I thought this book was just the right level of fun and mysterious while balancing rather dark topics like domestic abuse. My only complaint is that I wanted more of all of the characters. More back story, more dialogue, more everything because they were all interesting in their own way. Thankfully this is going to be a series so I might just get the extra character development I’m looking for! The Slavic folklore included many creatures I’ve heard of before, but spun in a wonderfully unique way, and other monsters I wasn’t familiar with. You can tell the author has a great appreciation for the legends and myths she is recreating.

The Foul days are the series of days in which monsters flock to the walled city of Chernograd and everyone is on high alert. Kosara is
A witch who gives her shadow away to save her life at the start of these days and by the end finds herself teaming up with a detective to take down the Tsar of monsters. I really enjoyed the characters in this story and the mix of folklore. It’s packed full of interesting witches, monster hunters, monsters and a bit of a murder mystery. I can’t wait for the second book!

I kept waiting for this book to hook me, but it never did. This is mostly due to weak characterization. This book gets so wrapped up in the worldbuilding (admittedly, cool) and the slow mystery of our protagonist's dark backstory (admittedly, interesting) that it forgets to give our protagonist emotions. Even when our protagonist has lost everything dear to her, the typical reaction is one line of, "She sighed," and then the story moves briskly along. We never stop for reactions, or anticipation, or planning, or emotions of any kind.

Oh, and don't even get me started on this romance. No chemistry. No emotions. Just the very occasional, "Wow, he's hot isn't he? But, I'm not here to make friends so I'm not going to think about it." The book is just expecting you to fill in the romance yourself based on the bare minimum tropes it hints at.

The audiobook is well performed. The narrator includes a Bulgarian accent for some of the characters, making the setting and people in the book come alive.

A video review including this book will be on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, @ChloeFrizzle.

Thanks to Netgalley, Tor Books, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Foul Days is the first book in the dark fantasy duology The Witch's Compendium of Monsters, written by Genoveva Dimova and published by TOR. Drawing heavily from Slavic folklore, we have a dark twisted adventure, with an excellent atmosphere, following Kosara, a witch from the walled city of Chernograd, and her fight for survival against the Zmey, the Tsar of Monsters.

Persecuted by the Zmey, and after being betrayed by a friend, Kosara's only resource to flee is trading her shadow (the source of her powers) in exchange from illegal passage across the Wall to Belograd, a safe place for monsters. However, despite Belograd is a safe place, she starts experiencing a fast-acting version of the deadly illness that affects shadowless witches; her only cure is tracking down the smuggler that took her across the Wall.
When she finds the death of the smuggler, with all the hints pointing towards Chernograd, she will have to team up with the Belogradian detective (Asen) that is investigating the assassination; both will have to collaborate if they want to recover Kosara's shadow and survive.

I found Kosara to be a great character, sarcastic at points, but still somebody that wants to use his powers to protect Chernograd's people, her people; with time running down, she will have to swallow her pride and collaborate with Asen, especially as the Zmey seems to be the one holding her shadow. Despite being young, she has seen too much, and that is reflected in the ways she behaves; confidence needs to be gained.
In comparison, Asen may lack that knowledge, but he's guided by a strong sense of duty; even if that means breaking the rules. His relationship with Kosara doesn't start in the best way, but slowly, confidence gets gained as both are struggling with guilt, and share the objective of protecting the people of their respective cities. The slow burn relationship between both (I'm not sure I would call it romantic) is simply sweet.
The rest of the characters are less defined, outside of exceptions such as the own Zmey; it is interesting how the Zmey, apart from being the Tsar of Monsters, is practically the archetype of the toxic love, that partner that covers you in love to, subsequently, show its true face and become the most possessive and abusive individual.

The worldbuilding is simply excellent, drawing from that Slavic folklore, and including many of the creatures; most of them appear in encounters that have an episodic feeling like in The Witcher. I would like to point that the dichotomy between Chernograd/Belograd can also remember to East Berlin/West Berlin, separated by a wall that not only keeps the monsters inside, but the people; Chernograd rooted in tradition and with many inhabitants that drink or smoke to deal with their difficult situation.
The pacing is fast, without a single dull moment, but allowing some times to recover the breath between high-tension moments; and Dimova's writing enhances the reading experience, giving us many memorable passages.

