As soon as I finished Genoveva Dimova’s “Foul Days,” I jumped online to see when I could expect the sequel. I was so happy to get it almost immediately. “Monstrous Nights” picks up right where the action in “Foul Days” ends, and it does not disappoint.

Kosara teams up again with Asen, working to finish the job of tracking down the infamous smuggler Konstantin Karaivanov while fighting off the city’s monsters. Along the way, Asen is thrown a major curveball, but finds belonging in unlikely company. Kosara has to learn to control her new-found powers while exploring her developing feelings for Asen.

This was, again, a very satisfying, atmospheric read that ticks all the boxes in an urban fantasy romance mashup. The use of Eastern European lore and folktale gives it a fresh spin. The characters are fun and varied. I would love to see these two books adapted into film or a TV series. I received this book from NetGalley.

I think it’s a safe bet that if you enjoyed Foul Days, you’ll love Monstrous Nights. It keeps the same vein of Foul Days while still being a new and fresh read. I actually enjoyed Monstrous Nights even more than Foul Days, so in my opinion, there’s no book two slump happening here. Dimova continues to excel with her world building, engaging characters, and surprising story lines. I especially love Kosara as she goes head to head with a certain individual. I just really enjoy her character as a whole, so I find anything having to do with Kosara fascinating, but I especially loved her unraveling the mysteries of the shadows she inherited. I also enjoyed getting to see more of Asen and watching him navigate challenges without Kosara. I read this via ebook and audiobook and loved that it was dual narrators to voice Kosara’s POV and Asen’s POV. This was a satisfying conclusion to the duology. I highly recommend checking it out but especially reading via audiobook.

This second book in the series is just as delightful as the first, Foul Days. I loved the characters and how they developed over the course of the two books, the world building is marvelously dark and scary, but it still has a lot of humor shining through. The slow burn romance from the first book continues on, maybe a bit too slowly but was just as sweet.

Kosara is still dealing with many of the same issues in this book as the first. She still doesn’t trust people to help her and she still feels like the town’s safety is her sole responsibility. But she does show growth over the course of this book, slowly realizing that she can’t do it on her own and that she can accept others help to save her town and the people she cares for. She is also still carrying a lot of grief and guilt about her past and about what she did in the first book. It also doesn’t help that the twelve witch’s shadows all have their own agenda and keep showing her visions of how truly bad the Zmey was. It is bad enough dealing with your own baggage without 12 others piling on as well.

Asen is just as wonderful in this book as the first, and here we have chapters from his point of view. He is just as sweet and adorable as the first book and I loved seeing his emotions and how he deals with his grief and guilt as well. He also shows his strengths when Kosara needs him most, even when she tries to leave him behind so he doesn’t get hurt.

I did enjoy the slow romance between Asen and Kosara, but it was perhaps a bit too slow. Of course it is hard to progress a romance when the kikimora of your first wife keeps showing up and trying to kill you. It does put a damper on things. But you could tell that these two were fated to be together and I kept rooting for things to work out between them. I would have liked a little bit more at the end between these two but I was still happy to see them finally admit their feelings for each other.

The writing was just as delightful as the first book. I loved the descriptions of the towns and the people that inhabit them. It really felt like I was right there with them. The blending of the slavic folklore into the story is also nicely done. The themes of guilt and grief are very prevalent throughout the story, but it is tempered with a nice sense of humor and witty banter from all of the characters. The monsters continued to delight me in their scariness and yet many of them often showed more humanity than the humans.

This is a wonderful dark fantasy duology that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys this type of story. It has lots of fun characters and dark and scary monsters that will still make you love them.

"Someone's on the hunt for witches' shadows. Again."

Kosara is back in Chernograd and more powerful than ever, but she discovers that even powerful witches are quite literally, losing their heads. 

It is difficult to review a sequel without spoiling both books for those who have not read the first, so I will try to keep this high level. 

The first book ended so nicely, I wasn't sure what to expect - but I found the premise intriguing and I didn't want to put it down! I flew through this whenever I had a chance to sit down, and I really enjoyed being back with this crew surrounded by (and including) monsters. There is just the right amount of humor sprinkled in amongst the grief and challenges. I would love a short story of "A Night of Passion With the Upir" and to join the varkolak book club. 

I would have enjoyed more challenging "battles" with Karaivanov & the Zemny, but needed to remind myself it is YA. I'm glad the romance remained a very small portion of the book, I think if it played a larger role it wouldn't have felt like a cohesive duology. 

This is a duology I will be recommending to friends!

I am definitely interested in reading more from this author!

A perfect sequel. I loved this duology so much to the point both books are in my top ten of books read this year. The stakes were high, the characters at risk of danger so often, and yet there was something so cozy and comforting about it all. Will absolutely be reading everything from this author in future, especially if it involves werewolves in book clubs.

FLEW through this excellent, incredible book. Tightly written, earnest, laugh-out-loud funny at several parts—one of the best adult fantasy and witchy books I've read in ages.

I love dark, folklore inspired fantasies. I also love disaster sad-sack characters falling in love. So this duology is a win-win.

