Thank you Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thistlefoot follows the youngest descendants of the infamous Baba Yaga, Bellatine and Isaac. They have been estranged for years, until they received a mysterious inheritance. When they get to the meeting point, they find that they have been given a house, but not just any house. This house is on chicken legs. What they don't know is that the house also came with a sinister figure that is following it and leaving destruction in it's wake.

I was so excited to read this book. I liked the idea that it wasn't a direct Baba Yaga retelling, but a retelling that follows her descendants. I was also intrigued by the idea of Jewish folklore. I haven't seen a lot of books that include that.
I really enjoyed when the story was being told from Bellatine's point of view and Thistlefoot's. I didn't really enjoy the other perspectives. I felt like they were very unnecessary. They didn't add anything of substance to the story, and I felt like they slowed down the pacing. The magic system was interesting, I just wish it would have been explained a little bit better.

I have to admit, this was almost a DNF. It was starting to feel like a chore to read, and I only felt invested in Bellatine and Thistlefoot. However, I did finish, and the ending was much better, and felt more focused than the rest of the book. It moved my rating from a 2 to a 3.5 stars.

THISTLEFOOT by GennaRose Nethercott
Published: 9/13/2022 by ANCHOR Publishing


This is GennaRose’s Debut novel … she has already established herself as a writer of folklore, poems and ballads. She has performed nationally displaying her penchant for folklore and at times has utilized puppets while accompanying her team … the Traveling Poetry Emporium. In her debut novel she spins an epic tale rich in folklore and Jewish mythology.
In a world of alternate present day America, magic exists and is accepted as the norm… therefore no-one batted an eye when a house on chicken legs is seen meandering down a country road. And yet, persistent are the divisive attitudes between the rich and the poor … and the citizen and immigrant. An irresistible re-interpretation of the Eastern European myth of Baba Yaga is painted in a delightful saga starring the enchanting Yaga siblings. Bellatine (“Bella”) is an anxious woodworker who has been estranged from her older brother, Isaac, since childhood … both ideologically and geographically.
Isaac is somewhat of a street performer and pickpocket and possesses the amazing ability to physically and mentally mimic others…. which he utilizes to survive . At times he is a thief, not above lifting a wallet with ease. Bella possesses magic that she calls “embering”. She considers it a “disease’ and out of shame has hid it since childhood. She later discovers her latent talent will allow her to re-animate objects ( both inanimate and “the dead”)
The siblings unite when a mysterious grandmother dies and wills to them both a strange inheritance … it is not money or land … but rather, a sentient house that can ambulate due to a set of attached “chicken legs”. The house is called, Thistlefoot, and will soon arrive in America from it’s ancestral home in Russia. Following closely in pursuit is the sinister entity known as the Longshadow Man, determined to destroy both the house, and anything in it’s path … including Isaac and Bella. It’s motive is clouded in mystery.
An amazing and delightful adventure is spun by GennaRose, utilizing lyrical prose and poetic riffs that blooms into a narrative that is rich in wisdom and love. Magic abounds in the picaresque tale as this enchanting novel of survival delves into the importance of family bonds and love. Hopefully we will be treated to further enchanting and multilayered tales by this fascinating new author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Anchor publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy Baba Yaga stories, but this one did not hit the spot. Baba Yaga did not need to be the person of the story, rather it could have been any one woman that the Church decided was dangerous and spread lies about.

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

448 Pages
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Anchor
Release Date: September 13, 2022

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Multicultural Interest, Folklore

Isaac and Bellatine Yaga are siblings living separate and distinct lives. They are each notified of an inheritance from a distance great aunt. They are told where and when to pick up the package. Yet when they get there, they are surprised to find a house on chicken legs. With no way of moving the house, they start talking to it. The house seems to be listening but not understanding. They realize since the house is from Kyiv, it must speak Ukrainian. Just like that, the house begins walking. The two siblings make a deal to do one last cross country tour of their family puppet show. Whatever proceeds they make will go to Isaac as his share of the house.

If you are familiar with stories of Baba Yaga, you will recognize her house. The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. If you like folklore or multicultural stories, you will enjoy this book.

The prose drew me in and kept me reading, especially after things took a weirder turn than I expected. The slightly fantastical world kept me intrigued as it wove in real, historical events with fantastical responses from the houses like houses that developed gills after Hurricane Katrina. Ultimately though, I do not think that it's a book that I will seek out to own because some of the weirdness, while excellently written, is not something that I have a preference for aka the book just is not for me. Additionally, I think that the book lasted just a little bit too long which made the pacing feel slow after things started to get revealed.

