Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

I'm really glad I stuck with these books after book 1 because I feel like this book wrapped the story arc up so well and was a very satisfying sequel. I loved the world and the way that it was showcased through the characters and their struggles. It was a unique world but also did not feel too complicated to understand and feel immersed in.

I love the message in this story of feminine strength not being a solitary idea. There is always a community of women willing to help their sisters and it was such a beautiful story to have that at its heart.

The romance was really cute and the angst of it was perfect for the two of them.

I really enjoyed these books and would definitely recommend it to any fantasy lover out there!

Full transparency, i'd dnfed Foul Days a while back, not really feeling Kosara nor the world Genoveva Dimova had crafted in the 6 chapters i'd read. Luckily i was able to get some audio support this time around, even though it's not my chosen medium, but i heard great things about the narrators, Tim Campbell & Zura Johnson, and YES they were marvelous!!!!

The story itself was dynamic and intriguing, and i did not have any trouble picking up the energy of what went down in book 1 that led to the events in <b>Monstrous Nights</b>. and now i'm actually looking forward to going back to Foul Days at some point in the future to fill in the blank spaces because this was pretty cool.

Keeping it real though, i was NOT a fan of the romance. the MCs catching feelings was so limp and unnecessary, and for me, this story was complex and energetic enough for it to not have been a thing in the first place.

Kosara was one of those characters who crawl for a looooong time before they stand in their power, and because of this she definitely was not a favourite. she just never seemed to learn from the millions of times she got screwed over, and ofc her shadows would act the way they did because she didn't boss up. I'm simply NOT into narrative that takes the FMC 75%+ to throw down top tier skills. But i really enjoyed Asen's flex, and thought he was endearing as a romance reading monster-in-the-making, that gave both cozy and unconventional hero vibes. And so, coupled with my self-imposed ignorance about why this cop was seeking justice for his dead wife, the layers of monsters, witches, vicious villains, an insidious menace trapped in a wall and a lore rich magical world to navigate was an exciting and entertaining add to my headspace whenever my kindle wasn't on hand!

Really enjoyed this fantasy based on Slavic folklore, and really glad i gave this duology another chance because this was fabulous! Looking forward to more from Dimova in the future because this was one of the more unique fantasy reads i've had in a while and i love to celebrate that energy!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

I’m surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed this series—it originally was on my radar because I love Rovina Cai’s covers, and I generally really trust Tor as a publisher. In Foul Days, I loved the Slavic folklore and setting, and Monstrous Nights had that same energy. I cared little for the romance, which is still true here, but I did enjoy the character development and a lot of the interactions between characters. This was a very strong sequel and I wasn’t expecting some of the directions Dimova took the story. The monster hunting was excellent and I felt that on the whole, Monstrous Nights was noticeably more polished. The duology is satisfying and I’m glad I picked it up!

Zura Johnson and Tim Campbell were great narrators, and I thought they both did a good job at elevating the atmosphere of the story.

I received the ebook and audiobook as an Arc from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!!

This book is the 2nd of a now completed duology that follows a witch and a cop. Our witch / FMC is starting off in a better place with unbelievable power but her past trauma continues to haunt her. Our cop / MMC is still trying to build a case to arrest the man who took something from him that left him a husk of a man. There is still an element of uptown vs the slums with a wall dividing the cities. There are also lots of magical creatures - some are friendly like the house spirits, and some not so much. The audiobook was again very well done and I enjoyed listening to the narrator. Both books are based on Slavic folklore which makes it unique and appealing.

Overall, this was a satisfying conclusion to a fast paced story. I’m giving it a 4!

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!!

The audiobook was narrated flawlessly with the accents and authentic pronunciations of names and places. It was narrated with emotion and included two narrators which is always a plus when done well, and this one is done very well!!

5 ⭐️

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

4.5/5 Stars | Near Immaculate end to this Duology

What I liked: This was a fantastic sequel and very much built on everything we learned in book 1. I loved the deeper dive into how some of the magic works and a more intentional lens on some of the side characters that we had already known. I LOVE THE GENERAL VIBE BETWEEN KOSARA AND ASEN AND I NEED MORE BOOKS WITH THEM PLEASE AND THANK YOU. Also, the dual narration of the audio book was DELIGHTFUL.

