If you like dark fantasy, folk horror, folk magic and creepy forests, you might like:

🌲 Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe 🌲

This dark fantasy, folk horror novel inspired by Romanian folklore follows Anna, a young woman who flees from her brutal past and finds herself in the eerie, isolated town of Whisperwood. Anna soon notices everything works differently here, and dark creatures known as Whispers roam in the woods around the town…

🍄

Whisperwood is a dark, atmospheric novel that blends fantasy with folk horror and still leaves room for humour. For me personally, the folk horror elements were the strongest aspect of the book and captivated me the most. The often terrifying creatures from Romanian folklore - here called Whispers - were brought to life intricately, making me very horrified and very fascinated at the same time. I was constantly anticipating the next scene about the Whispers and loved gradually learning more about the mysterious world they came from. Together with the detailed descriptions of the creepy town, the dark forest and the magical realm of the Whispers, I was truly transported to this very unique world Woodroe has crafted.

The characters and their motivations were a bit less fleshed out than some other elements of the story, which made it at times difficult for me to distinguish them from each other and really feel with them. I think the cast was just a bit too large for a novel of around 300 pages. While we got to know the protagonist a bit better, I would have loved to see her healing journey more in depth and discover more about her deeper thoughts and feelings.

This wasn't my favourite story, but I loved the folklore elements, the atmosphere and the setting, and I want to try some of Woodroe's other (folk horror) works in the future. I'm very glad I was introduced to Romanian folklore and will definitely do some further reading on the fascinating creatures and figures - like the Dochia, pricolici, iele and vâlve - mentioned in Whisperwood!

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the eARC.

This is a tricky one to review as I've got mixed feelings. Whisperwood certainly has the eerie atmosphere, mysterious characters and unusual horrors I enjoy
I also enjoyed how whimsical it was, with elements of superstition and folklore however at times it just felt a little flat. I'm sure there will be lots of you that will enjoy this, so please check out the blurb.

A book that was written very well. I had a hard time following what was going on. I am sure that the author was trying to convey how confusing it was for the townspeople dealing with the Whispers. There was a lot of death and the use of the occult. I think that many people will find this enjoyable.

Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe is an impressive horror novel that will captivate fans of the genre. With its engrossing plot, well-developed characters, and atmospheric storytelling, it delivers a chilling experience that lingers long after the final page. If you're a horror enthusiast looking for a thrilling and spooky read, this book should be on your list. However, the author's writing style is engaging and evocative, successfully transporting readers into a nightmarish realm. The book's conclusion is both satisfying and unsettling, leaving room for interpretation and discussion, which is a sign of a well-crafted horror story.

Definitely 4 stars for the book. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to be a part of the blog tour.

"There were very clearly two kinds of whispers in Whisperwood. Wondering which was the more dangerous of the two was like wondering whether you’d rather die hanged or eaten by a bear."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

There is a lot about Whisperwood that I find adoring. The author's way of writing is right up my alley. The atmosphere is beautifully set. The friendships are endearing. The world feels unique.

But there are some serious shortcomings that make those parts I adore hard to enjoy.

While the atmosphere is well-constructed, the setting is confusing. Whisperwood is obviously fictitious, I found myself constantly wondering about the rest of the world, which significantly slashes at the world-building for me. What time period is the story set in? Parts of the story pull one way and parts of it pull another. Is this meant to be set in a fictitious town in our world or is the world itself fictitious as a whole? I couldn't tell you for sure.

I also found the motivation and character-building a bit lacking. So those friendships that seem so endearing are hard to fully believe without the characters themselves being well-established.

Overall, a great debut. Just some critical aspects that should be worked on in future novels, which I am very much looking forward to!

"Dangerous things are often beautiful, and I was looking at something that was clearly both."

