Such a great finisher for the duology.

Kosara and Asen have been separated following the events of Foul Days as he returned to the other side of the wall and she's remained in Chernograd. However murders that leave witches beheaded and the unexpected early return of the foul days draws them together again.

Of course there's more mystery, detective work, and dangerous plans to preserve Chernograd and the realm of monsters.

Ultimately what stood out for me was the closure each of our main characters were able to achieve in this book in a way that allowed them to free and ready for each other. There's no spice, but I personally appreciate the slow, respectful burn of romance as the story is not centered on this relationship, it's just a nice garnish.

There's dashes of unexpected humor (the werewolf bookclub) throughout that add some levity to an otherwise fairly dark story. The inclusion of Slavic folklore into the fantasy also adds a little extra depth.

If you've enjoyed any Spinning Silver, The Bear and the Nightingale or the like, chances are you'll get a kick out of this duology.

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).

The audiobook is a dual narration by Tim Campbell and Zura Johnson, which is interesting because the first book is narrated only by Zura Johnson, and Foul Days is primarily Kosara’s perspective, whereas we get Asen’s perspective in this one as well. I highly recommend the audiobooks, but also recommend reading along with your eyes for the rich worldbuilding.

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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Monstrous Nights is the witty, adventurous sequel to Foul Days with brilliant characters, pulse-pounding action, addictive writing, and magical creatures galore.

This series has my heart. I love the characters and their excellent development. The writing is elegant and beautiful. The romance is satisfyingly spectacular, and the pacing is lovely. The incorporations of Slavic monsters, cozy and dark fantasy, slow burn, and a snowy setting make this story the ultimate fantasy novel. I cannot recommend this series enough!

Tim Campbell and Zura Johnson narrated this audiobook wonderfully. The accents and depth they used fit the story perfectly, and their voices complemented each other very well. MN makes for a great audiobook listen!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

4.5 ⭐️

Monstrous Nights is a perfect continuation of Foul Days —> if you liked Foul Days, I think it’s very safe to say you’ll enjoy Monstrous Nights. FYI there is a short 1.5 story you may also want to check out: Ace Up Her Sleeve. My goal is to always keep things as spoiler free as possible. Monstrous Nights (MN) delivers with more creatures, some may even switch “sides”, more magic, more slow burn tension, more mysteries to solve with Kosara. The audiobook for MN is just as enjoyable as it was for Foul Days (again, if you liked the 1st, you’ll like the second). Zura Johnson is joined by Tim Campbell for a dual POV narration. I zoomed through this book in less than a day. This duology has been one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I highly recommend checking it out.

Thank you, thank you so much for sharing this story with me NetGalley, Genoveva Dimova, and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC.

‘Foul Days’ was a 5 star read for me, and a must read before this sequel. We pick up six months later - Kosara and Asen are back, dancing around each other’s feelings, and once again trying to solve interlocking mysteries: who is killing witches and stealing their shadows? Why are monsters entering the human realm unexpectedly? And is the Zmey really vanquished?

The same vibrant Slavic inspired world building and fantastical creatures are back, and this sequel certainly carries on as strongly as the first in the series. The narrators of the audiobook also add much to the story in terms of accent, pronunciation, and character inflection, perfectly depicting the slightly darker atmosphere of this type of fairy tale. I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in this world with these characters once again, and while the ending ties everything up in a very satisfying way, I am sad this is only a duology because I want more!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've found that there are a couple of general approaches to a duology, the first is that there is one story split in half in each book, leaving readers hanging with nothing settled at the end of book one; the second is to tell a complete story in the first book and a second story in the sequel that are only tangentially connected. The author of The Witch's Compendium of Monsters does a magnificent job of a hybrid, where readers of Foul Days received a satisfying semi-conclusion with a teaser that there was more to be resolved. And in Monstrous Nights we get a complete resolution. There is more magic, more monsters, more of the slow-burn romance between Kosara and Asen, and more of a mystery to delve into. And I found myself enjoying this conclusion even more than the first book. This duology was a brilliant mix of folklore and urban fantasy and I hope to read more from this author in the future.
I read this book as an audiobook and the actors were excellent at narrating Kosara and Asen's stories. The voices of both actors enhanced the dual viewpoint in the tale and their emotions shone through making the story come alive.
I received advanced access to this audiobook thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.