I found this book ok. I wanted to like it more then I did. I had a hard time connecting to the characters. The main character Anna had so much going for her, I wanted her a little more "hardened" from her past experience but she was friendly and trusting right off that bat. Overall I would recommend if you like a dark fantasy that has a upper YA feel to it you probably enjoy this book and the creatures within.

Review Copy

2.5 stars rounded up

I had high hopes for WHISPERWOOD. It had a description that sounded intriguing; I liked the title... it really sounded like my type of story. But I just couldn't get going on it. I kept putting it down as it kept dragging. I finally gave up and DNF at 23%

This was a wonderful read--at turns heartwarming and horrifying. It's almost... slice-of-life folklore, dark and strange but also sweet, scratching that Stardew Valley itch (but make it spookier). In fact, in terms of vibe it also reminded me of the game Don't Starve (in which one has to find ways to live and, of course, feed oneself in a hostile, supernaturally curious environment. I got the same pleasure out of this book; there were curious creatures to meet, cultural norms to understand, and realistically situated villagers to get to know alongside protagonist Anna--each with their role to fill in Whisperwood, and their own concerns grown out of their place in the economy and lore of the place. One other comp I might make would be to Spirited Away--the language is that beautifully wrought, and the world that richly inhabited that it feels boundless. I wish I could befriend a Pricolici (self-preservation never was my strong suit), and also... I just thought the symbolism behind walking between the supernatural and the mundane worlds was perfect. And, true to the rest of the story, there is an aspect of that perfection which made me shudder, while a different exploration of it made me take heart. I'm so glad I read this.

A mix of fantasy, action and some horror thrown into the mix. A female lead with plenty of twists and turns. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Anna, a girl who has seen tragedy, betrayal, and lost is haunted by a vision she had while she was dying. She runs away to a town known as Whisperwood and despite the rumors that the town is evil, decides to stay.

The first night staying there, however, she starts noticing the evil. She hears footsteps and even gets chased by something invisible. She gets told that what she was chased by were called Whispers, and the town acts as currents meaning the Whispers come in tides. Sometimes they're there, other times they're not. The town is living in constant fear.

Anna, Paul, and Perdy want to fix this and do everything in their power to stop the Whispers from killing more people. The only issue is the forest is far more dangerous than they thought.

I liked this book and the plot. I loved the analogy surrounding the lighthouse with the tides. I thought that this was a really cool addition. This book wasn't in any way too scary, in my opinion. It seemed more like a thriller than a horror book.

I do, however, wish that we got to know the characters a little more closely. This would help get the reader into the book a bit more. The characters were introduced, but on only a minimal level. By giving the characters more loving attributes you could get the reader more enticed in the character so if they die, there's more emotion.

Thank you NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the e-ARC!
Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe is a fantastic book and I had such a fun time reading it! Before going into more details I do want to make a disclaimer: although it's marketed as horror I'd say it's more of a dark fantasy. There are horror elements but more subdued than other folk / woodland horror books. Nonetheless if you're into this subgenre you'll enjoy this one!
The story follows Anna, a woman running away from a violent ex in an unspecified country at an unspecified time (my guess is somewhere in eastern Europe during the late 19th century), who decides to stop by a village that's not in any map and where nobody goes to nor comes from. Strange things start happening the moment she sets foot in its cobbled streets, and it only grows stranger with each page.
Structurally the story has a slower first half, in which we follow Anna around and get to know some of the villagers, and a faster paced second part as the mistery unravels. I won't get into more details as not to spoil a major plot point, but Woodroe's descriptions are spectacular and convey perfectly the strangeness of some scenarios.
The ending did feel somewhat lackluster, but considering the book as a whole I'd say if you're on the fence the answer is YES, READ IT.

I really enjoyed Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe.
I was really excited to read this one when I saw that it was for fans of The Witcher and I'm really happy that ended up really liking it!
The book was well written and I really loved the horror elements!
It was a really quick and fun read.
I highly recommend it!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

After escaping torture from a man who turned her family and village against her, Anne stumble into Whisperwood, a strange town where no birds sing, and no animals rustle in the woods… but something else does. Joining her new friends on a journey to find one of their own Anne finds magic, loss, and strength along the way.

