«Kaidashev family against ghouls» Alexey Dekan: a new mashup that tickles the nerves. ITC.ua review

We have already wrote about the book «The Kaidashev Family vs. Zombies» by Ukrainian writer Oleksiy Dekan. This mashup of Ukrainian classics and the walking dead deservedly attracted the attention of readers, so the writer released a sequel to «Kaidashev Family vs. Ghouls». And now it is published by «NK-Bogdan». If you’ve read the first book, it’s time to start the second one. And if you haven’t heard anything about it at all, we recommend that you read it. Fans of stories about evil spirits, horror, action, adventure, and family dramas will especially like it.

«Кайдашева сім’я проти упирів»

Pluses:

good quality of the publication and genre cover; apt combination of Ukrainian classics with dark fantasy, mysticism, horror, etc.; powerful atmosphere of the book; restrained, competent style without excessive pathos; deep enough characters that did not turn into caricatures; expanded geography of events and interesting plot flashbacks-explanations

Minuses:

not everyone will accept such genre combinations; there are questions about certain characters and their actions; certain plot elements are too long, some are not revealed

8/10

Rating
ITC.ua

«Kaidashev family against ghouls» / «Кайдашева сім’я проти упирів»

Author Oleksiy Dekan
Publisher «NK-Bogdan»
Language Ukrainian
Number of pages 208
Cover Solid
Year of publication 2025
Size 130×200 mm
Website bohdan-books.com

The good old Kaidash family has already managed to grind through the zombie invasion, lost some relatives, but, despite everything, remained themselves. And now, when it seemed that the horror was over, and the world was cleared of the dead, ghouls appear on the horizon.

The action of «The Kaidashev Family vs. Ghouls» takes place in the well-known village of Semyhory, where 12 years ago the Kaidas already survived the zombie apocalypse. Now, the eldest of the brothers, Karpo, has become the village elder, trying to keep the village from a new disaster. Lavryn and Melashka are now in animal form — she is a fox, and he is a wolf. And there will also be the return of Marusya Kaydashyha, who wants to give her relatives a human face, but, of course, everything does not go according to plan. But the main threat in this part is ghouls.

The novel begins with a flashback, a chapter that takes the reader back 40 years to Sevastopol, where we learn about Omelko’s youth and how ghouls appeared. This move of the writer adds volume to the story because now we have not only horror in the present, but also a mystical root from the past. The book will also feature characters that will delight fans of the author’s trilogy «Nurlin». The writer always tries to combine his works, creating a certain Multiverse.

Oleksiy Dekan’s new novel is a mashup that combines the traditional flavor of the Ukrainian countryside with dark fantasy and mystical slasher. As in his first novel, the writer deliberately bridges the gap between Ukrainian classics and modernity, between those who have long loved Ukrainian literature and those who will come for horror, blood, and mysticism.

Unlike the first part, the sequel is not confined to one village. The events lead the reader to the Crimea, where Omelko meets the African witch Marusia, and to the Mukachevo Palanok Castle. All of this makes the geography of the work more dynamic and at the same time adds to the atmosphere-dark forests, abandoned houses, and whispers of forgotten spirits. The book successfully combines a realistic description of everyday life with horror and mysticism.

Oleksiy Dekan’s style remains restrained and ironic, and most importantly, modern and easy to understand. He does not make his characters overly comical or caricatured. Instead, the author works with dynamics, atmosphere, and character, which holds the attention better than gory effects. However, some of the characters’ actions sometimes raise questions because they behave illogically and strangely.

You also need to understand certain genre conventions that sometimes pop up here and there, and the author sometimes does not explain certain plot decisions, the appearance of certain things, certain events, etc. very well. Sometimes this can be attributed to the same genre convention, but not always.

At the same time, the idea of mashup still works here, not as a cheap trick, but as a way of «rebooting» classics for the modern reader. While reading The Kaidashev Family vs. the Ghouls», you may find yourself thinking: «”Why not re-read the original?”» This is the true power of such books, and this is how literature in general is popularized.

In addition, I would like to note some disadvantages, some of which I have mentioned above. Despite the small volume of the work (208 pages), the plot sometimes seems stretched out, some scenes are written in more detail than the dynamics require, and sometimes, on the contrary, you want details that the author does not give. And, as always, there will be those who will not appreciate the mashup genre itself — a combination of the dramatic and other atmospheres of Ukrainian classics with genre elements, horror stories, monsters, etc.

The sequel was published by a new publishing house for the writer, «NK-Bohdan», in two versions at once. The first one is white, in the style of «Kaidashev’s Family Against Zombies», which was also published by «TUT». And the second one is black, the one I have, and I like it better. The quality of the book is good, the picture in both cases is genre, which makes me very happy, there are lace, atmospheric drawings and page design, good paper and easy-to-read font.

Conclusion:

«The Kaidashev Family Against Ghouls» is an example of bold contemporary Ukrainian fantasy literature that is not afraid to play with genres, mix traditions with horror, classical satire with mysticism, and so on. And it does so in such a way that it creates something fresh, lively, and, most importantly, interesting.

The new book, and the first one too, is not just another mashup, but an example of how to revive the classics and make them interesting for new generations. Despite some shortcomings, «The Kaidashev Family vs. Ghouls» is easy and fast to read, scares, makes you laugh, and makes you think. And most importantly, it leaves an aftertaste and a desire to see what else the writer will come up with. And it seems that he will surprise us more than once.