Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova is a catchy story that weaves elements of Slavic folklore into an atmospheric fantasy world. The audiobook is narrated by Zura Johnson, whose brilliant and expressive voice draws listeners in completely, reminiscent of Old Nan’s (sometimes creepy) storytelling in Game of Thrones.

From the very beginning, Dimova sets a tone that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The world-building is particularly noteworthy, contrasting the walled cities of Chernograd and Belograd. These two cities, separated by a formidable barrier, offer a rich backdrop for the unfolding drama and action.

At the heart of the story is Kosara, a young witch with a troubled past. Her journey begins with a desperate act—surrendering her shadow and thus her magic—to escape the clutches of the Zmey, the Tsar of Monsters. This short-term solution forces her into a dangerous quest to reclaim her shadow, which is essential for her survival.

Betrayed and forced into Belograd, Kosara faces a new threat: a fast-acting wasting sickness that affects shadowless witches. Her only hope lies in reclaiming her shadow, now in the hands of her nemesis. Teaming up with the detective investigating her smuggler’s death, Kosara must unravel the mystery and navigate a city where trust is scarce.

Dimova’s skillful writing immerses readers in every gritty detail, from the sensorial descriptions of magical beasts to the cut-throat criminal underworld. The rising suspense as Kosara races against time to reclaim her shadow before an ominous illness strikes will have you flipping pages late into the night.

Foul Days weaves a spellbinding story of survival in a vividly portrayed world, a testament to Dimova’s talents for atmospheric fantasy. No doubt that fans of the genre will find this a compulsive read worth losing sleep over. Dimova is certainly an author to watch in the fantasy scene, and the next book in this series can’t be here fast enough.

Dare I say it? Dare I do it???

Okay, I'm doing it. This is easily, without question, one of my top 5 reads of the year.

I loved every second of this. The characters, the relationships and dynamics, the magic, the monsters, the world, the humour, the writing—every word was a delight and I canNOT wait for the second book.

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.

A wall divides two cities, Belograd and Chernograd. In Beograd life is good in Chernograd monsters openly hunt humans during the Foul Days. Kosara is a witch living in Chernograd and finds herself in trouble after the Tsar of Monsters, Zmey hunts her down and forces her to make a terrible decision, to give away her shadow. Once a witch gives away her shadow she no longer has her power and slowly becomes a shadow, disappearing entirely. Realizing she has made a terrible mistake Kosara is determined to get her shadow back. Along the way she finds a reluctant partner, Asen, a detective from Belograd. He is trying to find a murderer that leads him on the same trail Kosara is on to find the keeper of her shadow. They face numerous obstacles, deception and secrets as they race toward the pulse pounding conclusion.

This was a pleasant surprise. I loved the Slavic Folklore. This was a remarkable debut that I couldn’t put down. Lots of action, treachery, magic, monsters, a slow burn love story and a terrible villain. The audiobook was fantastic, she nailed the accents and pronunciations!! I cannot wait for the next book that will be out this fall.

5 ⭐️

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

Think the pandemic lock down would have gone better if there were monsters instead? Well for a few days a year the city of Chernograd has to deal with a bit of an invasion. Sure folks takw to preventative measures seriously.

"Foul Days" by Genoveva Dimova follows Kosara, a witch tasked with preventing too much damage during the foul days. Treating lycan bites, dealing with those that can be reasoned with, and offing the ones that can't. Unfortunately she is also stalked by the Tsar of Monsters who may be her ex, bad life choices and a creep are not the best combo. So when she gets cornered by him and the only out is her source of power what option does she have?

Narrated by Zura Johnson, my savior because I hate butchering names. And indignant Kosara is fantastic.

Reasons to read:
-Slavic folklore takes center stage, some things I had context for others I didn't. And I love not knowing because I get to learn about something new
-Morally flip-flopping cop and driven Witch team up
-OK yea he is the worst
-Chicken house
-Sequel and conclusion of the series out in October!

Cons:
-Sometimes it's good to just blast them

Foul Day is PERFECT for spooky season/winter. I was so confused why it was even released now but then I saw the second book in the duology releases this fall. Clever, clever! This one is all about the setting 😍 I read this as a mix of audiobook and physical, and really enjoyed both formats.

