Foul Days (The Witch’s Compendium of Monsters Book 1)

The Witcher meets Naomi Novik in this fast-paced fantasy inspired by Slavic folklore, introducing a bold new voice in the genre.

In the walled city of Chernograd, witch Kosara is no stranger to danger—she heals lycanthrope bites, bargains with kikimoras, and slays upirs. But her greatest enemy is her ex, the Zmey, the terrifying Tsar of Monsters, who is now hunting her down. When she’s betrayed and forced to escape, Kosara trades away her shadow, the very source of her magic, to save her life.

Without her shadow, Kosara begins to suffer a deadly illness that afflicts shadowless witches. To survive, she must reclaim her magic—an impossible task that forces her into an uneasy alliance with a mysteriously honorable detective. As they follow a trail of clues, Kosara discovers that to retrieve her shadow, she’ll have to confront the city’s most dangerous forces—and her monstrous ex—within just twelve days.

Set in a dark, treacherous world where trust is rare and survival demands cunning, this novel blends sharp humor, rich mythology, and heart-pounding suspense into a tale of power, betrayal, and redemption.