Fairytale

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

First things first, let’s get the negative out of the way. Yes, singular. I have only one pet peeve in this book apart from the name Leszy. The first 60-plus percent of this book was really slow at times. The world-building and character development could have been done with fewer words, in my opinion. Once the story takes off, it takes off with a bang, and you forget all about the slow start. But this slow start may be off-putting for some, so stick with it. Once it gets going, it really goes.

Now, let’s talk about the characters and character building—definitely not a negative. Liska rocks. Here’s a girl who’s grown up to be afraid of her own shadow, so she’s not overly afraid of anything else. She gets scared and frightened, but it never cripples her because she fears her own power. Isn’t that a beautiful way to describe humanity these days? Though admittedly, few of us rise to the occasion as she does, if and when we do, I hope we do it with the love and care Liska displays.

Leszy. What a weird name. Reading it made me giggle like a high schooler in biology class when the teacher says “sex” while blushing. But let’s move on. Leszy is sooo sarcastic—I loved that. The antlers and super blond hair were odd, but who cares if he appeals to me? It’s Liska who falls head over heels for him. His previous relationship with a man, forming a subplot, was beautiful. Love knows no gender, and even a demi-god gets that.

The sentient, crumbling manor was fascinating. I loved how it and the surrounding grounds rose to the occasion when called upon. Jaga is probably my favorite character. So much attitude in such a small form. Mosiko and Marys added humor and comic relief, but Jaga stole the show.

The love story ripped me to pieces. I’m glad the story wrapped up in the epilogue, but was that a tear I felt forming? It can’t be. I don’t do the crying thing. Must be allergies.

### What Made This Book Stand Out

**The Title:**
I’ve never felt the need to praise a book title before, but I must for this one. “Where. The. Dark. Stands. Still.” Such an evocative title that predicts harm and suffering to no end. I don’t recall ever being so taken with a book title.
**5/5 stars for the title.**

**The Cover:**
I must confess, I’m a true cover aficionado. Not necessarily a good thing, but it’s my thing nonetheless. This cover grabbed me and held me, only to be surpassed by the title. The combination had me convinced I had to read the book long before I got through my TBR pile. This one skipped to the top like a circus trapeze artist.
**5/5 stars for the cover.**

**The Skeleton of the Story:**
The found family theme. This makes me question my statement about the slow start. Liska’s negative relationship with herself was described with tenderness and realism, making it relatable. I’m not sure if the slow start would be better off without some of Liska’s and Leszy’s inner struggles. Leszy’s self-hate could have reminded me of the typical teenage angst trope, but his honesty and how he conveys it to Liska makes this a moot point. Liska’s negative relationship is not limited to young adults; it personifies the human condition, releasing her from typical teenage angst.
**4/5 stars for the story skeleton.**

**The World-Building:**
The Polish folklore added a lot to this story. Beauty and the Beast came to mind throughout, although it stands on its own merits. I loved the world where paganism is abolished and replaced by the church, yet that same church turns into worse demons than the pagans. The split between self and doctrine was handled so well that I have to tip my hat to the author. Well done. Neither side can take a stance against how this aspect was handled.
**4/5 stars for the world-building.**

### Final Note
I am blown away that this book is a debut novel. It doesn’t read like one at all.

**Interesting Fact:**
Did you know that the name Leszy is derived from Slavic mythology, where Leshy (or Leszi) is a forest spirit? This adds an extra layer of intrigue to the character and ties in beautifully with the folklore elements of the story.

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