This was a beautiful and whimsical read that had me completely captivated. AB's writing is stunningly well done and the descriptions of the world and it's characters were divine. This is a magical story that consumed me, I would highly recommend!

Beautifully written, captivating and what a storyline. I absolutely loved this book. I loved the lavish descriptions and the creativeness of the characters. The magic of the book was fantastic and it really grabbed my attention and had me hooked.

Oh my holy moly. This is easily one of the best books I've read in 2024 so far. It's such a strong debut and I can't wait for what Poranek comes up with next.

What an absolutely enchanting, dazzling tale this was! I couldn't even imagine when starting how much I'd adore this story. The writing is truly magical. I loved the use of Polish folklore, there's so much to explore there. The lore was beautifully entangled with the growing relationship between Liska and the Leszy.

If you like Howl's Moving Castle and Beauty and the Beast, this one is for you.

his is a beautifully written story about belonging and magic, full of whimsy, eeriness and warmth. Like many fairy tales of Russian/ Polish/ Slavic origins, it is morally grey and has a bittersweet end. However the elevator pitch that this is Howl’s Moving Castle meets Uprooted is not far off the mark. The MC is likeable, the romance is believable and the story is engaging. I devoured this in two sittings and while I didn’t entirely love the ending, I accept that it fit the story and was a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend.

What a wonderful unique little book this is! Where the Dark Stands Still is a beautifully written YA fantasy. Steeped in Polish folklore, the story ensures you experience each and every little emotion and will stay with you for a long time after you've closed the book. Liska is terrified of her magic and desperate to be a good girl. She makes a deal with a demon called the Leszy and finds herself hidden in his dangerous wood. I just loved the character of the Leszy, but the side characters in this novel just steal the show, from an angry house sprite to a broken down sentient house.
It was a little slow in the middle but this novel was pretty close to perfect. I absolutely adored it. I have the feeling this will be a stunning little standalone but it makes me so excited for more books by this author. A brilliant read.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

This story has Slavic folklore, magic, gothic themes, and darkly charming characters. I especially liked the cute nicknames given to Liska. Where the Dark Stands Still offers escapism into a world I wish existed.

Where the dark stands still is my new favourite book. Slavic story with ghibli feeling. The very last sentence left the most peaceful feeling I’ve ever experienced.

I have been so excited to read this book and I was not disappointed!
Where the Dark Stands Still has a magical forest, polish folklore and just felt like such a cosy magical read.
I found myself struggling to put this down because it felt so different to anything else I’ve read lately.
I really liked the characters and the pacing - it just felt spot on.
I feel like this was left open for a potential sequel so I am really hoping for more!

The story
The character
The folklore

Everything was just perfect
Such a great debut

Was totally addicted to this book from page 1

Ok so this was honestly my favourite book this year so far!

Much like a number of recent novels, this story centres around a dark and mysteriously dangerous woodland with a Manor House in its centre however this story is somewhat different than the rest.

Full of a dark and beautifully brooding atmosphere and heart achingly slow burning romance, this book delivers the perfect balance between dark fantasy and fairytale-like wonder. I devoured every carefully crafted word and immersed myself into the excellently built world of the Driada.

I was in awe of the beauty of the writing and the twists and turns kept me interested throughout. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes their fantasy novels with some romance and intrigue baked into the storyline. Perfect book for those who enjoyed One Dark Window, For The Wolf etc

Where The Dark Stands Still was such an atmospheric read, steeped with magic and Polish folklore.

It was a little slow to start with, but it soon had me completely hooked with its gothic romance and lovable characters. Jaga was a particular sassy little favourite of mine!

It really reminded me of Sorcery of Thorns and My Throat an Open Grave, many have also said it has Howl’s Moving Castle vibes too - one I definitely need to read!

I loved the gothic atmosphere, the banter and the romance with Leszy and Liska, the magical elements and just the general fairytale vibes from this one. 100% be looking to read any future Poranek books!

Where the Dark Stands Still is full of gorgeous writing and is a really immersive experience to read. The world building is brilliantly effective and I loved the way the story is revealed bit by bit - you can sort of predict what’s going to come out next but you’re never really sure. I enjoyed the feeling of being a little bit in the dark; it played into the story so well. The plot I thought was clever and twisty without being either too convoluted or too predictable. There were elements of horror and cautionary tales very much in keeping with the Polish folk tales it’s drawn from and I loved the inclusion of Polish words (I got a kick out of figuring out how to pronounce them correctly). It reminded me of Little Thieves by Margaret Owen and will likely appeal to fans of that series.

Liska is a great MC; she is likeable but realistically flawed and naive and I was rooting for her from the start. The author did a great job of making the Leszy vaguely terrifying to begin with and then more approachable and more of a real character the more we got to know him. The peripheral characters are great too; I especially loved Jaga - you can tell the author has a cat because it feels like she’s exactly written the thoughts of one!

Honestly, I absolutely loved it. I stayed up til midnight to finish it and it had me in tears. The ending was perfectly executed. It’s a triumph of a debut novel and an easy 5 star rating for me. A book I know I’ll go back to and read again and again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book!

4.5 stars

This romantasy based on Polish folklore was the most gorgeously written book I've read. It was so beautiful, the prose was so haunting, the imagery came right off the page. The half a star off five is due to the pacing; while it's a stunning book, it does get a little slow going into the middle, but overall it was a fantastic book and it was so great to read something with Polish setting. That was new to me and as a Fantasy Addict I adore seeing new settings and mythology steeped into the genre.

Where the Dark Stands Still transports readers into a charming and enchanting world, blending elements of romance and fantasy with the allure of a classic fairytale.

As readers embark on this magical journey, they are drawn into a realm where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, and where love and adventure intertwine in unexpected ways. With its lush descriptions and captivating storytelling, it evokes a sense of wonder and whimsy, inviting readers to lose themselves in its spellbinding narrative.

For fans of romantic fantasy and fairytales alike, this novel promises an enchanting escape into a world where darkness and light collide, and where love has the power to conquer even the most formidable of obstacles.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

“Its a beautiful sort of devastation, a glittering chaos, and it ends as quickly as it began.”

“Grief is like a chronic ache, I think - It’s always there, bit sometimes you notice it more and sometimes less, and sometimes its unbearable and sometimes you think it might be gone for good.”

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.75/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc
Would I recommend to others?: Yes, to those who are interested in Eastern European folklore!

Review:
This book was a lovely read, in which I rated it is as a 3.75 stars and rounded it up to 4 in here. One of my favourite folklore is Eastern European and this is my first time reading Polish Mythology! This book gave me cozy fantasy vibes with cottagecore adventure (is there such a thing? This book makes it a thing for sure!)

I enjoyed getting to know our main characters: Liska and Leszy. I enjoyed getting to know the background behind their magic, the reason why they are the way they are and how it shaped them. I truly enjoyed the mentions of their past and the way it was added as flashbacks to strengthen our understanding of them as characters. Half the time, I was like “omg why did they become this way?” So I truly enjoyed that part in this book. I also loved the addition of the cute side characters: Spirits, past human souls & mythical characters taking their shapes are humans. The conversation Liska has with them is adorable, cozy and feeds so nicely into the story!

I loved the adventure and character development of Liska, as we get to know her and see how she struggled to fit in and does her best to change herself so that she can be accepted in her village of Stodola:
She will do anything to prove that she is not dangerous, that she belongs, to the village and her people.”

“It’s not a curse, little one.” He kneels in front of her, looking up. “It’s merely a challenge. We are all given burdens in life. God simply gave you a heavier load because he believes you are strong enough to carry it. Your magic is a test, and you must resist at all costs.”

“You are not a monster, Liska Radost. You are sunlight, and you breathe life into everything you touch.”

Additionally, we get to see the effect of the church and pagan beliefs and how they blended together in the Polish village. This is evidential throughout the story. We even get to see memories from when Liska was a child and trying to navigate her magic:
Children do foolish things until they are old enough to understand they are foolish.”

I think, for me, what lacked in “where the dark stands still” is a little bit of the pace and the fact that majority of the things don’t happen till around 55-60% of the book. I do know this is common with fantasy but it was just a bit too slow for my liking. This was obviously not enough to push me away from the story and keep me from reading it! I did thoroughly enjoy it but it didn’t Wow me.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy slow paced fantasy books that focus on Polish Mythology and that has a bit of romance and cottagecore-cozy vibes (but filled with action)! The author refers to this as a strange and spooky found family at the House Under the Rowan Tree and I couldn’t agree more. I entirely loved the spooky vibes of the forest, the house & the story in general.

Thank you Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this arc!

Where to start - this book had me hooked from the beginning! It felt cosy and familiar, but at the same time, I didn't know what to expect.

Reading this book felt like I had stepped into a Studio Ghibli film. The descriptions of the manor, Jaga and Leskys heart reminded me of Howls Moving Castle, a book and movie I adore.

Watching the relationship between Liska and Lesky develop was one of my favourite parts, I especially loved when he showed Liska how he viewed her and she realises that she is enough as she is, and she doesn't need to change for anyone.

