned to the cottage, Serafina's life takes an amazing turn as she finds herself becoming the new Baba Yaga. But leaving behind home and the boy she loves isn't easy, and as Serafina grows into her new and magical role answering the first question any stranger might ask her with the truth, she also learns about the person she's meant to be, and that telling the future doesn't always mean knowing the right answers.

In her inimitable and bestselling way, ED Baker has crafted a funny and romantic story that combines some fabulous details from the original Slavic tale, with an all new spin!

New Baba Yaga Book: Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire

Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire, best known for Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years) and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel, was released this week. This one is marketed to a Young Adult audience, so it may be more palatable to those of you who find his adult books a little rough going. How many people have been shocked at the differences between the musical and the novel? More than a few. If the book promoted the musical instead of vice versa, I wonder what would have happened with those box office receipts! They are not the same beast! One is much more for mainstream tastes than the other.... Sort of like if Disney had a hold of it...

I mentioned last week that there's a current trend for books inspired by Prince Charming. Well, the other current trend, even larger, is certainly for Baga Yaga books. She and her chicken legged house seem to be everywhere these days and she is more elusive to detect since few of the titles or even book descriptions mention her in great detail. But she's there. Lurking. Menacing. Or becoming a modern heroine herself.

If you want to know more about Baba Yaga--and why shouldn't you!--be sure to check out Baba Yaga: The Wild Witch of the East in Russian Fairy Tales by Sibelan Forrester. Awesome book! Highly, highly recommended. Much better than the average coffee table style book.

Book description:

Elena Rudina lives in the impoverished Russian countryside. Her father has been dead for years. One of her brothers has been conscripted into the Tsar’s army, the other taken as a servant in the house of the local landowner. Her mother is dying, slowly, in their tiny cabin. And there is no food. But then a train arrives in the village, a train carrying untold wealth, a cornucopia of food, and a noble family destined to visit the Tsar in Saint Petersburg — a family that includes Ekaterina, a girl of Elena’s age. When the two girls’ lives collide, an adventure is set in motion, an escapade that includes mistaken identity, a monk locked in a tower, a prince traveling incognito, and — in a starring role only Gregory Maguire could have conjured — Baba Yaga, witch of Russian folklore, in her ambulatory house perched on chicken legs.