Review: The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a series I would recommend to literally every single person I've ever met, and after her standalone thriller Five Survive proved that she was more than a one-hit-wonder, I was super excited when I heard she was coming out with yet another YA thriller book. The Reappearance of Rachel Price was released on April 2nd, and you can bet I was ready to dive into the book right away.

The book follows eighteen-year-old Annabel 'Bel' Price, whose mother, Rachel, disappeared without a trace sixteen years earlier. The public consensus is that she was murdered, but no body has ever been found. The prime suspect in her murder? Bel's loving father, Charlie. Bel knows her father is innocent - after all, he has a rock solid alibi - and so years after he was aquitted for his wife's murder, the family has mostly returned to normal. But the Rachel Price case is still a hot topic among crime junkies, and the Price family has agreed to take part in a documentary about the mystery surrounding her disappearance.

Then - out of the blue - Rachel suddenly reappears. Thin, dirty and full of scrapes and scabs she tells an unbelieveable story about where she has been for the past sixteen years. The media is in a frenzy over her miraculous return, and Bel's quiet life is irrevocably turned upside down. Bel is in shock, as is the rest of her family. And then Rachel slips up. It's nothing big - just a few small inconsistencies - but it immediately makes Bel suspect that Rachel is not being completely honest. The more time Bel spends around her mother, the more she starts to doubt her story. But if Rachel is lying, where has she really been all this time? With the help of a ridiculously dressed British camera assistant (who she does not find cute whatsoever), Bel sets out to find out the truth about why Rachel Price really has come back from the dead.e

Holly Jackson has done it again! This YA mystery thriller is full of exciting twists and turns that keep you on your edge of your seat. I was so intrigued by where the story was going that I actually struggled to fall asleep when I put the book down for the night. My mind was running at a million miles a minute, going over every little hint and trying to work the mystery out for myself. If that is not a sign of a well-crafted mystery, I don't know what is! Luckily for me (and my sleep schedule), it only took me two days to finish the book.

The main protagonist, Bel, is an interesting choice for a protagonist, largely in due to the fact that she's not very likeable. She has grown up being known simply as Rachel Price's daughter - the toddler who was left behind alone in the car when Rachel vanished without a trace - and her not knowing if her mother left her voluntarily or not has obviously given her some major trust issues. Over the years she has pushed everyone away, and now she's left with only a single remaining friend: her fifteen-year-old cousin Carter. When Rachel reappears and obviously wants to bond with her daughter, Bel is extremely quick to distrust her. She's not even willing to give her mother the benefit of the doubt: Bel is so determined that Rachel is a liar that she actively sets out to prove it almost immediately following her return. She basically just wants her mother to go away again so that things can return to normal, which seems at bit harsh considering her mother claims to have been kidnapped and held captive for the past sixteen years.

Not that Rachel isn't suspicious. Not only does she conveniently reappear just when a documentary about her disappearance is being filmed, but there are also plenty of inconsistencies surrounding her story. She slips up on the details about her escape from captivity, she seems to know details of Bel's life that should be impossible for her to know and she snoops around not only the family home, but also the house of Bel's grandfather. There is clearly a lot more to the story of Rachel Price than we have initially been led to believe. Unraveling her story and her lies thread by thread is what makes this book such a compelling mystery thriller. 

The reason this book is not getting a top score from me, is because of what happens in those last few chapters. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely satisfied with the conclusion of the main mystery (it's sooo good), but not how the events following the big reveal played out. I do think some characters were a bit quick in changing their loyalties, and the whole scenario reminded me a bit too much of the parts of As Good as Dead (the final book in the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy) that just didn't work for me. Holly Jackson has to learn that you don't necessarily have to use a crime to cover up another crime, especially not when just telling the truth would have worked just as well in this scenario. Sometimes it is more satisfying to see the bad guys having to actually face charges and jail time for their wrongdoings. Maybe it's just me, but I would prefer to leave innocent characters without the potential of suffering major emotional trauma and PTSD for the rest of their lives.

But all in all this is another solid mystery thriller from Holly Jackson! If this is a genre you're interested in, I highly recommend checking it out for yourself!

