Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

17 reviews

callistag1's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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erwikka's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m not crying at 1 am you are! When I heard this was Howls Moving Castle with Polish lore I couldn’t pick it up fast enough. I’m happy to admit that it lives up to the Howl’s comparison. I throughly enjoyed this one. It felt like you were in a fairytale and those are some of my favorites I also love the Polish names. Pretty sure this book and the ending will be sitting in my feels for a while and you gotta love that. Endings tend to let me down a lot but this book is an exception to that. I honestly just adored it from start to finish. 
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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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katievallin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I liked the vibes: the sentient forest and house, the feeling of home, the found-family, the gradual romance. I liked the characters and the very obvious similarities to Beauty and the Beast.

I didn't like the body horror
and human sacrifice.
Those definitely made it seem more dark and evil than it started off being. I also feel conflicted about the clash between the church and paganism.
Also the climax was very sad, and I did not appreciate that.
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attolis's review against another edition

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3.75

A lovely YA fantasy with a bit of a fairytale feel in a similar vein as Beauty and the Beast, Howl's Moving Castle and Novik's Uprooted. The first 2/3 or so are a bit slow but it all comes together pretty well by the end. 
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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Liska has been raised to believe that magic is evil and all magic users are monsters. Including herself. So, she decides to take matters into her own hands by going into the spirit-wood to find the mythical fern flower. A flower she can use to banish her powers for good.

However, everyone who has searched for the fern flower has disappeared. It’s there Liska meets The Leszy, the demon who guards the woods. In exchange for what she wants, Liska has agreed to serve him for one year. But there’s something dark lurking in The Leszy’s manor. Does Liska have the power to destroy it? 
 
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Where the Dark Stands Still by AB Poranek to review! I’m always here for books with dark fairytale vibes, and this book definitely fits the bill.

I saw someone describe this as Howl’s Moving Castle meets Polish folklore, and honestly, that’s the perfect way to describe this book. The gothic manor that Liska finds herself in has a mind of its own, revealing secrets to her that the Leszy (also known as Eliasz) doesn’t want her to know. The way magic works in this book is so interesting, and the intertwining of Polish folklore just adds to it.

The characters are also well done. A main part of the story is Liska trying to deal with the trauma she has from having magic in a society that deems it evil. Eliasz does his best to help her work through this and show her that magic doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Of course, we do get a little romance between them, and the chemistry between them is well done.

I’d imagine if you get the right narrator, this would also make a fantastic audiobook. Parts of the story have a kind of oral history feel to them. If you like dark folklore inspired fantasy, this will definitely be the book for you! 
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meganpbell's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Meet the darker, gothier little sister of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale—with a hint of Howl’s Moving Castle! Rooted in Polish folklore and set in a wickedly magical wood full of dangers and wonders alike, this grim yet romantic young adult fantasy marks the debut of a writer to watch. 
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