It’s Not a Name, It’s a Title

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

I admit I haven’t read a paranormal romance in quite some time, but I picked up this book at the library and the premise sounded interesting.  In Russian folklore, the Baba Yaga is a supernatural being who often appears as a deformed old woman dwelling deep in the forest.  This series depicts a modern twist on the idea, with three women in the USA that carry the title.  They are witches who have elemental magic, and are tasked with guarding the portals to the Otherworld.

This book is about Barbara Yager, who poses as a herbalist as she travels her part of the country.  She has a large Airstream trailer that has the capability of guarding itself, and a dragon called Chudu-Yudu disguised as a massive pitbull who can talk to her and make wise-cracks.  Barbara is a strong heroine, who comfortable riding her motorcycle and being on her own.  She has been summoned to a small town in New York by a frantic Russian grandmother whose grandchild is missing.  Other children have gone missing in the area as well, and it’s up to Barbara to determine what is going on.  It doesn’t take long before it’s clear that this isn’t a matter of simple kidnapping – there’s dangerous Otherworldly villains behind this.

The town sheriff, Liam McLellan, has been trying to find the children and getting discouraged at the baffling disappearances.  When he runs into Barbara, he isn’t sure about her sudden appearance in town and thinks she may have something to do with the mystery.  She really isn’t anything like any other woman he’s known, and he’s attracted to her despite his misgivings.  The two of them eventually join forces to find the children, and romance blossoms along the way.

It wasn’t a steamy romance book by any means, and parts of the book seemed to bog down here and there, but overall it wasn’t bad.  There’s some elements of humor, and the Otherworld background is depicted quite well.  It intrigued me enough that I will check out the second book in the series.