Foul Days is an excellent novel, a great example of modern dark fantasy that uses folklore not only to build the world, but to also include a thoughtful social commentary. Dimova's debut is a candidate to be my book of the year, and I can't wait to read Monstrous Nights, the second book in this Witch's Compendium of Monsters.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I felt a little hesitant to start a longer book with fantasy themes often oppressive of some peoples. The pacing was good and with the character and world development at a reasonable amount of detail, I didn't have trouble.

Kosara was a great character. She was very relatable having her fears and desires. She was caught up enough in her own guilt and worry that she didn't pay close enough attention to others' manipulations. She lives in Chernograd which is on one side of a wall. Chernograd has witches, monster hunters, smugglers, thieves and some poverty. During the Foul Days at the start of the New Year, the monsters from Slavic mythology come out at night and so everyone must stay inside.

Belograd is on the other side of the wall, full of color and wealth. The wall keeps the monsters out so they have no fights, deaths or worries about monsters. There are smugglers and thieves though, and they are the ones who know how to get back and forth across the wall. People from Chernograd who manage to get to Belograd have to be quarantined (caged) during the full moon to make sure they don't turn into monsters. There are many kinds of monsters though.

Kosara because of her fear of a monster loses her witch shadow. The story focuses on her retrieving her shadow, her confidence. She finds out who her true friends and allies are. She makes a new frenemy, Asen, who is with the police in Belograd. They each have their own secrets and it is intriguing to watch them unfold and find common goals.

I love that this will be a series, The Witch's Compendium of Monsters, with Monstrous Nights in October 2024. I want to watch Kosara and Asen as they right wrongs and give more people a chance at a safe and comfortable life. There are more bad guys to put out of commission. And who doesn't want to learn more about monsters?

In Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova, the author has created a detailed and complex novel that is emotional and full of action. The story moves quickly, but still allows time for the reader to get acquainted with Chernograd, Kosara and Bakharov as well as find out exactly why Zmey is a monster.
I love the way Kosara is written, her deep love for her city but also how she struggles with trust and learning to be strong, not trusting even herself. I love the fun references to other witches, like the house with legs or the mention of gingerbread. Witches are treated with respect in this novel, shown to be women of power, just like Kosara if she can learn to embrace her powers. I also like the way the author explores the differences between Chernograd and Belograd, the discrepancies but also the similarities. Best of all, I love the intrigue and romantic elements that leave me wanting more by the end of the novel.
If you love stories about strong women, witches and novels that are detailed and complex, this is the novel for you. It was exciting, full of intrigue and romance, Kosara is easy to fall in love with, with all her flaws but also strengths. The ending only whetted my appetite for more from this fantastically skilled author.

I simply LOVE this! I came for the Slavic folklore and moody vibes but stayed GLUED to this story for the dark humor, mysterious characters and delicious slow burn romance.

Foul Days is such a fantasy lovers treat and I am thrilled to hear that the second/final book comes out later this year! I cannot wait <3

Genoveva Dimova tells of a witch in the walled city of Chernograd. During the twelve Foul Days(paper from Tor) after the winter solstice, the monsters come out. Especially Zmey, the king of the monsters who has special issues with Kosara. When he attacks the bar she was gambling in, she sells her shadow to escape into the outer city of Belograd. Unfortunately the loss of her shadow not only means the loss of her magic but also means she is turning into shadow. Then the person who took her shadow is found dead.Helped by detective Asen trying to stop smugglers, she has to return to Chernograd and face Zmey who needs the twelve witch's shadows to take down the wall. This is a fun adventure in a unique world that deserves sequels

The city of Chernograd reminded me a little bit of the Fold from Shadow & Bone – had a city been able to survive within it. It is dark, cold, and very familiar with death – the permanent kind and the ones that come back. The stark differences between the two cities were interesting to read – especially once Kosara and Asen experience the world the other lives in. There were a handful of twists in this book that totally blindsided me and I’m curious to see where the ones that were unresolved lead to in the second book. I was familiar with most of the monsters (if not by the name specifically) but there were a few that I did have to look up. The Practical Guide to Monsters was a solid addition to the book but I think it would be better to have it at the front. I know it’s not always feasible but I always wish that glossaries with monsters/fantastical animals had illustrations to go alongside them.

I really loved Kosara’s character – she is slightly tarnished, extremely stubborn, and nearly humble to a fault. I am hoping that there is more of a backstory to the Zmey, Lamia, and Vila. I did enjoy Asen’s character and hope to see more development for him in the second book. Since the book is solely from Kosara’s point of view, it made Asen feel even more closed off. This was a story with a witch twist I hadn’t encountered before – witches get their powers from their shadow. Without it, they turn into a shadow themselves from a shadow sickness that slowly consumes them. But – the catch is this: a witch’s shadow must be freely given.

"There’s a difference between being technically right and morally right, and you’d choose technically right every single time. Even if it means letting people die because of it."

I am curious to see what happens after the ending of this book with the wall & the monsters. A perfectly timed spooky season release (slated for October 22nd of this year) for book two in the duology – Monstrous Nights and I can’t wait to read it. A big thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for choosing me as a host and Tor Books for the opportunity to read this wonderfully dark, witchy Slavic folklore book. Highly recommend checking this one out if you like dark folklore, witches, monsters & brushes of horror. If you enjoyed books like the Winternight trilogy, Shadow & Bone, or Where the Dark Stands Still then I believe you’d enjoy this one. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

The Foul Days has begun. For 12 days, the monsters are stronger, and they plague the city. This time of the year is dreadful for Kosara when her ex is the tsar of monsters. Feeling as though she has no choice left, Kosara gives up her shadows to cross the wall on the other side to the city where no monster roam. Without her shadows, Kosara can barely call herself a witch, and soon begins suffering from shadow sickness. Left without her magic and in a new place without monsters, Kosara has to navigate her new surroundings and to survive to try and find a way back to the other side of the wall along with getting her shadows back.

Kosara is flawed, but that doesn’t make her a bad character. She is suffering from grief and trauma, but that only makes her stronger when the time comes for her character to grow. Her relationship with others shows that, and in the end, they’re all just trying to survive. The author did a great job at weaving the monsters and folklore into this story! I absolutely loved the monster pamphlet that was in the book that gave background on the monsters and what to do during the foul days! This is a plot driven book with what I’ll say is a potential slow burn!

Thank you to TBRBeyondTours, the publisher, and the author for a copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Genre: Slavic inspired fantasy

Kosara is a witch from Chernograd with a gambling problem... a problem so bad that she gambles away her shadow. This takes her across the Wall into Belograd, a city that doesn't suffer a plague of monsters or a slipping of time and world at the beginning of a new year. She's chasing her shadow, and redemption for her wrongs. If only she could make better decisions!

I loved this Eastern European based fantasy. The blurb pitches it as Naomi Novik crossed with The Witcher, and vibe-wise that's an apt comparison; but I’d add When Among Crows for the Slavic folklore as well. Set in a nebulous era where there are gramophones but transportation is still predominantly carriages, balloons, and by foot, and where magic and monsters lurk in the corners of every building, Dimova captures the dark fear of changing days. The Foul Days are the first twelve days of the New Year, a dangerous time, where the witches warn people not to go out at night (they even release a pamphlet with instructions!) because the monsters lurk closer to the realm of humans.

Kosara has made some bad decisions in her life; most of them have been rash or related to the naivete of youth (her relationship with the Zmey, for example, or the sheer amount of time she spends at night in graveyards during the Foul Days…). One of the fascinating parts of her character is how often she seems to make the same mistakes again, and mutters to herself, “not again, next time will be better.” And yet, she’s far from a static character, as she works with Asen, the very handsome copper from Belograd, she starts to learn how to rely on others for help and trust in the nature of her own power.

The audiobook, narrated by Zura Johnson, is excellent with well-done accents, but I highly recommend a tandem approach to familiarize yourself with the characters and the monsters. There is an appendix in the book with all of the Slavic monsters, but I also appreciated reading this on my kindle to highlight and look up each spirit while I was reading. And then I bought a shelf trophy copy for myself, because I couldn’t help it.

This was such a fun and monstrous listen! I really liked the witch, Kosara, and enjoyed the plot and all the unique monsters in this book. Many of them were new to me, so it was fun listening and discovering more about these creatures. The narrator, Zura Johnson, is a gem, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook. It’s such a fun, monstrous experience—pun intended, perhaps a bad one. There was a slight tease of a possible follow-up story. I hope that’s the case because I’m not ready to leave this world behind yet.

This is the new epic fantasy series I have been waiting for! I loved every second of this book and was pulled in right from the get go. The world building was fantastic without being over bearing or cumbersome. I liked the imagery and the stark contrast of the two parts of the city. The magic system felt fresh and original. I loved that the book was broken down into the 12 days after the new years. I am a sucker for anything that is rooted in folklore and lately Slavic tales have really been some of my favorites. I enjoyed the characters and thought that they all had important roles in the story as a whole. I was happy to see that it worked cohesively and that there really weren't any characters that were unnecessarily prolonged. I think that the development for our two MCs was done well and that there was a tangible growth from Kosara. The story it's self for me really put out some old school Terry Brooks Word and the Void vibes, and I was so down for that. This is a story that grips you from the beginning and doesn't really let you come up for air until that last page is turned. This will definitely be in my top ten for the year and is a serious contender for fave of 2024, the only thing that could trump is it the second installment!

