Ren Monroe's plan to end the Broods is going well, but faces derailment when Theo is exhiled to Nostra. Ren connects with the siblings of a House that the Broods destroyed years ago and joins her plan with theirs. Who will be victorious, and who will be lost in the battle? Will Ren's bond with Theo go further than either of them expect?

I never expected the ending. I want more!

I was worried that what drew me to book one in this series, A Door in the Dark, would be lacking in the sequel. After all, the main premise of book one was about the characters surviving in the wilderness, using magic and their own dark secrets to fight monsters and find a way home. While Ren and Theo have returned home, they still find themselves playing another game of survival. This time, the monsters come from within their own families.

What I enjoyed the most about the sequel is how it expanded the world and the magic. New places are introduced, new aspects of the magic system are given room to grow. Scott has created a fantastic world that deserves every opportunity to continue to thrive.

With this expansion comes new characters, some that I liked more than others, and the continuation of the revenge plot that Ren begins in book one. I like how the different characters help shape the plan to take down the Broods. Like book one, there are a lot of great twists and turns that help shake up the storyline, including the epilogue that hints at future books in this world.

While I wish we had more Ren-Theo moments in this book (their relationship felt skipped over instead of allowing it to continue to unfold like in book one), I like how they work together and how their bond gives the revenge plot an extra layer of tension.

A Whisper in the Walls is a solid sequel that wraps up the revenge plot and takes the story a step further.

I loved the first book in the series so much that it was just chosen as one of the summer reading books we give our high school students the option to read. It was so good I was worried to know if Scott Reintgen could write a sequel that lived up to the first book. I think he did just that. I don't think it is as good as A Door in the Dark - but it is very, very close. I think the first book's premise allowed for a slightly more compelling narrative than the revenge premise of this book. Having said that, this is a book readers will fly through, eager to discover the final outcome. Plus... that epilogue! I don't want to say anything else - but THAT EPILOGUE!
Scott Reintgen created another winner in this book. I look forward to seeing what he writes next.

A Whisper in the Walls is the sequel to A Door in the Dark, and picks up where the previous book left off. Ren Monroe is now bonded to Theo Brood, the youngest son of the influential Brood family - the family that Ren has sworn revenge against for engineering the death of her father a decade before, a key piece in her plan, which has now been modified because Theo, it seems, truly cares about her. In addition to Ren, another family, the Tin'Vori, have been plotting their revenge against the Broods, because of the way in which Theo's older brother, Thugar, humiliated and then killed their oldest brother. Their plans intermesh, although their goals are not quite the same; the Tin'Vori want to destroy the entire Brood family, while Ren has come to actually care for Theo, and wants to save him, believing his transformation from a cold, uncaring clod in the first volume to a more empathetic and reasonable person to be genuine.

The novel is told from various points of view of the characters who wish destruction to the Brood family. Generally, this is well done, and gives the reader insight into the motivations of the various characters, including the different goals of Ren and the Tin"vori siblings; sometimes, however, it can be hard to track the interwoven strands. Still, this is a fast-paced and engaging book, and I look forward to the next volume, which was foreshadowed in the epilog.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book 2 in this series did not disappoint. While I was hoping for a duology, it looks there's many roads this can continue to travel on and I'll be reading them,

Ren and Theo now have an alliance after they make it out of the wilderness and Ren seems to get her wish as a member of House Brood. But you instantly get the feeling achieving her goal is going to be difficult if not impossible. I enjoyed Ren's point of view and her internal battle with the past and present possibilities with Theo, but the new characters were also so engaging and different, so much flavor was added to this installment, and once the action started it never stopped.

I will be foisting this series on all my fantasy readers immediately.
Thanks to NetGalley, publisher, and author (who I hope to be lucky enough to get an author visit from at my high school one day) this is my honest review.

What a sequel! A Whisper in the Walls definitely does not suffer from second book syndrome. This story was full of action and character development the whole time. Ren continues to be morally gray, while taking a back seat to other characters in this book. I enjoyed seeing how the plot came together without ever being explicitly told the details. The last few pages definitely left me wanting to know what comes next. 4.25 stars

A great follow up to A Door in the Dark, as Ren sets into motion her plans for revenge on House Brood for what they did to her father. Ren had laid the groundwork in book one which resulted in her bond to Theo Brood and now she's establishing allies with House Tin’Vori, who suffered major losses years previously because of the Broods. Many new characters are introduced as well as further descriptions of the political machinations of the world and the magical possibilities. Overall, a fantastic and intricately plotted sequel with so many twists and turns as Ren gets closer to her goal. Looking forward to the results in book three.

