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A review by enchantingreads_rosyreviews
The Whisper of Death by Leona Reed
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Where do I even start? Do you like the Percy Jackson and Lucifer series but wish they were a little darker, laced with hilariously profane language, a perfectly devoted, swoon-worthy love interest and included more mythological/fantasy elements? Then this book is for you! Any time I had to put this book down (reluctantly) I couldn't stop thinking about it... almost like it was calling out to me, which is the mark of a great read.
The world Leona built is complex, but she guides you through it by introducing each specialized term and expertly using the narrator to navigate the timeline and terms for the reader. The entire cast of characters are on the hot mess-side of things, but they are hilarious and we love them for their quirks. And can we take a second to talk about the love stories? Oh my goodness, there are teddy bear, golden retriever male leads in this book (and who doesn't love those?) but they also turn into dark possessive mates when their partners or their family is threatened (and I know we all love those!).
But you should be warned, this story is dark. Our main narrator was kidnapped and tortured for ten years, so she has a lot of trauma she's working through during our story. Plus, you know, she's the Princess of Death and her "found family" are the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so there's a lot of death and destruction. However, in the same way Brynne Weaver's <i>Butcher & Blackbird</i> is taking the internet by storm, despite its dark trigger warnings, please don't let the dark nature of this story scare you off from reading it. This book is heartwarming, funny, dark, entertaining, and fascinating! Leona did such a great job with her debut novel, I already can't wait to read the next story in this series!
(I received this book as an ARC reader, but all thoughts are my own... I really LOVED this story.)
Okay, I can't finish this review without my two cents on some spoiler material. First of all, "of course, they're mates!" I seriously didn't see Hazel & Dean's story headed in that direction, but I am here for it! And Jackson with Seiji?! Ugh, I love that for them! Seiji's loud personality had me constantly laughing; from his high fashion sense, over-active emotions, obsession with food & decorating, and his uncanny ability to interrupt Nevaeh & Anxo's alone time, he's great.
I'm also hoping to see more of Harvey, because he's too great and we didn't get enough of him. (The wedding chapter from his POV was much appreciated and I may or may not have teared up.) And what about the warning from that evil witch? It's too cryptic for me to think about anything else happening in book two. But truthfully, I'm here for more of the couples, family brunches, and the wedding Seiji has been planning since day two of our main characters' love story. I'm here for all of it!
The world Leona built is complex, but she guides you through it by introducing each specialized term and expertly using the narrator to navigate the timeline and terms for the reader. The entire cast of characters are on the hot mess-side of things, but they are hilarious and we love them for their quirks. And can we take a second to talk about the love stories? Oh my goodness, there are teddy bear, golden retriever male leads in this book (and who doesn't love those?) but they also turn into dark possessive mates when their partners or their family is threatened (and I know we all love those!).
But you should be warned, this story is dark. Our main narrator was kidnapped and tortured for ten years, so she has a lot of trauma she's working through during our story. Plus, you know, she's the Princess of Death and her "found family" are the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so there's a lot of death and destruction. However, in the same way Brynne Weaver's <i>Butcher & Blackbird</i> is taking the internet by storm, despite its dark trigger warnings, please don't let the dark nature of this story scare you off from reading it. This book is heartwarming, funny, dark, entertaining, and fascinating! Leona did such a great job with her debut novel, I already can't wait to read the next story in this series!
(I received this book as an ARC reader, but all thoughts are my own... I really LOVED this story.)
I'm also hoping to see more of Harvey, because he's too great and we didn't get enough of him. (The wedding chapter from his POV was much appreciated and I may or may not have teared up.) And what about the warning from that evil witch? It's too cryptic for me to think about anything else happening in book two. But truthfully, I'm here for more of the couples, family brunches, and the wedding Seiji has been planning since day two of our main characters' love story. I'm here for all of it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, War, Body horror, Physical abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, Death, Child abuse, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death of parent and Eating disorder
If you like dark rom-coms that follow characters in a found family, this one is for you!