Book Review: Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft by Madame Pamita

  • Source: I received an advance copy of this book on NetGalley

  • My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (see my review on Goodreads)

When I requested an ARC of this book on NetGalley, I didn’t realize I would only be getting a sample of like the first 20 pages. The cool thing is that this sample was compelling enough to convince me that I loved this book and wanted to buy a physical copy to hug and hold forever (so I did).

I am a longtime lover of Baba Yaga. I have a painting of her that holds permanent residence on my altar. I devour every book and story I can find about her. I am undeniably drawn to Slavic folklore and find a strange kinship with each story I come across (have you played the video game Black Book? OMG.). All this to say that opening up Baba Yaga’s Book of Witchcraft felt like coming home and waking up at the same time. You get this beautiful combination of the author’s personal experiences with Baba Yaga & Ukrainian folklore, immersive storytelling, a look at magic from Baba Yaga’s perspective, and guides on how to explore and incorporate these magical practices into your own life. It is basically all the things I want in a magical book.

The book is beautifully designed, with red ink accents, and each chapter has at least one illustration. The back includes some useful appendices, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography so you can dive even deeper. The topics range from stitching magic (something I have dreamed about for years and didn’t know was such a real thing) to mortar & pestle to hair to salt! This book was the perfect way to sate my appetite for all things Baba Yaga and Slavic folklore (especially after being thoroughly enticed by Black Book). I am obsessed.

book reviewKelleywitchcraft, nonfiction