Reviews

Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

jadexreads's review

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I quite liked this!!! I love a good standalone fantasy, there’s not enough of those. At first, this book kept reminding me of A Court of Thorns and Roses, probably just because of the green eyed, blond haired immortal guy living in a manor honestly. But this is a wonderful story of a young woman finding herself and learning to accept who she is. The romance is subtle but very sweet and I loved it, it felt very natural.

The end was devastating to be honest, this is the first book I’ve read where the couple didn’t get a happy ending. It was jarring but I appreciate the change from standard hea.

ameliaka's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

lite_academic's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I cannot say enough good things about this heartwarming cozy fantasy. The story is very loosely inspired by Howl's Moving Castle by the incomparable Diana Wynne Jones. However, Where the Dark Stands Still comfortably stands on its own and shines with its own dazzling blu-butterfly-shaped glow. The narrative feels older than its famous inspiration, darker, and moodier without ever slipping into teenage angst. There is romance, but I would only loosely classify the genre of WTDSS as a "romantasy." The romance is slow-building tension culminated in a fade-to-black love scene. Romance is not what ages this book towards the late-teens-early-20s reader. Rather, the themes it explores--duty, sacrifice, guilt, forgiveness, and atonement--tamper down its otherwise delightfully witty, whimsical, and cheeky style.

If the plot pays homage to Wizard Howl, the atmosphere is entirely Poranek's. Leshy's and Liska's shared world is both delightfully cozy and deliciously haunting. The backdrop is unabashedly Polish and revels in Eastern European folklore. Be prepared to head to Wikipedia and down the rabbit hole of pre-Christianity Slavic deities. Yet, the act of looking up boogiemen and boogieladies such as Południca never feels dull. I found I had to know who these spirits were and what they looked like because I felt compelled to accurately paint them into this vivid and colorful narrative. 

When I turned the last page, I was profoundly sad because I was not ready to say "goodbye" to Liska, to Leshy, to their found family, and to their lush magical forest. WTDSS is a stunning debut novel, and I cannot wait to see where Ponarek's imagination will journey to in years to come. Wherever she wants to take her reader in her next novel (and, please, let there be a next novel), I am packing my bags and going on that adventure!

If you're on the market for a stunningly good cozy fantasy, you can hardly do better than Where the Dark Stands Still. 

sabrina_sakura's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

cme_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

whatthefawkes's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

kelsey_delacy's review

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This very much seemed to be inspired by Howl's moving castle -- both the movie and the original book. The characters and some of the general vibes, at least. 

I think my biggest gripe with this book was that the dialog felt too modern. Not as in they were throwing in slang here and there, there was just something else about it that I can't really put my finger on. Everything else around the dialog felt like folklore and ancient, but then the characters would speak in a way that would occasionally pull me out of it. 

Overall, a good debut novel! 

tulivs's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

binnybeenreading's review

i am simply not feeling it and am in the trenches of a reading slump so no can do at the moment 

keelin's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0