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witchylevy's review
5.0
This is a very fast paced book and I loved it. There were parts that were frustrating. If you know the information you need is in a journal, read it instead of asking people for information. You can always ask later. I didn't like the anal sex scene either, but that's just not my cup of tea. It was bittersweet when they resolved some pieces of the past, but it's wonderful that she now has a good support team. Not sure what to think of the Crescent Moon Society yet. They were kind of pointless in the book. :) I love shifters, I love magic. I will definitely continue the series and can't wait to read the next.
jillyrabb101's review
I do not like the voice of this author. Spends so much time with every little non-critical detail (example: grabbed peanut butter, set it on the counter, turned to get a knife from the drawer, back to peanut butter, opened the lid and set it on the counter) and not enough on other part. First book I read where the main character was in love with someone (and said those 3 little words to him) so quickly with no qualms or even hesitation. If not for the sex scenes, this could have been YA.
onespaceymother's review
2.0
Meh. Cool world- building (like Haven but ghosts) but the depth of the characters and the writing generally left a lot to be desired. Also, I found her "romance" sections to be awkwardly written. The chemistry between the pair just wasn't established.
deanapotter's review
5.0
5 Stars
Yasmine Galenorn raises the hairs at the back of your neck with the first book of her new Whisper Hollow series, Autumn Thorns.
The Town of Whisper Hollow has a personality that’s dark and mysterious shining through the pages as much as the unique and charismatic characters do. Ms. Galenorn’s intricate world building weave together lore and legend with her own twists giving a fresh feel in the paranormal world.
One of the things I love most about Ms. Galenorn’s writing is the secondary characters play as much of a roll as the primary. Autumn Thorns is no exception. Each character has their own brand of personality, spunk and mystery with an eclectic talents that shape this story. Trying to figure out who was friend or foe keeps the reader on their toes while becoming immersed in the mist of Whisper Hollow.
Enchanting, enthralling and dark. Autumn Thorns is Ms. Galenorn at her best. Action, mystery and passion consume the reader while leaving them looking over their shoulder. A fantastic Urban Fantasy/Paranormal read!
Yasmine Galenorn raises the hairs at the back of your neck with the first book of her new Whisper Hollow series, Autumn Thorns.
The Town of Whisper Hollow has a personality that’s dark and mysterious shining through the pages as much as the unique and charismatic characters do. Ms. Galenorn’s intricate world building weave together lore and legend with her own twists giving a fresh feel in the paranormal world.
One of the things I love most about Ms. Galenorn’s writing is the secondary characters play as much of a roll as the primary. Autumn Thorns is no exception. Each character has their own brand of personality, spunk and mystery with an eclectic talents that shape this story. Trying to figure out who was friend or foe keeps the reader on their toes while becoming immersed in the mist of Whisper Hollow.
Enchanting, enthralling and dark. Autumn Thorns is Ms. Galenorn at her best. Action, mystery and passion consume the reader while leaving them looking over their shoulder. A fantastic Urban Fantasy/Paranormal read!
traecrochet's review
3.0
The town of Whisper Hollow, Crescent Lake in Washington is a place where things really do go bump in the night. The variety of creatures and abilities was a breath of fresh air. The only thing I had issue with was the insta-love, however, it does seem to be a theme amongst the spirit shamans and shapeshifters. At times the writing was a little simple, especially during the sex scenes, but it didn't really distract from the overall book. The next one isn't out until the later half of 2016, and I will be eagerly awaiting it.
elliefufu's review
5.0
Autumn Thorns, Whisper Hollow #1, by Yasmine Galenorn
Grade: A
Autumn Thorns is the first in a wonderful new series by Yasmine Galenorn that takes place Whisper Hollow a town where the the Lady of the lake takes who she wants and spirits roam free. The town has a group, The Crescent Moon Society, that tries to keep the spirits under control and send them into the veil when possible so they don’t rise again lead by the town’s spirit shaman. Since the spirit shaman’s life was taken by the Lady, it is up for her granddaughter, Kerris Fellwater, to come back to Whisper Hollow and fulfill her destiny.
I absolutely loved this book so much and I could not put it down until I had finished it in one sitting. I loved the magical world that Mrs. Galenorn has created with so many different elements that all fit together in one beautiful and haunting town. Kerris has come back to her hometown after the death of her grandparents to become the new spirit shaman and right from the get go she discovers secrets of her and her family’s past. Since Kerris left as a teenager she is not properly trained but she does have a great group around her to help her find her way.