I really enjoyed the imagery of this book. Alex does a wonderful job of painting the scene and helping the reader feel as though they are in the tavern or the market. I did get attached to our protagonist, and genuinly wanted her to find a place to settle down with a community.

I did find it jumpy at times. While the pace is good it felt as though parts were dropped in the interest of time. This did leave me feeling a little lost at times especially since I read at night. I did have to scan the previous page a few times before being able to pick up again the next night.

I will definitely read another book by them in the future as I loved the descriptions of the monsters, places and thoughts of the characters!

A gripping and imaginative tale of magic and survival. Woodroe creates a vivid and eerie world of wonder and horror. I couldn’t put it down! This book gave me Witcher vibes! 🥰

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to personally thank Netgalley and the author for allowing me to receive a free arc for review.

Normally I stay within the dark fantasy romance lane, but when I read the back of this title I knew I wanted to indulge. Promising to be similar to The Witcher, this book held up. The author did a fabulous job implementing horror elements while also finding a way to keep them both unique and page-turner-worthy.

Anna is a young woman who is running from the horrors of her past and hopes it stays there. Having fled her home after friends and family accuse her of witchcraft she finds herself in Whisperwood, completely unaware that darker horrors hide right out of site in this idyllic town.

The novel moves at a solid, quickened pace as we follow her through new friendships with her new neighbors. As she tries to navigate this new life, she soon finds those horrors in the shadows are both manmade and supernatural. Creatures based on Roman Folklore crawl across these pages with disgust and an element of surprise.

I loved every minute of this book, and I highly recommend it!

It was refreshing to dive into a fast-paced story, completely different from my usual, but I truly enjoyed it when the story slowed down and we were able to fully take in Anna's character.

I

Whisperwood is tale based off of Romanian folklore thats reminiscent of a darker Grimm Brothers story.

The overall story was good and Alex is a phenomenal writer who writes in a way you almost forgot your reading a story.

My only issue with the book was a lot of places just felt too rushed not really leaving you any time to connect with the many different characters.

Overall though it's an interesting read that'd I'd recommend to any fan of dark folkloric horror.

Woodroe's prose reads like T Kingfisher's, with its lush setting seen through a dream-like gaze. The story quickly draws you slowly into a nightmare with roots in Romanian folklore, and you find yourself rooting for Anna, even as you want to follow her deeper into the woods, where the border between superstition and reality blurs. The liminal town of Whisperwood, where no one really belongs, enthralled, terrified, and kept me guessing until the unexpected ending.

Whisperwood started off strong: the simple writing style made it easy to read, the set-up promised a dark village shrouded in ancient mystery, and I liked that our main character Anna travelled around to collect folk stories and customs, now on her way to a town said to bar anyone from leaving.
I would've loved to follow this character on her journey, but unfortunately her interest in local customs and stories didn't seep through at all. I completely forgot that that was what she actually came to do in Whisperwood cause there was no passion or hunger for knowledge, except for that which was helpful for her current situation. A lot of the side characters kinda blurred into the background and weren't that interesting, a fact that made some scene far less impactful than they could've been.

The town and its inhabitants were eerie in the beginning, but quickly lost all creepiness. Some scenes with the incredible monsters from Romanian folklore were great, but they were too sparse to keep up the scary atmosphere. The best moment by far was the encounter with Zburătorul Zmeilor. That creature was terrifying and I loved it, and the Dochia gave me anxiety as well, but they were the only ones who really horrified me. That's just me of course, but I wish there would've been more monsters like these two.
As much as I liked the idea of the setting and the heavy incorporation of folklore, I felt like the actual plot was stretched pretty thin and kinda meandered along. I had an absolutely okay time with Whisperwood, but after the first half I found myself checking how many pages I had left.

Keeping in mind that this is a debut novel, all of these points are forgivable. I can see that Alex Woodroe has potential as a writer and I think she'll be able to write great creepy folk horror when she's polished her craft a little more. There are some really good elements in here and I hope to read another book of hers later down the line.

Anna is our main character, she come to a village next to woods, she witnesses some strange things. Without her entering the village the same course of events would have taken place. She neither added or contributed to the story. After finishing reading, I felt like I missed something. As I didn’t know what was going on half the time. I didn’t understand the reasons behind the characters actions. I expected the ending to resolve my questions, or bring it all together. The plot line was interesting, the ending was resolute.
I have no strong feelings on this one. I may need some to tell me what I missed.
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Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own

Note: Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Fantasy, Folklore, Horror, Adventure...this book has it all!