Installment 2 of the Waxways Series -

After narrowly escaping with her life, Ren is now one step closer to getting her revenge on the Brood family. Her bond to Theo has put her in range of her goal, but it will take all of her skill to navigate the dangers and come out on top. When she discovers that there are survivors of the Tin'Vori family line, she seeks them out, knowing they have a shared enemy. Working together may just be the key to take the Brood family down for good.

This is a great follow-up to book 1. Ren and Theo's relationship continues to grow and change, and the plot to take down the oppressors is riddled with intrigue and cunning. There's plenty of magic to go around, and adding Dahvid's powers and personal journey to the end goal helps bring it all together and make it work as a whole, though not without great personal loss.

Overall, a fantastic second book, and can't wait to see what they get up to next as they work for the final push to overturn the ruling families.

Another winner by Reintgen. I am hungry for book 3. More twists and turns just like book one. Twists I wasn't expecting at all. Loved the writing style and the show not tell aspect Scott brought to the story. Fell in love with the characters even more than I did in book 1. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Another fast paced thrill Ride from Scott Reintgen! Ren’s plan succeeded in putting her in the House of Brood family. She and Theo are bonded and now her work can begin. The only problem is not everyone in the Brood family is happy to have her there. As a result Theo is shipped off to a remote watchtower that hasn’t been needed in a long time. With these changes Ren will need help if she plans to take the House Brood down. Luckily she learns of a different House all but extinct also due to House Brood. Dahvid and Nevelyn Tin’Vori have been biding their time to get their revenge on House Brood. And Ren Monroe just might be the piece they need. But it’ll all fall apart if Ren can’t get Theo on her side. And what happens when Ren’s feelings start to become real? Will she be able to do what needs to be done? All three have their roles to play. And if done correctly they may finally get the revenge their owed. I loved all three protagonists and each piece of the puzzle they were working on had me enthralled! Each time a chapter ended I didn’t want to switch to a new character but I knew their story would be just as exciting! Plus the ending! I have to know what’s coming next! It’s unputdownable! Highly recommend!

🪄A Whisper in the Walls🪄
Author: Scott Reintgen
Pub Date: April 23, 2025

A very special thank you @reintgen @ssedlib @simonkids for reaching out to offer me a copy of this book! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it!

This book is the 2nd book in the Waxways series and you do need to read A Door in the Dark before A Whisper in the Walls. Don’t you fret my friends, these are both 5 stars for me so I am happy to recommend getting immersed into this magical world!

In this book Ren, the badass that she is, is on a mission to take down the House of Brood and avenge her father’s death. She’s a schemer, she’s devious and has the perfect amount of craftiness to get it done! She has patiently waited and plotted for the exact moment to attack. Using her magic she has come up with the most creative and effective strategy to defeat her enemies! And don’t worry, the ending leaves you wanting more!

Thoughts: First let’s talk about how obsessed I am with this cover art. I will absolutely be buying this hard cover as it’s just as gorgeous as A Door in the Dark! That alone would make me buy it 😂 Dare I say I liked this one more?! Don’t get me wrong A Door in the Dark was 5 star for me but I just lived Ren and her tenacity and determination in this one! She is such a uniquely complex character and I find myself easily rooting for her! I flew through this book as it is packed full of action with intense battle scenes and sneakily plotting revenge. The addition of new characters was perfectly integrated and drew me into the storyline even more. There is simply nothing I don’t love about this book! I am completely entranced by this creative and magical world Scott has brought to life and am anxiously and maybe not so patiently waiting for the 3rd! 👀

This is the sequel to Scott Reintgen's "A Door in the Dark". In this book, we follow Ren and Theo as they try to settle into a bonded life together following the harrowing experience of getting lost in the Waxways. Ren's goal is to take down House Brood, and she hopes Theo will become an ally. She discovers that there are others out there who share the same enemy. With the use of powerful magic and clever maneuvers, Ren makes a complex plan to demolish the leader of House Brood.

A Door in the Dark was one of my favorite releases of this year, and this sequel doesn't disappoint! I was engaged from the very start.

Ren and Theo are back in the city of Ravinia and Ren continues to plot the revenge of her father against her enemy Landwin Brood. Two more character POVs are introduced, and there is new magic to discover.

