4.5/5

Gentle enough in spirit to live among mortals but fierce enough to endure their cruelty.

I absolutely adored this novella! It's filled to the brim with creatures and monsters from folklore, primarily Polish/Slavic folklore, and it feels so magical. In such a short time, Roth manages to immerse you in this hidden world and makes you care so deeply about all the characters within it. It's a brilliant concept executed perfectly.

I loved every single character so incredibly much. Dymitr is such a fascinating character written with such heart. I always found it awe-inspiring how skillfully Roth was able to weave in elements of the characters' pasts into the present day story. It was masterfully done so that I instantly became attached to them and understood their every motivation. Ala and Niko were also amazing characters, they all played off of each other phenomenally well. I wanted to spend so much more time with all of them!

I adored how folklore was woven into the very bones of this story. I loved the different types of connection the characters had with the folklore of themselves, it was such an intriguing way to explore heritage and a foreign motherland. I could tell, with every word, the passion Roth brought to this story.

Eternity is long. Time enough for hearts to soften.

You definitely won't want to miss out on this book! It's a magical whirlwind, it's a story of family and identity, it's a desperate, bloody clawing for redemption. I'm always astounded at authors' skills when I come across such incredible novellas. It's a wholly different level of expertise when you can tell such an emotional and moving story in such few pages.

Thank you Titan Books for an arc.