What I didn't like: Not much! I will say that I expected much more from <spoiler>Lamia and the Zmey</spoiler> based on the ending of the first book and the build-up in this one. ALSO, I would have liked a deeper glance into Asen & Kosara (Give the people what they WANT, GENOVEVA).

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the copy of the audiobook!

I actually really enjoyed this audiobook. I did prefer the male narrator over the female narrator but overall so well done. The change in accents to differentiate between character's dialogue was quite helpful. I'm not sure if the audiobook make the book feel longer or if the book was actually long but it was a very lengthy audiobook.

his review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I really enjoyed the first book of this The Witch's Compendium of Monsters series. I seem to enjoy many Slavic mythology fantasy books. I don't want to repeat my review of the first book, so I'll give you a very short recap of the world and characters. I would read these books in order.

I liked Kosara who is a witch living in Chernograd. It is on one side of the wall and has witches, monster hunters, smugglers, thieves and some poverty. During Foul Days around New Year, the monsters come out at night.

Asen is a cop in Belograd. He is a widower, married to the daughter of the biggest crook, who killed his own daughter. Belograd is full of wealth and is safe from monsters due to the wall between the cities. They do have smugglers and thieves, just no monsters.

In Foul Days, Kosara teamed up with Asen to fight the monsters. They were frenemies who fell for each other. I wanted to read more about them working together.

Monstrous Nights starts out about 6 months later, and I was disappointed that Kosara is in Chernograd and Asen is in Belograd, not in contact. Asen starts to go after his FIL, the big crook and is found out by one of his complicit. So he runs for his life, to Chernograd and Kosara.

In Chernograd, the monsters are coming out and it is not the Foul Days! So Asen and Kosara do form a team again feeling the other does not want them. They work to avenge Asen wife and to figure out how to fix the tear and the wall to save people.

I'm leaving out a key component which is Zmey who is a monster who took a witch bride from Chernograd every year, married her and then within a year killed her for her magic and her shadow. Kosara was a possible bride who escaped. Her sister did not. Zmey lived in the monster realm. Another witch who escaped was Vila who is a mentor to young witches.

I enjoyed seeing Asen and Kosara together and solving the world's problems in spite of their doubts. Their doubts of themselves, each other and the strength they would need to defeat the evil and greedy who took and murdered without remorse. Monstrous Nights also had a glossary of sorts at the end about the different types of monsters. I hope this is not the end.

Narration:
I'm appreciating the narrators for this series. There is one for Kosara and the chapters from her point of view and another for Asen and his chapters. The voices felt authentic for the region along with the accents. I am not knowledgeable enough to say they are accurate but were comfortable for me. There were distinct voices for characters. I really enjoyed the emotional tones which added to the performance. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.

Oh my goodness! I took a few days to try to gather my thoughts after finishing this and I'm just still a bit speechless.
I still can't believe that this is the conclusion but alas, all good things must come to an end. I just have to say that the world building in this series is amazing. I absolutely loved it and I felt like I was there within that town battling all the baddies. Such a good book to get lost in. The banter is my favorite, and I feel like everything that could have gone wrong did. I couldn't help but laugh at some of the scenes with the witty banter. I was completely hooked from the beginning with Tim Campbell's narration. The tones and inflections used were great. A very good conclusion to a fantastic Slavic folklore story.