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

Fun fact: Every Easter the whole country of Norway goes crazy for crime/mystery thrillers. While it might sound strange from an outsider's perspective, it is actually based on a 101 year old tradtion. Back in 1923, a Norwegian publisher decided to market one of their new releases by printing a fake news article about a train robbery (the plot of the book they were advertising) on the front page of a national newspaper. Press ethics were obviously not a thing back then, but the marketing stunt turned out to be a big hit, and the book became an instant bestseller. And ever since, we've been obsessed with reading crime fiction during the Easter holidays. I'm no exception, and this year I decided to check out Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter - a 2015 release that has been on my radar for literally years now.

The book follow Claire Scott - an upper class housewife in her late thirties whose somewhat mundane existence crumbles when her loving husband of eighteen years, Paul, is stabbed and killed right in front of her eyes. This is not Claire's first brush with tragedy. Twenty-four years ago her eldest sister, Julia, disappeared without a trace after a night out on town with friends. Losing Julia tore her family apart, and now tragedy has struck again. Newly widowed and grief-stricken, Claire struggles to cope with her husband's untimely death. When she discovers some shocking video recordings on his computer - videos that may very well be linked to the recent disappearance of another young girl - she is shook to her very core. The more she looks into it, the more she comes to realize that she might not have known Paul at all. And the deeper she digs into this dangerous world of depravity and murder, the closer she gets to discovering what happened to her older sister all those years ago.

The first thing you have to know about this book is that it goes to some extremely dark places. Of all the thrillers I've ever read, I do think this is by far the most graphic one. The book describes the torture, mutilation, rape and murder of young women in sickening detail, and if you are squeamish, this is definitely not the book for you. There were several times I actually had to put the book down to process what I had just read before continuing on. It was extremely disturbing. I felt so angry and disgusted while reading it, which I suppose was what the author was going for in the first place. However, it did make me hate the main antagonist so much that his ultimate downfall brought me great pleasure, so at least there was some joy to be had at the end.

Family is obviously a bit part of the story, as the trauma of what happened to Julia still haunts Claire's family all these years later. Her other sister, Lydia, has been completely estranged from her family for many years, ever since she launched some shocking allegations against the now deceased Paul. Lydia was struggling with a serious drug addiction back then, and so her own family did not trust her to tell the truth. She has since turned her life completely around, raising her seventeen-year-old daughter with the help of her supportive boyfriend. Seeing the two sisters reuniting and start trusting each other again was pretty heartwarming. Even though there's plenty of bad blood between them, and even though they have not spoken for years, Lydia still shows up for her baby sister when she needs her. I liked seeing how the family finally had each other's back after years of being torn apart by secrets and lies.

Despite leaving me with quite a bit of trauma, Pretty Girls was actually a very good read. This is my first Karin Slaughter book, but she is obviously a very experienced and talented mystery thriller writer. The story was super exciting, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. There are multiple POV's throughout the book (Claire, her sister Lydia and their father's letters addressed to Julia), and the different characters all had distinct and recognizable voices. The mystery of what happened to Julia twenty-four years earlier was worked seamlessly into the current-day mystery, and once all the secrets were finally out in the open, I caught myself audibly gasping. Safe to say I did not expect that twist!

If you're in the mood for a well-written mystery thriller with an engaging mystery (and if you have a strong stomach), I highly recommend this one. I will be checking out more Karin Slaughter thrillers in the future.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher

Like I said in my Can't-Wait Wednesday post a couple of weeks ago, I've been a fan of Ashley Schumacher's writing since her beautiful debut novel, Amelia Unabridged. When I read the synopsis of her newest YA novel, In the Orbit of You, I was immediately intrigued. 

When they were children, Sam and Nova were inseparable. As the self-appointed king and queen of a little bug hollow they named Snailtopia, the two spent all their waking hours playing together by the hole in the fence that separated their yards. Growing up with alcoholic and physically abusive parents, Sam's only bright spot was Nova. Then he was suddenly sent away to live with his aunt and uncle, but not before he got to say goodbye to Nova and make her a promise: He would come find her when they turned eighteen.

