This was solid - I’m not sure if it’s the first arc in a longer series? It might help to have some of the language translated. While the general idea can be gleaned, it’s nice to know.

The story, and the mythology behind it, is interesting. There's a lot of implications though, which are all left open-ended. I don't like being told absolutely everything but this felt like being told nothing, which is just as annoying to me. And this is an interesting story! Tell us more! Show us more!

Then the art, again while not bad, is very much not my style. This seems to be the writer/artist's main style so I don't expect it to change but in a book that puts so much focus on people's faces, this is the wrong art style. The faces have no noses and all look the same, so when a panel focuses on a face... it's impossible to read? It's like a robot face. Clearly there are emotions being expressed, as indicated by dialogue being bold or italic or larger, etc, but it's not something you can tell by the panel, which for a visual medium like a comic...

Overall it felt like the Nun, if it were just the main character arriving in town, then arriving to the monastery, and then dying. No real in-between. No meat. But you can see what is there is promising. And the art really isn't bad - the environments are gorgeous. It could just all be better.

Posted on Goodreads:
“Thank you Mad Cave and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this graphic novel.

I WISH this was longer and I also wish we had a little more in depth fleshing out of the characters. There were some cool ones I wanted more of. Im a sucker for side characters and Madam Maria and daughter were it for me. It’s short and abrupt but it works. I loved the artwork. It’s got all those delicious little tropes that horror fans love.”

Thank you to Mad Cave Studios and Netgalley for an arc of this graphic novel!

Whisper of the Woods is a short comic book that infuses the tale of the iele in Romanian legends with an adventure where the main character, Adam, embarks on a journey to find his friend who has mysteriously disappeared into the woods by a calling. Despite the numerous warnings by the locals to give up on his search, Adam is adamant to find his friend and ventures inward in tenacious pursuit whilst witnessing strange happenings around him that get weirder and weirder as time passes.

This was a really short and brief read that I finished in two sittings. While I thoroughly enjoyed the visuals, it was slightly too short for my liking and I would have preferred if it were longer. The accompanying art was also beautiful and conveyed the story well. However, the ending was rather abrupt and I was left a bit confused. It would have been better if the story was better expounded through a longer comic.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this graphic novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.

the art was stunning, it was very simplistic and i liked that. i loved the atmosphere, it was really creepy. but it was a little too short to have any impact on me honestly. i thought the ending was fine. it didn't blow me away or anything. overall, just a quick read with an eerie forest and good art.

I feel like this story could have been longer. Everything felt so rushed and we get almost little to no backstory on the main character. There were definitely some scary moments, but not enough to keep me invested. I didn’t feel much of an attachment with the characters and plot, which is sad since there was so much promise for this story, May be a good read for others, but this one just missed the mark for me.

Whisper of the Woods has a creepy atmosphere that took me by surprise. The story is fast paced and honestly I did not see that ending, but the ending definitely stands out the most to me. I love that there is a "creepy, paranormal" town that gives me small town horror vibes. It's also a super cool take on the lore around Romania. A few of the characters reminded me of characters right out of Junji Ito's horror mangas. I adored the illustrations as well. Excellent color scheme, it really goes well with the entire tone of the graphic novel.

Whisper of the Woods is short but successfully packs a punch in the time that it has. We follow Adam as he looks for his friend who disappeared into a Romanian forest. I worried the art in this may be too simple at first, but was happily proven wrong after a few pages. It actually helps a lot to tell the story through the stylistic choices that were made.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

✨Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review! Whisper of the Woods is out October 24th, 2023!✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Whisper of the Woods is a short graphic novel about Adam, and his journey to Romania to look for his missing best friend after he disappears into the forest named Hoia Baciu.

The first thing that really stuck out to me was the art style and the use of colors in this novel- the way the creator uses pastels to depict moments in the novel that are normal/casual and part of Adam’s journey, and then transitions into harsh colors, dark lines, and neon colors to show when the reader is supposed to feel fear or dread (a great example of this is on pages 15-16). I also really enjoyed how the author introduced us to Adam’s journey by explaining what happened, then using an overlay of an image of him and an image of a translation guide on a map of Romania- using this perspective transition was effective in putting the reader from catching up on the story to going along with Adam on his journey.

My literal only complaint is I wish this was longer!! I’d love to read more about this small village and the forest and the creatures that inhabit it. I’d also be interested in seeing other short graphic novels about Romanian folklore from this author. The writing draws you in, the artwork is phenomenal yet simple, and I really enjoyed reading it!!

