Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
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Raised in a small village near the spirit-wood, Liska Radost knows that Magic is monstrous, and its practitioners, monsters. After Liska unleashes her own powers with devastating consequences, she is caught by the demon warden of the wood – the Leszy – who offers her a bargain: one year of servitude in exchange for a wish.
Whisked away to his crumbling manor, Liska soon discovers the sinister roots of their bargain. And if she wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts of his past.
Those who enter the wood do not always return…
MY THOUGHTS
I picked up Where the Dark Stands Still because it was billed as a combination of Howl’s Moving Castle and Beauty and the Beast. While I've never read Howl’s Moving Castle, I've heard nothing but rave reviews about it, and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite classic stories. The comparison and parallels to Beauty and the Beast were easy to see. Our main heroine, Liska, sets off in search of a magical flower to rid herself of her magic, but instead, she bargains away a year of her life as a servant to the wood demon, hoping he will remove her power. Anyone familiar with the classic would not be surprised to discover that after spending time with one another, Liska and The Leszy eventually grew closer and closer only to develop feelings for one another.
However, I had a hard time getting into Where the Dark Stands Still. The plot itself was very slow, with long periods of nothing much happening. Even when Liska helps The Leszy on his duties as the warden of the woods, I didn't find myself invested or caring about what was going on or what was happening to the characters. I'm more accustomed to novels with more action, and I didn't think the stakes were high enough here. Despite the surprising ending, I still didn't find myself caring about the outcome. The synopsis promised a romantic fantasy, but Liska and The Leszy lacked chemistry, which made me more and more detached from the story.
I had such high expectations, but unfortunately, the story was a complete letdown. I do not recommend this book at all, and I wish I could get back the time I spent reading it, as it took almost two weeks to slog through.
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