This had a lot of promise and had an interesting premise and cast of characters but overall it just didn't wow me and I found myself slogging through the latter half. I have no doubt this book will be epic for some people but it just wasn't for me personally.

Many thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for my copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Whispering Dark was one of my most anticipated releases this autumn, to the point where, upon receiving the email saying I had been accepted for the eARC, I immediately texted my husband in excitement (he isn’t part of the bookish community and doesn’t really get the excitement). So imagine my disappointment when the book turned out to not deliver what it set itself up to do.

Firstly, I’d like to go over the positives. I really like the Deaf rep in the main character Delaney, especially as the author Kelly Andrew is also Deaf. She gives great insight into what it is like to be deaf in a noisy and chaotic world, and I can safely say that the experience has made me more mindful of the struggles non-hearing people go through. Kelly’s prose is stunning and everything I strive to achieve in my own writing, and it is a pleasure to read and immerse yourself in. I also adore the concept of alternate realities, and of university students working to step between worlds, and the shadows clinging to one’s periphery causing a deep sense of unease throughout.

But unfortunately, all of the above isn’t enough to carry this book. I DNF’d at 36%, at the end of part one. I rarely ever DNF books - in fact this is only my second one this year - but I just couldn’t continue with this.

The story jumps around too much and there were a few instances where I thought I had missed out chapters or scenes - most notably, there is a scene where Delaney and her roommate (who we have not met before) are suddenly good friends, and then another scene where they’re talking during the night, and then out of nowhere a third person speaks up from the floor! It was so jarring; she wasn’t mentioned until she spoke, and I thought I’d missed a page or two. Things like this happen regularly throughout, and it makes for difficult reading.

The characters are flat, boring, and bland. Delaney has no personality outside of dyeing her hair, wearing cochlear implants, and dressing differently. Colton is the most unlikeable male character I’ve come across all year, more so than even Raven Kennedy’s King Midas, who is written to be detestable. The secondary characters are sort of just there; other than Adya seeing a dead person in a mirror (?) they don’t have much going for them,

This is very much a romance within a fantasy setting, rather than a fantasy with a side of romance. Unfortunately, the “romance” is the dreaded instalove mashed with instahate, and is honestly pretty toxic. Colton is not supposed to engage with Delaney (but we aren’t told why - this gets very irritating very quickly) and yet he immediately does everything he can to be around her, while acknowledging that he shouldn’t. Delaney calls him an asshole the first time she meets him because he seems to not hold an elevator for her, and then she spends days buying him coffee to apologise - which he ignores.
There’s a scene where Colton offers to tutor Delaney because she’s failing her classes, and when she decides to take him up on his offer in front of his friend, Colton denies all knowledge of this offer. Later, when he says she “caught him off guard” with that, he has her *come to his house at night* for the study session, and - here’s the kicker - when she gets there, he says “lol sorry, tonight’s no good for me actually”. He’s SO rude and such a gaslighter, but these behaviours are barely even dealt with! He also insists on calling Delaney “Wednesday” (as in Wednesday Addams) even though she doesn’t like it. And his instant and total attraction to her is so jarring because she does nothing at all to earn it. I don’t get it. They share no chemistry, no connection outside of meeting once as children, and most the time they don’t even seem to like each other. Their interactions make me deeply uncomfortable and the fact that they end up together just doesn’t feel right,

The world building is non-existent. The book has such an amazingly interesting premise that it then goes on to barely even touch. Is magic commonplace in their world? Does everyone know about the alternate realities? What do the students even study in their classes? How does one obtain good marks in stepping between worlds? What the hell is the deal with Adya seeing a dead boy in a mirror and then no one freaking the hell out about it? What lurks in the shadows? From reading other reviews on Goodreads, none of these questions get answered (which is ultimately what made me decide to drop this book). We just leap straight into the story with no idea what is really going on, and not in an intriguing way - I was frustrated the entire time I was reading.

I’m truly sorry to be leaving a negative review, as I wanted to love this book, I really did. But it just doesn’t live up to the promises it made. It feels like an ugly first draft that hasn’t been developed or edited yet, and I wish it didn’t, because I really do think Andrew has a talent for prose. I would love to read her future works in the hope that her storytelling comes to match her beautiful prose and her wonderful ideas… but this one isn’t for me.

I feel like if there's one thing that stood out in this book it's the disabiltiy rep. I think it was well done and I enjoyed seeing it in a main character, which is kind of rare. I was excited to delve into this book because it's been advertised as sort of like Ninth House, and I really enjoyed that book. To be honest though, The Whispering Dark was on the meh side. It didn't really hold my interest all throughout, and the worldbuilding felt a bit lackluster. Some parts were confusing because they weren't explained that well. I think part of the confusion was also that a lot of things happened off-screen. Romance wise, I wasn't really sold either. Overall, kinda disappointing. Hoepfully, other people will get to enjoy it more than me.

