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A review by darlingsterns
Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova
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.
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.