Suitabook

Where the Dark Stands Still

A. B. Poranek

Reading: Read alongside the reader if the dark material may be unsettling, pausing after violent episodes to check in. Discuss unfamiliar Polish terms and folklore, then revisit how the characters’ choices alter their understanding of themselves.
Themes: Self-acceptance and prejudice: Liska is shunned because of her magic and seeks to become “normal”, but empathy and experience lead her towards accepting that part of herself. The story clearly supports resisting others’ expectations and embracing one’s true self.
Power, duty and secrecy: The Leszy protects the forest and has sacrificed to keep villages safe; Liska investigates his secrets while repeatedly entering dangerous situations. Duty is presented as significant, but secrecy and the consequences of protective decisions are not given a simple evaluation.
Folklore and cultural world-building: The fantasy draws on late-nineteenth-century rural Poland and includes creatures and figures such as rusalki, utopiec, skrzat, strzygon, Weles and the Leszy. Folklore functions as the story’s world-building framework, while historical customs add cultural texture.
Worth knowing: Consider whether the reader is comfortable with graphic deaths, supernatural peril and a sexual encounter between main characters. The book also includes kissing, groping, occasional mild swearing and a brief recollection involving vodka.