Where the dark stands still
A.B Poranek
McElderry Books
February 27, 2024
⭑⭑⭑⭑
Raised in a small village near the spirit-wood, Liska Radost knows that Magic is monstrous, and its practitioners, monsters. After Liska unleashes her own powers with devastating consequences, she is caught by the demon warden of the wood – the Leszy – who offers her a bargain: one year of servitude in exchange for a wish.
Whisked away to his crumbling manor, Liska soon discovers the sinister roots of their bargain. And if she wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts of his past.
Those who enter the woods do not always return…
where the dark stand still is the debut book from the author A.B Poranek. It's a young adult fantasy book and is inspired by Polish folklore and slavic mythology. It has romance and a grumpy x sunshine trope. perfect for fans who love the movie beauty and the beast or the book series a court of thorns and roses.
This book has everything. two different characters you will love in their own way. Liska is a seventeen year old girl who has magic. but the magic is not loved in the village where she lives. They call her a witch. She will do anything to get rid of her abilities. when she one night is running away from her small village to find the flower who grants her a wish to undo her magic. Here is when she meets Leszy, a demon who gives her a bargain to serve him for a year and after the year he will grant her the wish she is wished for. The deal is too good to not accept so Liska finds her in the company of Leszy. Leszy takes her back to his place, the house under the Rowan tree and this place is so beautifully written I could picture it clearly in my mind as something so atmospheric making you want to be in that place. and I love books that are set in a forest or have woods in them. It is here where Leszy is learning Liska to learn magic. This is a really big thing for Liska and the scenes that are given to us are so funny. They really hate each other in the beginning. but we see that they grow in more than hate, they do care for each other and they will fall for each other. but there is one big thing Leszy is not telling Liska and that he has a curse, a wicked curse set on him that brings all different kinds of trouble with him. The ending is really good for a debut novel; it was something I really enjoyed. The only thing it took me a while to get used to was Polish folklore and the slavic mythology. I just don’t read enough books on this topic. so it will take you a minute to understand everything that is going on.
“ You are not a monster, Liska Radost. You are sunlight, and you breathe life into everything you touch.”
Overall this was such a good book for a debut, and I will continue following the journey of the author and can’t wait to see what comes out next!!
disclaimer: all opinions are my own
MORE INFORMATION:
category: Young adult fiction
genre: Fantasy, romance
Themes: polish folklore, slavic mythology, demonology, magic, deals, love, found family, grumpy x sunshine
Reading age guide: Ages 14 and up.
advisory: blood, death, violence, grief, animal death, death of a parent
published: February 27, 2024
format: ebook
ISBN: 9781665936477
find it on:
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