The story starts when Liska flees her small village and delves into the dangerous demon-inhabited spirit wood to steal a mythical fern flower so she can use it to suppress her magic. 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 is 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 of his past. Because something wakes in the woods, something deadly and without mercy. It frightens even Leszy and cannot be defeated unless Liska embraces the monster she’s always feared becoming.

I heard that this book was based on Polish mythology but all I could see was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It had a Beauty and the Beast story but darker. The story was well thought out, but it also felt like the author wanted to fit in too many stories in a short amount of time. It was still enjoyable to read, especially if you like fantasy-romance books, you would love this.

I think the reason why I give three stars for this book is because I am tired of the Beauty and the Beast kind of story. There are too many already, and not much that can make the story better. Eventually, they all become the same and predictable.

This was a lovely story. This tale is heavy with gothic feels and allows the reader to fully enter and feel their world. While I obviously would have loved a different ending, it was appropriate and true to the characters and the story.

The one piece of feedback is that I do not like the cover and it would have deterred me from picking it up if I had not read the description.

Liska is willing to serve a year in captivity to the Leszy in order to return to her town as an average girl with the ability to just get on with a normal life. But the longer she’s at the manor, she’s learning that there can be a lot of secrets in 700 years.

This story had such great references to old Polish folklore and demons, but explained them well enough that the book was enjoyable without the background info. Liska grew up shunned in her small community because magic could only be evil, according to the older villagers. Liska is willing to do anything to be rid of her magic and live a normal, boring life, but her quest for the one legend she knows of to grant her wish lands her in the very magical castle of the Leszy, deep in the Driada.

Once there, Liska acts the only way she knows how, trying to take good care of the castle that is her new home for the year, and her new master, the Leszy. Along the way, new characters are discovered, and a legend presents itself that never could have occurred to Liska, and may even change her mind about her long term goals.

The book was engaging and entertaining. It earned 4 out of 5 stars and was a great escapist fantasy read. Others who would enjoy this book are those who like young adult fantasy with interesting worlds and characters, and those with an interest in ancient Polish legends.

If you enjoy reading anything that has Studio Gigi vibes, then you will love this one. It's just a cozy young adult fantasy book. I kept on reading and reading until suddenly I reached for the last page. Unexpected ending that left me into tears.

I devoured this book. I was actually riveted since the very beginning and couldn’t stop till I reach the very end.. And, that too was quite perfect and brought the closure to Leszy and Liska’s story that I needed after that emotional roller coaster of a ride.

I am incredibly excited to have this book in my life, because although I am Transylvanian (Hungarian), I am partly Polish as well! A fun fact I do not share often. From my Grandfather’s side I am Polish and thank to granny and him I have heard some of the most wonderful folktales and of course I ate pierogi 😌

Where The Dark Stands Still is a dark forestcore, mesmerizing YA fantasy that blends gothic elements with Polish folklore and keeps you turn page after page. It is full of with magic and wonders, self-acceptance and the power of the kind, selfless heart!

It has a grumpy ward (the Leszy) and a sunshine witch (Liska) and many more spirits and demons. The Driada is a forest which keeps the evils locked within its foods snd brave Liska wonders there to get rid of her magic… instead she ends up making a deal with the most powerful demon, Leszy: a year service for her wish. However easy it seems, it soon turns out the old crumbling manor hides more secrets than the folktales told about.

The story is gripping, adventurous, twists follows twists and of course the sparks of love starts to ignite, slowly. Beyond the engaging storytelling the folklore and myths add another layer of wonder and richness to the story. The end of the book made me tear up and I wish it would have been longer!

Read it if you like:
🌿 grumpy x sunshine
🌿 unique magic systems
🌿 Howl’s Moving Castle vibes
🌿 forests and secrets
🌿 endearing banter that is actually quite funny
🌿 a beautiful story of sacrifice, kindness and love

I honestly really enjoyed this book. I loved the world building and the characters, and can see the Howls Moving Castle comparison. I thought Liska was a great main character who was brave and stood her ground. I actually really enjoyed the ending too, I normally don't like endings like this, but I liked the 'your own interpretation' vibes at the end. The one negative thing is that personally, it is really hard for me to read books that are in first person present tense. So every time I picked the book back up, it took me a few pages to sink into the story. Overall, great Polish folk story!!

Thank you to the Publisher and TBRBeyond Tours for my arc.

I'm a bit behind in reviewing this but here goes anyway.

I feel like i am in the minority of people who didn't particulary love this book and that could be because nothing I have read this year has blown me away. but i hated the main character in this. She was giving Mary Sue/Bella Swan etc and I couldn't stand her at all and the demon you could see was trying to be Howl from Howls Moving Castle and I just didn't care about either of them.

Maybe i'll come back to this when i'm more invested in reading

Okay. This book got me. I was totally pissed and ready to be like “4 stars…how dare the author do that to me.” And then one final sentence cured that.

That being said, I adored this story. I was told it was very Howls Moving Castle and it is in the best ways. It’s not a rip off, but the influence is apparent. This story is rich, lush, and consuming. I truly enjoyed the descriptions of the Driada, the various spirits, and the overall mood of the book. I can’t say enough praise for this story, because it was truly written so well.

A young woman who feels that magic is a curse and wishes to be rid of it enters a demon forest in search of the Leszy hoping to be freed from it forever. She ends up getting so much more than she brgains for.

There was so much I liked about this story, and so much that I didn't.

First off, I am always drawn to stories inspired by Howl's Moving Castle. I just love an excentric wizard/magician an earnest female lead, offbeat found family, and sentient/enchanted castle.

I also love any kind of folklore. This reminded me of a mashup of Uprooted and Winternight. I will usually eat up an enchanted forest inhabited by nefarious supernatural creatures.

I didn't love the pacing. It was slow moving and quite heavy for the majority of the story, picked up for a little while, and then slowed down again.

The religiosity didn't make sense to me. Clearly the demons were nefarious. The Leszy existed to keep the demons in the forest and out of the mundane world. The Church was against magic and by proxy God is against magic. The God of the church seemed simultaneously a dead and distant thing, while the Old Gods were powerful. Yet the relics and sacraments of the Church (crucifix, holy water, exorcisms) do have a kind of power against demons. And Liska who assumes God hates her also prays to him for strength, power, and forgiveness? It's so confusing.

I also didn't love the romance. I didn't feel connected with any of it or find it entirely believable. They were uninterested for a while and then all of a magical sudden they were in love. I didn't pick up on anything leading in. I didn't relate, sympathize, or care.

And maybe that's what it boils down to. There were all the elements of a lovely story, but overall I didn't connect to it or fall into it. I think some people will really like this, and others won't. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

The cover at is gorgeous though. I'm always drawn to beautiful artwork.

Thank you to Simon and Shuster for sending me this ARC through Netgalley.

The reader is basically dropped into the middle of the main character on a possible death mission into a haunted wood to get rid of her unwanted magic, with no idea what was really going on or what world this is. I was a little bit confused about the world as well as the magic and the demon origin, but the characters and the relationship dynamics were great. This was very much a found family type book and I am always here for that. I was also a fan that the demon called the main character "Not-So-Clever-Fox" as if it was her name, starting as a demeaning name and then an endearment.
Overall this was an entertaining book, even if the ending was incredibly bittersweet. This was a nice standalone fairytale-esque read that I would recommend for anyone who needs some magic and a lot of feels.

Liska has always been taught that magic is evil and she has done her best to suppress it, but when that proves impossible she leaves her home and ends up making a deal with the demon warden of the spirit woods to help take care of his home. As she learns more about the manor she's moved into, she realizes there were others before her and she must figure out how to survive the deal she made. She's able to learn more about her magic and discovers it might not be what she thought. Overall, a gothic fairy tale based on Polish folklore and mythology with characters that slowly reveal their pasts. The manor was like a character to itself and provided a great setting to tell the stories of its occupants. The pace was on the slower side, but that was part of its charm and lets the reader immerse themselves in the world.

I liked the use of polish folklore and history. It was a nice addition to the fairytale aspect of it all. The story itself gave off a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Howls Moving Castle vibes. I had been really excited to read this book based on the premise and the cover.

It was a nice read. Entertaining if not a little bit cliche. I liked that there wasn't really a happily ever after for the Leszy and Liska. Though I felt that she deserved some sort of HEA, I do believe she got the best life she could out of it all: she got to keep her magic, she got to stay in the Driad in a house that felt like home, and she got to stay with her found family. The fact that she didn't end up with Leszy was more to do with his life decisions and what he deserved after everything than what she did. And there was still a glimpse of hope at the end.

Poranek does an amazing job at winding fairytale and myth into a beautiful coming of age story that has elements of characters building a home for themselves, growing into their own, and discovering that the ties you make can often be stronger than the ties that are made for you. Overall a beautiful fun read that I would recommend to other readers looking for a bit of fairytale fantasy.

Absolutely captivating! This book exceeded all my expectations. From the gripping plot to the well-developed characters, every page had me hooked. A definite must-read for anyone looking for an immersive literary experience. 5 stars!

"Liska finds she is less afraid than she should be. Perhaps it is because this wood, just like her, is something unnatural, something other."