I've been reading a lot of fantasy novels rooted in Slavic folklore and I am LOVING the gothic vibes. This is a fast-paced, richly imagined story that delves into themes of abandonment, grief, poverty, and toxic relationships. And it is amazing.

Long ago, when monsters emerged, mages erected a wall between the richer and poorer aspects of a city. Kosara, a fire witch, is an expert in dealing with various supernatural creatures in her city of Chernograd. Her skills are formidable, but she is always wary of the Tsar of Monsters, who feeds on the love of young women. He is well aware of her power and is furious that she managed to escape his clutches in the past. Fearful and desperate, she sacrifices her shadow—the source of her powers—for illegal passage to Belograd, the city free of monsters on the other side of the wall.

Kosara soon realizes that she is showing signs of the deadly wasting sickness that afflicts shadowless witches, and her only hope for survival lies in reclaiming her lost magic. Her quest forces her to team up with a detective - and she's not a huge fan of coppers. The dynamics between Kosara and the detective are fraught with tension and suspicion and their bond grows into such a beautiful one over the course of the story. Kosara is a deeply flawed yet relatable character. Her struggles with abandonment, trust, guilt, and grief resonated so strongly with me, making her journey all the more engaging.

There is excellent world-building, seamlessly integrating Slavic folklore into the fabric of the story. The depiction of mythical creatures like rusalkas and kikimoras adds a unique flavor. The exploration of poverty and wealth in a fantastical setting is a welcome one - though it could have been stronger. I suspect this will return in the next book. The biggest highlight of the story was the relationship between Kosara and the toxic Tasr of Monsters compared to her relationship with the detective. Her former toxic relationship is the driving force of the plot and echoes similar predatory relationships in our own world. It's chilling how the effects echo in her own head and drive so many of her actions.

The plot is richly layered, with each twist and turn revealing more about the characters and the world they inhabit. The book’s exploration of complex themes is handled with nuance and respect.
This is a phenomenal story that combines incredible world-building, rich folklore, and finely drawn characters with a big dose of humor and heart. I cannot wait to see what is coming next.

Thank you to the TBR and Beyond Booktours, the author, and the publisher for the copy. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.

Top 5 reasons to read

Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

1. Incredible Bulgarian Folklore
2. Vivid world building
3. Fast paced and keeps you engaged
4. Modern Fantasy full of twists and turns
5. Relatable, witty characters


#FoulDays #TBRBeyondTours #GenovevaDimova

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Tor Books for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.25 stars!

TL;DR: I'm not sure what I expected going into this but it wasn't what I got and I absolutely mean that in the best way! Foul Days is dark and full of monsters but the "horror" aspect is light enough that those who are scared of dark and scary things (it's me) can read it in bed alone at night. It's heavy in Slavic lore and it's action-packed from start to finish. I loved Kosara and her acerbic nature. She's crabby and witty but vulnerable enough for us to see past that exterior to the damaged young woman she still carries inside. Her banter with Asen was A+ and their "copper vs. charlatan" dynamic was one of my favourite parts of this story. I was so pleasantly surprised by this fantasy debut and I'm already itching to get my hands on the second book (*please bless me, Tor gods*)!

I think this is one of those books that you shouldn't take too seriously in that yes, there are some aspects in the world-building, character development and plot logic that could've been strengthened, but if you can just enjoy the vibes and interesting characters, you'll be able to have more fun. It was a wild and adventurous romp through a monster-ravaged world where everyone's simply doing their best to survive the Foul Days that each new year brings. When we were thrown seemingly into the middle of the story right from the start, I was admittedly confused and had a bit of trouble finding my bearings in this world. Since I knew we'd be getting a story based on Slavic folklore, I think I immediately assumed that this would have a more historical setting and that's my bad. Instead, what we get is a mix of modern urban fantasy and I don't know why the modern elements threw me off each time they came up but it also wasn't a deal breaker. I still found the world-building interesting and I appreciated how the author contrasted Chernograd and Belograd, the two cities separated by the wall. Chernograd is the monster-ravaged part of this world and the citizens have grown used to living with death as their neighbour. In contrast to Belograd, a bustling city full of colour, merriment and cheer, Chernogradeans exist in a somewhat bleak reality drained of colour and happiness. Having to live in tough conditions exacerbated by both monsters and the wall, they're hardy folk who (mostly) go about minding their own business to survive. The Slavic folklore elements were strong in this one and I loved learning about the different monsters and what they were capable of. Dimove wrote these creatures in such a way that was fascinating and simply natural and made me want to keep reading about them! They were scary but not overwhelmingly so but their existence fueled the dark energy of the city.