But not everything is peaceful in the isolated community. A vanishing town, a gruesome funeral rite, an emergency field surgery―these surprises and more test Anna's resolve.
Prevented from leaving the frontier settlement by folk magic she doesn’t understand, Anna lends helping hands everywhere she can but quickly finds that investigating the forest too closely could end up being the last thing she does.
My Review
Thanks to NetGalley, Anna at Random Things Book Tour and Flame Tress Press for the arc.

I didn't know what I was getting into with this book. It gives off a mystical type of vibe with a bit of a horror aspect, as well as the brother's grim. A bold fusion of dark fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction is Alex Woodroe. The world of Whisperwood is odd; it is home to visible and invisible otherworldly beasts, other realities that can change at any time, and bizarre magics. Anna, who is running from a tragic past, needs a place where she can hide and take refuge, and she finds it in Whisperwood because if the sun sets inside the city lines, you're stuck there forever. This novel was fantastic, I thought.

Whisperwood #NetGalley.

4 Stars!

I had never read anything by Alex Woodroe and had very little idea what to expect coming into Whisperwood, but the fact that it was a Flame Tree Press release was enough to pique my interest. With its cover that put me in mind of a dark fantasy, I was looking forward to discovering what surprises the novel held.



Anna was seeking an escape from her past. She had been imprisoned and tortured by someone she was once close to and her entire town had turned against her and accused her of witchcraft. When she heard of Whisperwood, a town that does not appear on any maps and exists on the border of human perception, it seemed like the perfect place for her. It seemed like a place she could disappear and remain hidden until she was ready to emerge into the world again. It seemed like it could be a utopia. Unfortunately for Anna, none of this was true.



She soon learns that she may have escaped the horrors of her past only to rush into the realm of a new set of nightmares. There are forces at work in Whisperwood, both the supernatural as well as the devious machinations of power-hungry men, that put her right in the path of a new set of dangers. Anna is soon trapped in Whisperwood and her only chance of ever making it out is to figure out the mysteries of the strange town so that she may protect it from the evils that besiege it. As soon as things begin to become clear, victory seems like it may be too much to hope for. Survival may be the best that can be achieved.



Whisperwood is a work of fantasy, but there it is a lot more than a simple fantasy novel. Woodroe delves deep into the dark side of fantasy and is more concerned with the nightmares that live in the darkness than the beings of light and magic. There is magic here, for sure, but it is mostly of a dark and gritty nature. This is a heavy novel that dwells in the dark and almost at times feels as if it is journey into Anna’s mind more than a tale of swords and sorcery. There are monsters here and, well, very little else. Every character in the novel is a anti-hero at best and a villain at worst, with the reader left to guess at their true intentions. Nothing is simple nor is anything as it seems. It is left up to the reader to discern what is really going on and the true meaning can be difficult to understand. The only certainty is that, much like the real world, the realm of Whisperwood is a dark and dangerous place.



If horror fantasy is not a genre yet, Woodroe goes a long way toward creating it in Whisperwood. This novel is downright brutal at times and the thrills and action bring more cringes than cheers. It is not a fantasy in the traditional sense of the genre. This is a very, very dark novel that is much closer to horror than fantasy. That is not a criticism but just a statement of fact. Woodroe works in the darkness and this makes the story stronger. Fans of traditional fantasy may not find this novel as enjoyable as fans of horror. The story is just that dark and, at times, difficult to read. There were some chapters that were a bit shocking even to me as I felt a small churning in my stomach. Whisperwood is not for the faint of heart. It is not a flight of fancy but a journey into the heart of darkness that resides in the core of the world. Readers need to be prepared to be shocked and challenged along the way, but the novel is ultimately an entertaining and rewarding read. I do not know what Woodroe has in store for us in the future, but I cannot wait to find out. Highly recommended.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Whisperwood is available today.

Although I really liked Anna and all the characters, I found it a little bit slow and confusing, and I struggled to keep up with what was happening. As always, just because this book wasn't for me doesn't mean you shouldn't check it out!

Creepy eerie story thats perfect for anyone looking for a little chill down their spine!

