Happily ever after... not quiet. In Chernograd, Kosara's life as the most powerful witch with twelve witch's shadows, is experiencing a very cold June. Things should be better with Zmey foiled... but Kosara is starting to hear voices, and that's never a good sign.

Asen's latest case is a beheaded witch. As he follows the leads, he's drawn once again over the wall to Chernograd and to Kosara.

Why I started this book: Guilt. It's an ARC and I've been avoiding this well past it's publication date.

Why I finished it: I started a timer and just started the story... once I was in it, I was carried along just fine. Solid story with an even better ending.

This is a fantastic ending to an even more amazing duology! I adored this series so much and will absolutely be reading anything Genoveva writes next! The romance was so good, the PINING!!!! I really had so much fun reading this and while i liked the first book a bit more I still had an absolute blast with this book! Its a series that I would absolutely recommend for any fantasy readers out there. It's so well written, the characters are well fleshed out, and the story itself is such a fun one to read that has you intrigued from the first page to the last!

I. Loved. This. Duology.

First off, I have to apologize for taking so long to dive in. I read Foul Days and Monstrous Nights back to back, and oh my goodness—the pining! THE PINING. I don’t think I’ve ever rooted harder for two characters to just shut up and kiss already than I did with Kosara and Asen. The blend of romance, Slavic folklore, and mystery absolutely hit the mark for me on every level.

While I thoroughly enjoyed both books, Foul Days stood out slightly more for me. I’m absolutely obsessed with our two main characters, but I felt their personal arcs in Monstrous Nights were a little slow. The first book was a whirlwind of nonstop action, whereas the second took a more introspective route. I do wonder if taking some time between the two books might have helped me better appreciate the slower pacing of Monstrous Nights.

Regardless, this series was an incredible ride, and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was such a vivid, immersive, fresh fantasy—the Slavic origins to the folklore were rich and grounded, and the characters are some of my new favorites. Cannot wait for more from Dimova!

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Foul Days, mostly because it felt like some of the danger was gone with the zmey being defeated. I also felt like the tension between Kosara and Asen led to me wanting to skip past parts because it didn't add anything to the story, just annoyed me that they weren't talking to each other when they needed to be. I wanted to love this as much as I loved the first one, but it was a slog all the way through, whereas the first I felt like I flew through. The world expanding was great, and we got to learn about more magic/monsters/lore, but there was so much avoidance of things in this that I just wasn't a fan.

I thought this was a really strong sequel to the first book, I love the way the author mixes humor and sarcasm with the serious life threatening fantasy elements and the eastern/central European themes— I love seeing those little bits of culture in there. Also I love a good mystery and both this one and the first book did a really good job of building suspense and mystery.

Monstrous Nights is an exciting and satisfying conclusion to Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova, picking up six months after the events of Foul Days. Kosara and Asen face the unraveling consequences of their battle with the Zmey. With the barrier between worlds weakening, monsters begin spilling into Chernograd outside of the Foul Days, setting the stage for a high-stakes mystery and intense action.

I loved the blend of Slavic folklore, dark fantasy, and well-developed characters. Kosara’s internal struggle with her newfound power and her growing relationship with Asen added depth to the story. The mystery surrounding the murders and the increasing monster attacks kept the pacing fast and engaging. Dimova’s lush world-building and unique creatures make this series stand out, and the glossary of monsters at the end was a delightful touch. Fans of dark, magical adventures will find this duology a must-read, and I can’t wait to see what Dimova writes next.

A perfect ending to this fun, adventure-filled duology! With witches, betrayal, monsters, and a marriage, we see Kosara navigate her evolving world and her growing power.

I thought this was a great conclusion to this duology! The stakes are even higher, and the magic more.. magical? And I loved seeing Asen and Karasova back together! They trying to figure out how to stop the sky from ripping into pieces letting the monster realm and the human realm become one. All the while trying to draw out a murderer' and help Asen's Kikimora wife finally get her revenge.
Karasova finally learns that she can ask for help, and she and Asen grow even closer. Except when said Kikimora spoils the moment.  Everything is wrapped up perfectly!  and I really enjoyed the ending.

I will definitely be reading whatever this author comes out with next!!!

