The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew is a haunting read with strong dark academia vibes and a solid atmosphere. The writing really draws you in, and I appreciated the exploration of grief, loss, and deaf representation, especially in terms of ableism in education and the debate around cochlear implants.

That said, the plot left me a little confused at times. Some moments feel rushed and don't get the attention they deserve, while other parts felt underdeveloped, especially the world-building around the magic. I also had trouble keeping track of some of the side characters, as they felt a bit flat and inconsistent.

Overall, it’s an intriguing read with a lot of potential but not quite as tight as I hoped. Still, it’s worth checking out for anyone who enjoys dark academia, atmospheric horror with psychological depth.

Featured in our podcast The Dark Academicals. I loved everything about this book from start to finish. It harked back to all the best things from 2010's YA while also making something new and fresh.
I am literally obsessed with the pairing of these two and I fell head over heels in love with the author's writing style. Such an easy 5 stars for me. I could read it over and over.

This was great!!!! Was very pleased that it was a Fairyloot book as well as it's definitely a book I'd like to revisit! Thank you for the eARC

I had high expectations and this one met each and every single one. Straight off the bat this was Five Stars for me.

What I loved:
- Dark Academia setting, perfect reading material for when the days are getting shorter.
- Broody, morally grey love interest
- I did NOT see numerous twists coming which was very refreshing, especially from this genre!
- Deaf representation. This might be the first book I read with any of this rep, and I really felt immersed in Lane's experience of the world around her.
- The way our two main characters are just drawn to eachother despite all the signs and warnings from external pressures to stay away. Truly magnetic!

"The Whispering Dark" by Kelly Andrew is a chilling and atmospheric horror novel that plunges readers into a world of darkness, suspense, and supernatural terror. With its spine-tingling narrative and vivid imagery, the book offers a captivating journey into the depths of fear and the unknown.

Andrew's storytelling mastery is evident as she weaves a tale that follows the harrowing experiences of the characters in the midst of a haunting and mysterious environment. The atmosphere is thick with tension, and the author's ability to create a sense of foreboding keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

The characters in "The Whispering Dark" are well-crafted and relatable, each grappling with their own fears and vulnerabilities. As the narrative unfolds, readers become emotionally invested in their survival and the unraveling of the enigmatic events that surround them. The author's depiction of their internal struggles adds depth to their development and creates a connection with the reader.

Andrew's writing style is immersive and evocative, effectively conveying the eerie and unsettling nature of the story. The pacing is well-balanced, with moments of intense horror interwoven with quieter moments that allow for character introspection and the gradual unfolding of the plot's darker mysteries.

While "The Whispering Dark" excels in creating a sense of horror and suspense, some readers might wish for a more detailed exploration of certain supernatural elements. However, the book's focus on the psychological aspects of fear and the human psyche contributes to the atmosphere of terror and the unknown.

In conclusion, "The Whispering Dark" is a gripping and haunting horror novel that showcases Kelly Andrew's ability to deliver a chilling and suspenseful narrative. For those seeking a book that delves into the realms of psychological horror, supernatural unease, and spine-tingling tension, "The Whispering Dark" is a captivating and shiver-inducing choice.

The Whispering Dark is a page turner. It kept me up late in to the night and in to the early morning, devouring the pages (both the best and the worst time to be reading a book that has stuff about monsters hiding in the dark).

I really loved the dark academia, spooky, paranormal vibes of this novel. It was atmospheric and has beautifully written descriptions of the scenery and emotions.

The let down — and the reason why this only garnered 3 stars — is due to the fact that I’m still not quite 100% on the plot. I’m still scratching my head over it. I got the basis of it, but parts of it felt confusing and rushed, moments that should’ve have been glossed over were. It was such a shame because this book did so well in exploring themes of grief, loss and identity.

I understand some of the narrative was “jumpy” on purpose (to show Lane’s missed time) but then there were some points were the characters seemingly got in a car accident but then…nothing really happened/was mentioned? It just sort of happened and then they moved on within the space of a page? It was confusing.

I also felt like a lot of the side characters (mainly Lane’s friends) felt undeveloped. There’s one point in the novel where the narrative calls them by their first names & then their last names & keeps switching between the two and it was so confusing trying to keep track of who was who and who was where and who was doing what.

I also do wish we got more in terms of world building and learning more about how the magic worked / what the world knows about it. While it wasn’t the main focus of the story, I think this would’ve added a nice layer of extra detail that would’ve benefitted the story as opposed to hindering it.

I am not deaf nor am I hard of hearing, so my opinion on this is not own voices. I did like the deaf representation, particularly with how it spoke about the ableism within education, and the exploration of language and the issues with cochlear implants (and how deaf people should not have to conform to hearing peoples standards).

Non-existed world-building, an over-reliance on heavy-handed metaphors, and poor pacing let down this interesting concept. An extra star for the disability rep, but a book cannot survive on vibes alone. This was a let down.

