FOUL DAYS

A young witch fights to regain the powers she lost in order to save herself, and her city, from the very real monsters that haunt them.

On New Year’s Eve, while the rest of the world celebrates, the walled city of Chernograd waits for monsters. The monsters of Dimova’s debut fantasy, rooted in Slavic folklore, enter this world during the 12 days between the New Year and Saint Yordan’s day, when the veil between worlds is thinnest. For a witch like Kosara, the arrival of the Foul Days means risking her life fighting monsters like upirs, samodivas, yudas, and karakonjuls to protect her city. As the monsters descend, Kosara distracts herself by playing a hand of cards with a stranger from Belograd, the city beyond the wall. Crossing the wall illegally during the Foul Days is highly suspect, but the stranger states his reason: He wants Kosara’s shadow, the source of her power as a witch. This is a bet Kosara would never take—until tonight. Outside, the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters, begins to call for her. Every year, he comes. Every year, Kosara evades him—but not without trauma. This year, he vows she won’t escape. Trapped and desperate to survive, she surrenders her shadow. In return, the stranger hastily transports her outside the wall. Safe in Belograd, Kosara finds her mind spinning. Why did the stranger want her shadow? How did he possess magic strong enough to transport her to safety? How did the Zmey find her so quickly? While most Chernograd citizens would give anything to cross the wall, Kosara needs a way back in. Without her shadow, she’s nothing, and while the Zmey wants her, she will never be truly safe. In Kosara’s attempts to get home, she finds Asen, a Belogradian cop from the Supernatural Investigations Unit, looking for the stranger with her shadow. Together, their adventure takes them across the wall and beyond as they fight every monster on the Witch and Warlock Association’s record as well as their own internal demons. The worldbuilding keeps the pages turning, as the fun of being immersed in moody Chernograd with ghosts in bathrooms and monsters lurking on corners distracts from thin plotting. Kosara calls herself a mediocre witch, which makes her character likable, but also provides a convenient excuse for the way she gets into a myriad of regrettable scenarios. Readers looking for more solid backstory—Why are the monsters only in Chernograd? What of the supernatural exists elsewhere?—can hold out hope for Book 2.

This gritty, atmospheric fantasy brings folklore to life, but a lack of cohesion won’t get past astute readers.