Review by Booklist Review
A secret war is being waged under the surface of modern-day Chicago, as the Holy Order seeks to eradicate magical beings that exist among ordinary people, feeding on their emotions. Dymitr is a human whose quest for redemption brings him to a cursed zmora woman named Ala. He offers her an enchanted flower that could lift her curse in exchange for her help guiding him to legendary witch Baba Yaga. Joined by Nico, a vampire-like strzyga, they journey into the hidden underbelly of the city, where all of their beliefs will be tested, and their connections will be hard-won. Roth (Arch-Conspirator, 2023) packs a tremendous amount of world building, character development, and action into this novella inspired by Polish folklore. Thorny family dynamics, difficult alliances, Christian imperialism, plenty of fighting, and a hint of romance keep the plot moving at breakneck speed to a denouement readers will certainly hope is not the last they hear from these characters. For fans of folklore-inspired fantasy such as The Chaos, by Nalo Hopkinson (2012), Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy, or The Wolf and the Woodsman (2021), by Ava Reid. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-selling Roth's fantasy novels are always a hit; expect nothing less from her short latest.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bestseller Roth (Arch-Conspirator) pulls from Slavic lore in this captivating, bite-sized urban fantasy. Hidden amid the streets of Chicago are creatures that feed off negative emotions like fear and anger. Dymitr has lived a life of pain as a member of the fanatical Holy Order, an organization dedicated to killing these so-called "monsters," a crusade the Order members pay for in blood and pieces of their own souls. Now he's on a mission to find the witch Baba Jaga, seeking her favor to free himself from this life. Dymitr crosses paths with Ala, a young woman from a cursed bloodline, who agrees to help him find Baba Jaga in exchange for the fern flower, a rare magical plant in Dymitr's possession that may be the only hope to break Ala's curse. But the flower only blooms for 36 hours, putting the pair in a race against time to locate the witch. Roth creates a fascinating magical world full of colorful mythical creatures, and by alternating between intense action scenes and more intimate moments of character development, she keeps the pages flying, though after so much anticipation the quiet ending feels a bit anticlimactic. Still, there's plenty of fun to be had. (May)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Chicago is home to many living beings, but not all of them are human. Dymitr has been taught since he was young to see the monsters that roam the streets and has been told that they do not deserve to live. Ala holds a family curse passed from her mother; she sees the horrors of the Holy Order--those who hunt the monsters--and knows she will die from it. Dymitr offers Ala a bargain: if she shows him how to find the powerful witch Baba Jaga, he will give her a magical flower that could cure her. The flower will only last a day, and their journey is filled with enchanted birds, grim memories, and the slim hope that they will survive. Lives will converge, change, and be chosen through this fast-paced story. VERDICT Roth's (Arch-Conspirator) novella is filled with Polish folklore, imaginative storytelling, and depictions of how family forms people but doesn't have to define them. Fans of contemporary fairy tales and fantastical stories should pick this one up.--Kristi Chadwick
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A man with a secret seeks an audience with the all-powerful Baba Jaga in Roth's fantasy novella. Dymitr's grandmother was the one who taught him to spot magical beings. But when he arrives at a bar to find the "zmora" who gather there, he won't tell them how he, a human, knows about magic. He reveals only that he possesses a precious, magical fern flower that can't be touched by nonhuman hands. Dymitr has an offer to make: He will use the fern flower to cure a zmora who has been suffering under a terrible curse; in return, he wants help finding Baba Jaga. Baba Jaga--the all-powerful witch who lives in a house on chicken legs, travels in a mortar and pestle, defeated Koschei the Deathless, and so on--isn't known for showing kindness to random humans. But Ala, the zmora suffering from the curse that will eventually kill her, is desperate enough for the fern flower to help Dymitr on his way. Ala and Dymitr, along with a "strzygi" named Niko, seek out the elusive Baba Jaga together, even when Dymitr reveals that he knows a suspicious amount about the Holy Order, the terrifying humans who ruthlessly kill all magical people they can find. Roth's story is built on Polish folklore but set in a modern-day Chicago that features a simmering underground culture of magical folk. This world blooms effectively and efficiently, so that Roth's brief book can dedicate itself to the changing relationships among Ala, Dymitr, and Niko and the spookiness of Baba Jaga's hidden magical world. This short, atmospheric book proves that less is often more. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
