Dymitr is trying to find Baba Jaga. Finding the most powerful witch in the world isn’t easy if she doesn’t want to be found, so he’s going to need help from Chicago’s magical underworld. Why’s that a problem? He belongs to a religious order that has spent generations killing “monsters”, so why should any want to help him now?

Ala is one of those monsters, a creature that feeds on human fear while living amongst them. She’s inherited a family curse that is killing her, and Dymitr knows of a cure. When he offers it to her for her help, she isn’t left with much of a choice.

But Dymitr hasn’t told her the truth about why he wants to find Baba Jaga…

This is a novella, so the story is fairly tight and compact. It’s based on Slavic folklore and the world building is very well done and immersive. The opening scene sets some immediate stakes and pulls you in hard. At its core this is a story about redemption, and what you’re willing to sacrifice to achieve it.

Still, this managed to be just 3 stars for me. It was fine. The story was good, and the characters were fine, but I didn’t get enough time with them to feel like the relationships were real and solid. And in the end, getting to the goal felt too easy. Maybe if this had been a full length novel, or the start to a series, it would have had more time to breathe and settle in to something, but it was over too quickly for me.

But don’t let that stop you, just because I tend to prefer longer formats. Do you like folklore based urban fantasy? Are you a fan of novellas? I would recommend this to anyone who does enjoy those things!