Experiencing Liska’s journey to acceptance of herself and healing what she’d inadvertently done to her magic throughout the book was a beautiful transformation. Her decision on her place towards the middle of the book felt slightly anticlimactic for the apparent gravity of that choice. The Leszy is a morally grey character lover’s dream, I understand his choices and how gutting they must have been. Liska and the Leszy’s relationship definitely qualifies for enemies to lovers and forced proximity – even if she made that bargain. I wasn’t expecting the twist regarding the demons at the close of the book but I loved it – I loved the Driada forest and the sentient mansion built by the Leszy. The concept of souls was also one that I had not encountered before but to me, it makes sense – especially in this magical setting.

Aside from the two main characters we have in the book, the author has some outstanding supporting characters which formed one of my favorite tropes in fantasy books – found family. I loved House Under the Rowan Tree, Jaga, Maksio, Kazimiera and heck – even Mrok. They all had their own way of supporting the main characters but mostly Liska.

If you are a fan of the Winternight trilogy by Katharine Arden, I highly recommend reading this book. It isn’t quite as dark (specifically the treatment of the FMC by the characters in the book) but you’ll find a host of familiar creatures & the FMC’s rejection by society for being “different”. If a sequel or series happened to follow this book I would absolutely read them & I will be following A.B. Poranek to see what she comes up with next. Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours for choosing me to be a part of this tour – you all have picked me for tours that turned me onto so many of my favorite books over the years. Thank you to McElderry Books and A.B. Poranek for the early copy to read for this tour. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

🌲Inspired by Polish folklore, get ready to be swept away with this new fantasy romance. Reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle, I found this both magical and whimsical while keeping up with the mystery and heart-wrenching action.

🌲Lisa has always been shunned for her magic, so she keeps it locked away and hidden. As a last-ditch effort, she enters the haunted woods that surround her town (known as Driada) to try and find the magical flower that will grant her a wish…a wish that will take away her magic for good. Instead of this going down, she stumbles upon the Lezey, the demon of the woods. In offering to spend the year with him, he would grant her wish at the year end. With her own town not wanting her back, she takes his offer and embarks on the journey of a lifetime

🌲this will have you both amazing with the lush and magical storytelling, yet truly terrified of what lies in the woods that are being protected by the Lezey. The character will have you truly rooting for everyone, and the nickname s(y’all, I DIED because they are the best) -> Liska Radost (my clever fox) the Leszy (my demon boy) Jaga, (my silly little not-quite cat), and Maksio, (my strange boy)

🌲 Overall, I absolutely loved reading this and I can’t wait to see what the author comes out with next. These fairytales vibes are perfect to sweep you away into a cozy (and dangerous?) land 💕

I, overall, really enjoyed this novel. I really liked the fantasy elements and folklore. The characters were likable as well and I felt the romance was well paced. My only real issue with the novel was the ending. I just personally prefer my endings to be more concrete and wrapped up in a nice, pretty bow. This ending was left open ended which just is not really for me. I really enjoyed everything else, though, and am interested in reading more from this author!

I’m not going to lie this book was definitely outside of my comfort zone at first but as the story started to progress. I found myself enjoying it a lot. I thought the way that religion and society viewed those who are different as well as magic was very well done. Liska was a really sweet character to take this journey with and I’m happy that she did not give up whenever she was faced with a challenge or the way that people would treat her. Overall, I think this was a really well written story.

From the moment I first heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. Polish folklore? A magical wood? A crumbling manor and a handsome host with dangerous secrets? Yes to all of these!

And from the first pages of the book, I was hooked on the story. It’s got some Beauty and the Beast or Hades and Persephone vibes to it, but I wouldn’t describe it as a retelling. This is a new and different story and so much more than a romantic fairytale. (Though there’s nothing wrong with those– I love them, too.)

I loved Liska’s journey. She spends her whole childhood and adolescence believing that her magic is a bad part of her, that it makes her evil. That it’s something she must never stop resisting. As she gets to know the Leszy and the creatures in and around his manor, she learns that her magic may be what saves her. In fact, it may save everyone she loves.

There are so many brilliant side characters in this book, too. Jaga, the cat who is not a cat, tells Liska things she needs to hear, but sometimes isn’t ready for. The hound who haunts her. The boy who doesn’t speak. The wise village leader. All of them bring so much to the scenes. The teasing moments and the snarky banter between Liska and the Leszy are so great. I loved both of them so much.

I can definitely see readers who loved HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS by Erin Craig or GILDED by Marissa Meyer loving this book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

This story was absolutely magical— literally— and I’m so sad it’s over, especially after that ending. It’s vague but hopeful enough. The story has Beauty and the Beast elements but really is its own. It was written so beautifully and the story had me completely enraptured in what would happen next, especially as Liska came into her own, and the layers of the Leszy started unfurling. There was an element of found family in this too that ultimately led to the success of breaking the curse. I won’t say more than that, but I’ll just say that it all is heartbreakingly beautiful.

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and the author for this book!