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A review by lite_academic
Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek
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 PoĊudnica 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.
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 PoĊudnica 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.