These were just some of my notes as I was reading and I feel like they sum up my overall thoughts pretty well:

-I think Dimova does such a remarkable job of blending dark folklore with humor and intrigue.
-There is a humorous edge to so many of these characters that I adored. And some really sweet, silly moments that made me laugh. It was a nice balance to the themes of grief and guilt that so many of these characters are experiencing.
-It's canon that they read monster romance! I love this for everyone involved.
-Kikimoras are a real bitch. Would not recommend.
-Look at all of these queer monster loving fools! I love them.
-I do wish there had been just a pinch more of romance. The slow burn really slow burned but I still wanted just a little bit more. (even like a little epilogue with them being sweet and happy.)

This was such a wonderful debut/sophomore duology! I cannot wait to see what Dimova comes up with next :)

Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

Yes.

Loved it.

Super fun duology. I’d happily read 10 more.

It’s the perfect blend of humor and seriousness and action.

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what else Genoveva Dimova can cook up for future books.

Thanks to Tor and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced copy and ALC to review! Can’t wait to add it to my shelf when it releases.

Genre: Slavic inspired fantasy

Six months ago, during the Foul Days (at the New Year when the Chernogradians hunker down inside with their vodka for a couple of weeks indoors while the monsters stalk their streets), witch Kosara and detective Asen trapped the Zmey, the terrible dragon-man monster, in the Wall that separates Chernograd and Belograd. The Wall is designed now to let humans through, but not monsters. Things should be relatively peaceful in Chernograd, but a cool summer and the creeping presence of monsters out of season have Kosara on alert for an early Foul Days.

For Kosara, a witch from Chernograd, the monsters are a part of her daily life: she ignores some and keeps a healthy distance from others, but also fosters relationships with her household spirits. Asen, the detective from Belograd, is still not used to the monsters, as the Wall has kept them away from his regular life, and to be honest, he’s still reeling from his first Chernogradian experience. But when something happens in Belograd, he knows Kosara is the only person he can turn to. (For my romance readers, there is just enough of a romantic thread between Kosara and Asen to hook you!) The character development while both Kosara and Asen sort out their pasts and try to navigate a future balances out a plot filled with monsters and peril.

I’m really impressed by the scope of this fantasy duology. I love Slavic folklore, and Dimova sets a strong, creepy, dark tone that makes you feel as if you should be reading this during a cold and stormy night, or with a glass of vodka in hand. The worldbuilding evokes an atmospheric setting of hard times with a dash of hope, common in Slavic tales. I, of course, cheered for the house on chicken legs, but also love that Dimova uses a huge range of the monsters (with a very helpful “Practical Guide to Monsters” in the back).

I can’t recommend this debut duology highly enough to readers who want a darker fantasy laced with Eastern European vibes and a touch of romance.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one ever since June when “Foul Days” took me completely by surprise with its excellence! Luckily, that book wrapped up enough that this wasn’t an excruciating wait. And even more luckily, this was one of those rare fast turn-around situations where the sequel came out almost on the heels of the first book! So, did this one live up to the highs that was the first in the duology? Let’s find out!

For the most part, I think this one turned out to be an excellent sequel and follow-up to that first book. I rated “Foul Days” a 10 which is a pretty hard number to follow, and this one got just about as close as you can get. Everything I enjoyed about the first book was back in spades, and I enjoyed some of the new challenges that our characters faced, especially with the brief looks we got into the struggles of these two cities/cultures that had been so long divided now suddenly brought together. And, importantly, while I appreciated these brief touches on subjects like immigration, culture clash, and the general fear of the other, I also liked that the author simply dropped these scenes into the book without letting them take over the story. Instead, the reader is presented with these brief looks that may feel familiar, even if they are happening in a fantasy setting, and left readers to draw their own conclusion. But these are largely events simmering in the background of what remains a very “fantasy adventure” story.

I really enjoyed Kosara’s story and the direction it took in this second entry. Now in possession of not one, but many shadows (the source of a witch’s magic) she is one of the most powerful women in the city. However, these shadows come with their own histories and baggage, being all that remains of the tragic wives and victims of the Zmey, and they don’t lie on Kosara’s shoulders lightly. Through flashbacks into these women’s lives, the book further fleshes out the history of the Zmey and the true terror that he was. Through these characters as well as through further exploration of the Baba Yaga-like character we met in the first book, we get a more detailed history of how the Zmey came to be who he was and, potentially, enlighten a pathway to his ultimate defeat.

I also enjoyed the Kosara’s personal journey. In the first book, we saw her struggle to trust others or to accept help. And here, we largely see the same. Yes, she has learned to trust a bit more, but now with her added power, she feels even more responsibility to solve the cities’ problems all on her own without endangering those she cares about. In this way, Asen was a perfect foil to Kosara’s struggles, serving as contented helper, showing up when he was needed whether she wanted him there or not. I also enjoyed the continued slow-burn romance between these two. As I said in the first book, this is the perfect balance of romance for me: sweet, slow, and a solid second-place to the primary plot.

