Where the Dark Stands Still — Content Guide for Parents
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Religious themes
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
A girl with dangerous magic makes a risky bargain with a demon to be free of her monstrous power in this “dark, devastating, and gothic” (Kirkus Reviews) young adult fantasy perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens and House of Salt and Sorrows.
Liska knows that magic is monstrous, and its practitioners are monsters. She has done everything possible to suppress her own magic, to disastrous consequences. Desperate to be free of it, Liska flees her small village and delves into the dangerous, demon-inhabited spirit-wood to steal a mythical fern flower. If she plucks it, she can use its one wish to banish her powers. Everyone who has sought the fern flower has fallen prey to unknown horrors, so when Liska is caught by the demon warden of the wood—called The Leszy—a bargain seems better than death: one year of servitude in exchange for the fern flower and its wish.
Whisked away to The Leszy’s crumbling manor, Liska soon makes an unsettling discovery: she is not the first person to strike this bargain, and all her predecessors have mysteriously vanished. If Liska wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her taciturn host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts—figurative and literal—of his past. Because something wakes in the woods, something deadly and without mercy. It frightens even The Leszy…and cannot be defeated unless Liska embraces the monster she’s always feared becoming.
Frequently asked questions
Is Where the Dark Stands Still appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The book contains significant violence, including characters being possessed and dying violently, as well as battles between humans and magical creatures. There are also elements of body horror and descriptions of gruesome events. The book features elements that could be considered scary, including mythological creatures, body horror, and situations that create a sense of peril. Characters experience nightmares and face terrifying entities.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have violence?
The book contains significant violence, including characters being possessed and dying violently, as well as battles between humans and magical creatures. There are also elements of body horror and descriptions of gruesome events.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have scary content?
The book features elements that could be considered scary, including mythological creatures, body horror, and situations that create a sense of peril. Characters experience nightmares and face terrifying entities.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have religious themes?
The story explores themes of religion versus magic, with the church being a dominant force in the community. It discusses the tension between old pagan beliefs and the new faith, particularly how magic is viewed negatively by the church.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have racial/cultural content?
While there are discussions of discrimination against women with magic, there are no explicit themes of race or racism in the narrative. The focus is more on gender and magic rather than racial dynamics.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have profanity?
The book contains mild profanity used at least once, though the specific language is not detailed in the sources.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have climate change?
There are no references to climate themes or environmental issues in the narrative. The focus is primarily on magic, folklore, and personal struggles.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have sexual identity?
The narrative includes sexual content, with descriptions of sexual encounters between main characters, including kissing and references to sex. These scenes are presented in a poetic manner.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have gender roles?
The book does not actively discuss or critique gender roles. Although there are references to female characters and their experiences with magic, it does not frame these as a central theme regarding gender roles.
Does Where the Dark Stands Still have lgbtq+ themes?
No LGBTQ+ themes explicitly mentioned in the book's narrative. While there are references to characters and relationships, they do not indicate LGBTQ+ representation as a central theme.
