Scan barcode
A review by sanjastajdohar
Slavic Supernatural: An Anthology of Slavic-Inspired Speculative Fiction by Ivan Botica, Joshua Reynolds, Petra Rapaić, Ivana Geček, Laura J. Veligor, Robert Norok, Srebrenka Peregrin, Miha Trochael, Petra Valković, Lidiana Bunda, Greg Gajek
5.0
"People used to scare children with that haunting tune. Nowadays, it was remembered by a few, old village women, storytellers and keepers of the old lore. Withered old crones, as she herself was called. Yet she was no crone, let alone withered. But she was old. Old as the world itself."
Petra Valković, "Morana's Song"
I'm definitely in my Slavic mythology phase and this beautiful anthology was a great addition to my current reading craze. I love that we get different perspectives and angles of Slavic mythology, some from the deities' perspective (Morana's Song by @petrisa_valko is by far my favorite in this book) and some from the perspective of the people who revere the old Slavic customs and beliefs (Where the Birch Trees Sing is a beautiful one from this group).
Some stories are full of mysterious Witcher-style action (The Deep Woods and Kresnik and Zlatorog are quite enthralling) and some are a mix of everything (I did not expect all the twists and turns in The Gentleman's Hat and From the Swamps, but I loved it). There is something for everyone.
As diverse as the collection is, there is this dark and twisted undertone in all of them, binding them together. You can almost smell the dark and rich soil and vegetation and old magic, and you get the chilling touch of deep winter from time to time. It will definitely keep you entertained and enveloped in the foggy and rich Slavic mythology world.
It is also educational, since there are some lesser-known deities and legends that are put in the forefront of the story, which is especially rewarding. And the best thing is, they are all in English, so more accessible to a wider audience.
Btw, can we also discuss how gorgeous the cover is?
Petra Valković, "Morana's Song"
I'm definitely in my Slavic mythology phase and this beautiful anthology was a great addition to my current reading craze. I love that we get different perspectives and angles of Slavic mythology, some from the deities' perspective (Morana's Song by @petrisa_valko is by far my favorite in this book) and some from the perspective of the people who revere the old Slavic customs and beliefs (Where the Birch Trees Sing is a beautiful one from this group).
Some stories are full of mysterious Witcher-style action (The Deep Woods and Kresnik and Zlatorog are quite enthralling) and some are a mix of everything (I did not expect all the twists and turns in The Gentleman's Hat and From the Swamps, but I loved it). There is something for everyone.
As diverse as the collection is, there is this dark and twisted undertone in all of them, binding them together. You can almost smell the dark and rich soil and vegetation and old magic, and you get the chilling touch of deep winter from time to time. It will definitely keep you entertained and enveloped in the foggy and rich Slavic mythology world.
It is also educational, since there are some lesser-known deities and legends that are put in the forefront of the story, which is especially rewarding. And the best thing is, they are all in English, so more accessible to a wider audience.
Btw, can we also discuss how gorgeous the cover is?