WHERE THE DARK STANDS STILL

A village girl and a demon must battle an old god to save a magical wood in this reimagining of “Beauty and the Beast” that’s steeped in Polish folklore.

Seventeen-year-old Liska Radost, pale-skinned and periwinkle-eyed, seeks to quell rumors that she’s a witch and flees her village in search of the fern flower that can grant her desire to be rid of her magic. She ventures into the Driada, a supernatural forest that’s home to the antlered, shape-shifting Leszy, its warden. When the Leszy catches Liska attempting to pick the flamelike flower, he offers her a bargain: “serve me for a year, and when you are done, I will grant your wish.” Liska moves into the House Under the Rowan Tree, a charming, magical manor, and it’s not long before her relationship with the Leszy begins to change from servant to apprentice to something more. As Liska learns about magic and monsters, she uncovers secrets about the Leszy and discovers that there are creatures so terrifying that even a demon fears them. Poranek’s stunning worldbuilding immerses readers in a panoply of nightmares. Polish words are scattered throughout, sometimes without translation but easily comprehensible in context. The book is deliberately paced, focusing on the growth of both Liska and, mostly as a result of Liska’s actions, the Leszy, and patient readers will be rewarded with a well-written tearjerker featuring a fully fleshed-out magic system with pagan roots.

Dark, devastating, and gothic.