Publishers Weekly
★ 04/01/2024
Dimova dazzles in her immersive fantasy debut. Kosara is a fire witch living in the walled city of Chernograd. Each year during the Foul Days, the 12 days after New Year’s Day, the city is plagued by attacks from terrifying folkloric monsters, among them Kosara’s ex, the Zmey, the “Tsar of Monsters,” who has hunted her since she left him seven years ago. Kosara loses her magical powers when she trades her shadow to a mysterious stranger in exchange for help crossing Chernograd’s Wall into the safety and opulence of Belograd. But witches who have lost their shadows eventually fade away until they are mere shadows themselves, and as Kosara begins ailing, she wonders if the trade was worth it. To retrieve her shadow and reclaim her magic, she reluctantly teams up with Asen, a by the book Belogradean cop, who’s investigating the murder of the man who smuggled Kosara into the city. It soon becomes clear that the Zmey has gotten his hands on Kosara’s shadow. As Kosara’s time winds down, she’ll have to face the literal and metaphorical demons of her past. Dimova’s atmospheric worldbuilding and well-shaded cast make it easy to sink into this fantasy adventure. Kosara is especially vividly rendered and her witty narrative voice is sure to get readers on her side. This is a standout. (June)
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Praise for Foul Days:
“Charming, wry, and emotionally resonant. Dimova’s propulsive, assured prose captures a fresh, gritty world bursting with wonderful characters—and monsters galore! Get ready to meet your new favorite supernatural crime-busting duo.”—Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
“Sharply written, utterly imaginative, by turns terrifying and hopeful—a wonderful read.”—New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow
“The definition of a summer fantasy must-read.”—Paste Magazine
“An entirely original world”—Parade
“Dimova dazzles in her immersive fantasy debut... Dimova’s atmospheric worldbuilding and well-shaded cast make it easy to sink into this fantasy adventure. Kosara is especially vividly rendered and her witty narrative voice is sure to get readers on her side. This is a standout.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Dimova melds Slavic folklore, murder, and mystery into her fast-paced, magical debut, with detailed world-building and thoughtful consideration of matters related to trauma, the immigrant experience, and trust.”—Booklist, starred review
“This is a lively and accomplished debut, with an engaging voice and a deft touch with characterisation.”—Locus
“There's no safety when the Foul Days come for you: this book will drag you in and not let you go until dawn.”—Marie Brennan, award-winning author of A Natural History of Dragons
“Foul Days is a fast-paced murder mystery in a Balkan-inspired fantasy world where your ex can be a literal monster. Charming, clever, and compulsively readable, this debut is wholly original and monstrously fun.”—Rebecca Schaeffer, author of the Market of Monsters series
“A sure-footed, swift-paced race against time, Foul Days brings Slavic folklore to terrifying life. This is a brilliant modern fantasy that’s not afraid to show its teeth.”—Ed McDonald, author of The Redwinter Chronicles
“Mixes intriguing world-building, an entertaining team-up with an attractive cop, gripping action sequences, and Kosara’s deeply personal reckoning with her troubled past to keep us turning pages.”—Apple Books Review
“Rich with the mythology of [Dimova’s] heritage… [it] felt a bit like the world of the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo [and] reminiscent of Sapkowski’s The Witcher… A fun, immersive novel.”—SFF World
“[An] energetic, witty debut... This twisty, fast-paced fantasy adventure feels like what would happen if Delilah S. Dawson and Naomi Novik teamed up to rewrite The Witcher.”—Library Journal
“Foul Days is a phenomenal blend of danger and delight from an exciting new voice in fantasy. The characters, the world, the magic, and the monsters are all compelling, but the deft way in which Dimova brings them all to life while weaving in heavier themes of classism and abuse will leave you breathlessly awaiting the sequel long before you reach that final page.” —Kamilah Cole, author of So Let Them Burn
“A fast-paced thrill ride with immersive worldbuilding and a snarky but realistic main character who you just can't help but root for.” —Frances White, author of Voyage of the Damned
