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

“Where the Dark Stands Still” by A.B. Poranek (2024)

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA, Romance

Page Length: 368 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

Liska knows that magic is monstrous, and its practitioners are monsters. She has done everything possible to suppress her own magic, to disastrous consequences. Desperate to be free of it, Liska flees her small village and delves into the dangerous, demon-inhabited spirit-wood to steal a mythical fern flower. If she plucks it, she can use its one wish to banish her powers. Everyone who has sought the fern flower has fallen prey to unknown horrors, so when Liska is caught by the demon warden of the wood—called The Leszy—a bargain seems better than death: one year of servitude in exchange for the fern flower and its wish.

Whisked away to The Leszy’s crumbling manor, Liska soon makes an unsettling discovery: she is not the first person to strike this bargain, and all her predecessors have mysteriously vanished. If Liska wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her taciturn host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts—figurative and literal—of his past. Because something wakes in the woods, something deadly and without mercy. It frightens even The Leszy…and cannot be defeated unless Liska embraces the monster she’s always feared becoming.

Review:

If you enjoy stories about an ominous forest, enchanting magic, and manor full of secrets then Where the Dark Stands Still is a novel you should read. The novel whisks readers away to world that blends fantasy with the mundane as Liska, the main character seeks answers to getting rid of her magic deep within a spirit-wood. What she finds in a demon named the Leszy and a place full of secrets that she must uncover to find out the truth.

This novel had everything I want in a fantasy story; strong world building, a mystical aura, and characters with great development. The fact that the story is based on folktales the author grew up with added to the fantasy elements of the story. It felt like reading a story about a fearless heroine that would would read during bedtime stories as a child.

The novel gives its readers a since of wonder as we get to explore the nooks and crannies of the spirit wood and the world that the Leszy interacts with. Some creatures are haunting with descriptions of molten skin, sharp teeth, and songs that lure its listener into danger. Others are mischievous jokesters or help lost ones find their way in the night. The most terrifying of all creatures cause devastation and death. Because of these elements the novel is full of action-packed scenes that delver magical battles that are absolutely gripping.

The characters themselves are very interesting and got me instantly invested into the story from its very first pages. The push and pull dynamic of the romance that blooms between the Leszy and Liska was done well. Even though romance is included in the story, it’s not the full focus of the narrative which I appreciated in this type of story. We see Liska grow to accept her magic and also become a more independent person instead of molding herself as other wanted her to be in the village growing up.

All the characters and fantasy elements felt fully fleshed out which made this a strong contender for one of my standout fantasy novels I’ve read this year so far. If you’re looking for a gripping dark fantasy that is full of folklore and magic (along with some romance) I would add this debut from Poranek to your reader list.

Final Verdict: