The Whispering Dark: The bewitching academic rivals to lovers slow burn debut fantasy

by Kelly Andrew

'THE WHISPERING DARK seethes with forbidden romance' Hannah Whitten

'A haunting, dreamlike tale of sacrifice, love, and obsession' Cassandra Clare

NINTH HOUSE meets THE ATLAS SIX in the enemies-to-lovers dark academia debut everyone's talking about . . .

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.

'Kelly Andrew's prose is aching and lyrical, the mark of a master in the making' Hafsah Faizal, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of WE HUNT THE FLAME

'Laced with twists and revelations that will stop your heart' Aiden Thomas, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of CEMETERY BOYS

'A masterclass in dark academia. Andrew dazzles with exquisite prose, sizzling romantic tension, and a clever, twisting plot' Allison Saft, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author

• ISBN10: 1473234840
• ISBN13: 9781473234840
• Publish Date: 20 October 2022 (first published 18 October 2022)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 22 February 2024
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Gollancz
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Delany Meyers-Petrov has always been viewed as the glass girl. She's been sick much of her life and is deaf. Together, these facts make most people worried about her health, afraid to mishandle her less they risk breaking her.

This is why Delaney decided to take a risk and apply for tuition through an organization that could place her anywhere in the country. This move brought her to Godbole University – a magical school designed to teach students how to walk between worlds.

Meanwhile, Colton Price has been haunted by the ghosts of his past. Or, more accurately, he's been haunted by his own ghost. He died at the age of nine, yet he is currently working as a teacher's aide for Godbole University.

My Review:

The Whispering Dark may just be my favorite OwlCrate read of 2022. It's brilliant, combining multiple magical elements to create a seriously compelling mystery. Throw in a romantic subplot, and you've got something...magical.

My only regret is that we didn't see more of this world. And by the world, I largely mean the school. Yes, we get glimpses at the classes and even some buildings around the property. But it felt like there was so much more to explore! This lack of exploration left a blank hole in the middle of the novel. Not a deal-breaker, but it would have been nice to see more.

Delany's character is arguably one of the most compelling elements of this tale. She clearly has abilities – her acceptance of Godbole makes that clear. But it takes a while for us to really understand what those abilities are. However, her connection to Colton hints at some of it.

Overall, I'd say that this is a solid fantasy read. I would have liked to see it about a hundred pages longer (or more) to have time to flesh out the world and some of the secondary characters. Then again, I'm a greedy reader, so that may just be me being unfair in my demands, as per usual.

Highlights:
Young Adult
Fantasy
Romance
Urban Fantasy
Secret Societies
Deaf Protagonist
Enemies-to-lovers

Trigger Warnings:
Death
Drowning, freezing

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