Monstrous Nights

Genoveva Dimova

Oct 2024 · The Witch's Compendium of Monsters Book 2 · Macmillan Audio · Narrated by Tim Campbell and Zura Johnson

About this audiobook

“Perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett and Delilah S. Dawson.”—Library Journal, starred review

Dive into the breakneck conclusion to the Slavic folklore-inspired Witch's Compendium of Monsters duology, which began with Foul Days

Foul Days featured in Book Riot | Apple Books | Screen Rant | Paste Magazine | Parade | Polygon | io9 | Nerd Daily | Yahoo Entertainment | Reactor | Winter is Coming

With her magic reclaimed and her role in the community of Chernograd restored, Kosara’s life should finally be back to normal—but, of course, things can’t possibly be that simple.

She is now in possession of twelve witch’s shadows. Holding them may grant her unprecedented power, but that doesn’t mean they’re always willing to do her bidding.

Across the wall in Belograd, Asen chases his only lead on the latest witch murder case. He follows the trail of smuggling kingpin Konstantin Karaivanov to an underground monster auction—which leads him right back to Chernograd.

There, sinister events follow one after another: snow falls in midsummer, a witch with two shadows is found dead, and monsters that should only appear during the Foul Days are sighted. The barrier between worlds thins... and Kosara is certain it's her fault—and her job to fix.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

Ratings and reviews

Witches and Monsters and Murder! MONSTROUS NIGHTS is a perfect conclusion to The Witch’s Compendium of Monsters duology. I enjoyed FOUL DAYS, book 1, but I liked this one even more. I loved the mix of witches and monsters. All were shades of gray, not fully good or bad, doing what they must to survive. Sometimes the monsters were surprisingly kind, and occasionally the good witches weren’t so good after all. As with the first book, I was struck by the subtle but important portrayal of the long-term effects of grooming and abuse. To me, this was the heart of the story. This book leaned more into the mystery than the first, as the characters raced to solve things before all was lost. At times, the main characters veered a little too heavily into melodrama for my taste, and behaved slightly juvenile or naive. But overall, I enjoyed spending time with them. The ending felt just right, nicely wrapping up all the various aspects of the story. Zura Johnson and Tim Campbell did a fantastic job with the narration. I thought they embraced the essence of their characters, allowing me to be fully absorbed while I listened. *Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook download!*

You can enjoy it on its own, but I think it will be more fun if you have already read the first book. It’s so well written, I felt completely immersed in the story. The world building is fantastic, & Dimova does a great job incorporating creatures from Slavic folklore. I loved the complexity of the characters, human & monster. The story easily held my attention with all of its twists & turns; I enjoyed the mix of magic, mystery, suspense, humor, & romance. Excellent audiobook; great narration.

About the author

Genoveva Dimova is a fantasy author and archaeologist. Originally from Bulgaria, she now lives in Scotland with her partner and a small army of houseplants. She believes in writing what you know, so her work often features Balkan folklore, the immigrant experience, and protagonists who get into incredible messes out of pure stubbornness. When she’s not writing, she likes to explore old ruins, climb even older hills, and listen to practically ancient rock music.