Kelly Andrew’s THE WHISPERING DARK blew me away. Delaney Meyers-Petrov attends a prestigious school where the students are taught to slip between worlds. As a Deaf student, Delaney wants to prove that she’s more than her disability. And she believes this school will give her the chance to do that. Colton Price died when he was young, brought back to life by Delaney. And now, years later, they’re reunited, but despite how drawn to her he is, Colton can’t have anything to do with Delaney. Yet, students are turning up dead, and Delaney and Colton are forced together, having to battle against the odds to figure out what is going on, or risk dying themselves.

The prose on this book is nothing short of spectacular. I say that because it had me hooked from the very first page. As soon as I read the first two chapters in the cover reveal article back in January, I knew this book would be one of my most anticipated books of the year. And it did not disappoint.

Kelly Andrew creates a world so rich in depth and magic that I couldn’t help but be pulled into the story and compelled to flip every page. The characters were well thought out and I found myself falling in love with Delaney and Colton, and their story. It was so magnetic. The side characters added joy and humour to the story and I loved how they were important while letting Delaney and Colton lead the story. I felt for Colton and his past, and I felt angry on Delaney’s behalf when people treated her differently because of her Deafness.

The plot was easy to follow—and as someone who’s not used to fantasy, I was grateful for this. It was well written and well thought out, and I never found myself as confused as I usually get when reading most fantasy books. I loved the suspense, and the tension between Colton and Delaney that eventually grew into fondness between them. The mystery was interesting and unravelled nicely, and I never found myself wanting for more.

Overall, Andrew’s book was a joy to read, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I cannot wait for her next book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Whispering Dark is a skill fully crafted, atmospheric and beautiful story that fans of the dark academia genre will definitely love. The writing is exquisite and the story’s captivating from the very first page to the last. The story is truly gorgeous, deliciously dark, and magical with the perfect romance and fantastic characters!

I loved the main protagonists - Lane and Colton. Those that know about my eldest son will know why I absolutely adored Delaney and felt connected to her from the start.

Out now with Gollanz Books! Thank you so much for my advanced gifted copy and pr package.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc.

Oooo this book sucked me in right from the start and held me captive throughout my time with it. I thoroughly enjoyed stepping into the wonderful, and scary, world of Delaney Meyers-Petrov. What a cracking name for a thoroughly believable and likeable character. She is a bit sheltered and has over protective parents who are not really over the moon when she gets accepted to Godbole University's prestigious program which teaches its students to slip between parallel worlds, cataloguing the differences therein. There she meets teaching aide Colton Price, a boy who died when he was 9. Only returning to life several weeks later at the feet of, yes, you guessed it. Laney herself. Although he has been warned off her, well... who ever stuck by the rules!? Further to that is the group activities that also go on outwith the general remit of the university. Students are investigating something else, something more important, something much more dangerous if you consider the body count...
And so begins a fantastic story, quite dark in nature but also, at the same time, uplifting. It's Laney's coming of age and awakening. It's her attraction to the dark and, well, Colton. It's discovering the truth... And it's wonderful.
I love Delaney, she's tough, she takes no prisoners. Yes, she has had a past, which I will leave her to tell you about, and she is deaf which hinders her, mainly cos she still won't ask for help she needs and deserves! She is ever greater when paired with the chalk to her cheese who is Colton. Their relationship and interactions are the glue that holds it all together. How they both change - separately and together - as the narrative progresses. Both as they understand more about each other as well as what in heck is going on. It's fun to watch the roles change and reverse...
The story is good, albeit a tad weak at times, but it does eventually all pan out. Drip feeding loads along the way so there isn't quite the grand finale at the end. That said, it does end satisfactorily.
And the writing style is excellent, flowing, descriptive, and poetic. All without appearing as waffle or padding. That's an art in itself.
All in all, a cracking debut which has definitely whet my appetite for more from this genre, as well as being interested in seeing what the author will have in store for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is a fantasy novel in an academic setting but it didn't have a great deal of world building, in my opinion, which let the book down for me. I quite liked the characters and the Gothic feel, and the writing is lovely and lyrical, but I didn't enjoy the book as much as I believed I would from the synopsis. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC, it just wasn't for me on this occasion

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book! ‘The Whispering Dark’ is an excellent addition to the growing fantasy dark academia genre and it will not disappoint fans of The Atlas Six and The Scholomance Series. Delaney is an interesting character and it was refreshing to see disability rep in the fantasy genre while not being defined by her disability. I enjoyed seeing the story unfold gradually at Delaney and Colton grew closer to uncover the mystery at the school and the mystery of their connection. The pacing fit the mood of the story—keeping us in the dark like any good thriller—and the moody prose kept me reading at all hours.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 😍❤️

Delaney is not fragile, she is not made of glass. She may be deaf but she’s not breakable and having a disability won’t stop her finding her feet. To prove that to the world that she accepts a place at the prestigious Godbole University, a mysterious college where students learn how to slip between worlds. Almost immediately she meets the aloof Colton Price, an upperclassman with a secret - he already know Lane, she brought him back to life when he was nine years old. He’s been given orders to stay away but he finds it impossible and as it turns out, so does she. As Godbole’s students bodies start turning up dead they find themselves finding comfort in each other. What will the results of their forbidden relationship be?

I read this book so quickly, I couldn’t get enough of it!! I saw so much of myself in Lane, people often try and define me by my disability but it doesn’t define me. It may be part of me but it’s not all that I am. She’s a strong and brave woman who learns who she is and owns, I love how Kelly has perfectly woven line being deaf into the plot. It’s completely natural. And I am here for the epilepsy rep of course!! ❤️❤️

Colton is brilliant as well, he’s odd, prohibited and haughty but you want to know him from the get go. The connection between Colton and Lane is instant, they attach to each other and can’t shake each other off though he’s the polar opposite to Arya and Mackenzie (Lane’s friends) who are open, warm and affectionate towards Lane straightaway, he ends up being her one confident. I know it’s a standalone but I’d love to know more about Arya and Mackenzie, they’re really wonderful characters.

All the positive representation is second to none in this book, the tropes used are my favourites and I cried at the end. You need to read this book because if you don’t you’re missing out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so interesting and I loved the concept. But it does the one thing I dislike, only feeding us tiny bits of information so I literally spend the whole time feeling like I am not understanding. However, I really enjoyed this the more I got into this and the more things were revealed. I loved the whole concept, a dark academia book is always good, but i needed more from the characters, I felt like we didn't know enough.

I feel like a re-read will help makes things clearer, I still recommend this book and I did really enjoy - just want some clarifications on certain things.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Whispering Dark
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Kelly Andrew
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Dark Academia
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 18th October 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5

Call me Gretel because this story literally fed me breadcrumb by breadcrumb, all the way to the shadowed witch’s lair.

Unfortunately, sometimes I’d rather a slice of toast than a breadcrumb and that was the case with this story. I kept waiting and waiting for it all to make sense and in my waiting, my interest began to wane and soften.

I love the writing, I really do, it’s utterly gorgeous and gloomy and poetic. And the disability rep is AMAZING. It’s why I picked this book up to be honest. Deaf girl with an affinity with the dead? Sounds incredible. I love the idea of it so much. I sincerely wish I loved this book more.

But, there were several things off. The world building, the passage of time and the general structure of the story. There were no foundations laid and a structure that was wonky and crumbling at best.

Also the dynamics didn’t hit the sweet spot for me. The relationships that Lane has with those around her—her friends, her family, Colin—seems stilted. Like the story only has enough in it to focus on one dynamic at a time, losing the others to the dark.

For example, I would have loved to see more interactions with the friendship group. How did they even become friends? Do they even know that Lane is deaf since it seemed she was keeping it to herself and not telling her professors other than an email to their TA? Adya and Mackenzie’s powers were fascinating and yet hardly utilised. And Lane didn’t seem to care much about them.

Lane’s relationship with Colin was… not what I expected. In the blurb it states that ‘she is the only person on campus to find him more arrogant than charming’. And yet, she brings him coffee for weeks and weeks. She endeavors to spend 15 minutes with him before each lesson as he is the TA. In fact, she seems to seek him out constantly. Even when he’s being downright rude to her, she’s undeterred. I liked the slow burn of their romance though.

To be honest, nothing was clear in this story. Explanations were murky and half cooked. Friendships were happening yet not established. And the story line could have been powerful if it had as much structure as it did magic.

Perhaps I simply need to reread this to understand it better. I have this preordered so that is entirely possible. 🖤

🧚🏻‍♀️

"I am deeply, sickeningly, alarmingly obsessed with you.” I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK!

It gives off Ninth House vibes but not as dark. I was hesitant to start as I didn't want to not like it but I flew through it, I was hooked from the get go and I loved Delaney & Colton, the plot was interesting and I was always wondering what's to happen next, it ended really well rounded though I would love more to be honest! I highly recommend this and will be looking out for if Kelly Andrew writes anything else!

I did enjoy this book and its great gothic feel. The story is interesting and the setting well defined enough for the story. I was a bit disturbed by the romantic relationship between the main characters, it made me feel uncomfortable at times. I understand that it was supposed to be a Romeo and Juliet type forbidden romance but it almost tripped into abusive at times.

💜The Whispering Dark💜

By Kelly Andrew @kayaydrew

I’ve had this arc sitting for a while but I kept it for October as it seemed like a good seasonal read. Definitely the right decision, I absolutely devoured this book and it is perfect October reading!

Description:

Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she's Deaf. So, when she's accepted into a prestigious program at Godbole University that trains students to slip between parallel worlds, she's excited for the chance to prove herself. But her semester gets off to a rocky start when she has an awkward encounter with a pretentious upperclassman, Colton Price, whom she has every intention of keeping her distance from.

Colton has been ordered to keep far away from the new girl, and the voices that call to her from the shadows. But the pull of her proves impossible to ignore, and he can't help but be fascinated by her unusual talents.

After a fellow student turns up dead, she and Colton are forced to form a tenuous alliance, plummeting down a rabbit hole of deeply buried university secrets. They soon find themselves up against something old and nameless, an enemy that threatens to tear them - and their forbidden partnership - apart.

💜💜💜💜💜

The Whispering Dark has been described as Ninth House meets The Atlas Six. I’m a sucker for all things Dark Academia and it met those expectations very well. Definite Ninth House vibes, a bit of The Atlas Six but I was getting a lot of Raven Cycle vibes too. All good things!

I really liked the disability rep in this story. It’s based on the author’s own experience so it’s authentic and really cleverly woven into the story and what the main character can do, but also showing some of the barriers a person living with a cochlear implant faces daily.

The story is dark and fascinating and I was completely drawn in. I love the writing style and I will be keeping an eye out for what’s next by Kelly Andrew.

Very likely to be in my top ten, maybe top five reads of the year.

Thanks to @netgalley and @gollancz for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, I can’t wait for my @illumicrate edition to arrive!

The writing was easy to get into but it was the mystery and the gothic atmosphere that had me hooked till the very end. Along with that, the characters were entertaining too, especially the fmc, I really liked her.

I truly wanted to love this book; beautifully written but the narrative just want for me. I DNF’d at 20% for which I am disappointed about but I wasn’t enjoying the book.

This is a book that I was just too confused to follow what was happening. I wasn't sure what anyone wanted or what the premise was. This meant that I felt like there was no goal to follow along to, nothing to drag me through the book wanting to find out what happened next.

To compound it all, there were quite a few things that felt underdeveloped (the university is all about studying the supernatural and the MC who says she comes from a background that doesn't believe in that just accepted that and took it in stride?) Actually the entire supernatural side didn't seem developed or layered. It was just there, and felt like a background item that wasn't part of the story (which seemed more like a college romance but with a boy who seemed to be involved in some sort of gang) when the hook had been spooky happenings at a university with people who died and then were revived.

Oh boy! It’s not often a read makes me physically angry, but The Whispering Dark is an exception. Buckle in as I start my rant… I mean, review.

We’ll start with a positive first; it’s refreshing to have a deaf main character in a book that’s written by a deaf author. There’s a lot of lived-in experience that feels present within the narrative and it really opened my eyes to certain aspects that I had not thought of before.

I’ll start my negatives off gently and that is with the fantasy and world-building aspects of the book. This isn’t a fantasy with a romance element, it’s very much a romance with a bit of fantasy thrown in. Lane is granted a scholarship to a programme at Godbole University which teaches its students to walk through to parallel worlds. We start off seeing her first lecture where she is given a 3-minute monologue about what is expected in the course and told to get some rest to prepare. Then… that’s it. That’s the only lesson we are a part of – we know they learn Latin and calculus (for some reason), but this is the last time anything that is taught at the Uni is referenced until they have a test to see if they can walk through to another world. In this test Lane just stands in the room, listens for a minute and then slips through easily – it was hard to see what anything they were teaching them had to do with it. The world-building is also non-existent, it's difficult to understand whether this program is a secret, if parallel worlds or demons are a known thing in the world as a whole, how this university exists etc.

The plot is also paper-thin - the first half and the majority of the second half is just setting up the heavily problematic (we’ll get to that, don’t worry) romance between Lane and Colton and the rest is either confusing or predictable with no in-between. There is a mysterious villain of ‘The Apostle’ but after one chapter from his point of view I correctly guessed who it was, so the ending ‘twist’ didn’t have any impact at all.

