Thank you Netgalley, Genoveva Dimova, and Tor Publishing Group/Tor Books for the eARC!

A solid debut. Definite The Witcher vibes--it's fast-paced, solidly written, and absolutely jam-packed with monsters crawling from every corner. I really enjoyed this. Also pleased to hear that the series will be coming sooner rather than later, because this series will be very binge-able for people. My biggest gripe with this book was the lack of emotion. I can't really pinpoint why--maybe the prose? While flashy, dark, and humorous, I didn't connect with any sort of deep-level emotion. I felt it was laid out to me, instead of actually experiencing it myself. That's nitpicky, however, and I thought this was a fantastic start to a promising duology.

I am not always into witch books, but the Slavic folklore aspect to it made be intrigued. This was fast-paced are very atmospheric. I really enjoyed it. Please read if you enjoy books like The Bear and the Nightingale.

This book ended me. I am flat on my back, no thoughts, just monsters and witches and magic and all the delightful, twisty shenanigans that Genoveva Dimova threw at me. FOUL DAYS is my favorite type of fantasy--it's clever and funny and dark in equal measure, breathlessly ambitious and gorgeously atmospheric. It was a delight to navigate the 12 Foul Days with Kosara and I cannot wait to follow this series wherever it goes next.

Five million stars from me.

Sadly this one didn't work for me. It was a lot of telling and very little showing. We are always being told exactly what the narrator is feeling and why, which made her sound very flat and uninteresting. I think overall this novel just lacked complexity for me. I don't want to be told everything, I want to work to figure out the characters and the world, and that was not the case here unfortunately.

I received an ARC of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to be able to read Foul Days early! The Witcher written by Naomi Novik is 100% spot on as a pitch, and it fully lived up to that lofty promise. An unputdownable, confident debut brimming with character, heart, humor, magic -- and, of course, monsters. So. Many. Monsters.

Dimova's knowledge of Bulgarian/Slavic folklore injects the world with vibrancy and depth, creating a setting that feels both fresh and deeply lived-in. Drawing on historical parallels, the walled cities of Chernograd and Belograd are alive enough to be their own characters here.

And 23-year-old Kosara is a fantastic protagonist who's easy to root for--fiercely independent, pragmatic, and nursing deep hurts behind her prickly, witchy armor--up against a truly chilling villain.

Foul Days is a knockout debut and a hell of a way to start a trilogy, and I can't wait to continue Kosara's story.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Great descriptions of Slavic folklore based monsters. The main characters are quite engaging and the plot easily complex enough to keep us well interested. Expect this book to be featured in 2024's awards nominations. And on top of that, we also get a sequel just a few months after the publication of this book!

Kosara is a witch who lives in the walled city of Chernograd where it's the Foul Days. A brief period of time during the year when all types of monsters invade the city and people do their best to stay alive. Unfortunately for Kosara she just lost her shadow, the source of all her power on a bet. To make it worse The Zmey (Tsar of all monsters) is after her. She defied him by leaving and he wants her back. Her only escape is to get over the wall to Belograd, where monsters including The Zmey can’t follow. When she is there she discovers she has been tricked by someone close to her and the shadow sickness is upon her. She has to come back to Chernograd and face The Zmey if she wants to live past the Foul Days. She gets assistance from a suspiciously kind Belograd police officer who is investigating a suspicious death that is linked to the wall. This book was fast paced with the world building happening naturally throughout the story. Kosara is a great character both fierce and vulnerable. I also enjoyed the slow burn friendship/relationship that started developing between Kosara and Asen. I can't wait for the next book in this series. Thank you #NetGalley for my arc. #fouldays