Fast forward twelve years: Seventeen-year-old Nova lives a semi-transient lifestyle, moving from city to city because of her mothers job. When Nova starts her junior year at yet another new high school, the last person she expects to run into is her former childhood friend. Sam has built the perfect life for himself in his small Texas town: The perfect family, the perfect high school football career and the perfect cheerleader girlfriend. Despite having this gnawing feeling that he's not really happy, he does not want anything to change. Then Nova blows back into his life like a whirlwind, and suddenly he has to reevaluate everything. Nova is the only person who has ever truly known him, but is getting close to her again worth possibly upending the stable life he has built for himself? 

One of the things I really liked about this novel were how real the characters felt. Nova and Sam are both highly flawed characters with tons of personal issues to work through. For Sam this has has a lot to do with his traumatic childhood - he tries to go along with what everybody else wants for him, because not rocking the boat is how he survived as a young child in an abusive household. He has built up the life that he thinks he should have to please the people around him, not the life he truly wants for himself. Nova also struggles with figuring out who she really is, but for her this is largely because her mother keeps moving them around every few months. She has been to so many different schools, and tried out so many different styles, hobbies and social cliques that she is confused about her own identity. The thought of choosing a college major - choosing that one single path for her future - terrifies her. And this part of their individual characters really make sense based on the lives they have lived up until this point.

The relationship between the two of them has that magical meant-to-be feeling. You understand why these two people are so emotionally connected to one another, and you just find yourself rooting for them to work out their issues and get together. But boy do they play that push-and-pull game. I can't count all the times one of them tries to pull away from the other, only for them to immediatly go back on that. It's like they're planets constantly orbiting around eachother (which I suppose is where the title of the book comes in), or like magnets constantly being drawn together. It's raw and it's beautiful, but there's always this clock counting down to the end of their time together, as Nova is only staying at Sam's high school for two short months before her mother's job takes them away again. 

The side characters are wonderful, especially Sam's girlfriend Abigail. It can not be easy for Abby to understand Sam's relationship with Nova when he basically refuses to tell his own girlfriend anything about his past, but instead of acting catty like you would expect from an YA novel, she welcomes Nova into their circle with open arms. Even when she finds out about Sam and Nova's romantic entanglement, she acts super classy about it. She is just a genuinely good person, and I think we need to see more characters like her in fiction targeted at teenagers and young adults.

I was a bit scared when I reached the end of the story, but then the epilogue came along and made my heart whole again. And while the story technically is left open-ended, it is not difficult to guess what comes next for these wonderful characters. 

In the Orbit of You might not have usurped Amelia Unabridged's place as my favorite Ashley Schumacher novel, but it was a solid read that will stay with me for a long time.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

When I created my list of most anticipated releases of the first quarter of 2024, The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers was definitely on that list. Despite my anticipation for this late January release (and one absolutely stunning FairyLoot edition just sitting there on my bookshelf), it took me a good two months to actually pick it up. But a couple of days ago the mood struck, and so I sat down to read.

The Everlys are a cursed family - once a generation an Everly has to walk into the unknown never to be seen again. Violet mothers, Marianne, was intended to be the chosen one, but one day she just disappeared in search of a way to end the curse, leaving her only daughter to be raised by her two brothers. And so Violet Everly grows up with her uncles, raised in absolute secrecy and kept away from the rest of the world. But no secret lasts forever, and when Violet is eleven a mysterious woman named Penelope shows up at the Everly house. Accompanying her is Aleksander - a young boy with eyes the color of grey sea-glass who shows Violet something that should be impossible. The woman has come to claim her debt, but she agrees to a deal: She gives Violet's uncles ten years to track down Marianne. If they can't find her, she will take Violet instead.

Violet always believed her mother would come back for her, but as the ten year limit approaches, there are still no signs of Marianne. When she learns of the secrets her uncles have kept from her for years, she is furious. But Aleksander - recently back in her life after nearly a decade of no contact - has told her of another world exisiting parallel to our own, and Violet is convinced the secrets of her mother's whereabouts lie in the mysterious city of Fidelis. And so, with only one year left until the curse will claim its victim, Violet sets out to do what her mother could not: Find the key to the City of Stardust, and break the Everly curse once and for all. 