A quick, spooky little read and I had a GOOD time.

Adam's friend is missing, having disappeared in a mysterious forest, Hoia Baciu, known for consuming everyone who wanders in. Do these people get lost? Or is it something more sinister?

Adam doesn't believe the rumors of the supernatural and heads off to find his friend, ignoring every warning from every person that crosses his path.

Not going to lie to you, there's no deeper, thoughtful meaning here. It was a quick, delicious, folkloric spooky story and read like an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? If this were a film, 10/10 would watch.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC!

Spoilers-
I really liked the melancholy ending but the story was too short to grow a connection with the main character. Also, I wanted to know what one guy was singing, I wish had the girl translated it for us. But overall, I enjoyed a creepy short story. I also think the cover gives too much away.

Well, this is super creepy. Adam, the main character, is heading to meet his best friend only to find out that his best friend has disappeared into a haunted forest known for making people disappear. Adam sets off to the forest despite warnings from the locals. He is determined to find his best friend, but soon comes face to face with the creatures or spirits who inhabit the forest. The art is gorgeous, and the story is intriguing. Readers will be left in anticipation of the next installment.

Thank you for this ARC.
I really wish this graphic novel was longer. There is so much to explore. Their main character Adam is okay. Pretty bland. But the village and Angelica, is where the story should have gone further and exploded into many possibilities. The main story is okay. A summer trip with surprises. I guess this does fall in line with a creepy pasta story.
I just reviewed Whisper of the Woods by Ennun Ana Iurov. #WhisperoftheWoods #NetGalley

Really fascinating stuff - scary and wholesome in equal parts! Thank you for the ARC, dear publishers. This was a good one!

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an E-arc for review!!

A very atmospheric horror graphic novel. I enjoyed the vibes & aesthetic, but I feel as though this book didn’t really explain anything, & ended kind of in the middle of a sentence without wrapping up any of the plot or explaining really any of the world. The main character was also really annoying.

If you were ever a fan of creepypasta stories, then you are sure to enjoy this! A young man journeys to the haunted forest in search of his best friend that entered and never returned and finds himself staying in the local town where he learns more of the unfortunate fate that meets those who enter the trees.

This graphic horror book is very short and, like good old creepy pasta stories, is quick to cut to the creepy parts. The art style suited the abruptness of the story well though it sometimes felt more of an outline of a comic rather than a completed piece for me - to be fair I think the briefness of the story contributed to that as well.

Overall, a very creepy and short read to give you a good spook. I hope this author would consider producing something in longer form as I would be interested in reading something more fleshed out in this story/art style.

Special thanks to Netgalley Mad Cave Studios for the ARC of this graphic novel!

Great graphics and the idea behind the story was really interesting and intriguing, had so much potential however it was so short, I wish it was longer or that the author releases a longer/longer sequel as the idea behind the story is amazing!

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book. This wasn't for me however this could be for a lot of people! Was just lukewarm for my taste.

Whisper of the Woods is a short (and anything but sweet) graphic novel following Adam and his search for his lost best friend in Romania's haunted forest Hoia Baciu. What he finds there is evil afoot!!!!!!!

I absolutely LOVED THIS!! When I was reading it, I thought to myself wow, this really is something special. I thought the art style was incredibly unique (it didn't seem to have any shadows?) and the mix of Romanian and English was fun to read. Personally, I like when graphic novels have other languages included in them because- especially in this case- you feel closer to the main character by not knowing what the locals are saying. It also for me solidified the ideal that Adam doesn't care what the locals are saying and won't heed their warnings whatsoever, he will just do whatever he can to save his friend.

The story itself was short and leaves you on a cliffhanger like "that's it???" but I thought that the ending wrapped up the story so well. The entire time, the locals are trying to stop Adam from going in search of his friend at the cost of his own life, and he refused to listen and got what was coming for him. Overall, 5/5 stars and would recommend to everyone.

I haven't picked up a graphic novel in so long, but I think Whisper of the Woods has rekindled my love for them!

I really enjoyed the art style in this graphic novel, it had some creepy drawings which made it very immersive and pretty unnerving! It's a pretty short read, and part of me wishes it had been longer.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of graphic novels and horror! It has some pretty hectic scenes; definitely worth the read!

Thank you to Ennun Ana Iurov, Mad Cave Studios and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!