The plot was intense and full of action and there's a lot that goes on from Kosara fleeing the Zmey and getting sucked into a murder mystery to a more complex magical mission to save both cities from an even more threatening monster whose presence is more myth than reality, until now. I will say that the ending felt a little rushed only because of how easily certain things came to our characters—I thought there'd be a bit more of a struggle or challenge but this could also be the author misleading us into thinking that things have ended better than when they started and we're in for a heck of a surprise. 😂

Kosara was a great MC and I loved following her POV. She's prickly and snarky and her sarcastic nature added a lot of humour to the story that had me laughing more than I expected to while reading something so dark! She's had a trauma-filled past that she has tried burying deep but she also carries a heavy burden from a tragic incident in her youth. Despite the walls she's built up high, you can't help but feel for her and her loneliness. She's very much a "what plans?" kind of character and sometimes I did want to give her a good shake so she'd take a moment to think first and then act and it gave her this naivete that I sometimes found at odds with her tough nature. Still, she was very much an easy character to root for and the author's direction for her character by the end has my curiosity piqued to see what happens next.

There are many side characters in the story and their roles range from the main "sidekick" to various monsters that he and Kosara interact with along their journey. I liked Asen a lot! I loved the 'good cop' vs 'charlatan witch' dynamic he had with Kosara and was so curious about his upbringing and how exactly he came to be a Belograd cop. He challenges and supports Kosara in surprising ways and despite the shaky trust and secrets they kept, they made a great team! There is a romantic subplot that goes back and forth a bit and isn't explored too much but it's made me even more excited to see how that relationship evolves and how their team dynamic changes in the next book. Other characters such as Roksana and Malamir were interesting but I couldn't figure them out as they weren't very well-developed and their interactions with Kosara felt surface-level despite the roles they played. As a villain, the Zmey was also interesting but also rather flat and unfortunately, didn't feel like the most terrifying of monsters to me. But I did hate what he would do to the young women he got in his grasp and the insidious charm and beauty he represented.

Overall, this was a great debut. I have a feeling things are about to get a lot more angsty, devastating, magical and action-packed and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

A dark, Slavic fantasy with unique and intricate world building and a cast of questionable characters!
A “good cop” and a witch team up to solve a murder and save themselves from their traumatic pasts all while fighting off numerous monsters and humans.
Fast paced and encompassing, this story drew me in on page one and kept me guessing the whole time. Looking forward to book 2.

This was a fantastic fantasy world of monsters, magic, and mayhem. Wonderfully Rick of Slavik lore, and reminiscent of fairy tale folklore, Foul Days was a fast-paced novel.

Kosara is preparing for the Foul Days like every three year - warding against the Zmey, as he has chased her every year since she escaped his palace. The Foul Days happen every year on this side of the wall, for twelve days, monsters roam free in the city. The wall keeps them from going across to the other side, keeping the humans safe.

When Kosara is faced with the Zmey early, a bargain with a stranger sets a series of events in motion that leads to her not only losing her shadow but being stuck on the other side of the wall. Murderer and mayhem follow, and she's found herself working with a policeman named Asen.

As Kasara and Asen work to find a killer, they get to know one another and become partners. Through danger and deceit, this team investigates what they can about the murder, as well as why the wall doesn't work as it was intended to. But can they fix it?

This was good but it was definitely a bit on the nose. I enjoyed the world and the world-building--the Eastern European monsters and myth combined with the turn of the century technology gave this a cool sort-of steampunky gaslamp feel. This was fast-paced, though I wish the discussions about class and policing was more integrated into the meat of the story. Overall, a relatively short, fast-paced read with interesting characters in a compelling world! I really enjoyed this!

Good world building. Less than subtle messaging about social class and policing. It felt original with the Eastern European monsters and magic combines with early/mid 1900s tech. All in all it was a fast paced lighter read you don’t need to take too seriously if you’re looking for light entertainment. I’ll be reading book two and following the author on Goodreads. I think she has a lot of potential since the debut is of high quality.