Dark fantasy period piece with a touch of horror, the author painted the perfect town setting setting for all those who love darks woods and autumn vibes. Perfect fall read!

I would have loved to see a little more depth from the main character surrounding her journey but all in all a good read!

Just finished Whisperwoods by Alex Woodroe and here are my musings.

Whisperwoods is a place with a reputation. People go in and don’t come back out. Anna is running away and Whisperwoods seems like a great place to get lost in. A town on no map… It seems like the perfect place to hide from her witch hunting abusive ex.

It soon becomes clear that this sleepy town is much more than meets the eye. Witnessing some bizarre and supernatural occurrences has Anna wishing she had never come but curiosity gets the better of her. Not like she can leave…. Something is preventing anyone from leaving.

This was a really weird book, good weird but still very weird! The whole forest and what is in it had me hooked from the get go. I always felt that underlying chill down my spine and I needed to know more about what was happening.

What didn’t I like? I felt the story got a little muddled in places and I felt a little lost sometimes. Lots going on and it felt a little rushed in places but I loved all the descriptions and explanations that were given. The book was well thought out and planned which shows in the intricate details woven into the storyline.

I could have done with a bit more character development but all in all I was really pleased with this book!

4 stars! Thank you @netgalley and @flametreepress for my gifted copy

Perfectly atmospheric and dark, this was fantasy unlike anything else I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it.

Whisperwood By Alex Woodroe is an ambitious blend of dark fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction. The world of Whisperwood is strange, filled with otherworldly monsters, both seen and unseen, alternate realities that can shift on a dime, and weird magicks.
Anna is fleeing a terrible past and desperately needs a place to hide, a place where she can seek shelter and she finds this in Whisperwood for if the sun goes down while you're inside the city limits, you can never leave.
i really enjoyed this book. The characters were quite engaging and this ever-so-odd world was fleshed out in such a delightful way. The descriptions were vivid and rich. The stained glass windows especially lingered in my mind. A wonderful reading experience.
So to sum up:
Highly recommended.
5 stars out of 5.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

I found it really hard to get into this book and I thought about dropping it a few times.
The first pages were AMAZING but then I got to 15% and I was not invested in the story and didn't find Anna's storytelling interesting or passionate enough to care. I'm very happy I kept going though, because this was very creepy and dark and just what I hoped it would be. The horror elements were good, and the world-building is great, Whisperwood was a very interesting place from the first few words, but I couldn't understand why Anna wanted to fit in that place when everyone is so unfriendly.

The thing I loved the most about the book was the descriptions of creatures. At first, it felt a little boring a dense but once I got into the story it was just amazing to read. Once I finished the book I fell down a rabbit hole of stories. The thing I liked the least was the amount of dialogue. Learning everything about the characters and the world through dialogue got annoying very fast and maybe that's a me thing and other people don't find it that way, but it made it very hard to keep going.

I was surprised when I saw the book is only a bit more than 300 pages long because it felt much much longer than that. The scary parts are actually scary and I was very happy about that, but in the first 75% of the book there aren't many of those. The last 25% though, that was VERY good and I loved it. A great ending.

This is a very good debut novel by a writer with a lot of potential, and I'm really excited about what comes next for Alex Woodroe.

I was provided a digital ARC of Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe in exchange for my honest review.

Whisperwood is about Anna, a mysterious woman running away from her past and toward the supernatural. She decides to go to Whisperwood, a town that nobody ever comes back from and is surrounded by rumors and superstition. Once Anna arrives, she finds a town embroiled in secrecy, and locked in a secret war with the fantastical Unspoken.

The actual plot of this is super interesting. The idea of this mysterious town and its inhabitants being isolated from the world feels very Twilight Zone. The creatures also seem to be very based in fae mythology (i.e, can’t pass through salt) which always fills me with a bit of nostalgia from my YA fae fantasy days.