Monstrous Nights is the conclusion of the Foul Days duology. It is essential to read Foul Days first, and I'd recommend rereading if it's been awhile since you read the first. There is no recap here, and I found it difficult to get reoriented within this world. Part of that is because Dimova has created such a wonderfully complex and unique space here with roots in Slavic folklore. It is not a world I know well, though I appreciate it deeply. I wish this was a trilogy so I could spend more time here.
That being said, I didn't enjoy this sequel as much as Foul Days. In addition to it being harder to get into, I didn't find other elements satisfying. Hugely complicated conflicts felt resolved too simplistically after so much page time, and anticipated character reunions felt flat. The ending was nice, but the wrap up was fast. Some huge elements were resolved in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sentence.
This is still a worthwhile read, and I'll absolutely be reading this author again.
I listened to the audiobook, and there is something about the way Zura Johnson says the word "cold" that feels perfectly fitting. I really enjoyed listening to her narrate this series. Tim Campbell joined this one to read Asen's chapters (though the entire book is in third person), and he did a great job too.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an audio galley of this title to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I was sent a copy of the first book in this series through the mail. I was very unsure wether I would enjoy it. Then the audio popped up for review so I decided to do a read along with the ARC I was sent and I'm so glad I did. I wasn't sure what to expect but I didn't expect to fall in love with the world Dimova built; a world full of monsters, witches, and things that go bump in the night. When I saw the second book was coming to print, I jumped at the chance to grab the audio to listen to for review and I'm glad I did.
If you didn't read the first book in this duet, I highly recommend you do. You will not understand the relationships in this book, or the world, since the book picks up about 6 months after the ending of the previous book. And, while the previous book did not truly end on a cliffhanger, all that happened in that book is very important to the folklore in this one.
I'll start with the narrators of this story. The female main character is narrated by Zura Johnson. I did enjoy her voice for the previous book, so it was nice to have that consistency with narrators. But unlike the first book, this book also had a male narrator for the male main character: Tim Campbell. I was so happy to see Asen get his own POV. While I really liked him in the first book, this book elevated him to another level because he had his own voice. I have not listened to anything narrated by Campbell before and I found that I really did love his voice for this book. They were able to do the Slavic accents well and each character was distinct and easy to pick out.
Dimova took this book to the next level of monsters and watching the main character, Kosara, fight against the evil that threatens her home. Kosara is a strong character who has built walls around herself, too afraid to truly let anyone in or let anyone help her for fear of becoming attached and losing them. In this book, we see those walls crumble a bit and watch her begin to understand her found family truly wants to help her and be there for her.
I will say you really saw Dimova come in to her story with this book. It's much smoother than the first book; much more put together. And she continues with the Slavic folklore and introduces more monsters than in the first book. One of my favorite parts of this book was the very end when you can truly learn about all the monsters in the compendium the witches have compiled. And this book read faster than the first for me. The action was ramped up, the conflicts were more dire, and the outcome of beating the real monster was huge.
Dark and gritty, this book is also just fun and even includes a bit of romance, which I was happy to see (though I think it could have been infused with even more to really bring the characters into the light as they fought side by side to ensure the safety of those around them).
I will admit, this book reads very much like YA but the characters are definitely not of YA age. I'm actually not quite sure how old they are but seems like they would be close to 30. For that reason there were some melodramatic areas I really thought would be more suited for a younger audience. I do wish there was a bit more adult infused into the book as it really seems like that's the audience it's meant for.
Dimova is a truly creative author who has a great talent for pulling you into a story, making you care about the characters, and pulling you through to the other side while cheering for everything to turn out ok. I'm impressed this is only her second book and I am looking forward to seeing what else she comes up with in the future!

I really enjoyed the conclusion to this duology. It was great to be back in Chernograd and I can’t wait to see what Genoveva Dimova writes next

I loved Foul Days and was so excited to get an ALC through NetGalley of the sequel, Monstrous Nights.

Monstrous Nights picks up six months after the end of Foul Days and something isn’t right in the city or with Kosara’s magic. The consequences of the end of the first book are proving to be bigger than anticipated.

I loved learning more about how the wall came to be and the politics at play between the two cities in this book. And my favorite thing about this series is how skillfully and compassionately it handles how the legacy of trauma impacts the day-to-day lives of people in the present. This book leaned even more into that theme and really showed how healing has setbacks as well as progress. The crumbling of the balance of power and how Kosara reacts to her altered magic were also really well done. Likewise, the relationship between Kosara and Asen is fantastic.

One major hiccup for me, though, was the addition of Asen’s pov, which we didn’t get in the first book. In Foul Days, Asen is brimming with confidence but all of it seems to have disappeared in the sequel and it made him feel like a different person. I also wish Kosara had more character growth—she never seems to learn from her mistakes. While I did mostly enjoy Monstrous Nights, these two things were hard for me to get past and did affect my overall enjoyment.

Still, this is a fun, fast-paced duology that isn’t afraid to go to dark places, and I’d recommend it to anyone into fantasy simmering with magic, monsters and mystery.

The audiobooks are also great. I liked both readers, whose performances really brought the world and characters to life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ALC of Monstrous Nights.

Monstrous Nights by Genoveva Dimova
Narrated by Tim Campbell; Zura Johnson
Pub Date Oct 22, 2024

Slavic folklore-inspired Witch and Monsters duology, which began with Foul Days
 
Continued from book 1, Kosara has her shadow and magic back. Her evil sadistic ex is trapped in the wall and she can once again live among the people in Chernograd in peace.  So she thought.  Rather than having just her shadow back, she gained 11 other witch's shadows that were taken from their former owners which should make her the most powerful witch.  That is if they worked with her when asked, but of course, they don't exactly listen well.  


Over the wall in Belograd, Asen continues his police job and works a new murder case involving a witch. It's been six months since he left Chernograd and this leads him straight back there following the trail of his deceased wife crooked evil smuggling kingpin Konstantin Karaivanov to an underground monster auction. He and Kosara made a promise to his wife that they would avenge her death caused by her father before the next Foul Days but things are amiss within Chernograd. It's snowing in the summer, another witch is found dead and the monsters who only come out during the Foul Days are appearing. The barrier between worlds is getting thin and Kosara seems to think she is at fault and will stop at nothing to make things right. 
 
Both Kosara and Asen have thought of each other for the last six months but neither made the effort to make contact. Now they are forced once again to work together and face their feelings and the guilt Asen has for his wife and the debt they owe her. Their mission is complicated and several things need to be solved. 

Things to expect from this series:

Slavic Folklore
Stubborn FMC
MMC that bakes
Shadow Magic
Unspoken attraction
Family ghosts
Vampires
Monsters
Werewolves
Ghost Cat
House with Chicken legs
Kikimoras (a "bad" or a "good" spirit)

I enjoyed this duology. My only issue is my ignorance of Slavic culture and names. I had a hard time remembering who was who or what due to the names as they were more fitting for the culture themed around the story. I would get a bit lost and have to think about who the character was due to unfamiliar names. That said, it's a me issue, not the story.

I received the audiobook from NetGalley & Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Foul Days has been one of my favorite reads of the year so it goes without saying that I was very excited for Monstrous Nights. Monstrous Nights with a excellent follow up that expands on the world and story of the first in a satisfying way while also wrapping up the various loose ends in a way that made sense in the context of the story overall.

In this book we follow Kosara as she deals with the fallout of her actions in the first novel. Now in possession of Twelve witches shadows Kosara is considered ne of the strongest witches in Chernograd, if only her newly obtained shadows would actually listen to her. Meanwhile in Belograd Asen is trying to catch Konstantin Karaivanov to avenge his deceased wife. When the two cross paths again they find things are more dire than they previously thought and they need to work together to achieve both of their goals.

I enjoyed that in this book we got chapters from Asen's POV, it added to the story and helped develop him more as a character than previously along with adding a different view point to world rather than just Kosara's. The overarching plots all ties together fairly well and again i felt the characters all behaved in way that made sense to the way they where written.

Both of the narrators did a Fantastic job, and really added to the experience of the story overall. I plan on checking out more books narrated by the two.

I really enjoyed book 1 and book 2 was just so fun as well! The romance just got sweeter and sweeter! It's still a slowburn but I loved seeing more of their interactions! It was action packed tho some of it felt a little too much like the first one but it was so enjoyable!! The writing/sorry is so unique and clever!

I absolutely loved this second book in Genoveva Dimova’s thrilling gaslamp fantasy duology, The Witch's Compendium of Monsters. You could enjoy it on its own, but I think it will be more fun if you have already read the first book. It’s so well written, I felt completely immersed in the story. The world building is fantastic, and Dimova does a great job incorporating creatures from Slavic folklore. I loved the complexity of the characters, human and monster alike. The story easily held my attention with all of its twists and turns, and I enjoyed the mix of magic, mystery, suspense, humor, and a hint of romance. Our main characters, the witch Kosara and police detective Asen, both grow a lot over the course of this story, and they reach a satisfying conclusion.

The audiobook production was excellent, and the narration by Zura Johnson and Tim Campbell added to my enjoyment of the story. Both narrators are pleasant to listen to, with good pacing, clear pronunciation, distinctive voices to suit each character, and the ability to convey mood and emotion effectively. The story works very well as an audiobook.

This is a story I will want to listen to again, and I recommend this series for fans of gaslamp fantasy and Slavic folklore.

