Charney Noah, Slapšak Svetlana. The Slavic Myths

London; New York: Thames & Hudson, 2023. — 256 p.The Slavic Myths, by the historian Noah Charney and the anthropologist and historian Svetlana Slapšak, is a wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated book delving into various Slavic myths, gods, and supernatural figures as well as the histories behind them. The Slavic Myths contains eight chapters and The Slav Epic, a cycle of 20 canvases by the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha depicting Czech and Slavic mythologies. Each chapter includes a new retelling of a myth, reimagined by the two authors, followed by a section on the history of the myth and numerous important features within it. This is not a compilation of everything we know about Slavic mythology. Instead, the seven hand-picked stories accompanied by accessible academic analysis allow readers, whether they are well-versed in Slavic myth or brand new to the corpus of tales, to enjoy the stories and, if they wish, develop their understanding of the myths and history further. Readers of The Slavic Myths can read the book from cover to cover, or they can jump in and just read a chapter at a time; similarly, they can stick to the compelling reimaginings of the chosen myth or dive into the historical analysis of each section. Either way, with the book being a combination of retelling and non-fiction, it can be enjoyed by all.Noah Charney is an American art historian and internationally best-selling author of fiction, The Art Thief (published in fourteen languages), and non-fiction, The Art of Forgery, The Collector of Lives, and The Museum of Lost Art.Svetlana Slapšak is a leading specialist in Balkan studies and award-winning essayist who has published more than eighty books. She won the American PEN Award for Freedom of Expression in 1993 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Both Charney and Slapšak live in Slovenia.