New Year's Eve in Chernograd looks a little different than the usual fare. Instead of celebrating with champagne, fireworks, and large parties, its citizens are restocking their aspen stakes and holing up behind protective wards. Rather than dreaming up optimistic resolutions for the new year, they begin their dreaded countdown to the arrival of creatures straight out of the darkest of fairytales. The magical Wall surrounding their city keeps the rest of the world safe from these beasts, but in Chernograd, you better know your upirs from your rusalkas.

Fire Witch Kosara usually spends this period of time, known as the Foul Days, trying to get shake off her toxic ex... who also happens to be the Tsar of Monsters. This year is extra difficult, as she's just bargained away her shadow, the source of her power. Even worse, the wasting sickness a witch gets without her shadow seems to be setting in extra quickly. In order to get her shadow back and deal with the ghosts of her past for good, Kosara must team up with Asen, a detective from the outside, who is is in way over his head with all this monster business.

Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova is a folkloric mystery romp. The beginning was a little too fast-paced for me, as I felt we were just speeding through plot points with a really shallow sense of the setting and characters. Things get more interesting once Kosara teams up with Asen, however. Watching them fight monsters and try to unravel the mystery of Kosara's stolen shadow was fun, and I liked the potential their friendship has to grow into something more.

Kosara's ex, the Zmey, gave me major Darkling vibes. But like, the Darkling once Alina sees him for who he is and without an ounce of charm. I wish we had gotten to see a larger peak into the beginning of their relationship, as we're only ever really told about all the horrible things he did instead of shown. Kosara confronting him feels a little empty because we rushed through most of the things that would have had a stronger emotional impact.

Overall, Foul Days ended up feeling a bit rushed. I know there's another installment coming soon, but I felt like this first book could have explored the world a bit better. I love Slavic folklore, but this had none of the lush world building that Naomi Novik or Katherine Arden's stories feature so heavily. The characters were interesting in theory, but I think the breakneck pace was to the detriment of their development.

Still, this was a promising debut and I look forward to picking up the sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the e-ARC!

The world of Foul Days has such a dichotomy of the dreary city of Chernograd versus the vibrant city of Belograd, separated by a wall that keeps the monsters, and the people trapped inside of Chernograd during the 12 Foul Days when the Zmey and his monsters roam the land. This world is built up nicely and while there is some telling going on to build it, we also get shown the streets and feel the fear of the residents who get trapped by monsters every year.

Kosara has suffered a lot of trauma at the hands of the Zmey that we learn about throughout the story. Essentially think of him as the world’s most toxic boyfriend. And the commentary on this type of relationship is so spot on. There is also a lot of us versus them going on between the two cities, instead of trying to work together to keep everyone safe and you can feel the classism and prejudices present in this world.

As the tagline says, “The scariest monsters are the human-shaped ones,” and oh boy is this ever present. There is a lot of deception and twists and turns of the plot that I really enjoy in the urban fantasy mystery. I also really loved the different types of monsters pulled from Slavic folklore and roaming the streets, terrorizing the people of Chernograd.

There is also a bit of a romantic subplot between Kosara and Asen, a cop from Belograd who is trying to solve a murder that so happens to be linked to Kosara’s pursuit of her lost shadow, something that if she doesn’t not get back will lead to her death. This romance is not fully explored yet, but looks like it will maybe play a bigger part in the second book of the duology that is releasing this year too.

Four and half stars.

Foul Days is a fast-paced story that is steeped in Slavic folklore and is full of magic and monsters with a slow burn romance. I need the sequel in my hands ASAP.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was an interesting read. I’ve always loved Slavic/Eastern European folklore and this one, with a modern twist, was unlike any of its kind I’ve read before. There are definitely dark elements to it, but it is well done and an interesting story! I’m not usually a lover of urban fantasy, but this one surprised me. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 30% of the way through.