While I did enjoy this book, I also found myself losing interest a couple of times. While each time something would eventually happen to make me care again, overall it was just a good book.
I liked Lane and Colton. But I would have liked more from them. I felt a missing piece of their history waiting to be told more.
The pacing of this was also too slow for me. It felt like the story took too long to fully get going and explain why things happened and their history etc. Which harmed my enjoyment a little.

Amazing amazing amazing and I was super lucky to get a special edition of this too. Gorgeous book 😍
The writing and characters are amazing!!! Couldn't put it down!

Really loved the concept for this one but it would have benefited from the author refining their craft. The vibes are great – spooky, dark academia and richly imagined. However, there isn’t much under the vibes. The structure is poor and the pace is inconsistent with what’s actually happening in the story. The slow burn forbidden romance and many of the other plot elements suffered for this lack of fundamental storycraft. Overall an interesting concept let down a bit by the execution.

I’m a bit mixed on this , the story I kind of enjoyed but the characters felt a bit flat to me and there was a. Lack of real world building , I also had problems with the forbidden love idea, it wasn’t forbidden love, it felt more like grooming , I mean he’s a TA she’s a student, private tuition offers that have to be secret, at his home and it goes on, sadly no, this isn’t just forbidden love, a pity could have been more

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved ‘The Whispering Dark. It’s a beguiling fantasy novel that brought me right back to the fantasy and paranormal YA of the Golden Age of the genre, but also brought it right up to date, and I ate it up.

This novel was read for my podcast, The Dark Academicals, which is linked below and included in my bi-weekly mailer as part of a book club supporting the podcast.

The cover of this is gorgeous but it's the synopsis that really drew me in as it sounded so intriguing. I definitely felt this leaned towards romance, than dark academia so I'd describe it more of a supernatural romance.

I did really like the representation of Delaney being a deaf character, this was really what I thought was done well as it made me feel connected to Delaney and I cared about her as a character. I loved how strong and determined she was to make her own path and not be defined by her disability and that really did come across.

Unfortunately I felt confused at times when reading and sometimes it was a little slow paced for me. I wanted to love the couple and root for them, but I didn't care about their relationship either way.

However the whole mystery of the names on the wall and the supernatural setting and Delaney made it worth the read for me😊

3.5/5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Gollancz and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

I devoured this. I read this a couple of months ago and it was the perfect mix of dark and fun. This is exactly what I needed for that period of time. The characters were so fun to get to know and I absolutely loved the tension between the two main characters. Watching them solve things and find things was super fun.

What stood out for me the most in this book was the main character and the excellent writing. Portraying a deaf MC isn't easy but the author did an amazing job and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The descriptions were exquisite and I loved the magic and other worlds. A highly recommended read.

OBSESSED!
A book that is full of secrets and haunting with an amazing main character? Just overall really good. It was beautifully written and I really think Kelly did a fantastic job of portraying the deaf MC in this book. Enemies to lovers and Dark academia? The perfect combination.

LOVED THIS BOOK! there's something that I love about mysterious magic and other worlds. There's some hades/persephone vibes and I loved it. The imagery was beautiful.
the one thing that annoyed me to no end was the amount of times Delaney referred as herself being made of GLASS!

Entertaining college-set fantasy, stood apart from others in its genre by a deaf-protagonist. Whilst the romance was core to the plot and not usually what I enjoy reading, the antagonist of the whispering dark was gripping enough that I didn't focus too much on the relationship.

This is a fantastic dark academia meets fantasy story with a deaf MC. The prose is lyrical and haunting and sets the scene for the story beautifully. In fact I think the author's writing style was one of my favourite things about the book.

For me the plot itself suffered from some pacing issues, it took too long to get any kind of reveal of what was going on. The vibes were perfection so I was very happily enjoying the writing, but it did take me a long time to finish because I struggled to really engage with what was going on at times. The last third definitely picked up and from there I couldn't put it down, so I just wish it had been paced slightly better.

I loved the representation of Lane as a deaf FMC, the way this was written was perfection, both beautiful and powerful. I love that stories like this are being written and told.

Overall I loved the vibes of this book, it was a gorgeous read.

How do I even begin to write this review? My thoughts are an incoherent mess. This book was a masterpiece. It was written so well, I cannot believe that this is a debut. I wanted to highlight every single paragraph because it was just so beautiful. Every single word landed like a punch and I am a masochist. It was dark, creepy, and atmospheric and I loved every minute of it.

This book is truly Ninth House meets The Raven Boys, and it might even be what I wanted Ninth House to be. Colton and Darlington are forever going to be my favourites. And Lane is such an amazing character. Her character arc was amazing, going from something fragile to something strong and otherworldly. Colton is the definition of broody morally grey hero and I lived for every moment. Both of their characters were so real and fleshed out. I hung on their every word and I was fully invested in them and their story.

My one complaint would be that I wanted some more lore and academia-type studies. It’s glossed over for the most part, but I did enjoy the pieces we got. This book is definitely a Hades and Persephone retelling in disguise. I honestly don’t have the words to describe my love for this book. I was near tears at the end.

It is expertly crafted, a twisty thriller with truly creepy scenes, and a story that keeps you hooked until the last page. Read it immediately.