Thank you, NetGalley and Black Spot Books for allowing me to read an arc of this book in exchange for a review, and I am really sorry it took me so long to read it.

So in Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga we have multiple stories and retelling around the figure of Baba Yaga. Protector of women, a villain taking your child away, a hard but just mentor and savior. Sometimes there’s only one, sometimes there are multiple sisters. But in either way, if you see her, your life will change, and not always for the best.

First, I can say that Sugar And Spice and The Old Witch's Price are my favorite stories. Second? I love the differents perspectives and takes on the tale. I was rooting for them even when she was the villain. I loved that the stories sometimes tackle taboo subjects: a woman who regrets being a mother, abortion, toxic families, and a lot more.

Most of the characters are well-written, and you want to read more about some of them. Some stories are purely horror, others are mostly fantasy, but they always hook you up.

I loved it so much, and I will buy a physical copy when I’ll find one

“The lure that Baba Yaga creates, hidden in the wild, is a place of danger, mystery, and challenge.” I’m a long-time Baba Yaga fan, so was thrilled to discover this anthology. Like all anthologies, the stories are mixed, but there many true gems. There’s also a wide enough variety of interpretation that nearly any reader is sure to find something here that appeals.

Here are my thoughts on the individual stories:

DINNER PLANS WITH BABA YAGA A Poem by Stephanie M. Wytovich
A beautiful, delicate poem. A thoughtful way to kick off the collection.

LAST TOUR INTO THE HUNGERING MOONLIGHT by Gwendolyn Kiste
A modern-day setting, with housewives who ultimately reject their submissive roles and leave to follow Baba Yaga. Slow burn that captures the wild essence of Baba Yaga’s call to all women.

THE STORY OF A HOUSE by Yi Izzy Yu
A chick is adopted by Baba Yaga and turned into a house on chicken legs. Loved the idea of telling the story of the house, but it fell a bit flat for me. Maybe because she abandons the house at the end. Why would she do that??

OF MOONLIGHT AND MOSS by Sara Tantlinger
A princess must retrieve the blue flame to save her sister and father, but an intoxicating and sultry witch offers a different path. Here we have a sexy, seductive Baba Yaga. Plus the inclusion of the horse rider in white who sometimes appears in Baba Yaga tales. This one was great.

WORMWOOD by Lindz McLeod
Baba Yaga delivers vengeance on behalf of a woman who has come to her house in desperation and on behalf of her dead sister. One of most “authentic” Baba Yaga stories in the compilation. True to her roots and her own private motivations.

MAMA YAGA by Christina Sng
An attempt at mashing up Baba Yaga and the witch in Hansel and Gretel (what if Baba Yaga was the witch in the story?). I’m not usually a fan of this sort of “let’s mash up stories!” concept because the whole thing hangs on the “what if” part and not on it being a good story in and of itself. Unfortunately, this was no exception.

FLOOD ZONE by Donna Lynch
Baba Yaga and her daughter settle down their house in an oceanfront community where houses on stilts allow them to blend in…for a time. Strange and dreamlike, with commentary on us modern consumption-focused hordes. I liked it.

THE PEDDLER’S PROMISE by Catherine McCarthy
Baba Yaga gives puzzle boxes to the young men and women of the village, saying each box contains the person’s heart’s desire. I dislike this story because it ignores the “bargain/game” that is part of Baba Yaga’s agreement with her victims, even if they don’t realize it. There’s always some bargain that is struck, or a game that is played. In this case, she just decides she wants to eat some human boys and then goes out and tricks the parents into giving them up. Yes, you could argue that there was a trade for the boxes, but I don’t consider that in the spirit of the bargain/game threaded through Baba Yaga lore. A pity, because the writing was beautiful.

THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TREES by Jo Kaplan
Baba Yaga’s daughter is tempted by love of a human man. Some powerful imagery but overall middle-of-the-pack. Once again it’s not about Baba Yaga, which is what I really want.