This book is incredibly fast-paced and dialogue-reliant, which is fine but wasn't up my alley. I love the concept of all these monsters and witch stuff but it felt underused. The protagonist loses her magic early on so it's not like you get to see her using it all the time. There's very little descriptions or moments to slow down and appreciate anything which turned me off as well.

A highly original fantasy in a setting that snatched my attention almost immediately and a wildly engaging plot that had me turning pages well into the night. I cannot praise the world being presented here enough... a city split in two by magic with revelry on one side and monsters on the other, mysteries behind every corner, and strange criminal dealings behind the scenes that may explain more than the reader might expect. My complaints mostly center around one of the protagonists, Asen, who is perfectly serviceable and who I wound up genuinely liking by the end of the book, but when he was introduced I was not sure if there was something off with the early characterization or what, but I didn't really care much about him. It took a surprising amount of time, especially when I consider that my reaction to Kosara was just night and day when it came to the characters, I really liked her throughout and her struggles and goals made a lot of sense to me in contrast.

A page-turning fantasy read with an interesting world, intriguing plot, and lots to offer for fans of the genre.

I really enjoyed this! I'm loving more books based on Slavic folklore this year, this is my third one and they've all been well done!

I loved the concept of being able to capture a witch's shadow, and therefore their power, in a bead and use it yourself. I also appreciated how the story provided social commentary with the wall and two cities, and a depiction of the MC's past trauma and how it manifests for her. The monsters are quite interesting, and (some of) the house spirits were so charming!

I got through this one pretty quickly, it kept my interest and the twists and turns truly kept me guessing. I'll definitely pick up the next book in the series!

Thank you Tor for the ARC!

4.5 stars rounded up because I’m impressed that this is a debut novel. At the back of the book is a pamphlet with the breakdown of the most common monsters, their weaknesses and some background history which I loved. There were some common tropes in here but they were done in a way I didn’t want to pull my hair out. I also enjoyed that this wasn’t another insta love enemies to lovers type deal.

I loved that this book made me laugh, reflect, feel sad, and held my attention. I also really liked that it gave me Halloweentown vibes sometimes. At times I felt cozy, others I was worried how it would pan out. I look forward to reading the second book.

This was a wonderful debut novel. I really enjoyed that it was based on Slavic culture and beliefs. It’s refreshing to see something that doesn’t take place in a westernized setting.

Plus I’m always a sucker for a badass FMC

An entertaining novel featuring Slavic mythology. A fun fantasy book about a witch who had to trade her shadow (and thus her magic) to escape a sticky situation. She now needs to get her shadow back. Overall a quick, fun read!

A fascinating, enthralling, and richly developed story with a setting that intrigued me with its freshness.

I loved this book, like absolutely positively stressed about waiting for the next book, levels of loved.
Foul Days is the story of a witch who specializes in treating the havoc that the monsters let loose during the 12 days following the new year cause…except for one, her ex, who also happens to be the Tsar of Monsters. In this fantastical world, a witches power is tied to her shadow and when the cards are down, Kosara makes the greatest sacrifice of all in trading hers to escape him. Foul Days follows her trek to the world of monsters to try and get her shadow back before the shadow sickness claims her.
The way Slavic folklore was weaved throughout Kosara’s story has even had me looking more into some of the creatures we’ve met through out the Foul Days. @gen_dimova has done an amazing job of both building an incredibly intricate world filled with unfamiliar creatures while making sure the reader is introduced to each and their respective lore without making it seem too Discovery Channel(but don’t worry, after the epilogue we have an incredibly cool breakdown of every creepy crawly in Chernograd).
I really and truly could not put this book down, finishing that final page of the epilogue was panic inducing to say the least (no spoilers 🫡). THANKFULLY a little googling told me “The Witches Compendium Of Monsters” is set to be a duology which made hitting the last chapter a little less cliff-like(absolutely nothing was tied up in a neat little bow @gen_dimova I need that second book like yesterday!).
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Foul Days hits shelves 6/25/24 and I cannot WAIT for y’all to fall in love with this world like I did.