There are, however, a few things that prevented me from fully enjoying myself— as well as a few things readers should just be aware of before diving in:

Time Period: I don’t know why, but I when I read the description for the book, I wasn’t expecting it to take place historically. I guess maybe the “witch hunter ex” mentioned in the original description could have clued me in (think Salem witch trials). That being said, the description didn’t really feel like something written for a historical novel. The fact that it takes place historically isn’t a bad thing at all— but if you’re going into this expecting something more contemporary, it can be a little jarring. So, it’s just something to be aware of.

Even after I figured out this was intended to take place in the past, I still had trouble grounding it in a specific time period. A lot of it did give Salem Witch Trial vibes— so 1600s— but then the main character makes reference to a war where she was a field nurse. The question then becomes, which war? Are we talking Revolutionary War? But if that’s the case, that puts us past my original guess of 1600s. In general, there just weren’t a lot of clues for me to go off of in determining when this was supposed to take place, which I think would have contextualized some things more.

Relationships: Throughout the novel, some of the main characters are put into romantic relationships— or almost-relationships— with one another. I love a good romance, especially in fantasy literature. I think it adds something to the story, especially because fantasy books tend to be very world-based, and it can be easy to lose interiority. But in this specific case, I think the relationships needed to be fleshed out a little more. We never really see the characters in romantic situationships spend any time with each other, because they’re too busy trying to solve crisis after crisis. I think that the book would have benefited if things had been slowed down and drawn out a little bit more.

Characters: This is sort of a similar comment to the “relationships” section. We’re introduced to a lot of different characters very quickly, which makes it hard to get attached to them or fully understand their importance to the story before they’re gone. For example, at the very beginning of the book, we’re introduced to a reverend. It seems like he’s going to be important for the main character’s journey and growth— but then he dies soon after. His actions end up being really important later though, and it’s hard for the reader to care when we never got a feel for his character.

Fantastical Creatures/Magic System: I’m a really big fantasy reader, so world building is really important to me. I freely admit that I’m probably a little picky about stuff like this, and you should take what I say with a grain of salt. However, I had a hard time following some of the more fantastical elements of the novel.

As I said, there was a fae-fantasy element to it. But there were also a lot of different kinds of Unspoken, with different purposes and characteristics that don’t feel fully explained. Same with the terminology: the Unspoken are supposed to only be able to enter town during a “Tide.” But what brings on the Tides? What even are they exactly?

Within the town, people have different jobs to defend themselves from the Unspoken, as well. There are Warders and Walkers, for instance. Their basic purpose is communicated clearly, but there is some confusion as to how they do it. Additionally, there are questions as to what their standing is in town. It seems like early in the book they’re trying to ignore the problem all together— and therefore, they aren’t involved with the Walkers and Warders either— but then a switch is flipped and it seems like the Unspoken is all they talk about.

Overall: All that having been said, the author’s writing style is pleasant. It’s easy to read, easy to get drawn in. The plot, as I said, is intriguing. There is also a decent amount of moral complexity— it’s not just good vs. evil. If you’re looking for a good time, this novel works.

Thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for giving me a chance to review this title early!

Lately, I've very much admired Flame Tree Press's vision of bringing bold ideas to the world of speculative fiction, and The Whisperwood continues this trend with a fascinating journey into the darkest parts of the world, both supernatural and all too real, as we follow a woman in exile as she tries to make a new life in a mysterious town, only to find there are things beyond her imagination hiding just beyond the treeline. The world-building here is first rate, and for its kind of novel very original, earning it almost full marks, but the way this information is dispersed leaves much to be desired. One wishes the novel had held back on a bit of its mystery for longer, as it feels like most of the book's secrets are on full display by midway through the tale, with little left to keep one hooked in the final stages. Sure, the enemy is fascinating enough, and there's excellent discussion to be had over on which side the true enemy really lies, but on the whole the pacing left a bit of a sour note on what was otherwise a very fine adventure.