I really wanted to love this book, and for a while I did. The writing was lyrical and beautiful, and the premise itself really pulled me in. The time skips in the first part of the book felt natural and organic - just small glimpses into Violet's life while growing up inside the confined walls of the Everly house. Unfortunately things began to change once Violet left home in search of her mother. My main problem was the pacing. She leaves home to go on this epic adventure all over the world, and all of a sudden a year has passed and she's seen all this things and met all these people, but we don't actually get to see her do any of those things. I don't know, there was just something about the pacing in this part of the story that felt a bit off to me. I would have liked more insight into what the last year has actually been like for her.

There is a romance brewing between Violet and Aleksander throughout the book, but for the love of me I couldn't figure out why they were so drawn to eachother. They met once as children, only for him to pop back up in her life when she is nineteen at which point they chat a few times. And then he betrays her multiple times to the woman who literally wants Violet dead, but still she forgives him time and time again. Why? Because he's pretty (she keeps mentioning that he is unfairly good-looking)? To be competely honest, I felt more chemistry between Aleksander and his books (and also between Violet and Caspian) than I did between him and Violet. Their connection just didn't feel real. But romance is always a plus for me, so I'll let it go.

Despite the story dragging a bit in the middle, I do feel like it picked back up again towards the end of the book. The action really ramped up, and at this point the mythology behind the Everly curse is more thoroughly explored, and we finally understand the main villain's motivations a bit more. I was happy with how the story ended. Most of the major plot points are neatly tied up in the final chapter, but there are one or two elements of the story that are left open-ended. An epilogue shows our characters again after some time has passed, but there are still some questions that are just never answered. I didn't mind not having all the answers, but I can see how this could be a bit divisive among readers. 

All in all, this is a solid debut from Georgia Summers, and I am excited to see what this author does next.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is mostly known for her fun and steamy STEM-romances, so I will admit it caught me by surprised when she announced she was diverting from her usual fare and making a foray into the paranormal genre. She is one of my auto-buy standard romance authors, so even if paranormal romance is not a genre I generally go for, I was intrigued. I will admit that I had my reservations, especially when the early reviews started mentioning a certain physiological phenomenon more often found in fiction of the Omegaverse variety, but I figured I should just face my fears and give it a go anyway. And after finishing Bride, I'm glad I did.

Our main character, Misery, is a Vampyre who has spent the majority of her life trying to lead a anonymous existance within the Human community. When her father, a powerful Vampyre councilman, asks her to partake in a marriage treaty that will secure peace between the Vampyres and their mortal Were enemies, Misery plans to refuse. That is, until she hears the name of her intended. Because her best and only friend is nowhere to be found, and Misery's only clue to finding her is the note Serena left behind with a single name scribbled on it: L. E. Moreland.

Lowe Moreland is the new Alpha of the most powerful Were pack in North America. After hundreds of year of animosity between the different species, Lowe is ready for a change. And what better way to secure peace than to marry one of their mortal enemies. The marriage is purely a political arrangement, a symbolic alliance meant to last a year and not longer. His pack do not trust his new bride for a second, but Lowe cannot help but being drawn to her anyway. Something about Misery calls to him, and when he finds out about her reasons for agreeing to the marriage, he realizes that it's in their mutual best interest to work together. Because there are bigger games at play, and certain truths hold the power to shake the fragile peace between the species to its very core.

Despite my initial reluctance, I really enjoyed this book. Ali Hazelwood is a highly educated woman, and her intelligence shines through in her writing. Although this is not a STEM romance per se (Misery is a computer engineer with a minor in forensic sciences, but except for her using her computer/hacking skills a few times, it is not really a major part of the story), we get scientific explanations of various biological differences between the three species. Learning all this small, somewhat believable information about the various species - from Were's having extra glands to the Vampyre species' inability to chew and digest most human foods - just makes the story seem more realistic. You know, despite its obvious paranormal elements. As for that physiological phenomenon I mentioned earlier, it makes its debut in the last few chapters of the book, and I am happy to report that it wasn't as traumatizing as I initially feared it would be.