• The Foul Days Myth: "The twelve days between Christmas and Saint John the Baptist's Day, after the new year has been born but before it has been baptized, when monsters and ghosts roam the streets.."

I'll definitely recommend this one again in the fall and an looking forward to the next installment. I'm hoping to read it warmly wrapped in cozy blankets while a storm rages outside.

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!

The narrator on this did a stunning job of bringing the story to life and I think that being able to tandem read the ebook and listen was the perfect way to digest this epic fantasy story!

This book was FANTASTIC! It was entertaining, interesting, and also very reliable at the same time.
The MC spends the book fighting literal monsters while also fighting the monsters of her mind. The guilt and self loathing that so many people put onto themselves regularly.

And for every girl who thought they could they could be the one to change a man, who's love would change them, just to ultimately find out that codependency was not the way... this book is for you!
This fantasy booknstill found a way to be so relatable with the core problem, it just amazes me.

I personally cannot wait until the next book.

I haven't read any of The Witcher but I have read Naomi Novik and I can definitely see some similarities in the folklore but I actually see more similarities to T. Kingfisher but with an Agatha Christie vibe.

Oh I loved this one! It slightly reminded me of some of Naomi Novik's or Katherine Arden's works, but it was definitely has it's own identity.

We get a tiny sprinkling of romance (no spice so if that's your thing this isn't for you), a whole lot of magic, spirits and monsters, and a quest to save oneself, and a community, if possible.

I liked the characters, even though the character development isn't massive and enjoyed the pacing of this novel. I'm glad to see this is just book one of a series as I'd like to meet the characters again and spend a little more time in their world.

The narrator was fantastic. Her voice was rich and expressive. Everything I want when listening to an audiobook. The pacing of the book was perfection, it never dragged. The story was so interesting, too! Dark and gritty, I truly enjoyed this.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

(Slavic) Folklore? Check. Crazy monsters? Check. The SLOWEST BURN ROMANCE EVER? Check. Fast-paced action with magic and lore? Double check.

Kosara was kind of badass, I mean she's a witch who HUNTS MONSTERS?! Yes. YES. But we also get to see her humanity. She makes mistakes, she has regrets and desires. I loved watching her character develop.

The plot was super interesting -- and Zmey was wild. I found myself hooked by chapter 2 and just could not put this one down. And what helped was the audiobook narrator did a fantastic job. Definitely an awesome read that I highly recommend.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

As a fan of folklore and myth, this book was an instant homerun for my personal taste. Not only do we get a dark, witchy, atmosphere; we also encounter monsters lurking in shadows, brooding cop side-kicks, and questionable friends. This story is rich in Bulgarian lore as the author shares in her own words, and she truly seems to love the narrative which comes through in her writing.

I was enthralled by the story, the struggle of our main character Kosara, who is likeable and still flawed enough to not be overly perfect or "the chosen one", and the restless spirits of the walled city. I enjoyed the mix of urban fantasy meets Naomi Novik fairy tale-esque writing. I found moments of humor, emotion, contemplation, and frustration (all in well crafted amounts).

I feel as thought Ms. Dimova has set us up well and established a firm foundation for an almost "buddy cop" monster hunting team and I am here for it. I can not wait to see where the characters go and what sort of mischief they get into next.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and could not put it down. I thought it was well crafted, entertaining, and absolutely worth the read.

This was such a fun book! I love books rooted in folklore, and Slavic was a new one to me. I loved being introduced to all of these new monsters, and yet the scariest one was the most human: the Zmey, who basically embodied any narcissistic, abusive partner. For all the monsters this book has, I wouldn’t classify it as a horror. (Maybe a YA horror but really on the light side- but I’m also harder to faze these days.)

I’m so glad for the audiobook version of this as well, as I wanted to continue with this book even when I couldn’t read it physically. (E.g. driving, etc.) I loved the narrator for this; I thought she was excellent. And I’m glad I was able to listen to it so I knew how to pronounce certain words, too. I think a tandem read & listen is perfect for this book.