“An immersive, thrilling read which will stand as a classic of Slavic folklore among the likes of Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy.”—Laura R. Samotin, author of The Sins on Their Bones
“Delightfully witty and utterly charming, Foul Days is part epic fantasy adventure and part romantic buddy comedy through an engaging fantasy world inspired by Slavic folklore. I couldn’t put it down.”—Hana Lee, author of Road to Ruin
“Foul Days is an incredible story filled with monsters and magic which deserves not only to be read, but savored.” —Maelan Holladay, author of The Storm Gathers
“[V]ivid characters and rich themes, Foul Days is entertaining and compelling”—BookBrowse
“This gritty, atmospheric fantasy brings folklore to life”—Kirkus Reviews
Library Journal
03/01/2024
DEBUT In Dimova's energetic, witty debut, she weaves a world that feels familiar yet singular out of Slavic folklore. Kosara is a witch who has holed up in a pub to wait out the "foul days," the first days of the year, during which monsters are allowed to run rampant in her city of Chernograd, which has been walled off from the outside world to keep the monsters in. The arrival of Kosara's epically bad ex, the Zmey, Tsar of Monsters, forces her to do the unthinkable—give up her shadow, the source of her power, and flee across the wall to Belograd. On a mission to get her shadow back before she is consumed by the shadow sickness, Kosara finds herself saddled with a suspiciously noble police officer sidekick. Back in Chernograd, Kosara begrudgingly uses the duo's combined talents to craft a plan for retrieving her shadow. This twisty, fast-paced fantasy adventure feels like what would happen if Delilah S. Dawson and Naomi Novik teamed up to rewrite The Witcher. VERDICT Fans of folklore-infused fantasy with a romantic subplot and sassy, independent main characters will blissfully devour the coming duology.—Lacey Tobias
Kirkus Reviews
2024-05-17
A young witch fights to regain the powers she lost in order to save herself, and her city, from the very real monsters that haunt them.
On New Year’s Eve, while the rest of the world celebrates, the walled city of Chernograd waits for monsters. The monsters of Dimova’s debut fantasy, rooted in Slavic folklore, enter this world during the 12 days between the New Year and Saint Yordan’s day, when the veil between worlds is thinnest. For a witch like Kosara, the arrival of the Foul Days means risking her life fighting monsters like upirs, samodivas, yudas, and karakonjuls to protect her city. As the monsters descend, Kosara distracts herself by playing a hand of cards with a stranger from Belograd, the city beyond the wall. Crossing the wall illegally during the Foul Days is highly suspect, but the stranger states his reason: He wants Kosara’s shadow, the source of her power as a witch. This is a bet Kosara would never take—until tonight. Outside, the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters, begins to call for her. Every year, he comes. Every year, Kosara evades him—but not without trauma. This year, he vows she won’t escape. Trapped and desperate to survive, she surrenders her shadow. In return, the stranger hastily transports her outside the wall. Safe in Belograd, Kosara finds her mind spinning. Why did the stranger want her shadow? How did he possess magic strong enough to transport her to safety? How did the Zmey find her so quickly? While most Chernograd citizens would give anything to cross the wall, Kosara needs a way back in. Without her shadow, she’s nothing, and while the Zmey wants her, she will never be truly safe. In Kosara’s attempts to get home, she finds Asen, a Belogradian cop from the Supernatural Investigations Unit, looking for the stranger with her shadow. Together, their adventure takes them across the wall and beyond as they fight every monster on the Witch and Warlock Association’s record as well as their own internal demons. The worldbuilding keeps the pages turning, as the fun of being immersed in moody Chernograd with ghosts in bathrooms and monsters lurking on corners distracts from thin plotting. Kosara calls herself a mediocre witch, which makes her character likable, but also provides a convenient excuse for the way she gets into a myriad of regrettable scenarios. Readers looking for more solid backstory—Why are the monsters only in Chernograd? What of the supernatural exists elsewhere?—can hold out hope for Book 2.
This gritty, atmospheric fantasy brings folklore to life, but a lack of cohesion won’t get past astute readers.