Misery is a delightful main character. She has spent a large part of her life being used as a pawn in her father's games, and I enjoyed how the experience has shaped her into the person she is today. Not really belonging anywhere, she is initially quiet, aloof and unassuming, because that is who she had to become to fit in among the Humans. But she is also snarky, fun, brave and fiercy loyal - as seen in the lengths she's willing to go to to find her missing friend. I enjoyed seeing the Weres gradually warm towards her, and genuinely start to respect her as Lowe's partner. Lowe is also a very interesting character. He's got that tall, handsome and slightly threatening Alpha part down to a tee, and you can basically feel that quiet authority oozing from his very pores. He is also an actual decent human - well, Were - being, who cares a lot about his pack. The chemistry between the two of them is on point. Lowe was a bit hot and cold for a while there, and so I was on pins and needles just waiting for them to give in to their mutual attraction. When it finally happened, I certainly wasn't disappointed (though I was a little weirded out).

Although the romance between Misery and Lowe is definitely front and center of the story, there are intriguing political elements to the storyline, as well as a couple of interesting mysteries going on in the background. All these storylines mainly work to bring Misery and Lowe closer to one another, but they do all have satisfactory resolutions by the end of the book. The plot is fast-paced and exciting, and at around 400 pages it is a pretty fast and easy read. The end of the book leaves an opening for another story set in the same world, and if that happens, I will definitely read it.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but there are some covers that just makes you all the more interested in reading the book. The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright is definitely one of them. Just look how stunning that is! Not that I wasn't already interested in the book - from the moment I first read the synopsis I was intrigued enough to add the title to my ever-growing TBR list. There's few things I love more than a cozy fantasy, and this book promised just that.

The book follows three different characters - Ffion, Taliesin and Dafydd - as they race to restore magic and save the Welsh kingdoms from a devastating attack.

Ffion is the last hedgewitch in the village of Foxhall. Once an prospective initiate of a the powerful Foxhall coven her mother and sister belongs to, she chose to break with both the coven and her family two years earlier due to their differing views of magic use. She refuses to sacrifice any living things to fuel her magic, instead living off what the land can freely offer her. When the Foxhall coven's destructive magic has devastating consequences for Ffion, she teams up with the shrewd (but distractingly handsome) prince Taliesin to stop the attack that is prophesied to kill his father and plunge the kingdoms into war. By helping Tal, Ffion hopes to restore the fading magic of Wales and bring back what was lost to her. 

 

Prince Taliesin does not trust magic, and he couldn't care less if it disappeared forever. But his father has pitted him against his older half-brother, Dafydd, in a quest to find a way to stop the prophesy from coming to fruition. The winner gets the throne. The loser gets nothing. Tal has his own reasons for wanting to rule, and so he reluctantly accepts Ffion's offer to help. But the more time they spend together, the more he finds himself drawn to the half-wild witch girl. Meanwhile, prince Dafydd is struggling with his role as his father's favorite and preferred heir. He has never wanted the throne in the first place, but he finds himself unable to refuse his father's request. But when he sees Tal with Ffion, he wonders if he shouldn't just fight for the thone - and the girl - himself.

Okay, let's get this out of the way first: There is a love triangle in this book. I usually hate love triangles, but I didn't really mind this one as much as I thought I would. Partially because the love triangle itself is introduced pretty late in the story, and by then you can pretty much guess how it will end up, and partially because both Tal and Dafydd are decent guys. I do think one of the guys should have given up a little earlier than he actually did, as it was clear from the get-go who Ffion had her heart set on, but I suppose you can't really begrudge a guy for giving it his all even if it was doomed from the beginning. But it makes me wonder if that third POV was really necessary, as I wasn't as interested in this character as I was in the other two.