Genoveva Dimova’s Foul Days is a much-needed exploration of a culture that deserves far more representation than it currently receives.

As a huge fan of Slavic folklore, I am always eager to learn more about the rich mythology and tales connected to this fascinating culture. So, you can imagine my excitement when I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Genoveva Dimova’s debut. Being a massive fan of the Witcher series, a comparison was inevitable, and Foul Days definitely rose to the challenge.

The world-building in Foul Days was incredible. I was captivated from the first page, impressed not only by how immersive the world was but also by how accessible Dimova made it for newcomers. If you are considering reading Foul Days because it is inspired by Slavic folklore and you expect it to be filled with monsters, I assure you that you will not be disappointed. The book is teeming with monsters and then some. However, it is also a story filled with magic and heart, written with great intelligence.

Kosara was a fantastic protagonist and carried the story with ease. She was witty, smart, and you bet she would look you straight in the eyes before demonstrating why she doesn’t need your help.

Foul Days is an incredible debut by Genoveva Dimova, and I cannot wait for the next installment in what I am sure will be a fantastic trilogy.

If you're on the prowl for books featuring female rage, non western settings, an examination of class dynamics, and real bad ex-boyfriends that somehow manage to be sexy without doing what fantasy loves to do which is glorify toxic masculinity, and lots of really fun Bulgarian folklore.... she’s it!!

Loved this and grateful to Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this debut novel based on slavic folklore. The characters were endearing and fun, there was a lot of snark and humor in a rather dark story, and the plot was very interesting. There were some issues with it, but most of those were minor and didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the story. I think this will be an author to watch in the future.

Kosara is such a delightful character to spend time with. She is a bit prickly and guarded, but I think that mostly has to do with her hard life. She has a good heart, but her need to prove herself often overshadows this. She also needs a little more confidence in herself and her abilities, but she does begin to see her worth towards the end of the story. She does make decisions that you will wish she hadn’t but she always realizes her mistakes and tries to correct them.

As much as I liked Kosara, I really loved Asen, the do gooder cop she teams up with. He also has a tragic past which he keeps to himself. The two of them make a good team, even when they don’t particularly trust each other. I also really liked the two of them together romantically, although I was very glad that the romance didn’t take over the main story. They are sweet together but they each have so much to over come before that romance can truely blossom.

The monsters were all proper monsters, scary and very terrifying at times. Most of these I hadn’t heard of before. Zmey, the Tsar of monsters, was everyone’s worst nightmare. He is that toxic ex, that continues to be abusive even when he is being charming. Worst yet, he does turn into a real terrifying monster when he is angry. There were some monsters that ended up being somewhat nice and helpful, and of course we have the humans who are at times more monstrous than the monsters.

The plot was well done and fairly original. I really liked the duality of the two cities and how different they were from each other. Kosara losing her shadow and all that that entailed was also a very interesting aspect to the story. The need to want to make things right was also a great storyline. The writing was solid for the most part. Great descriptions of the settings and characters. There were some things that maybe should have been explained earlier than they were and the characters backstories could have been explored a bit more, but overall a very enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this so much that I went to see when the next book was coming out as soon as I was done. I was so happy to see that, Monstrous Nights, is coming out this October, and I have already received the ARC for it. I don’t know if there is a plan for more than two books, but I certainly hope there is. This is a wonderful start, hopefully, to a long series. I highly recommend that you add this one to your TBR and read it as soon as you can get your hands on it.

Thank you Netgalley for this free arc in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book a lot! I’m not super familiar wing Slavic folklore but all the lore in this book was super interesting. I loved learning about the monsters of the story. The explanations for them were very well thought out and interesting to read. The magic was also very interesting. Kosara was an interesting main character and she was funny too 😂 I liked seeing everything from her perspective. Asen was also an interesting character and I hope he is in the next book! I’m very curious to see what will happen in the next book!