My main issue with this book is the portrayal of the relationship between Lane and Colton. From the blurb I had assumed that Colton was perhaps an older student and that would have made some of it a little better. However, he’s actually a TA and is responsible for marking her coursework and some of the grades for her Uni course. This heavily shifts the power dynamic between the two of them and makes some of the scenes seem uncomfortably like grooming which I’m sure wasn’t the intention! Added to this, the relationship is abusive, controlling and manipulative and nowhere in the narrative is this ever pointed out as a bad thing.

I’ll give you a spoiler-free example of what I mean – Lane is worried she will fail her course, so Colton seeks her out while she’s vulnerable and crying in the library to offer to provide her private tuition. She says she’ll think about it and comes back to him to accept his offer whilst one of his peers is in the room. He then says he doesn’t know what she’s talking about, puts her down and throws her out of his office. He then comes back to her to say that he will do it, but they shouldn’t tell anyone about it – ‘the fewer people who know the better’ (you see what I mean about the grooming thing now?). He then sets a condition for the favour that was his idea in the first place and says he’ll only do it if she paints something for him, she asks where and he says at his house, in the evening, after class!

Nowhere in the narrative is this presented as a sign of a bad relationship, in fact Lane apologises twice during the example I just gave! Colton is given excuses such as a bad childhood, traumatic event etc but this doesn’t excuse his behaviour at all. I think this romanticising of an abusive, controlling and manipulative relationship is unacceptable in 2022 and is really dangerous for a young adult audience in particular. I said to my partner that the only way I’d give this book more than one star was if Lane drop-kicked Colton off a volcano so perhaps this review does have one spoiler in it!

Overall, The Whispering Dark is fantasy with no world building and a paper-thin plot which romanticises a heavily problematic and dangerous relationship to its young adult audience. Thank you to NetGalley & Orion Publishing Group – Gollancz for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.

The Whispering Dark is the encapsulation of those sleepless nights characterised by darkness and the foreboding sense of something just outside of your senses watching you. This is such a chilling and strangely beautiful story.

Firstly I have to talk about the Deaf representation in this book. The way Andrew brings such authenticity and nuance into this representation is impeccable, effectively showing how Delaney navigates a world not built to accommodate her. This is an Own Voices story, allowing that extra layer of detail to be woven into the book. Personally, I loved the extending glass analogy for chronic illness and disability strung throughout the book. It really speaks to how the disabled community is often infantilised and ignored. Also the way Andrew intertwines Delaney’s deafness with the supernatural abilities and forces surrounding her is exquisite. The ability to interact with the dead is a fascinating, yet morally complex one. It really opens up so many intriguing questions here, combined with an intensely compelling magic system and world-building.

Delaney herself was a wonderful protagonist. I loved her bite and frustration at the world around her. She is trying to find herself and discover the truth about her past and why she was sent to Godbole University. The way her and Colton have this dangerous but beguiling connection, despite every instinct telling them to stay away from one another, is brilliant and adds that extra layer of intrigue to the story. Colton is also a shadowy character that I wanted to fully unpick. He is enmeshed in a fascinatingly twisted web of secrets and lies that deeply connects to the horrendous heart of the book. This is a murderous little gem of a book, combining mystery and horror with plenty of twists and moments that made me drop the book in surprise. Also, I loved how damn Gothic this book was. Every page dripped blood and suspense in this claustrophobic and paranoia inducing environment. Not all is as it seems and there is plenty of intrigue occurring in the background. There are also some pretty gory scenes that do not hold back on the horror. That menacing sense of dread permeates the pages and leaves you constantly checking over your shoulder.

The Whispering Dark is a story marked by death and destruction, so do not think you will remain unscathed.

3.5 ⭐

I really enjoyed aspects of this novel, and would recommend giving it a try for anyone who enjoyed Ninth House, Atlas Six and books with a heavy dark academia/death vibe. This book includes some great rep for minorities and differently abled people, and you can tell a lot of thought and sensitivity has gone into these parts of the story which makes sense given the author of the novel.

It felt as though this book could have used some heavy editing, especially in terms of repetition and story flow. The same descriptors that might be charming or intriguing the first few times they are used were used to the point that it felt obsolete, razor sharp smiles and glass and the continual use of her full name.

It feels like the author had a lot of ideas and never quite put them all onto the paper so the reader is left with wisps and dregs of plot that they have to pull together themselves. I still enjoyed enough of it to finish the book and I'll definitely be picking up more from this author as it's released, in hopes that future novels address these things.