I discovered after reading it that the story is actually based around real events from Welsh history, and there is a lot of Welsh mythology sprinkled throughout the story. This is of course a fictional (and magical) retelling of actual events, but it is just a fun little detail to consider. The story itself was whimsical and magic. I loved how Ffion's magic was so clearly connected to the land itself, and how gently she coaxed it out with her singing. She really had that good Earth witch energy, as opposed to some of the other witches/magicians who used more extreme methods to connect with their magic. Her little fox familiar was also really adorable. I also enjoyed how Ffion and Tal bickered like they'd already been married for fifty years from the moment they first met - her constantly making fun of him for his fancy, expensive, over-the-top coat was really funny.

Familial relationships are also an important part of the story, and I enjoyed seeing how the different character's stories played out. Even though they are currently at odds with eachother, it is made very clear that Ffion has voluntarily distanced herself from a family that still loves her a lot. Tal would do anything to protect his mother, even if it means constantly trying to impress his indifferent father. And although the relationship between Tal and Dafydd is fragile, the latter clearly cares about his brother's well-being more than he cares for himself. These interpersonal relationships and how they changed throughout the story was one of my absolute favorite aspects. 

The events of the final chapters were quite fast-paced compared to the earlier chapters, but I suppose that is to be expected from what in many ways is an epic 8th century road trip story. I was very satisfied with where our characters ended up, and with how the story ended. In the end, it was the only ending that would have made sense in this cute, cozy fantasy book.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: Clever Creatures of the Night by Samantha Mabry

Have you ever finished a book, put it down - and then wondered if you actually liked it or not? That was my experience reading Clever Creatures of the Night by Samantha Mabry, and trust me, it is a strange feeling. The book was released on March 5th to mixed reviews, but as I am trying to to be too influenced by ratings, and also because I actually thought the premise of the book sounded really interesting, I decided to pick it up. 

The book follows a girl named Case, as she arrives at a somewhat dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere where her best friend Andrea (Drea for short) has lived with her roommates from boarding school ever since a volcano outside of Austin, Texas suddenly erupted, forcing the group to flee their school in a hurry. Even though months have passed by since the eruption the world has yet to return to normal, and Case has not seen Drea since before the world changed.

But when Case arrives at the house at the arranged time, Andrea is nowhere to be found. When questioned about Drea's whereabout, her roommates act all vague and cagey, and seem more concerned with carrying on with their bizarre rural utopian fantasy life than helping Case locate her friend. They also seem to want Case gone sooner rather than later. Case is desperate to figure out what happened to her best friend, and during her twenty-four hour stay she intends to solve the mystery. But there's definitely something strange going on in the house and the surrounding woods, and the more Case looks into Drea's life, the more she is convinced that her roommates had something to do with her disappearance. 

I think the reason I can't give the book more than three stars is because I really didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. We are told Case and Drea are the best of friends, but except for a few flashback scenes from their early high school years, there's really not much to indicate that the two are as close as Case claims. Yes, she carries around a bunch of letters sent to her by aspiring writer Drea, but as Case mentions herself, she only wrote Drea back once. And she doesn't even know the names of Drea's new friends/roommates except for one. Wouldn't a best friend have told her everything about them? While reading, I got the feeling the two were pretty estranged, but were essentially told the opposite was true - hence my confusion.

Where the author truly shines is in the overall mood of the book. The rural location, the post-apocalyptic descriptions of the sky and the air and the strange animal phenomenons - all of it made for a pretty unnerving atmosphere. There was this creepy, claustrophobic feel to the mood that I really liked, and the bizarre habits and actions of Drea's roommates only helps elevate that creepy feeling I got while reading. The creepy atmostphere was by far my favorite part of the book.

This book itself takes place over a twenty-four hour period, and for the first half or so of the book nothing major really happens. We follow Case as she looks around the house for clues of Drea's whereabouts, try to speak to Drea's roomies and see Case just chilling with said roommates. The second half is more action-packed, but by that time I had gotten so used to the slower pace of the first half that the sudden switch in pace felt rather jarring. And I kept waiting and waiting for something big to happen - because it honestly felt like it would - but even when we reached end and the big reveal, it all just felt rather... flat. 

Don't get me wrong, I had a genuinely good time reading Clever Creatures of the Night. It's just that the story had so much initial potential that I just wanted it to be more.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

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!

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells