Reviews with content warning for Death - The Whispering Muse

A deliciously gothic Victoriana read, just the right amount of spook. A high body count and mildly gory in parts but gripping storytelling all the way through.

Content Warnings

ellenigrace's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Exactly my vibe, but Part V onward felt a little extraneous to me and could have been covered in a brief epilogue without losing the tension and catharsis of those paragraphs just before Part V.

Content Warnings

ohennui's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

Content Warnings

bluebreex's review

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

anewton's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Picked up this book as a random find at the library. Went in with no expectations. A truly chilling, haunting story, great foreshadowing and use of literature, complex characters and shocking twists and turns. Graphic at times, so definitely not for everybody but I thoroughly enjoyed this. Think black swan vibes but with better built characters and story.

Content Warnings

katsa6's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

redheadragereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

If you are a theatre geek and you love historical fiction with a gothic spin, I have found the book for you.

Rumour has it that something haunts the West End. Lead actress, Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene.

Jenny is desperate to keep her family afloat. When she is given the opportunity to become a dresser at the infamous Mercury Theatre she must take it- even if it means having to work alongside the provocative Lilith and act as spy.

When strange things begin to happen at the theatre and the muse comes calling for payment, will the cost be too high?

This would be a fantastic read for a rainy day (maybe in front of a fireplace in a huge library). It is eerie and haunting and has just the right amount of gore to keep things interesting. I loved reading about the five plays referenced throughout the book. Lilith's character was intriguing and although I didn't like Jenny as a character, she was tolerable as a narrator.

Purcell captures the magic of theatre whilst keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. I haven't read a lot of modern gothic novels but this one scratched that itch.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

Content Warnings

fictionalsarah's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

More...