Tales of the Wandering Mists: A Ukrainian Fairy Tale

by Oleg Veretskiy, Marina Palenyy Bailey (translator), Natalia Rusina (illustrator)

Brace yourself. You are about to dive into the fantastical tale of a precocious girl named Lisa. As she embarks on a quest to save her mother using an enchanted music box that she must learn how to fix, Lisa braves heart-pounding encounters with fantastical creatures. While on the run from malevolent forces that wish to take her down in order to steal her supernatural powers, she unlocks secrets in ancient wisdom, and forges her own identity. Throughout her adventures, Lisa takes charge of her own coming-of-age and in the process, becomes the heroine of her own journey. Readers daring enough to follow Lisa will become intimately acquainted with the strange beasts of the worlds of the Wandering Mists — the air- and earth-bound Dolphins, the petrifying Riven, the quarrelsome Inside-Out Man, the sinister Acrid, the wild and wondrous Gardener, and even the enchanting Craftsman who is able to fix anything. Welcome to the Worlds of the Wandering Mists!

Genres: Fantasy

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2025

Reviews

[Chris Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! It’s vivid and so interesting, and it’s all about the brave, clever and precocious young girl, called Lisa.

She begins her journey in order to make her mother better. But before that, Lisa needs to get this enchanted music box that she found, and make it work again. And from that she learns about various good and evil things within the Wandering Mists and different worlds. Lisa begins to meet these strange people and beasts. I particularly liked the two wonderful dolphins – one lives in the air, and the other in the earth, just fascinating.

This is only the first book, since it’s a trilogy. I shall continue to read the second and third, and soon. Highly recommended for every age.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful tale about a brave little girl Lisa who travels through the Worlds of the Mists in order to secure her mother's health and well being. The Ukrainian author-turned-soldier, Oleg Veretskiy, does a brilliant job creating a world in which anyone, even a little girl like Lisa, can be courageous and stand up against evils of the world. The lesson rings true: we can defeat the monsters when we work together.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the publisher of this translated epic fantasy, it's been a wondrous and intense process. Maybe I'm too invested in the project to give an unbiased review? But every time I return to the text, I gasp in astonishment at the sheer genius of Oleg Veretskiy's storytelling. It's truly a book for all ages.

When Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, Oleg Veretskiy’s career as an author was just taking off. Without hesitation, Oleg put his writing career on hold to support his country’s fight for freedom and rebuilding. We met him via social media during one of his missions to aid flooded-out Kherson residents after Russia blew up the Khakovka Dam.

Pierce Press is honored to be able to publish Oleg’s magical tale in English and eventually more languages, so that the world can enjoy his transcendent storytelling. Net proceeds from this first book in his trilogy will be donated to the author's fund for the needs of children & orphaned animals in war-ravaged Kherson.

Thank you for your support! Learn more on his author site at OlegVeretskiy.com.

[Jan Sikes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved fairy tales, but this one is so much more. The symbolism throughout the story is magnetic and leaves the interpretations up to the reader. The things I enjoyed about this book besides the incredible interwoven story are the characters. Lisa is just a little girl. And her mother is dying. She's extremely sad and would do anything to save her mother. So when Jonathan shows up with a magical music box, the journey Lisa embarks on takes her through unimaginable scenarios. Along the way, she meets The Craftsman, The InsideOut Man, The Gardener and the darkness of Acrid. I was mesmerized by this story and how it aligns with so many of my spiritual beliefs. Perhaps it's not meant to be spiritual, but that's how I saw it. The infinite battle between light and dark rages. I loved the rainbow birds who sacrificed their lives for the cause. There is just so much in this book that touched me. If you are a lover of fairy tales with a strong message, then this book is for you. I highly recommend it!