A review by mrtvavrana
Kde aj temnota zamrzne by A.B. Poranek

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

 

I have read this book in Slovak.

I often complain about how hard it is to find books that contain Slavic mythology and are well researched. Where The Dark Stands Still was, surprisingly, really good.

Now, if you know me, you also know I am not terribly excited about romance and definitely not about a large age-gap romance. The authors really need to work on making their heroines, even in young adult romance, older. If the man can be centuries old, why the hell is he interested in a barely legal teenager? It's creepy and quite disgusting, if you ask me. Despite that, I still wanted to give this novel a shot. I did not have many expectations going in, but I eventually ended up enjoying this book quite a lot.

Liska is a young girl from a small village. You would think she is ordinary if it weren't for her magic. She knows how dangerous it is, and to protect the people she loves, she decides to find a magic flower that will grant her a wish. A wish to make the magic go away. Unfortunately, she falls into a trap prepared by an ancient demon called Leszy. He promises to take her magic, but first she needs to serve and help him.

As time passes, Liska discovers she is not the first person to serve the demon, and soon she uncovers that the fate they suffered is now waiting for her. The only way Liska can save herself is to embrace the thing she hates the most – her magic.

The story was quite simple and predictable, but it had a lot of magic. It constantly reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle. There definitely were moments I did not quite like, and I wish the book were more detailed. Mostly when it comes to the magic system and the different mythical creatures living in the forest. The book was still captivating and lovely, and I particularly loved the open ending and the tragedy of it all. Too many authors are afraid of making their readers weep, so this was a nice change.

The characters were incredible. I think all of them were loveable and easy to connect with. They were great as individuals, but I also loved how they all fit together as a family (of sorts).

The part I disliked the most was, as usual, romance. I have already mentioned the age gap in the beginning, but there were more things I was not happy about. I absolutely hate miscommunication and avoidance of talking about certain topics. I always find myself extremely annoyed, and it was no different in this case.