I put myself first in line to read this book as soon as I saw the cover and the synopsis. I am an absolute sucker for anything fairytale related, but I've always been especially inclined toward stories about Baba Yaga. This story in particular did not disappoint--GennaRose Nethercott wove a beautiful and captivating tale about family and perseverance through time and history.

I especially appreciated how Nethercott intertwined the feelings of a classic fairytale while placing a poignant modern spin on it. It's both nostalgic and new at once, and I attribute that to the writing and atmosphere that Nethercott created in this story. In the beginning, it feels pretty classic when two magical and estranged siblings discover that their ancestor has passed down to them something quite interesting: a house on chicken legs. And then you see how they interact with the world around them in the United States with their new relic--one of the siblings, Isaac, has decided to let his sister Bellatine buy the house from him if she in turn tours the country with him, putting on puppet shows along the way, something that they haven't done together since their youth with their parents. From there, you see the siblings' bond grow even as they are chased along the way by a shadowy, creepy being they call the Longshadow Man. What transpires is wrenching yet healing and hopeful as the story delves into the past, both as Baba Yaga herself and the house on chicken legs when they are given voices to explain their complex and violent pasts.

The only complaint that I have is that the story did seem to drag in the middle, kind of meandering a bit, but when the plot got moving again, I couldn't put it down until the end, which left me feeling inspired.

All around, this was a captivating, imaginative tale of Jewish myth and the power of family and of found family, and it deeply affected me. I definitely recommend it. 4 stars.

I debated my rating of this book for a little while: was it going to be 4 stars or five stars? I really wasn’t sure at first. Half of me said 4 stars because I’m not a patient person and it took me two days to read this book because I had to put it down about halfway through on the first day because I was kind of bored and needed a change of pace. The other half said, yeah, but then you picked it back up and the second half had the same lovely prose and compelling story as the first, but then it started to weave its way into your brain and heart and now it’s tugging on you from all directions, so how could you do anything but rate it five stars?

As you can see, I ended up rating it five stars.

Strangely, one of the reasons I connected with the back half of this book so much is because it brought up the subject of how trauma and other environmental factors can affect DNA. Geneticists have already proven that intergenerational poverty ends up having a lasting effect on those genetic markers, so why not trauma? If an event is huge enough to change something in our genetics, could that genetic change take hold enough to last through generations? It’s one of the most fascinating and terrifying thought experiments I can think of.

In her acknowledgements, Nethercott mentions Libba Bray’s Diviners series and Leigh Bardugo’s “Six of Crows” as influences on crafting her story, especially in her pacing. Well, I’ve never read the Diviners, but I’m a huge fan of “Six of Crows”, and I can definitely see the influence of Leigh Bardugo in the book, though not in the pacing. This book didn’t hook me and drag me along for the ride like “Six of Crows”, though I can see how matching pacing with the introduction of new characters or the changing of settings could be traced back to Bardugo and her Crows. Nethercott also credits Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and, honestly? I really think just about every writer in the urban fantasy genre should be thanking Buffy in their books. Heck! Every fantasy writer who has a strong female protagonist should probably thank Buffy. I don’t know where pop culture or media as a whole would be today if it were not for that show.

So, listen: if you’re looking for a quick read, this book won’t do you any favors. It’s not meant to be a quick read. I really think Nethercott means for you to sit down with this book and pay attention to it. Don’t take it lightly. It’s not some throwaway trend. This is a history lesson, a philosophical essay, and Russian folklore wrapped in dark, urban fantasy and magical realism. It’s not a story about family, but a story about survival. It’s not a story about those who lived, but about those who died. I think, most of all, this story is a warning: those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Worse than that: history erased is history unheard is history primed to happen again without warning.

Thanks to NetGalley and Anchor for granting me access to this title.

Please note this review is being written as part of a series of backdated ARC reviews that were due earlier in the year but, for one reason or another, I wasn’t able to get to them by the publication date.

File Under: 5 Star Books/Dark Fantasy/Ghost Story/Magical Realism/Standalone Fantasy/Folklore/Mythology/Russian History/Historical Fiction/Urban Fantasy

I read about half of the book but just couldn't get interested in the characters. This should have been a great book for me with the connection to Russian folklore but it didn't have enough Russian folklore. I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.

