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�� ‘I end and begin in the Driada, and that is how it will be for eternity. The wood must always have a warden.�� ��

Where the Dark Stands Still is an enchanting debut balances a cozy cottage-core vibe with the creepiness of a demon-infested magical woods. I have seen it described as a mix Howl’s Moving Castle and Polish Folklore, and, if we added Beauty and the Beast into the mix, I think that is an apt description. This is an atmospheric tale that has a lot going for it. The elements of the sentient house, magical woods, and spirits are among the strongest for me as they create this added layer of whimsy that really create the cozy vibes. I was also pleasantly surprised with some more unexpected queer representation in this one. Overall, if you’re looking for a bit of a classic romantic fantasy with a small but mighty found family, a Howl-esque old spirit, and some Slavic folklore, I’d recommend checking this one out!

I also liked this one enough to , so there y’all go.

“Children do foolish things until they are old enough to understand they are foolish—until their father teaches them to weave the straw hangings found in every Stodola home, or their mother explains why she ties their hair with crimson ribbons.��

I am not someone who knows much about Slavic folklore at all (and I also don’t want to spoil), but I found the way that the Leszy was portrayed to be compelling and quite interesting. The forest housed a lot of spirits that were great additions to the story and the way the woods functioned and the Leszy’s purpose fit. There is another Slavic mythologic figure that comes into the story a little later that kind of enters a bit dramatically and very abruptly turns this book from a more cosy read into an action packed ending, and I’m not really sure if they’re done well, but I didn’t dislike it? Overall, I thought the Polish folklore was really interesting to read about and it was cool to not really be able to guess what was going to happen based off the introduction of folkloric elements since I was unfamiliar with them.

“That was when Liska knew that there was something wrong with her that could not be prayed away. The thing inside her, it made people afraid.��

The setting of this book is in a relatively newly monotheistic society after shifting from worshipping pagan gods, making the village that Liska comes from very against gods and magic. Because of this, Liska has a really negative relationship with her magic as she suppresses it so that she will be accepted. (sound familiar?) Liska coming terms with her magic and her fears is an interesting plotline that is explored well. It is obvious that the magic here is a metaphor for a lot of things that aren’t accepted in spaces that mirror those from this book especially through the dialogue. At one point, Liska is convinced the church was right about her and the dangers of her magic and the Leszy says to her, ‘No,�� he says sharply. ‘The church is clever.�� in regards to it demonizing magic in order to push it’s own agenda. I kept thinking about how this especially mirrored the queer experience as Liska continued to suppress who she was. This was really well done and I really love how magic was used to symbolize real world topics.

�� ‘Impressed?�� he asks, amused. ‘I think I might be going into shock.�� ‘I do have that effect on women,�� he says casually.��

The characters of this one really made it for me. The Leszy is a sassy, petulant 700-year-old spirit that feels a bit Howl-esque and Liska is able to bite back in a really fun way. They both have this really great dry humor (see: “The people of Wałkowo are used to my visits by now,�� he says. ‘At least I assume so, since they’ve stopped screaming at the mere sight of me.�� �� ) that bounces well and is entertaining to read. The way their relationship progressed felt pretty realistic too; however, the weakest part of this book for me was their romance. I found the previous romance that the Leszy was in to be significantly more compelling and, while I did really enjoy Liska and the Leszy’s interactions and sass, I just didn’t really feel a romantic connection. I also am a bit of a pet name hater and “not-so-clever fox�� got really old really fast (seriously, that’s so long). There were also a few moments that I found to be a bit cringe and cliché, but I do think that a lot of those factors played really into subverting expectations for the ending of this book which I really loved. I was also really just neutral about the relationship, which is pretty impressive for a romance that is between a 17-year-old girl and a 700-year-old forest so kudos to the book, I guess? The good news is that, although this is categorized as a fantasy romance, I would argue that the romance is very much on the backburner with this one and the main relationship between Liska and the Leszy is more structured to learning to love and trust again in any capacity.

“�� she is not defined by her magic, for better or for worse.��

Where the romance fell short, the found family went hard. Liska radiated kindness throughout the whole book so watching her kind of collect these new inhabitants in the house and bond with the house and the wood felt very natural and was honestly just really sweet. The backbone of this book really is the found family here and just the way that Liska is able to create these really safe, beautiful spaces for others as someone who was denied that for so long. With that ability to create these spaces, Liska also starts deconstructing her view of herself and moving away from how the church views her, allowing for growth and self-love.

“What is fate but an excuse to surrender responsibility?��

There were some points during the second half of the book where I was starting to lose steam and wasn’t super invested, but the last two chapters of this book really tied the whole thing together for me. It subverted my expectations in a way that really worked. A lot of things that made me cringe a little were seen in a new light and I really appreciate the direction Poranek took with this one. It really was the perfect ending for me and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

3.5/5