#The Whispering Dark

[ireadyabooks]

Haunting Dark Fantasy from Kelly Andrew🕸️ 🔮

Read excerpts from I AM MADE OF DEATH, YOUR BLOOD, MY BONES, and THE WHISPERING DARK!

From Kelly Andrew, the New York Times bestselling author of Your Blood, My Bones, comes the most electrifying dark romance of the decade.

Start reading I Am Made of Death now!

A seductively twisted romance about loyalty, fate, the lengths we go to hide the darkest parts of ourselves … and the people who love those parts most of all

Start reading Your Blood, My Bones now!

“A haunting, dreamlike tale of sacrifice, love, and obsession.” – Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Start reading The Whispering Dark now!

[vexedt0nightmare]

I am so incredibly susceptible to dark haired, brown eyed, knowledgeable, fictional men who yearn for their girl :/

[elliepassmore]

I Am Made of Death review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: horror, ASL rep, monsters in the night, heiress x bodyguard

Big thanks to Netgalley, Scholastic Press, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the third book set in the world of The Whispering Dark/Your Blood, My Bones. You can read any of the books without having read the others, they're really just companion novels where someone will mention a character from another book or they'll show up for a couple of scenes. I for one am hoping we get more books set in this world. Maybe a team-up, or maybe just a new character story like usual, lol

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you (and pleased), to find a horror book featuring a ballet dancer that does not make the ballet world out to be monstrous and vicious. It was nice to have a dancer character in a horror book enjoy dancing and find it pleasurable and freeing. I do wish ballet played a bigger role in the story though, especially since it seems to be one of the few times Vivienne feels at ease.

Vivienne is a complex character who's reached her breaking point and is absolutely desperate to be rid of the thing inhabiting her body alongside her. The same thing that turns her voice to poison and that reflects back a different girl in the mirror. Vivienne definitely feels trapped, and at times she very much is. Her solution is to go to the extreme to try and fix what's happening, be that extremely mean to push people away for their safety or to the extremes of her own physical safety to remedy the situation of her...passenger. Despite outward appearances and behaviors, Vivienne actually cares very deeply and yearns for connection, but she's also terrified of it at the same time.

There was a lot of mystery and build-up around what Vivienne was harboring inside her, and I like that we never get a fully solid answer to the question. Some of the characters call it a demon, but 'demon' seems to encompass a number of different things in this series' world, so it's not an overly descriptive category. I also thought a certain scene at the end was super interesting and liked the way Vivienne's passenger interacted/reacted in that scene.

Thomas needs money badly and so, despite his misgivings, he's willing to put up with the Farrows' weirdness and Vivienne's cruelty in order to help make ends meet. He's definitely out of his depth from the get-go, but he tries his best to first get along with Vivienne, and then to just not get fired. Thomas has a big heart and so as soon as he gets the faintest hint that something's wrong with Vivienne, he's immediately invested in trying to help her, no matter how much she pushes him away. I have to say, his dedication to helping others is admirable, if at times a little risky and stupid. Thomas also tends to think of himself as someone who has to solve problems on his own, and it was nice to see other people going to bat for him and the people he cared about. It was a nice reminder to him that he's not alone.

There were quite a few side characters in this one, both new and old. On the new side we have Reed, an art college friend of Vivienne's who helped her get in contact with someone who theorized surgical exorcism. Hudson is a long-time friend of Vivienne's who ends up getting wrapped into the whole mess. I definitely think there's potential for a Reed x Hudson book next. Then there's Jesse. Poor Jesse, who definitely got manipulated by Vivienne and couldn't back out, but who, at the same time, I think wanted to know if his theories were possible, no matter what happened. Both Reed and Jesse are involved in the House of Hades, a secret society obsessed with the supernatural. We also get to meet both Vivienne's and Thomas' families, the latter of whom were more likeable and lovable than the former.

The House of Hades definitely intrigued me. More than just obsessed with the supernatural, the society actively seeks it out and investigate strange goings-on. The House references some of the supernatural goings-on of the other two books and it was such a fun little Easter egg to see those references. It also definitely hints to something larger going on behind the scenes.

In terms of returning characters, Lane and Cole are both in this one, along with Eric (whom I don't remember but I'm sure was in The Whispering Dark). It was definitely a treat to get Lane and Cole for more than just one scene this time around. I enjoyed seeing how they've changed since TWD and the ways they interact with one another as well as the overall magical world. Cole is still an asshole, but at least he's not mean anymore. It was also a nice surprise to get a little more background on him and, honestly? No wonder he was such a dick in TWD.

Overall I enjoyed this book and the characters. Thomas and Vivienne are both complex and stuck in difficult situations, but they're able to fight their way through it by relying on others. This book is a standalone but there are two 'companion' novels with Easter eggs in this book.

[maladaptivedaydreamerlala]

The parallel between Thomas and Vivienne and Colton and Lane is actually driving me up a wall

[callmeontheleyline]

Thinking about Colton Price & Gansey parallels.... Can't stop won't stop

[stardustandrockets]

Jumping on the My Roman Empire trend, late as usual. 😅

Not only did I pick books I haven't been able to stop thinking about, but I added a little explanation as to why. Have you read any of my Roman Empire books?

Slide text:

Slide 1: My Roman Empire* *books I can't stop thinking about

Slide 2: Vicious—and Victor's found family

Slide 3: If We Were Villains—but specifically the ending...

Slide 4: The Charm Offensive—specifically Charlie

Slide 5: Down Comes the Night—but mainly Hal Cavendish...

Slide 6: The Whispering Dark—Colton Price... need I say more?

Slide 7: The Raven Cycle—"I've been dead for seven years." 💀💀💀

Slide 8: Chrestomanci—specifically how ridiculous Christopher Chant is

[slowdripsunrise]

just kidding its not bedtime. i want to make a best of 2024 reads post but i have to update you all its been so long <- guy whos talking to herself over here. spoilers under the cut

lord okay lets see where we left off. meow.

the familiar by leigh bardugo !!!!! rated this one 5 stars, i can see how she lost some of her fans with this one as it didn't have as much magic as her other works do. but i thought the vibes were lovely and i'm always down for a waif of a male love interest. saw some people complaining that she's plagiarizing herself and copying the darkling and alina and well if she is i don't care because i never finished that series and probably never will. lol.

the fox wife by yangsze choo !!!!! oohhhhh the vibes. the snow. the grief. the silliness. ohhhhh my goodness. the characters !!!!!!!!!!! loved this one. 10/10 1000% recommend.

when among crows by veronica roth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i haven't read anything by roth since i read divergent in maybe middle school. absolutely flabbergasted by the switch up because this was BEAUTIFUL. the setting was lush (as much as chicago can be lush) and rich and full of history and in such a short time i cared for all of the characters. the IMAGERY. of the knights literally ripping the swords from their backs. delicious. the very very very slight touch of romance and the heavier touch of yearning. also delicious. this is such a short book that i recommend to everyone even if you don't think you'll like it, took me less than a day to read. OUHGHGHGHG

the wild huntress by emily lloyd-jones !!!!!!! she did it again yall !!! fucked me up with this one i sure as hell was not expecting that . genuinely one of my favorite YA authors of all time. makes myths feel real and tangible and i was damn there in that forest. the concept is fascinating but familiar and well who doesn't love a little competition. the tragedy of knowing the best parts of you are gone. that you killed them. that the best parts of you were another person that is no longer there and well. okay i was rooting for a throuple there but the established qpr was in fact nice while it lasted and. okay note there is not actually an established in canon qpr but in my mind palace there is. anyway sorry just go read it. lol. its 2 am im tired.

summer sons by lee mandelo !!!!!! another lee mandelo book about fucked up gay people. thank you andrew for being the most repressed man alive and thank you sam for dealing with that. creeped me out because well i am a wimp but it was comforting also.

the whispering dark by kelly andrew !!!!! the second book in a row about a fucked up murderous teacher at a fucked up weird ass school. this one's just in boston not the american south. tbh i was listening to the audiobook and the accents weren't massachusetts enough for me so i turned it off but then i just kept reading lane's and colton's dialogue as blue and gansey. the vibes of those two were PALPABLE. bluesy you will find each other in every lifetime even if one of you is a fucked up demon thing. had fun.

your blood my bones by kelly andrew !!!!!!!!!!! slayed. another qpr/throuple where one of them dies. SAD! writing was gorgeous. imagery immaculate. this one i think was hyped a little bit too much for me to fully enjoy it bc i kept on waiting for something truly. truly insane to happen and well insane things did happen. and you know what they did make me insane. i don't know why i was about to complain i rated this 5 stars. i think the problem was i had just read the wild huntress which is a relatively similar sitch.... (3 people in love with each other in the woods and one of them dies) so it didn't like. blow my mind. but i still recommend.

thats it yall. now i just gotta find the jpegs for my 2024 favs post but that may be happening tomorrow. i sleep 🛏

[sacredbeauty]

"I dragged myself out of Hell to you." -The Whispering Dark By Kelly Andrew

[readinthedarkpod]

It's right there in the title, folks. Kristen is careening off the deep end, because she's discussing her favorite book of all time! If you manage to make it through to the other side, we also discuss what defines "dark academia", kids who need therapy (don't we all?), and our favorite classics!

Books Discussed: The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

Books Mentioned: Looking for Alaska by John Green Vicious by V. E. Schwab The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake The Aeneid by Virgil The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Folk of the Air by Holly Black The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstein Candide by Voltaire The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo Much Ado About Nothing (and other works) by William Shakespeare The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Follow the hosts at @laequiem @adxmparriish @hazelsheartsworn @figonas

⁠Join our book club, WORNPAGELIBRARY!⁠

⁠Sign up for our newsletter to get teasers for the next episode, get the inside scoop, and much more! ⁠

[lostinpages-99]

“For a few minutes, the only sound was the quiet tangle of their breathing. Along the base of the windshield, a streak of lamplit condensation began to bloom. She looked starlit in the dark, her eyes glazed gold, and he wondered how badly it would hurt if he leaned in and kissed her”.

Kelly Andrew, The Whispering Dark, p. 109.

[horrorgirlreads]

Sunday afternoon done right

[dramyhsturgis]

Halloween 2023: 31 Days of Dark Academia, October 20

Dark Academia novel: The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew (2022)

Quote:

She’d heard of Godbole. Everyone had. It was a highly prestigious yet controversial program, a magnet for those who dabbled in the occult.

… And so, on a bluebird day in September, she packed up her things and she went. To conquer the world, and maybe some others. To prove that she could.  

She took a breath and she took a step.

And the shadows followed.

[vexedt0nightmare]

Colton Price I will never ever forget you. The way he's written makes me insane. How he yearns. The way he worships her. The way he spent most of his life being drawn to her and when he finally has her near he is forbidden from befriending her. The way he said he didn't need her to leave a message because he would always find her. The way he gave a piece of himself away so that he could have her back. Oh man, I'm never ever ever getting over him.

[elliepassmore]

I Am Made of Death release!

Following the death of his father, Thomas Walsh had to grow up quickly, taking on odd-jobs to keep food on the table and help pay his gravely ill mother's medical bills. When he's offered a highly paid position as an interpreter for an heiress who exclusively signs, Thomas -- the hearing child of a Deaf adult -- jumps at the opportunity.

But the job is not without its challenges. Thomas is expected to accompany Vivienne wherever she goes, but from the start, she seems determined to shake him. To make matters worse, her parents keep her on an extremely short leash. She is not to go anywhere without express permission. She is not to deviate from her routine.

She is, most importantly, not to be out after dark.

A selective-mute, Vivienne Farrow hasn't said a word in years -- not since going missing in Red Rock Canyon when she was four years old. No one knows quite what happened to her out in the dark. They only know that the sound of her voice is now as deadly as a poison. Anyone who hears her speak suffers a horrible death.

Ever since that fatal family vacation, Vivienne has been desperately searching for a way to regain control of both her voice and her body. Because the face staring out of the mirror isn't hers. It's something with teeth.

Thankfully, Vivienne has a plan. She's finally found someone who claims to be able to perform a surgical exorcism. She just needs to find a way to get rid of Thomas first. But Thomas can't afford to walk away, nor is he willing to abandon the mysterious girl he's quickly falling for, no matter what dark powers threaten to swallow them both whole.

Bookshop.org

Barnes & Noble

I Am Made of Death belongs to the same world as Andrew's The Whispering Dark and Your Blood, My Bones. Like with those other two books, we do see/hear mentions of some of the characters from previous books. We get to peak behind the curtain at the fraternity from TWD a bit in this one, and we also get to see some of the magic that underlies this book and connects the three stories' protagonists together.

Vivienne is a very determined character who is certain she's got things figured out and that nothing is over her head. And while that's largely true, some things are bigger than one person. Some are even bigger than two. Vivienne and Thomas get along like oil and water at first, with Vivienne doing everything in her power to push him out. But Vivienne's hard exterior meets Thomas' desire to help people and the two end up first becoming friends, then more. I liked seeing the expansion of their relationship throughout the story and I think Vivienne really benefitted from having someone finally be ride-or-die for her.

Intrigued? Check out my full review!

If you're new to Vivienne and Thomas' world, check out my review for The Whispering Dark, where you can discover more of the world's secrets and meet Lane + Cole. I also have a review for Your Blood, My Bones...can you find more Easter eggs between the books?

[maladaptivedaydreamerlala]

[hunne-writes]

The Whispering Dark

Date Read: December 2022

“I dragged myself out of Hell to you.” • This was one of my last reads of 2022, but I’ve been out of town and didn’t have the chance to write up my thoughts until now. Which is a shame because I loved it so much! The dark academia vibes, supernatural elements, and disability rep immediately hooked me. The plot comes together slowly but that kept me reading voraciously to learn how everything would ultimately end. Lane was such a strong and relatable MC. I loved absorbing the story through her POV. She and Colton captured my heart from their very first interaction on the elevator. Their chemistry was unmatched and I’d love a sequel so I can obsess over them some more! The world jumping and body snatching were really neat concepts that I wish had been explored more. I also kept hoping that Lane’s friends would become more present because their unique and fascinating abilities were mentioned early and I found them to be such fun side characters. I loved every minute of this book and never before have I had such a strong urge to dye my hair lavender 💜🦴✨ • E’s Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5