A rather drawn out rendering of witches and shamans and Czars with a cat as indirect narrator adding exactly nothing but and unfortunate voice to the whole. ( )

A very cool and interesting children's/YA fantasy book that uses elements of Russian folklore. Evil Czars, a prince locked in a tower, a story-telling cat, good witches, and bad shamans. Think Howl's Moving Castle but make it Siberia and darker. I loved it. ( )

The Ghost Drum is a Russian folklore-inspired tale about a shaman's apprentice and her relationship with a prince. There's an evil Czar, and a house with chicken legs a la Baba Yaga, and an Iron Wood in a ghost world. The heroine is clever and compassionate, and her prince is a slow learner. My favorite part is when he goes back to the distraction-free palace tower and realizes that he has learned something after all. He's the original ADHD patient :) ( )