The Witcher meets Naomi Novik in this fast-paced fantasy rooted in Slavic folklore, from an assured new voice in genre fiction.
As a witch in the walled city of Chernograd, Kosara has plenty of practice treating lycanthrope bites, bargaining with kikimoras, and slaying bloodsucking upirs. There's only one monster she can't defeat: her ex, the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters. She's defied him one too many times and now he's hunting her. Betrayed by someone close to her, Kosara's only choice is to trade her shadow—the source of her powers—for a quick escape.
Unfortunately, Kosara soon develops the deadly sickness that plagues shadowless witches—and only reclaiming her magic can cure her. To find it, she's forced to team up with a suspiciously honorable detective. Even worse, all the clues point in a single direction: To get her shadow back, Kosara will have to face the Foul Days' biggest threats without it. And she's only got twelve days.
But in a city where everyone is out for themselves, who can Kosara trust to assist her in outwitting the biggest monster from her past?
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
June 25, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781250351234
- File size: 434466 KB
- Duration: 15:05:07
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from April 1, 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.
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