SUGAR AND SPICE AND THE OLD WITCH’S PRICE by Lisa Quigley
The scent of baking cookies (from Baba Yaga’s hut) either shows a mother the true monstrous nature of her two young children and husband, or distorts her judgment causing her to believe these untruths. Which leads, either way, to her killing her children and delivering them to Baba Yaga, which leaves the mother feeling that she is “finally home”. I’m not sure what this story was trying to say. It’s like it couldn’t decide whether to be commentary on the very real and terrible circumstance of mothers who take their children’s lives due to mental illness / mental breaks, or if it was weaving a story where our world IS filled with monsters and only Baba Yaga can strip away the veils from our eyes. Either would have been a strong story but not choosing one swim lane leaves it murky and without impact.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER by Monique Snyman
A bullied teen is left for dead but taken in by Baba Yaga. I didn’t care for this story. The main character was flat and I couldn’t bring myself to care about her at all. She was written like the MC of a tween drama.

WATER LIKE BROKEN GLASS by Carina Bissett
A bittersweet, angry tale of a drowned birch bride and the still-living woman she falls in love with; Baba Yaga is only mentioned a few times, but other elements pop up (like the house). Beautifully written with an intriguing premise. It felt long and burdensome, though.

HERALD THE KNIGHT by Mercedes M. Yardley
A love story, between young Baba Yaga when she is still just her father’s daughter and a strange knight in black armor. Of course, he will become the black knight in the Baba Yaga tales, which made me love the story that much more. This is one of my favorites in the book, I think.

ALL BITTERNESS BURNED AWAY by Jill Baguchinsky
Another mash-up with Hansel & Gretel, with a dash of revenge fantasy for the abusive father/husband. Too short and too obvious, but it was at least well-written.

A TRAIL OF FEATHERS, A TRAIL OF BLOOD by Stephanie M. Wytovich
A woman who had lived with Baba Yaga as a child now seeks her again, hoping for refuge for her and her unborn child. I liked it but I wasn’t wowed by it, and the ending felt a bit trite. I’m also not sure why story and story only includes Baba Yaga as a tertiary character who barely appears at all. This is a book of stories about Baba Yaga, ostensibly…but in reality many of them are not about her at all. It’s a bit odd. But let’s keep reading…

BABA YAGA LEARNS TO SHAVE, GETS HER PERIOD, THEN GROWS INTO HER OWN by Jess Hagemann
A sort of meta-listicle of all the “proper lady” behaviors that are taught to teen girls, and that teen Baba Yaga rejected. I suppose I would have loved this when I was a teenager and this seemed fresh and daring. I’ve now read enough of this sort of thing that it feels a bit like a redux. But the author’s heart is in the place, and she certainly captures the theme of how the Baba Yaga character typically subverts the “expected female behaviors”, here through a more modern lens.

FAIR TRADE by Jacqueline West
A teenager fears she’s doomed to die, and consults the local witch for advice. In this story, the witch doesn’t have any traits of Baba Yaga other than living in a creaky house with strange smells. Oh, and sparks in her eyes. I don’t know what to make of this story being in this collection. It was actually very well-written and I enjoyed the dark direction it ended up taking. But truly, just because there’s a witch, that’s not enough of a connection to merit inclusion in a Baba Yaga-themed anthology.

STORK BITES by EV Knight
With an unwanted pregnancy, the main character turns to her friend who takes her to two strange sisters for treatment. It was written in a very modern style that wasn’t to my taste, and made the sisters (who I suppose were intended to be the Baba Yaga reference in the story, since they tear out the baby so that they can eat it) seem like a cheesy stereotype rather than the creepy, powerful, chaotic female that Baba Yaga should be. I also can’t take any story seriously that is supposed to be a serious and emotional examination of pregnancy and abortion, but which ends with this pun: “I thought, in this day and age, it’s best to have a plan B in your pocket.”

CHICKEN FOOT by Octavia Cade
A scientifically-inclined series of notes on the attempted transplant of new bird legs to the house after the chicken legs were destroyed. This is a fantastic story. I loved everything about it, from the careful focus of the MC (clearly Baba Yaga) to the conceit itself. One of the best in the anthology. I wish they were all this clever and well-written.

WHERE THE HORIZON MEETS THE SKY by R. J. Joseph
A woman unhappy in marriage stumbles across a witch in a chicken-leg house who gives her three chances to ask for what she truly wants. I don’t know to rate this story. If it hadn’t been in a Baba Yaga anthology, it would have said it was relatively good. Sure, it’s not the best-written but it’s well-plotted around the classic three-wish structure. But having it in this anthology, and (bizarrely) choosing to give Baba Yaga a Texan drawl, left me cold.

MAW MAW YAGA AND THE HUNTER by Alexandrea Weis
A woman takes shelter from a storm with a crone in a house on stilts, but finds herself a prisoner destined for death. This time Baba Yaga speaks with a Creole accent, but it’s the same essential decision as the previous story. I guess the intention is to be fresh and different by transplanting her to the Americas? It just wasn’t my personal cup of tea.

BABA YAGA IN REPOSE by Heather Miller
Discover the meadow in the forest…the house in the center of the meadow…and the crone who slumbers inside. This is the most perfect, gorgeously-crafted Baba Yaga story. Absolutely the best story in the book. It gave me the same feeling I had as a child when reading Baba Yaga stories. I want a whole Baba Yaga book by this author! She knows how to capture the essence of this character and what makes her world so unique and compelling.

SHADOW AND BRANCH, GHOST FRUIT AMONG THE LULLABIES by Saba Syed Razvi
A sort of twisting elegy to Baba Yaga and her allure and danger. Beautifully written if a bit flowery…but I like writing that is dense and flowery. Another one of the nicest fits for the theme of the anthology.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I'm a fan of baba yaga sotries and this collection was middle of the road. There were some that were good and some that were cool, and then a few that were boring.

"Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga" presents a collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by the enigmatic figure of the Baba Yaga. The anthology, edited by Lindy Ryan, features contributions from prominent voices in women-in-horror, including Gwendolyn Kiste, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Mercedes M. Yardley, Monique Snyman, Donna Lynch, Lisa Quigley, and R. J. Joseph. While the concept is promising, the anthology receives a three-star rating due to the uneven quality of the tales.

The allure of the Baba Yaga, as a guardian of the water of life who resides in a cottage that spins on birds' legs, sets the stage for a tapestry of enchanting and dark narratives. Each author brings their unique voice to the tales, exploring the multifaceted nature of the baba yaga—wild, woman, witch.

Gwendolyn Kiste's contribution stands out with its atmospheric prose and a captivating blend of horror and fantasy. The vivid imagery and emotional depth make it a highlight in the collection. Additionally, some stories effectively capture the essence of the Baba Yaga mythology, adding layers to the folklore.

However, the anthology suffers from inconsistency. While certain stories shine in their creativity and execution, others fall short, lacking the depth and engagement needed to fully immerse the reader. The varying quality of the contributions may lead to a somewhat disjointed reading experience.

The diversity of interpretations and styles, though reflective of the individual voices of the authors, can be both a strength and a weakness. The thematic coherence is occasionally compromised as the tales range from traditional folklore-inspired narratives to more modern and speculative takes on the Baba Yaga.

In conclusion, "Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga" offers a diverse exploration of the mythical figure, providing readers with a mix of enchanting and uneven tales. While certain stories excel in capturing the essence of the baba yaga, the overall collection lacks the consistent quality needed to elevate it to a higher rating. Fans of dark folklore-inspired fiction may find moments of brilliance, but the anthology falls short of delivering a wholly immersive experience.

I feel like you just do not see very many stories written about Baba Yaga. So, it was very refreshing to see this compilation of refreshed tales about the Witch of the North. With that being said, honestly, though, a compilation of stories can be a little much for some people. And you would have to really be into this folk character or Russian mythology to read 20 short stories (or a poem in one case) about the old witch.

Over all it was alright, but like with any compilations, there are some stories you like more than others, and others that you just can't get into. The good thing, though, is that in compilations and anthologies is that you can skip past the stories that you do not like. And then it doesn't affect the rest of the book and how it ends. By some standards this type of book, this one wasn't bad. But it also wasn't the best I've ever read.

Received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this anthology. I don't remember when or how I first heard the tale of Baba Yaga, I just remembered I was young and found the idea of her fascinating. This is a cool collection of folk horror, most of which I enjoyed. By the end, however, I was ready to move onto the next book in my to read pile- perhaps one or two stories could have been trimmed.

Into the Forest is a folklore re-telling anthology of short stories about Baba Yaga. All of the authors featured in the book are women, which I really thought was great. Women authors re-telling tales about one of the original "scary woman in the woods - beware of those who are different" women in folk history offers a refreshing take. Perfect for anyone interested in folklore or mythology or anyone interested in horror. I've never read anything else by any of the authors featured in the book, but I've added a few to my wishlist as a result of their writing. Some of the stories have the potential to be developed into much longer and richer stories. And I hope that happens!

Baba Yaga has always been a fascinating character, and this collection made her even more so. There is varying quality, but for the most part, I enjoyed the stories.

This was okay! It's a little uneven, which is expected from an anthology, but I wouldn't say any of the individual stories really shone and there were some very poor contributions. Overall the diversity of the offerings was very fun though!

Baba Yaga is one of my favorite subjects of folklore so this collection of short stories was perfect for me. I enjoyed each story and how each one is unique to the writer. The stories offer a different perspective of Baba Yaga and each author clearly has a deep understanding of this famous figure. Greatly enjoyed this and would definitely read more by these authors.

Absolutely love tales of Baba Yaga and this even more feminist (if you can believe it) collection of short stories does the original "old wives tale" justice. Each story added to the mythology and it makes me want to read more by each author.

Some of these were better than others, and my favourites definitely were Mama Yaga (by Christina Sng) and Herald the Knight (by Mercedes M. Yardley).
I always love to see what different people and writers do with the same source material, and anthologies like these are perfect to see different interpretations!
Also, Baba Yaga is just one of my favourite folk witches.


Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Anthologies are tricky to put together and even the best ones have their hits and misses, most readers have learned to expect that going in. This collection of Baba Yaga stories was no exception to this, but I'm happy to say that even the ones I wasn't as fond of here were solid stories all the same. There were lots of absolutely pitch perfect parables and facets of narrative about our favorite legendary grey witch here and I think most folks who are familiar with her legends will be as happy with the majority of these as I was. The exceptions were more stories that maybe went a bit to the side of my expectations or put the Baba Yaga garb on something that wasn't really her per se. Highly recommended!

This collection has everything from a traditional, murdering Baba Yaga to one of female empowerment—reminiscent of Kali and other goddesses. Some stories were better than others, but it was enjoyable.

While this is an interesting set of stories about Baba Yaga; it's not really all that great in the end. There are a few diamonds in the rough; but mostly a lot of chicken legs that just don't hold the house up in the end.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend it; unless you are obsessed with Baba Yaga stories; in which case this is a must read. Likely there are better compilations of stories out there that focus on Yaga (although they may not be translated into English...). I'd like to see a lot more of this type of cultural anthology put together; just with better material overall.
The afterword really sums it up. As a culture and people we’ve gotten soft. Baba Yaga is THE icon of feminism horror and yet we’ve downgraded her to a mere witch because it’s nicer or easier to take. Not unlike how Disney changed significant fairy tale plot points to be more amiable and ‘appropriate for children’. I still think we need to be more honest and thoughtful with what we teach and hold onto. The false idea of a Princess carried by a Prince into the sunset is a future mental health disorder waiting to happen (or in progress). As it sets an unreasonable expectation for how great life is. Whereas a witch that can or cannot chose to be wonderful or evil, pretty or ugly, and everything in-between is much more reflective of what humans are really like. Setting this expectation early on in children would probably save many a lot of grief in their teens and adult years. Let's face it no one is just a princess or just an evil witch. We're all the shades of grey in-between; just like Baba Yaga is.

Here are my notes on each of the stories within:

Dinner Plans with Baba Yaga, By Stephanie M. Wytovich
A short but sweet poem.
It’s definitely been too soon since watching Monster: the Dahmer Story on Netflix. I can’t handle eating children references right now; metaphors or not.
I am going to have to remind myself that the power of Baba Yaga is partially in her ability to strike fear in children; the fear of being eaten by her.

Last Tour into the Hungering Moonlight by Gwendolyn Kiste
Where might one find Baba Yaga amongst the suburbs, math homework, and Amazon deliveries. Kiste brings us the answer.

The Story of a House by Yi Izzy YuMM
This is a cute story about how a little chick is chosen to be the legs/bottom half of Baba Yaga’s famous house. It’s both a bit brutal and also a bit comforting. Our baby chick has to prove he’s the right one for the house and I love the open ending. Maybe one day I’ll find the house (not likely in Canada however, lol).

Of Moonlight and Moss by Sara Tantlinger
Best ending ever!!
I can't say anything else for fear of spoiling it all.

Wormwood by Lindz McLeodM
Crimes require punishment. To take something requires that you give something back in equal measure.
Very good and easy to understand portrays of Baba Yaga here. Really like this one.

Mama Yaga by Christina Sng
Love the use of Hansel and Gretel here. Many may not realize that the witch in it was traditionally a version of Baba Yaga.

Flood Zone by Donna Lynch
Love getting more into the (controversial) mythos that Baba Yaga eats children. Really well written and great plot movement.
Can you tell some time passed since I started this anthology? (lol) For now, I've doing better with the whole eating issue... for now. Cannibals are just one of my realistic fears that haunt me sometimes and I just don't think I will ever get past it.

The Peddler’s Promise by Catherine McCarthy
Oh young boys and their greed. I do appreciate, in a dark sort of way, that none of the girls in the village of fall prey to Baba Yaga’s tricks and false promises.

The Space Between the Trees by Jo Kaplan
The world is cruel. We must all snatch whatever opportunities we have, however unpleasant they may seem. Harsh outlook; but for a witches daughter probably a smart one.
This is one of my favourites so far. It's got a great moral or understanding to it and feels like a genuine portrayal of what Baba Yaga was once meant to stand for... that women will always fight harder to the top; and so sometimes you have to use what you have to your advantage. If the playing field were level and equal then this would not be necessary. I don't see that ideal coming into fruition in my lifetime.

Birds of a Feather by Monique Snyman
A slightly longer story than most of the short snippets in this anthology so far. I loved the use of the typical horror movie set-up and how those iconic events then lead to finding Baba Yaga, and (of course) vengeance.

Water Like Broken Glass by Carina Bissett
Decent queer representation which I'm pleasantly surprised by as the area of the world in which Baba Yaga originated remains (largely) intolerant even today. Sad but true that there are still some places that us queer folk cannot be open and safe from persecution by the law and government (never mind the people around us).
Not sure this one felt quite like a Yaga story to me; but it wasn’t bad by any means.

Herald the Knight by Mercedes M. Yardley
Baba Yaga has a lover. Sort of… well put together tale but also a bit weird. Didn't really feel like a Baba Yaga story in the sense of most of the others.

All Bitterness Burned Away by Jill Baguchinaky
Really like that Baba Yaga didn’t know the truth here but had to trust the children to tell her. Very clever.

A Trail of Feathers, A Trail of BloodM
While I am a (born as) woman who adores itty bitty babies. Yet the idea of having one is absolutely horrifying to me. The whole process is just icky… which I suppose makes me lucky as I’m infertile. Although it has been suggested to me that my revulsion for pregnancy and birthing in general could be my brains defensive mechanism to protect me from being upset about being infertile.
Regardless of the reason, because of my immediate dislike of birthing, it’s unfair for me to rate this story as it's primary topic, and outcome, is birthing a baby.

Baba Yaga Learns to Shave, Gets her Period, and Comes into Her Own by Jess Hageman
Seriously this title is longer than the story! It’s really more of a prose poem (if you will). In its essence it’s about how it's okay to be a woman. Not super impressed with this quick one.

Fair Trade by Jacqueline West
One of my fave stories so far!! It’s got all kinds of weirdness, some creepiness factors, and in general makes you think. I don’t want to give too much away as the genius is in the not knowing. Definitely an author I will need to look into more as this was such a well written story.

Stork Bites by EV Knight
Umm… just no. Sorry but I'm a NO to making abortion seem like a nightmare. I'm a NO to deals involving babies. Just a NO overall on this one.

Where the Horizon Meets the Sky by RJ Joseph
A wonderful reminder to be careful what you wish for. Just like with the Western Rumpelstiltskin, as with Baba Yaga, you must be very specific of what you want; erstwhile you get what you want in a way you hadn’t conceived of.

Baba Gaga in Repose by Heather Miller
This is one of those stories you might right for a grade school English class. From the first person ‘you’ perspective that is supposed to make the reader feel like they are the participant making decisions. Ultimately it ends up being overly descriptive and boring. Yes you might get an A on the assignment but you haven’t written much anyone really wants to read. I'm sad that the second last story is one of the weakest of the lot.

Shadow and Branch, Ghost Fruit Among the Lillabies by Saba Syed Razvi
Another very artsy prose that tells no story at all. It attempts to evoke a mood and feeling towards Baba Yaga but lacks substance. Not really not all that interesting. It's one pro is that it as super short.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Fabulous storytelling. You can lose yourself in these stories. Fairy tales aren't just for children. And these definitely arent!
I'd highly recommend this for all readers.

I liked the concept of this story, a very well-written and neat story about Bab Yaga. The scary impression was also felt in some parts of the story. Baba Yaga is one of the many witch stories that have been brought up in various stories and this is one of the best.

I knew a little about Baba Yaga before going into this, but it was so much more interesting to read all the different takes of the story. I loved this so much, the stories were fantastic, some I loved more than others, but that’s to be expected, some were mini masterpieces, so wonderfully written with great world building and creepy and eerie atmospheric settings I just didn’t want to put this down.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm afraid to admit that I was not familiar with the Baba Yaga legend or myths, but that's part of the reason I was interested in reading this. The name sounded familiar, but I'm quite sure I've never read anything about the old witch. It helped to see that the introduction was from Christina Henry - and author whose work I quite enjoy.
All the stories in this book are by female authors. "Today’s leading voices of women-in-horror," is how the Goodreads blurb reads but I am not familiar with any of the authors in this collection other than Henry, who only wrote the introduction. Certainly I wouldn't expect to know all 23 authors, but to not know any ...? Maybe "leading voices" is pushing the hyperbole a bit?

I felt as though I got a pretty good picture of who Baba Yaga is within the first couple of stories and I was able to enjoy the variations presented here. As with almost any anthology, there were stories I enjoyed, stories I didn't care for, and mostly a lot of average stories.

It's important to note that this a collection of horror fiction or dark fantasy stories and with that in mind the first story to jump out at me was "Mama Yaga" by Christina Sng - a new look at the Hansel & Gretel story. This was horrific in all the best ways for readers of dark fantasy and horror. You know you're in for something dark when a story starts this way:

Sometime during the first season of my life, I developed a taste for human flesh.

It is an acquired taste, much like blue cheese and black truffles, a vile abomination to the tongue until it eventually, over time and exposure, becomes accepted and appreciated.

This was the 6th story in the collection and until this story I was worried I wasn't going to find anything really worth reading.