It was great to be back in Kosara's world and living the consequences of her actions from the ending of the last book. I enjoyed the magic spreading/failing? and all of the different dynamics we got to see play out because of that. ALSO such a corrupt universe it's wild and Kosara is so trusting. I was glad to have Asen's character back and to watch that relationship play out. This book wrapped up so well I don't know if we'll get a third, but I would definitely read it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I absolutely loved FOUL DAYS and was so excited to waltz back into the city of Chernograd with Kosara and Asen.

Now in possession of the shadows of twelve witches, Kosara finds herself with enormous power but sometimes the shadows have minds of their own. The barrier between worlds is thinning and causing odd things to happen. The worst of which is the appearance of monsters who should only be out and about during the Foul Days. Asen is still on the hunt to catch Konstantin Karaivanov and finds himself back in Chernograd. Kosara feels it is her responsibility to fix the barrier and she teams up with Asen again to try and set everything right. But the path they must take is more treacherous than either imagined.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.
Such a fun read. I love all the creatures in this fantasy books and all the characters are likeable

Thanks to Tor Books for the gifted ARC!

A fantasy duology is just such a sweet spot, and Genoveva did an amazing job writing this Slavic-inspired duo! MONSTROUS NIGHTS is the conclusion I was looking for -- expanded world-building from FOUL DAYS and a continuation of the dark atmosphere and romantic subplot. In this book, we get Asen's POV as well. The folklore is so strong, and I loved the variety of monsters, including the “Practical Guide to Monsters” in the back.

MONSTROUS NIGHTS completes the fantasy duology begun in FOUL DAYS.
I think Genoveva Dimova has done a fantastic job writing these two books that use Slavic folklore and give a glimpse into what it might have looked like to live during the time around the fall of the Berlin Wall. The complex issues and how problems are not solved overnight map beautifully into this story of Witches and magical people living in a walled city of magic, as well as the problems people faced on each side. I enjoyed watching Kosara learn to start trusting again and her budding possibilities with Asen, but mostly I enjoyed seeing how they solved the problems with the Monsters, especially the Zmey.

In Monstrous Nights, Genoveva Dimova brings her magical Slavic duology to a darkly magical and satisfying conclusion.

I truly felt like this sequel added just enough intrigue to keep the plot feeling fast paced without adding too many problems to be solved by the end. The romance, the mystery, and the obstacles (both within Kosara and around her) were intriguing and fun to read.

I enjoyed the Slavic folklore and the lush, lived-in fantasy setting that Donovan created in this world.

I would highly recommend this duology to all lovers of dark fantasy and monstrous other worlds.

Once again just a fabulous, dark, fantastical book from Dimova. I loved returning to the world of Chernograd and the wonderful brand of strange and cozy that Dimova manages to convey so vividly. Oh to live in a city as full of kind, caring people as monsters (or one in which sometimes the kind, caring people are monsters)! And it was a real pleasure to watch Kosara realize, after so much time holding herself apart from her city and the people in it, that she has people in her life she can rely on, who are not willing to let the shadow of the man who hurt her swallow her whole.

Once in awhile you stumble upon a series that sets itself apart from the others. This is one of those series. Kosara is back with her twelve shadows in tow. The shadows give her insight into Zmey’s deadly marriages as well as an uncontrollable, immense power. Meanwhile Asen is trying to solve another murder and finds himself one again on Kosara’s doorstep asking for her help. The sexual tension between the two is off the charts as they both try to ignore their feelings. They find themselves once again battling monsters and questioning the intentions of those in their inner circle. No one can be trusted and there are secrets and spells that must be solved in order to prevent the barrier between the world of monsters and their world to vanish.

This is such a good series. The Slavic folklore it’s based on is rich in detail and filled with many interesting monsters, myths and characters. There is magic, mystery, romance, action and really good monsters—🐓 I loved it cans cannot wait to see what is next for Dimova. I will read whatever she writes!!

5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would say the physical book is better than the audiobook. I enjoyed this sequel however I think the first was slightly better. There were some slow parts and scenes that I feel didn't really add to the overall story. However, I still had a fun time reading it.

Genoveva Dimova has a second tale of a city divided by a wall. On one side the monsters attack during the Foul Days(paper) around new years. The other city lives off selling the magic from the first. Unfortunately the barrier between the world of monsters and Chernograd has weakened, letting monsters invade. Not only that, but 2 witches have had their heads chopped off. During the Monstrous Nights(paper from TOR ) Kosara, now with twelve witch's shadows, and detective Asen, who has lost his job, have to find the cause of the failing of the world of monsters and somehow save both cities. I really enjoyed this duology and highly recommend it