Reviews

Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

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I liked a lot of the worldbuilding and folklore but couldn’t get over some glaring structural issues in the writing. so much telling and very little showing.

and the cop love interest?!?! i’m sorry but I couldn’t read about him breaking through the “barricade” (yes, the actual word used) of pillows on their tropey-one-bed so that they wake in each other’s arms without thinking about how just DAYS ago, I saw cops breaking through a barricade made of literal human bodies to brutalize hundreds of students for peacefully protesting.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

kaycee_k's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Full review coming to Double the Books May/June bookish magazine issue 60! "A gripping must-read, Slovic-inspired page tuner of a girl fighting to her magic, in a unique world, in this standout debut that you won't be able to put down."

book_bird_anja's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious 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

4.5

mickmociii's review against another edition

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adventurous tense 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

3.0

therearenobadbooks's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A fun complex world rich in Slavic folklore. During Foul Days, the monsters are out, and in a series of events, Kosara loses her shadow, which can be a dead sentence to a witch. The book takes a moment to pick up, but once Kosara partners with a cop from the "other" side of the wall, we can't put it down. Their partnership is hilarious. They embark on an action adventure, unlikely scenarios, thrilling, mysterious investigation in a very dangerous world with fun characters, humor, and unlikely partnerships. The plot twists closer to the end are fun, and I didn't want this volume to end. I'm happy that there will be a second soon.
There are several encounters with all sorts of demons and ghouls, and the book has a small compendium at the end explaining some of the creatures. I loved Nevena and Button.
The author's style is great. The characters have a great voice. This is one of those books that I usually buy different formats and enjoy the audiobook before the next volume is released. The characters' dialogue is fun.
Thank you, publisher, for the arc.

darlingsterns's review against another edition

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4.0

4 ★ The synopsis of Foul Days describes Genoveva Dimova as an “assured new voice in the genre” and that is absolutely correct! I’ve been looking forward to this debut for a long time as I love it when books are inspired by folklore.

Foul Days weaves Bulgarian folklore, which I haven’t seen in a book before, with sharp prose and an atmospheric wintery setting. I quickly grew attached to our main character, Kosara, and she was such a breath of fresh air compared to other main characters I’ve read about. She was sly and witty, with a distinct voice that never bored me. The world itself was fascinating and complex. I absolutely loved the various monsters featured throughout the novel. There’s even a monster pamphlet detailing important information on the monsters which the citizens of Chernograd received (though didn’t bother reading…) from the Witch and Warlock Association featured in the actual book at the end.

I haven’t read anything like Foul Days before, nor have I read the comp titles, but this book did slightly remind me of another June 2024 release: The God and The Gumiho. Both are folklore-inspired fantasies with a murder mystery at the forefront.

For readers who dislike how romance-driven and trope-filled a lot of fantasy books are nowadays, you’re in luck as romance is not a major element of this story. There is a very minor romantic subplot, however, it does not get in the way of the main plot. I want to mention that there is an abusive romantic relationship portrayed between Kosara and the Zmey and themes of grief and loss of a sister which may be triggering.

Overall, I’m excited for Kosara (and her detective sidekick, Asen’s) adventures in the sequel, Monstrous Nights, and luckily there isn’t a long time to wait! This was a great debut, and I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.