Review: Where the Dark Stands Still by A. B. Poranek

I first heard about Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek in September of last year, and ever since it has been on the list of my most anticipated 2024 releases. I follow the author on Instagram, and every little snippet and sneak peak she posted the last few months made me want to read the book even more. My anticipation was so high that I preordered both the US and the UK hardback versions just because I couldn’t decide on which cover I liked the most (still can’t – they’re both gorgeous).

When the release date finally came, I was... so not ready! You see, in preparation for the release day I had read some reviews from people with advanced reader copies saying the book made them cry, and since it doesn’t take much to turn me into a sobbing mess, I needed to be mentally prepared. The next day I was ready. Armed with one of my brand new copies and a box of tissues (don’t say I didn’t come prepared), I sat down and started to read.

The book follows Liska, who lives in a small village in Orlica (a fictional version of Poland). She has magic, but desperately wants to get rid of it, as magic users are feared and shunned. And so one night she sneaks into the Driada – a magical forest home to all kinds of nightmarish beasts – to search for a magical flower rumored to grant a wish when plucked. There are definitely some Beauty and the Beast-ish undertones going on here, because that flowers turns out to be owned by the demon warden of the woods – the Leszy. He agrees to grant Liska’s wish and remove her magic, but only after she has spent a year in his service.

And so Liska’s year of servitude begins. To her great surprise, being stuck with a grumpy but attractive 700-year-old demon (and a feisty hearth-spirit) in a crumbling, sentinent manor in the middle of a dangerous forest might not be as bad as she first expected. She’s even starting to reconnect with her magic. But her new host has many secrets, and if Liska wants to survive the year, she has to figure them out before it’s too late.

This book was definitely worth the wait! A. B. Poranek’s writing is stunning, and the story is well-paced and engaging. If I had describe which other books this one reminds me of, I would say it’s like Howl’s Moving Castle combined with For the Wolf, with a dash of Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy and a pinch of Beauty and the Beast thrown into the mix. This is high praise coming from me, as the Winternight trilogy are my favorite books of all time. I really enjoyed the Slavic elements woven into the story – it was fun to learn more about Slavic tradition and mythology, as that is not something I am overly familiar with.

The characters are also amazing. Liska starts out as a girl that doesn’t fit in anywhere, but ends up really coming into herself and embracing her powers. The found-family trope in this book was adorable, and I found myself really loving the little band of misfits coming together under the roof of the House Under the Rowan Tree. From Liska and the Leszy, to Jaga and Maksio – I just loved them all. And the House itself was so magical. It’s not every day you stumble across a sentinent house! I loved the combination of the dark and gothic woodsy setting with the cozy found-family vibes.

There is also a cute romance between Liska and the Leszy, and hallelujah – it is a slow burn one! Liska can’t stand the guy at first, and it does take a while for her to start warming up to him. And it is made clear early on that the Leszy himself is a standoffish dude. One of my favorite tropes is the wounded love interest who is afraid of falling in love because of past trauma (that does make me sound a bit sadistic, but I like what I like), and all I will say on that matter is that my sadistic little heart was very very happy with how the romance played out.

The last part of the book had my heart racing like crazy. I did like how the book ended (though I can see it being a bit divisive), but I have some questions about that very last sentence. My main question is: How? Did I miss something? I mean, I have my theories, but I would have liked things to be a bit clearer.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed Where the Dark Stands Still, and I’m excited to read more from A. B. Poranek in the future.

Oh, and for those of you wondering if I ever used those tissues... yes, yes I did!