I received a free advanced review copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

Monstrous Nights is the stunning conclusion to the Witches Compendium of Monsters Duology that began earlier this year with Foul Days. This time we pick up only after only a few months have past. While Kosara and Asen were able to stop the threat to both their city's, the work is clearly not done as new problems emerge. Kosara and Asen have to work together once again, and perhaps along the way they will find some long deserved healing with each other.

I loved the first book and the dynamic between the two main characters. They both are deeply wounded in different ways and work so well together. The world Dimova creates is based in Russian and Jewish folklore mixed with.a cold war wall between two major cities. The cast of monsters is so creative and yet believable in this world. It is such a unique concept and executed beautifully.

I was thrilled to listen to this story on Audiobook! The dual POV narration between Kosara and Asen helped me to feel empathy towards both characters and also enjoy the banter between them. Each narrator does a fabulous job of brining the listener into their perspective and personality and allowing us to see their weaknesses as well as their strengths.

Monstrous Nights is a more than satisfying conclusion to the story begun in Foul Days. It has plenty of action to keep you guessing and enough romance that makes you want to root for these two to find some happiness in the world.

Thanks to MacMillian audio and Netgalley for access to an ALC for review puporses.

If you loved Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy and/or Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver and Uprooted, you’ll absolutely love Dimova’s Witch’s Compendium of Monsters duology. Chernograd has a wonderfully spooky, dark thematic atmosphere, and the mystery plot reminds me of older detective noir stories. Kosara and Asen once again team up in this one again to solve another murder and hopefully ignite the tiny spark that lit between them. After the cliffhanger from Foul Days and no resolution to the slow burn, I sure was glad to get into this one so soon after the first book released. Dimova’s conclusion was one of the best wrap-ups I’ve seen to a fantasy, and I will definitely be paying attention to this author in the future.

I love the fantasy setting in this series. Chernograd reminded me strongly of East and West Berlin, which I found later in the author’s note was a spot-on assessment. (If you liked this book, you should check out The Man from U.N.C.L.E., it has a great depiction of the setting and it’s a spy thriller/mystery.) The wall between Chernograd and Belgrad does more than separate two different classes of people, also. Both books begin with one of the characters in our duo crossing the wall and meeting the other. In Foul Days, Kosara crosses to meet Asan. In Monstrous Nights, Asan needs help from Kosara, and he goes to her first. Small details like this in stories really make a story much more engaging for me, and I love them.

Dimova writes characters like a pro, and I’m not talking only about the main ones. Kosara’s house ghosts stole every scene they were in. Kosara and Asen are not half bad, either. Over the course of the first book, her onion layers slowly peeled away to reveal a person motivated by loyalty to her family and friends, instead of the skin saver she came across as initially. Asen’s character gets fleshed out a bit more in Monstrous Nights. We get more of his back story involving his wife and show his immense amount of grief and guilt. This may all sound like a complete sad party, but the author weaves some comedy throughout for relief, which I definitely appreciated.

The narration in this one was superb. I was impressed enough with Johnson’s and Campbell’s narration that I actually looked at the narrators’ website and saw many different accents. The voice and intonation were easy to understand, and there weren’t any low parts I had to strain to hear. I recommend listening to this one if possible.

Overall, 4/5 for the story and 5/5 for the narration. Great characters combined with a fantastic writing style and great setting (especially for October) make this a 4-star read for me. I’d give it a 5 if not for the copious amount of foul language, which hampered the experience for me. For one, it makes the fantasy setting less believable, and for the other, well, I don’t like it.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

#genovevadimova #monstrousnights #fouldays #tor #macmillanaudio #macaudio2024 #lgbt #fantasy

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

After reading Foul Days and loving it, I wasn't sure which direction the second book would take and found myself pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this second book. Kosara is back in Chernograd after the crazy events that ended book 1, and this time she's super powerful. But there's something happening with the monsters and the wall, and it's up to her to figure out what it is.

Kosara and our grumpy cop work together as they try and figure out what's going on and how to fix it. The magic gets super complex and crazy. The stakes are high. I wanted more from the romance, but I also have to remind myself that this is a YA book and not what I usually go for, but overall, I enjoyed it just as much as the first book. We still get crazy scary monsters, we still get the violence that I loved. I really enjoyed the folklore that's in these books, and I love the fact that that stayed consistent in this one.

I also liked both narrators as this book was dual pov and we got to see more in the head of my favorite grumpy detective.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars