This was an interesting story based on Russian folk tales with which I was not very familiar. Although not particularly well written, the characters were cleverly developed and endearing (particularly Baba Yaga, but maybe that's just because I'm getting too old to identify with the teens). The ending felt a little bit rushed and abrupt, but that's my only real complaint. It was a fun read and a welcome diversion from real life. ( )

Russian peasants, the tsar, Baba Yaga and her chicken legged hut that walks wherever she wants to go, the firebird that is reborn like the phoenix, Russian ice dragon zmey, a prince, a priest, a cameo by Rasputin...what a tale. ( )

This is a fantastically written fairy tale. If you would like to take yourself away from everything and live in another world, this is the book to read. The language was so descriptive that I had no problem visualizing things.
Go escape and enjoy the story. ( )

Friends of mine recommended this book to me one day while we were on a trip, and we ended up listening to the audiobook for a while together. Later, I looked it up to see if I could listen to the rest of the story, and I was thrilled to find the audiobook on Scribd!

This is such a fun story. I’ve been intrigued by folk tales ever since I was a little girl, and putting those together with a masterful storytelling style and the unique wildness and beauty of Russia makes this a delightful read. I felt like I got to know Russia in a new way in this book; even though it’s a far-fetched fantasy, it’s also deeply grounded in the country and people as a whole. This is a story of fighting for survival, companionship and working together, and of hard-won friendship and love.

If you enjoy fantasy and adventure tales and don’t mind some magic and mystical characters from Russian folklore showing up (the Firebird, the witch Baba Yaga and her house Dumb Doma, and more!), this would be a great option to read next. Fun, imaginative, and strongly reminiscent of fairy tales, this is a story that would appeal to a wide variety of ages, provided you’re still a child at heart. ( )

Sometimes Gregory Maguire does things with fairy tales that I don't really appreciate. He's kind of hit or miss for me.

In this case, he weaves a wonderful, enthralling tale that is Russian to the core and perfect in its balance between story and fable, magic and awful, starving reality. Also, I'm a sucker for Baba Yaga's chicken-legged house and I find his use of it an utter delight. It's a prince and the pauper story, a Vasilisa the Brave story, a Firebird and marvels story. Mostly, though, it's a story about young people learning empathy, with some salty and hilarious commentary from our cannibal friend, Baba Yaga. Not to be missed. ( )