I also surprisingly found this book full of humor- I definitely wasn’t expecting to laugh so much. Kosara has a witty attitude that I loved. The banter between her and Asen was also fun to read/ listen to. I really wanted to explore the romance aspect between those two more, but maybe we’ll get more in the second book. (Fingers crossed!)

Thankfully this book didn’t have a HUGE cliffhanger, but it left just enough for me to want more! I’ll definitely be reading the second as soon as it comes out.

I really enjoyed this book-- I think it is in my top ten for reads this year. I really enjoyed the romance subplot of this book, and I thought it was well-written without being distracting from the main story. The characters were fully dimensional and well established. The use of myths and folklore added a lot of depth to the premise, and I thought the overall concept of the story was well articulated and put into place in the story. Additonally, the narrator was easy to understand and navigated the chartacters well. I will definitely be picking up the next book!

I must say, this world was fascinating! Scary if you live in Chernograd, especially during the Foul Days. Though there is something very fake about Belograd so I am not sure that would be a better place to live. Especially after a Belogradian man tricks Kosara out of her shadow when she is cornered by the monster Zmey. I really liked listening to the audiobook of this, mostly because I know now how all the names are pronounced. Plus it made the world seem real and I could easily picture the darks streets and the many types of monsters that roamed them.

So what starts as a plan to get her shadow back, it quickly turns into a much bigger problem with Zmey's plan for the future of both cities (though I mean I do kinda feel form him since he is trying to get his sister back). He is still a terrible monster though and deserved what happens. Kosara, and Asen mostly make a good team (once all the secrets are revealed) and I do like the complicated character of Kosara, she is tough and has been through so much but still tries to be kind and help others (even of no one reads those helpful brochures that the council puts out every year).

The book does tie up mostly to a satisfying stopping point (yes, it is a duology) with the little bit to leave you wanting the next book to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance audiobook copy to listen to and review.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I was not familiar with slavic folklore but now I'm obsess with it. The explanation of the monsters and their origin it was fascinating and I really liked Kosara and Asen. I'm really excited for the next book because that ending ws just so good I really need to know what will happen next.

When I read "Naomi Novik meets the Witcher" I knew we were in for an absolute adventure and this book did not disappoint! I can't wait for the sequel to come out soon!

I had a fun time with the Slavic folklore and monsters, which I felt were the highlight of FOUL DAYS. The plot generally moved pretty fast but got a little bogged down in the middle, and the ending was satisfying while still leaving me interested in the sequel. I’m very meh on cop love interests and wasn’t too into the slow burn romance, but I did like Kosara’s character journey.

The author makes some interesting choices with the setting, probing into how much of the fact that the city outside of the wall is technologically superior and more vibrant is because they have no magic and no monsters, versus because they deliberately locked all the poor people inside the wall with the monsters.

I enjoyed the audiobook narrator a lot; she did a great job with the different characters and sound effects (one particularly memorable one for me was the sounds a character makes after a heavy cauldron lands on them). I’m curious about the choice to use Slavic accents for the characters who are presumably speaking in their native tongue and wouldn’t have a foreign language accent marker in their speech - but as a native English speaker in North America, it does help build up the atmosphere.

This started off very strong and honestly didn't really feel like a debut at all. I like all the Slavic folklore and having the narrator do accents for the characters really helped with the atmosphere (though I think that without the narration the atmosphere would overall feel pretty weak). 3.5/5

The pacing got a little too gummed up overall with a series of fetch quests (talk to this person to get this item for that other person to get yet another task, etc etc) and could've been edited a little more tightly prevent fatigue and drawing it out. Just a little tighter editing and I probably wouldn't've noticed early enough to be bothered by it, so I suspect most people will be alright with it.

There was a lot of setup for a slow-burn romance between the two leads that I honestly didn't feel added to the story. And way more dancing than I was *anticipating!

Overall I don't think the story will stick with me, but I wouldn't mind reading the sequel. Up until the very last minute, the story felt very well-resolved as a standalone, so I kinda feel like it was purchased that way, then opened up to be a duology at a later date.

Oh! And the synopsis betrays something that the MC didn't reveal until over 50% into the book, and I feel like it was supposed to be more surprising than it was? So maybe don't read he synopsis beforehand.

*Note: I'm pretty much never anticipating dancing 😅