However, this book marks a distinct shift from the first book in one way: we had chapters from Asen’s perspective. Surprising no one who reads this blog, this did bring it down a bit for me. Mostly because it felt very clear throughout much of the book that there simply wasn’t enough plot (either action itself or important themes explored) that was specific to this character. As I said earlier, this was still very much Kosara’s story. While Asen had a few specific plot angles, they had the distinct feeling of being almost a “side quest” to the larger story. There, but not overly necessary. And, as happens far too often, I don’t feel as if the peak into Asen’s head actually helped the love story, as it removed the necessity to actually show the romance developing, which is the best part and sorely missed when author’s go this route! That said, these chapters were still well written and Asen is an excellent character, so this falls mostly into a personal preference category (with some niggling questions about whether these chapters negatively affected the pacing and plotting with unnecessary subplots.)

Overall, however, this was an incredible sequel! It expanded the lore and history of the world, continued to build out the sweet romance at its heart, and placed due priority on the amazing characters who lead the way, especially Kosara herself. I highly recommend this duology to all fantasy fans, especially those who enjoy original fairytale stories!

Rating 9: A new author to keep an eye on, perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Naomi Novik!

Link will go live on The Library Ladies blog on Oct. 11

This was a solid sequal to the first book! I enjoyed the mystery and action in the first one more, but enjoyed the character growth and relationship building in this one more.

I think the storyline was strong, and I did enjoy all the plot points, I was just a bit hopeful the main antagonist wasn't the same in this one. I do like how we built up to it, and it was definitely well written and interesting! Just expected something a but different.

Overall, this is a strong debut series, and I will be trying to get this into peoples hands. \

Thanks for the eARC!

Now THIS is fun! I read the premise of this one and immediately read Foul Days, so it was fun going straight from that to this. I love this world, I love the writing. I know nothing of Slavic folklore, so these two books have been a real trip, and I'm inclined to learn more now that I'm done.

This sequel to Foul Days does not disappoint! Although everything ends up wrapped in a neat bow, and too quickly (could have been a trilogy!), it’s the journey that is so worth the wait. The unexpected twists, the new characters introduced, and the fun writing style make this a must read.

Absolutely stellar! Author wraps up the series with high-octane action, mind-bending twists, and deep emotional moments. A perfect balance of thrilling plot and character development.

I really liked this one better than book 1. After six months on different sides of the Wall, Kosara and Asen find themselves working together to investigate more murders. But they're in for more than they bargained for when monsters begin to show up as the cause.

As they grow closer again, they realize that maybe there could be something....but the ghosts around them are keeping them apart, some more literal than others. Kosara decides that she must take on the impossible task of bringing down the wall and closing off the monster realm.

Asen wants to help, of course, but he's got his own monstrous issues to deal with, and he has trouble convincing Kosara to accept help from those around her. Some great revelations and twists in this one that shocked me, and I couldn't believe how it ended!

After reading and loving Foul Days I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel and it didn’t disappoint, it was just as good as the first book!

Monstrous Nights was a great follow up and I loved seeing the aftermath of the events that unfolded during Foul Days. I loved the characters and the way the author shows that not all monsters are monstrous. Highly recommend this series!

Dimova delivers a stunning conclusion to ‘The Witch's Compendium of Monsters’ duology, seamlessly blending the elements of sci-fi with the mythology and Slavic folklore. The richly woven tale, filled with mythic characters and high-stakes adventure, kept me hooked till the last page. A definite must-read for the fans of epic storytelling and cultural depth!

A stunning conclusion to an unforgettable duology! Blending rich Slavic folklore with riveting sci-fi elements, this book delivers a spellbinding adventure. The characters are compelling, I love and adore them so much; the world-building is immersive, and the plot twists are masterfully executed. I’m definitely going to be recommending it to the sci-fi book lovers.

What a joy to read the sequel before the first book is even out! Tor - take note - I LOVE the quick timeline between instalments. Please keep it coming.

After absolutely adoring the Naomi Novik x The Witcher romp that was Foul Days, I was eager to get back to Kosara, Asen, and the monsters haunting the city. And what a delight it was! Taking place at breakneck speed, it hurtles onwards from not long after where Foul Days cuts off with the entrapped Zmey and the ever impervious Wall. The humour continues along with the atmosphere, and I adored how much our two MCs just wanted some peace and quiet. They certainly adored it!

Overall, I really loved this book and Genoveva’s writing style. It really is such a great addition to my shelf of truly top notch fantasy. Can’t wait to see whatever the author might write next!

Monstrous Nights picks up more or less right where Foul Days ended, though all of our favorite characters are just a little wearier, crankier, and deserve a very long nap and perhaps a nice hot cup of tea. Unfortunately, their world has other plans for them, and newly powerful witch Kosara, well-intentioned policeman Asen, and the rest of the motley crew are hurled bodily into a fast-paced plot that's one part noir murder mystery, one part monster horror, one part sweet awkward romance, and one part dysfunctional relationships / dealing with past trauma group therapy. Somehow, Dimova pulls the combination off with aplomb, and the end result is an exceptionally fun romp with humor, heart, and one of the most colorful (in a manner of speaking - mostly, I imagine Chernograd in various shades of brown and grey) and lived-in magical worlds I've ever read.

A brilliant, confident followup to Foul Days and a deeply satisfying ending to the duology!