The story follows Anna, a woman on the run from her past and the man who attempted to kill her. After being accused of being a witch, her family and friends all turned on her. In looking for a place to hide, she heads toward Whisperwood. Stories said that people did not wander into Whisperwood after sunset and those that did, never returned. What better place to hide?

Anna soon discovers how true those stories are and is very quickly immersed in the horrors, both seen and unseen, within this town.

This book was so intriguing, fast paced and so unique! The world building was so well done and so detailed, you could envision the eeriness of the town, the "Whispers", and all the action in such descriptive detail. The character building was a little rushed but I viewed the rushed loyalty as Anna, being a nomad, was craving someone to call a friend to stave off her loneliness.

Could not recommend this book enough! It had me on the edge of my seat and really rooting for the characters! I will definitely be buying a physical copy when it is released!

A wild ride into a world full of mystery and monsters. Whisperwood is a dark fantasy tale with elements of folk horror inspired by Romanian legends. (We need more of this!!) Vividly written, packed with action and humour, and featuring unique, unforgettable characters - this captivating story lured me into its world and kept me under its spell until the end. Unsettling and creepy, teeming with secrets and dangers - Whisperwood is a delightful read.

2.5 stars.

I really wanted to enjoy this book - I love all mythology, and only know a little of Romanian folklore, so was very excited to learn more about it and lose myself in a creepy folk horror. The horror sections, while few, were executed well and (brilliantly) disgusting, but I found this book incredibly difficult to finish. It took me a while to work out why, as the prose is easy to read and engaging, but I eventually realised that it was because I had no motivation to keep going. The plot felt very sporadic, like everything just kept happening without much build up, and as the main character, Anna didn't particularly have any goals, apart from the vague sense of escaping her past, unless there was something immediately to do in front of her. While there was conflict between the town and the Whispers, it didn't really feel like it was an obstacle to Anna, and the eventual conclusion just seemed to easily happen. I think that Woodroe has a lot of potential as an author, as her humour and goriness were both very engaging, but it felt like there wasn't enough plot glue to hold it all together.

3.75 ⭐️

Don’t ask me why but I thought this was actually going to be a fae romance and omg it is not.
No romance whatsoever and no faes either. Although it’s a fantasy, a darker one. An horror one I’d say.

I usually never read horror so I feel a little bit out of depth in “criticising” this book. So, i’ll do what i’ve been asked and give my opinion.

I honestly liked this book. From the very first page I was sucked in and couldn’t put it down. Anna’s story is one of resilience and bravery.

The world building wasn’t hard to get nor was it too much too soon. It is puzzling to me how an outsider who didn’t even know such things existed until a week before could be the key to solving a problem but that’s just the chosen one trope.

Besides Anna and maybe Perdy, the characters are not that three dimensional. They feel a bit like stock characters and I don’t know if that was the desired effect, it’s something peculiar to the genre or…

Either way, “Whisperwood” is a creepy, action packed reflection on human nature. On how the “unknown” immediately becomes dangerous and how right and wrong are only a matter of perspective.

I truly loved every minute of reading Whisperwood. The story and the characters kept me engaged throughout the book. A very well-written and easy-to-read fantasy novel with a great balance of elements of horror and folklore. The world-building of the Unspoken and the town was done splendidly, it was a refreshing storytelling of traditional folklore as well as recovering from trauma as a woman. Due to the fact that it also felt cinematic to me, I would hope to see this book as a series one day as well as read more from the author. Highly recommend.

Thank you for giving me the chance to read such an enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whisperwood is the story of Anna, a woman running from her past. Anna ends up hitching a ride with a merchant to the town of Whisperwood. Whisperwood is a puzzle to figure out but the further Anna digs the more horrible things become.

I liked Anna and found all the characters engaging though some I liked more than others. Whisperwood is as much a character of the novel as Anna. I wish that we had more time with some of the side characters though. There was one in particular I wish stuck around longer. Even so, there were plenty of characters to make the world feel alive.

I agree with other reviewers that Whisperwood is folk horror. I worry that it will get lost in the general horror genre which would be a shame. People that like folk horror take note and put this on your tbr.