Here is the rare event of the cover drawing me to a book. Over the years I have met Baba Yaga in various mutations. Probably first through Kate Daniels or another UF series and lastly through the Witcher. The chicken-legged hut sealed the deal. A roadtrip in a walking hut? Sounds bonkers. I had fun looking at various images of chicken-legged huts online…

It started more sweet than horrible, until the bad guy showed up for the first time. Creepy.

“In the tradition of modern fairytales like American Gods and Spinning Silver comes a sweeping epic rich in Eastern European folklore–a debut novel about the ancestral hauntings that stalk us, and the uncanny power of story.“

Anybody interested in Eastern European folklore has probably come across Baba Yaga and her chicken-legged hut before. So colour me intrigued, when I read about the Yaga siblings, their inheritance of a house with chicken legs and a road trip. I had to go along.

The siblings come across as amicable characters, when they are introduced—a wood-working sister and her trickster-like brother. The Longshadow Man though is frightening right off the bat.

Sometimes the plot moved along nicely, sometimes dragged a bit, getting caught up in descriptive prose and inner musings. A bit more plot progression would have been my preference, although the lyrical bits had something, too.

I expected something tenser, with a stronger horror element. After the Longshadow Man showed up for the first time, I thought there would be a growing sense of dread and urgency and of being chased. But the pace remained mostly pretty sedate, with the odd more active interlude. The mystery unravelled slowly, with frequent glimpses into the past of the main characters.

Unusual, different. Not as much horror as I thought. This is not a re-telling of a haunted fairytale. It‘s more a re-telling of horrible, past events. Or a remembering. Some events need to be retold, to battle all those people out there prone to repeat history. Let‘s call it magical realism with a strong dose of folklore and a dash of history.

The defining moment of Baba Yaga is one that has been told many times over for horrific events in history, where the many take it upon themselves to murder and exterminate the few. But I guess these stories need to be told again and again, when I look at the news and experience how stupid people still are, despite everything.

Bottomline, I liked this story. I struggled a bit with the pacing. The active parts were great and well written. The lyrical parts were just that, but they dragged and sometimes they dragged so much that I put the book down and didn‘t touch it for a day. I liked Bellatine and Isaac. What a twat he was. Thistlefoot came alive beautifully. I laughed at it‘s different origin stories. Baba Yaga‘s story was mostly dreadful and the ending is a bittersweet one. Please don‘t think that this novel is only about the past, Bellatine and Isaac live in the now and so do their friends. It‘s a very magical now though.

I would pick up something else by the author, if I liked the blurb.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

I received Thistlefoot as an ARC through Netgalley. A modern day Russian fairytale spanning generations and two continents. What if houses can come to life, you could have the power to actually turn into someone else, your hands could bring items to life? There is power in a story, power in the remembering, power in not forgetting. Follow Bellatine and Issac as they attempt to unravel their family's mysterious past and find each other in the end.

Bellatine and Isaac Yaga grew up traveling with their family and entertaining the masses with their family’s marionette show. Sadly, the siblings have been estranged for some time, but a very special house is about to change all that. The house, known as Thistlefoot, is not only their inheritance, but it is also a very special house because it can walk on its very own pair of legs! Bellatine and Issac, using Thistlefoot as a stage, have decided to begin traveling and performing their show again. The Longshadow Man has different plans for Thistlefoot however, and he is determined to finish what he started years ago–during a time filled with blood, death and flames–long before the Yaga siblings were even born. As the past and the present collide, Issac and Bellatine must defy the odds and use their unique skills to defeat the evil that is the Longshadow Man.

WOW! Thistlefoot is easily the best novel that I have read all year. The story and characters are gripping and entertaining. I especially enjoyed hearing from Thistlefoot within the narrative. The descriptions are nothing short of amazing and they create a detailed and complete picture of the settings, the characters, the action, etc. There are also sections full of thought-provoking words and ideas that are so insightful. I liked the characters and the supernatural elements, as well as the historical pieces included in the story. This novel was hard to put down and I loved it from beginning to end. 