Foul Days is a confident debut that delivers my favorites—high tensions, dark magic, colorful characters, and unexpected humor coupled with a healthy helping of snark—alongside the breath of fresh air that is its Bulgarian folklore-fueled setting.

23-year-old Kosara is an easily endearing protagonist, though she is not without her prickles. She’s guarded and impulsive but also lonely and eager to prove herself useful, even as she sometimes refuses to admit her “good” parts even to herself. At times, like the best of flawed characters, she made decisions that frustrated me, but I never doubted her integrity or her intelligence; I only rooted harder for her to right her course. Her unintended companion Asen, a do-gooder copper whose trustingness threatens Kosara’s emotional barriers, contributes equally to propelling the story forward (and adding a romantic subplot).

The two stand alone but not removed from an intriguing smattering of side characters. There is Vila, Kosara’s mentor both in witchcraft and in life who lives in a house with legs; Roksana and Malamir, who are just as young and caught up in forces beyond their control; an array of monsters with their own abilities, weaknesses, and even personalities; and the Zmey abusively residing above them all.

The two cities separated by the Wall, Chernograd and Belograd, are just as distinctive and dynamic. For the most part, they felt historical, with magic as a common replacement for modern technology, but at times the setting felt like it wanted to be that of a modern urban fantasy. Occasionally it made certain items and snippets of dialogue seem out-of-place, though it was generally unobtrusive.

In a genre often driven by tropes and romance, Foul Days is a comfortable dive into a world of clever witches, Bulgarian myths reflecting dark, ever-contemporary fears, and a refreshing optimism that paves the way for an anticipated sequel.

A mix between a small quest and criminal investigation story with fast-paced action, dry humor and bone-chilling monsters from Slavic mythology. I felt thoroughly entertained, enjoyed the tension between Kosara and Asen, and was creeped out by the Zmey. And yet, something was missing for me. Maybe it was the bleak world it’s set in that stopped me from loving it or the fact that I’m generally not that interested in witches or detective stories. It is a solid book nevertheless and I’d recommend it if it sounds interesting to you.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC!

WOW this debut is so original and entirely thrilling! Kosara is witty, brave, and deeply untrusting of those around her. She is a monster hunter who knows how dark the world can be. The plot is a roller coaster that I never wanted to end!

Cannot wait for my upcoming OwlCrate editions and to hand sell this title to fantasy fans!

This one really helped knock me out of a reading slump! It's fast-paced with plenty of twists and turns. The way the book unfolds is just great: it doesn't info-dump or withhold enough to become confusing; there's just enough mystery to keep you reading. Like, there are lots of hints and references to Kosara's sister, Kosara's relationship with the Zmey, and Asen's background before we are actually told what happened with all of them. It's really expertly done. I also loved the addition of the monster guide in the back and that will definitely come in handy when I have a physical copy to reread before the next book comes out. And it can't come soon enough! Foul Days is one of those books where I was constantly saying, "Just one more chapter!" and stayed up late to finish it in two days. Even though this is a duology, the book wraps up nicely, with just enough loose ends for what I'm certain is going to be an awesome sequel!!

That said, even though the descriptions of places were super detailed and atmospheric on both sides of the Wall, my only criticism is that I couldn't quite grasp what sort of time period this is supposed to take place in. Only the rich have landline phones, there are no cars (Kosara doesn't know what a train is before Belograd), there are factories and running water, Kosara wears nail polish and mascara, Asen wears a t-shirt, and there's a few modern-sounding lines (like the Zmey being referred to as Kosara's "ex") - so it's a mix of things that I wouldn't have thought to put together even in a fantasy novel (then again this could be the Tiffany Problem because I know things like t-shirts date back to the 1800s but FEEL modern, and it is, again, a fantasy novel).

BUT anyway, that didn't necessarily distract me enough from the plot that it was a big deal. Still five stars because I enjoyed the heck out of it and will be first in line for the sequel!