I am a sucker for a declaration of love, and the Leskys was perfect. "Of women, he’s heard it said ‘she will be the end of me’, or ‘she will be my undoing’. None of that is true for Liska Radost. She is not the end of anything, but the beginning of everything. He has been dead a long time, and she is his resurrection."

I had a feeling that something wasn't quite right with Maksio, but I'm so glad he didn't turn out to be evil (at one point I was concerned he was there at Weles command). Maksio and Jaga were the perfect side characters, adding heartfelt moments and sarcastic comments.

I can't get over the ending and the epilogue! All I can do is hope that we will get a sequel or novella one day, as all I want is to see Liska and Eliasz together!

A 5-star read for me, I can see myself picking this up frequently and it becoming a comfort read!

(Rating rounded up from 4.5)

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin for sending me an ARC of this book and thank you to A. B. Poranek for absolutely DESTROYING me emotionally.

I haven't felt this way about a book in such a long time. Despite its premise reminding me of quite a few other stories I have read (and enjoyed), Poranek succeeds in making it feel new and fresh and unique.

I know that some readers struggle to connect with a culture that isn't their own; constantly Googling words and phrases can be laborious to some. I however absolutely adored learning Polish phrases and customs and feelings the author's clear adoration for her heritage throughout the book.

The cast of characters is so charming and loveable and they feel very distinct. The banter between our empathetic and caring female MC and the charming yet emotionally wrought male MC had me giggling and kicking my feet, and their companions had me laughing and weeping simultaneously.

This novel gave me vibes of beauty and the beast, howl's moving castle, princess mononoke, dare I even mention acotar...?
And yet this book stands solidly on its own two feet.

The themes of religion, grief, and trauma are all beautifully dealt with, and made it easier to read certain tropes and themes that I'm not the biggest fan of.

It's not a perfect story by any means; I wish certain plot points and elements were expanded upon more as they felt a little convenient - but this doesn't deter my love for this book.

Where The Dark Stands Still has single-handedly brought the joy of reading back to me.

“If I look like a monster,’ he says roughly, ‘then no one will be surprised when I do monstrous things.”

4.5 Stars ⭐

‘Where The Dark Stands Still’ started heavy on the action and didn’t stop until the book came to a close. We open to Liska hunting for a magical plant in the spirit-wood that will help rid her of her powers and where, instead, she comes across its demon guard. Soon she’s the beauty (or at least housekeeper) to the beast that roams her local woods. She finds she’s not the first to make a home in the crumbling sentient manor but something is waking in the wood and she might just be the last.

Short chapters and all the fast-paced action made this stand-alone easy to devour. It was an adjustment, however, to read a book so focused on the action that the character development had to catch up. That’s not to say it wasn’t present.

The author includes a series of flashbacks that help introduce us to Liska’s past and understand her character better. At first, they were minorly disorientating, but it felt better integrated as the story went on, and as we got to know Liska better I became more and more invested in finding out more about her. This was helped by the mystery and vague statements of guilt that surrounded why we found her at the very beginning in the spirit-wood- what was the catalyst?

As all the different threads, both Liska’s and The Leszy’s, become unravelled over the course of the book, you can see how far their characters have come. For someone who wasn’t sure about Liska and The Leszy at the start, I sure got immensely emotional at the end. I liked how brave and determined Liska was from the start but loved watching her develop into someone who was sure and confident in herself as well. There is a real theme of found family that comes across (my favourite) and it felt as if all the characters (I include the magic manor in this as well) were better because they found each other. All of them growing into themselves. I would classify this as Romantasy, but one that also explores friendship, sacrifice and family.

Finally, I adored the Polish folklore influence, all of the magical creatures and incredible settings that were inspired by it. I never felt as if Poranek info dumped but instead weaved a rich magical fairytale setting. I wouldn’t compare it to Howl’s Moving Castle personally, the tone and setting reminded me more of The Bear and The Nightingale and Uprooted but I can see elements here and there. Still, I think Poranek has a unique voice that comes across and I’m really excited to see what she writes next!

Where the Dark Stands Still gives remnants of Beauty and the Beast and Howls Moving Castle. Two pieces of fiction which I adore , so I know that I was in for an enjoyable read.

Which is what it was.

The story sets up as though it’s the familiar tale of beauty and the beast, but quickly turns into something that is almost a little darker on the surface but underneath is a magical world which draws you in from the first page.

I loved the build up of the relationship between Liska and Lesky, how it slowly morphed into a friendship before growing further into romance.

The ending completely broke me and left me sobbing, although it wasn’t what I hoped for , it was clear it was the only way the story could have truly ended.