I cannot recommend Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott enough; this is a novel everyone can enjoy. Thank you to Anchor Books and NetGalley for gifting to me an electronic copy of Thistlefoot, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

I loved this! I loved the descriptions they were so immersive. It had the atmosphere of a fairytale which felt very nostalgic for me.
Great characters they had so much depth to them. Love the representation. There was a slight sapphic romance and a non-binary character.
Highly recommend!
I don't know if I would recommend this to those who wants a baba yaga retelling just because I don't have experience with the story of baba yaga.
But I enjoyed the experience of this book.
I definitely will plan a reread of this book just because I feel like I could've taken longer to read this book after I picked it up. (yes my review is so late but when I picked this up I read it in two days)

AMAZING story. I loved every moment inside this book. Unique baba yaga retelling with interesting characters. Filled with adventure, prose, and magic.

Okay - confession time? I wanted this because of the gorgeous cover - it's so unique and ominous, unlike any other I've seen on other retellings. Thistlefoot is a beautiful blend of classic folktales and more modern fairytales creating a unique story that is unlike any others. This story is dynamic and features an amazing cast, including the house, that just so happens to be magical. The writing and tone are so unique and provide an almost lyrical storytelling experience. Truthfully, if you are fans of the Winternight trilogy I think you will love this!

This book was both original and well written, but it is far from my favorite baba yaga retelling. While I can absolutely appreciate what the author has done here, it ultimately didn't come together for me. Also, major trigger warnings for this book. For those who don't know: thistlefoot is rooted in the history of Russian Jews, which was often brutal and harsh. Nethercott makes it clear that she is writing to preserve the memory of those events, so be prepared. 3.75 stars

The prose, while beautiful, did make it difficult to follow the story at times. And while the House POV was fun and interesting, the meat of the story felt a bit lacking at times. Perhaps this one wasn't for me, though.

In this fabulous debut novel, the demonic Longshadow man represents hate, fear and anti- semitism. He wins if he can destroy all memory of a people, their culture and their history. He labors to destroy the last witnesses to the pogrom that wiped out a village of Russian Jews. Isaac and Bellatine Yaga, descendants of Baba Yaga must defeat him.
This story that takes the folktale of Baba Yaga in a new direction is set primarily in present day United States. The novel does not come across as if from a writer with an agenda. The above interpretation is solely my own and is influenced by certain current events.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book to review. Like all of my reviews it seems, I'm super late to the party on this one since this book has been out for months now.

I knew right away this book was not for me. To be honest, I I should have just put this book down and moved on. But with how promising the chapters on Thistlefoot's history and Baba Yaga herself were, I convinced myself to keep going. And unfortunately those chapters are too few and far between to carry this book for me.

I did NOT like either of the main characters. I didn't connect to them; they felt superficial and kind of annoying in the whole "look at me, I'm different" type of vibes they were exuding. Which I get it, they themselves are magical and the story is supposed to be a bit like a fairytale. However, it was just one of the many things that made this book not work for me. I felt as though their personalities made them super hard for me as a reader to care about when all they cared about was their own problems. They continued to remain closed off to each other throughout most of the story, which made it difficult for me as a reader to empathize with them, even when something tragic would happen.

I am also probably in the minority here, but I REALLY could have done without the whole Shadow Man vile thing. Super weird. Did not like.

OH and something else I didn't enjoy was how this book seemed to bounce back and forth in time, or at least in my brain it did. I didn't understand how these people were out here making money on a damn puppet show yet at other times it felt as though it's set in present day. I don't know. I just couldn't accurately place the time period of this story. It felt like it wanted to be a modern fairytale, yet some classical elements were thrown in that just didn't do much for me.

All in all, I typically love atmospheric stories, and while I grateful for the chance to read this book, it definitely was not one of my favorite Baba Yaga retellings, reimagining, or spin offs.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this wonderful book.

I didn't start out expecting this book to be so wonderful. But, the description made me think of Katherine Arden's books, so thought I'd give it a try - and I'm glad I did.

The story mixed fantasy elements - tales told by a puppet and a house, main characters with powers, a demon coming after them - with more realistic elements, a travelling puppet shows, a group of musicians who become friends. All of this blends together seamlessly, to provide a book that all seems to make sense in its context.

And the writing is lush. Beautiful sentences, great choice of words. I appreciated the writing, while also enjoying the intriguing plot. A thoroughly enjoyable book.

Wow. I was somehow not expecting this book. It’s an immersive and intricately written dark fantasy which is a very unique entry into the cannon of Baba Yaga. The storyline is intricately woven with between past and present, protagonist and antagonist. This book has substance. I recommend it to any lovers of dark fantasy who are looking for a story with depth, intrigue, and lore.