Kerris is a great character and I really enjoyed her a lot. I think she epitomizes everything I love in a female lead: strong, intelligent and happy in her own skin. The scenes between her and Bryan were smoking hot and a great addition to the story. There are a ton of twists and turn in the adventure-mystery that Kerris is on during this book and I loved that I never knew what was going to happen next. I am very excited to see how the mysteries of the town are revealed and what happens to Kerris on her adventure as the spirit shaman. I can’t wait for the next book and it’s going to the top of my TBR pile. This is a must read series and one of the best books by Yasmine Galenorn I’ve read in years.
Grade: A
Autumn Thorns is the first in a wonderful new series by Yasmine Galenorn that takes place Whisper Hollow a town where the the Lady of the lake takes who she wants and spirits roam free. The town has a group, The Crescent Moon Society, that tries to keep the spirits under control and send them into the veil when possible so they don’t rise again lead by the town’s spirit shaman. Since the spirit shaman’s life was taken by the Lady, it is up for her granddaughter, Kerris Fellwater, to come back to Whisper Hollow and fulfill her destiny.
I absolutely loved this book so much and I could not put it down until I had finished it in one sitting. I loved the magical world that Mrs. Galenorn has created with so many different elements that all fit together in one beautiful and haunting town. Kerris has come back to her hometown after the death of her grandparents to become the new spirit shaman and right from the get go she discovers secrets of her and her family’s past. Since Kerris left as a teenager she is not properly trained but she does have a great group around her to help her find her way.
Kerris is a great character and I really enjoyed her a lot. I think she epitomizes everything I love in a female lead: strong, intelligent and happy in her own skin. The scenes between her and Bryan were smoking hot and a great addition to the story. There are a ton of twists and turn in the adventure-mystery that Kerris is on during this book and I loved that I never knew what was going to happen next. I am very excited to see how the mysteries of the town are revealed and what happens to Kerris on her adventure as the spirit shaman. I can’t wait for the next book and it’s going to the top of my TBR pile. This is a must read series and one of the best books by Yasmine Galenorn I’ve read in years.
maeverose's review
slow-paced
2.0
TL;DR: This was my first urban fantasy, and it felt a lot like a cozy urban fantasy/mystery to me. I decided to just search on libby for something autumnal, and this came up (yes I literally just searched ‘autumn’ lol). I’d never heard of it before and decided to give it a try even though it isn’t a genre I’d usually go for. About 70% of the book was info dumping, 20% was slice of life and 10% was graphic sex scenes. I did appreciate the autumnal and spooky atmosphere, since that was the main thing I was looking for, and it was somewhat cozy. But the actual plot, storytelling and characters were lacking for me and I was very bored by the end. It felt a little like a 90s urban fantasy tv show. I haven’t watched Buffy and it’s probably completely different plot wise but it kept making me think of that.
The world building was excessive and clunky. There was a lot of info dumping, usually through the dialogue which always felt unnatural, like people wouldn’t talk that way irl. It was repeated a lot too. There were too many elements to the world building, it felt unnecessary.
It’s messy storytelling and some weird choices were made. Very minor spoiler as an example:
The romance was a bit dubious at times and moved waaay too quickly for me. There is kind of an in-story reason for it, but still.
I’m not Native and I’m not that knowledgeable on shamanism, but the use of the word ‘shaman’ throughout the book made me a bit uncomfortable. It’s a term that’s typically used within Native cultures, and it’s often appropriated in spiritual/witchy communities. In this book it’s a fantasy sort of ability, and they explain spirit shamans originated in Ireland, so clearly not tied to Indigenous culture. From a quick google search it doesn’t look like there were ever any shamans in Ireland irl, or if there were they were called something else. It felt a bit disrespectful to use it that way imo. The author could’ve made up a completely new term rather than taking from another culture (assuming the author isn’t Native herself, considering if she was she probably would’ve made it an Indigenous thing in the book too). There was also a tiny bit of racial stereotyping with one Native character in the book.
The characters also seemed to have a borderline pro-guns stance and that makes me wonder about the author’s political opinions..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Terminal illness, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, and Rape
Minor: Abortion, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Cursing, Infertility, and Pregnancy
Death in child birth, lots of mentions of food that could potentially be triggering for some people.lynn_the_greyhound_mum's review
5.0
29-10-2018
Second read of this book and had to re read because I'm about to start Shadow Silence. So glad I did the re read because this is another gripping series from Yasmine.
12-03-2016
I should have been working but when I started this book this morning over coffee I just couldn't put it down. I don't have the superlatives to adequately describe how good this book is, it is going to be another mind blowing series from Yasmine.
The characters came to life at the hands of a mistress of words and phrases.
Second read of this book and had to re read because I'm about to start Shadow Silence. So glad I did the re read because this is another gripping series from Yasmine.
12-03-2016
I should have been working but when I started this book this morning over coffee I just couldn't put it down. I don't have the superlatives to adequately describe how good this book is, it is going to be another mind blowing series from Yasmine.
The characters came to life at the hands of a mistress of words and phrases.