Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

The quick cut: A girl desperate to be rid of her magic makes a deal with a demon to do so. It becomes a harder deal than she anticipated when she discovers the truth behind it. 

A real review:

 Magic is often seen as power and prestige, but what if it was seen as dangerous instead? Would you think of it like a curse? For Liska, she sees it as a curse she'll do anything to be rid of. 

 Liska knows how dangerous magic is and how monstrous it's users are. She unfortunately has her own, which she would do anything to be rid of. She goes into the spirit woof to find a flower that supposedly has the ability to grant a wish and instead comes face to face with a demon. In exchange for a year of her servitude, he'll give Liska the wish she's desperate for. Will she get a happy ending? Or a devastating disappointment instead? 

 This story is a slow build to a fast conclusion that wraps up most of the questions you have by the end. While the slow start was a hard one for me to connect to, it was worth it for the last quarter of the book. All the elements come together fast once the plot turns and you see what's going on. 

 Liska is a girl devoted to either suppressing or being rid of her magic. She's so desperate to do so that she risks her life many times in the process of trying to achieve that goal. Anyone willing to walk through fire to improve their lives is someone I'm going to adore. 

 The Leszy is the demon that she makes a deal with and a far more complicated character than the book let's on until the end. I get that the author was trying to make him mysterious and an unknown element as long as possible, but it got in the way of the character's development. I wanted to care about what happened to him and couldn't because of the lack of consistent depth. More fleshing out of his character kept this book from being a better read. 

 A dark mystery with a heroine worth rooting for. 

My rating: 3.75 out of 5