Parents' Guide to

Where the Dark Stands Still

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Captivating magical fantasy steeped in Polish folklore.

Book A. B. Poranek Fantasy 2024
Where the Dark Stands Still book cover: The Leszy, an antlered mage, and Liska, his young assistant, wander through the demon-infested Polish woods looking wary

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

In WHERE THE DARK STANDS STILL, 17-year-old Liska runs away from her village during a summer festival in desperation to rid herself of magic powers that have only caused her trouble. For just one night in the demon-infested woods (or Driada), an enchanted fern flower blooms. If Liska finds it in time, she will be granted a wish. Unfortunately, a water demon finds her first and tries to drag her to her death in a river. After she barely escapes with her life, she meets a white stag on the riverbank, who guides her through the Driada to the famed flower and then transforms into the figure of a man with antlers. He is the Leszy, guardian of the Driada and all its dangerous creatures, and will grant her wish if she serves him for one year. Liska accepts the bargain and moves into his decrepit manor in the middle of the forest, a place almost as full of dark secrets as the Leszy himself.

Is It Any Good?

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In this captivating debut fantasy steeped in Polish folklore, a desperate village girl named Liska delves deep into a wondrously dark wood full of grisly spirits and dangerous secrets. Much about this story could have veered too dark, especially when demons rip apart villagers and dead things rise to warn Liska to be wary of the Leszy, the handsome and brooding antlered guardian of the wood who has taken her in. But Where the Dark Stands Still focuses so well on Liska, on her curiosity and her tenacity to find out everything she can about the Lezsy, as well as on her shame about a past where her magic did harm. She encounters dark places within herself, but it's balanced well with her joy over befriending a sarcastic-cat house spirt, over the gift of a vegetable garden, and cooking traditional Polish treats. Readers will embrace the magic of this world before Liska fully does, especially as romantic feelings for the Leszy grow.

The magic of this world is also in the beautiful writing and the crafty plotting that leaves you guessing all the way to the very last sentence. No series was announced with this book release, but let's cross our fingers for a sequel and a robust glossary to go with it: Polish folklore is new to many, and the consonant-heavy names of all the fascinating creatures sure are hard to pronounce without a bit of help.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Liska's struggles for self-acceptance in Where the Dark Stands Still. What is she told in her village about her magic? What happens when she tries to suppress it? How does she find the courage to finally be who she is?

  • In Chapter 23, the Leszy says to Liska, "If the world has not prepared a place for you, you must take up a hammer and chisel and carve one out for yourself." Can you think of a time when fitting in was challenging and you followed this advice?

  • Have you ever read any Polish folktales before this story? Where do you think you can learn more about them? Which creature that the author describes would you least like to encounter in an enchanted wood?

Book Details

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