Woodroe's skill at creating unique worlds is fascinating, and I very much look forward to their next venture, as Whipserwood was bursting with good ideas that with slightly better finishing could have been extraordinary. As it is, Whisperwood is still well worth a read, especially if you're a fan of darkly whimsical fantasy.

This reminded me of The Witcher but a milder version. I thought that the writer did a fantastic job of creating this eerie, other worldly landscape which doesn’t take away from the plot and I found this perfect for me as i’m not a fan of massively descriptive world building. The scene unfolded as the plot unfolded which was fab as I felt I was discovering the world of Whispers along with Anna. The elements of humanity even in the creatures of the Unspoken was a really big draw for me. That just because they are creatures of a dark world doesn’t mean they don’t want to live in peace, or love and have friendships. That there were good Whispers and good people as much as there were evil Whispers and evil people. It’s a theme I really did enjoy as it developed through the novel. I was surprised at the end as I didn’t think it was going to go the way it did and was actually happy that the novel reached the conclusion it did. I’m not massive on horror or this type of genre and so I felt this was a great way of me dipping my toe in without getting too freaked out!

This was an entertaining whimsical journey down a rabbit hole with specs of dark folklore and fantasy combine to create this curious story of a girl named Anna who seeks out a town called Whisperwood which is like no other. Once there she finds herself smack in the middle between the humans and the whispers. I loved the imaginative building of worlds, the hint of witchery and magic, interesting new creatures, and the characters’ hearts. This was a dark fantasy like no other that I’ve read. I also found the writing to be smart and humorous at times which made it a fun read. I can really see this translating to a silver screen really well!

Unfortunately had to Dnf. I tried a few times but I ended up just putting my kindle away which was a shame because I was drawn into it by its description.

I have still given it 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3) as I do hate giving lower stars especially when it's more due to me not enjoying the writing style.

Thank you for the ARC.

Hauntingly Disturbing

I loved it! Whisperwood is a well-written and original fantasy/horror story. I've never read The Witcher, but I've seen the TV series and it seems misleading to compare it to that. Not that lack of Henry Cavill reduced my enjoyment a bit. It's definitely not a sanitized happily-ever-after story in any Disney fairy tale sense, but I could definitely see the comparison to Grimm's fairy tales.

The author has a great imagination and the skills to bring this world to life. I had the sense that there was something deeply wrong from the very beginning and the suspense kept ratcheting up to a white-knuckle conclusion.

I was delighted to discover that the main character is female. I liked her and several other characters very much. The conditions that the village lived under were terrifying, and not only because of creatures, forces, and unnatural events. Many of the villagers themselves seemed to be as big of a threat as any unknown monster.

Thank you very much to Alex Woodroe, Flame Tree Press, and NetGalley for a free advance readers copy of the book. It's not out of any sense of obligation to them that I recommend it highly. I suspect that I'm going to have it in the back of my mind every time I go outside in the dark by myself!

I really did not know what I was getting into when I picked up an ARC of Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe.

Is fantasy horror a thing? If so, this is it. I came in looking for a magical forrest full of lore and left with that but also a lot of gore.

Whisperwood is an incredibly unique concept with unique creatures. The town itself gave me major "The Village" vibes. The writing was very descriptive and I felt like I was walking the streets of the town. (I didn't love the descriptiveness as much when it was the gruesome stuff... yuck.)

Where the book lost points for me was the main character. She had this trauma that wasn't really fully fleshed out and I feel like she never developed much or overcame that. She was still compelling enough to make me keep reading. The other characters are so hard to trust or love, but it made sense in a way.

I'm not sure I loved the ending. Too neat of a little bow after the chaos of the book.

Overall, I couldn't put it down because I had to know what the next horror around the corner was and if the characters would make it through. Spoiler: Don't get too attached.

If you're more into horror, you might like this more than me.

Stars: 3/5

Busy Girls Rating: 3/5

Thank you to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. Whisperwood was published yesterday (7/11)!