The next story to tickle my fancy in dark and eerie ways was "Sugar and Spice and the Old Witch's Price" by Lisa Quigly.

"Water Like Broken Glass" by Carina Bissett was among my favorites, as was "A Trail of Feathers, A Trail of Blood" by Stephanie M. Wytovich, which was truly terrifying and I thought was one of the first stories to really give some good character description. And I liked "Stork Bites" by EV Knight which had a witch-take on abortion.

None of the stories were terrible or unreadable, but I do think the above stories stood out as being exceptional.

This book contains the following:

PREFACE by Lindy Ryan
FOREWORD by Christina Henry
DINNER PLANS WITH BABA YAGA A Poem by Stephanie M. Wytovich
LAST TOUR INTO THE HUNGERING MOONLIGHT by Gwendolyn Kiste
THE STORY OF A HOUSE by Yi Izzy Yu
OF MOONLIGHT AND MOSS by Sara Tantlinger
WORMWOOD by Lindz McLeod
MAMA YAGA by Christina Sng
FLOOD ZONE by Donna Lynch
THE PEDDLER’S PROMISE by Catherine McCarthy
THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TREES by Jo Kaplan
SUGAR AND SPICE AND THE OLD WITCH’S PRICE by Lisa Quigley
BIRDS OF A FEATHER by Monique Snyman
WATER LIKE BROKEN GLASS by Carina Bissett
HERALD THE KNIGHT by Mercedes M. Yardley
ALL BITTERNESS BURNED AWAY by Jill Baguchinsky
A TRAIL OF FEATHERS, A TRAIL OF BLOOD by Stephanie M. Wytovich
BABA YAGA LEARNS TO SHAVE, GETS HER PERIOD, THEN GROWS INTO HER OWN by Jess Hagemann
FAIR TRADE by Jacqueline West
STORK BITES by EV Knight
CHICKEN FOOT by Octavia Cade
WHERE THE HORIZON MEETS THE SKY by R. J. Joseph
MAW MAW YAGA AND THE HUNTER by Alexandrea Weis
BABA YAGA IN REPOSE by Heather Miller
SHADOW AND BRANCH, GHOST FRUIT AMONG THE LULLABIES by Saba Syed Razvi
ABOUT CHRISTINA HENRY

Looking for a good book? Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga, edited by Lindy Ryan offers up some dark, modern retellings of the Baba Yaga legend. Nothing will revolutionize the way you think of the legend (if you know it at all), but there's some good, dark fantasy within.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Cheating, gaslighting, toxic parent relationship, gaslighting, language, racism, smoking, drugs, child abandonment, animal death, cancer

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book: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 hinderance, or horror. She is wild, she is woman, she is witch—and these are her tales.
Release Date: November 8th, 2022
Genre: Sci-Fi Folklore
Pages: 300
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️

What I Liked:
1. It's Baba Yaga

What I Didn't Like:
1. All the stories blend together

Overall Thoughts: As soon as I saw this short story collection existed I HAD to have it. Baba Yaga is such a great story with deep Russian roots. We have our own version from my Czechoslovakia heritage called Ježibaba.

Oh and the Baba Yaga in John Wick is wrong. He is Babai.

One of the things that I didn't like about the book is that the stories all blend together and get a little boring as you keep reading. I think you need to read a few stories and then come back to the book.

Dinner Plans - Stephanie M. Wytovich:
Cute fun poem about Baba Yaga. Loved the line "Eat their names under the light of the moon"⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Last Tour Into the Hungering Moonlight - Gwendolyn Kiste:
Story about how women are slaves to men & children. A lot of feelings and truths to this one that hit home. It was beautiful seriously wonderful. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Final Thoughts: I really tried to love this book. I mean like I said I adore Baba Yaga but there was just too many stories that after the 10th one it feels so similar to the last three you feel as though you’ve already read it. I dnfed this book. I’ve been struggling to finish it for 6 months.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this advanced readers copy. All thoughts are my own.