I loved this! It's fast paced, easy reading, and just an overall fun time.

Content includes mild violence, mild language, and closed door, but noisy romance.


Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy to read for review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,

If the first book in this series was a survivalist story, this book is definitely more of a war story - lots of intriguing and planning and then the big battle at the end. The new characters introduced in this book - the Tin'Vori family- were a good addition to the story, and their magic (especially Dahvid's) was very fun in the way it differed from other magic in this world. I was so hoping this was going to be a duology, but quickly realized as I was nearing the end that that was certainly not going to be the case, but this installment sets some very interesting wheels in motion and I look forward to seeing how that plays out in the next entry to this series. Overall, this was a fun, engaging read that lovers of fantasy with lots of action in it will adore.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I loved A Door in the Dark so much and was thrilled to get to read the sequel early! Ren Monroe is a top-tier morally grey character and has my whole heart. For me, an adult, A Whisper in the Walls was a 5-star slam dunk. I loved the political intrigue and the slow buildup to the nonstop last third of the book. I really enjoyed the introduction of additional POVs and loved how Ren and Theo's relationship developed even though they weren't together for much of the book.

That said, for about the first half of the book, I often wondered if my students would keep at it. The story is kind of slow to build, which is much different from book 1. I can imagine that a teen reader who loved A Door in the Dark would grab this and have expectations for similar pacing, action, and magic. To me, this one felt less teen-centric. In book 1, there is a good deal of teen/school drama, relationship tension, etc. This book is more about political maneuvering and 2 of the 3 POVs are adults. Again, I loved it, but I can see younger readers, especially less confident ones, struggling to stay engaged. Now, if they make it to the final section, it's game on!

I TOLD YALL THIS SEQUEL WAS GONNA BE GOOD!!!
I loved the multi-POV that this book had that was not included in the first book. I loved reading Ren’s transition to House Brood. Just everything about this book was perfection!!! This is probably the most underrated series I have ever read. Book 3, bring it on!!!😍

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC. GREAT read! This is the second book in a YA magical fantasy series that is shaping up soo fabulously! The world building and action in book one was great. And book two keeps that going with tons of action and revenge. If revenge is best served cold, how is irony served? (Wink wink) Loved the character development and the open- ended last scene! Scott Reintgen, you’re killing me! I NEED BOOK THREE NOW!

Based on the way A Door in the Dark, the previous book in this series, ended, I was excited to learn how Ren would take on the Brood family. The multi-pov in this book provides Ren's perspective as well as that of Nevelyn and Dahvid, two other people who were devastatingly hurt by the actions of a Brood. I really enjoyed the break from Ren's thoughts, because her one-track mind of revenge with the necessary manipulation felt tiring during some of the first book. The chapters are short enough to never spend too much time with one character and their plotline but action-packed enough to keep the story steadily moving. Everything is orchestrated very well for the end result. Some puzzle pieces slid right into place in my mind, but Reintgen still kept me eager to turn pages for everything I could not guess. Little details that are pivotal to the characters' plans easily get forgotten by the reader with the constant influx of scenes filled with intrigue and action. New characters such as Nevelyn and Dahvid added more depth to the revenge plot, and learning more about Agnes, Ren's mother, was sweet yet brow-furrowing. Ren was only a child when her father died, which causes me to question how much she really knows about the events surrounding his death, especially after the conclusion to A Whisper in the Walls. Theo is used like a tool by Ren, and I expect a subsequent book will reveal more truths to him about her and to her about the world as she knows it. Who runs the city? Why the sudden shift in Agnes's behavior? Are the Tin'Vori children satisfied? In a magical land of powerful ruling families, how can true peace be possible? These are questions I hope to see answered next.

I had a plan. Sit down and read a few chapters of "A Whisper in the Walls" before bed. 4 hours and several more 'just one more chapter' later, and it's safe to say I was hooked. The second book in the Waxways Series by Scott Reintgen grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.

While the first book brought to life dark academia elements reminiscent of A Deadly Education, the second book brought to life the political intrigue and house dynamics of books like Game of Thrones and Misborn.

We pick up in A Whisper in the Walls a few months after Ren and Theo make it out of the wilderness and begin to see the dynamics of their bond as Ren becomes a wolf in sheep's clothing as the newest addition to House Brood. As a lead character, Ren is a dynamic, complicated, and morally grey heroine who will have you asking, 'What happens when you achieve your wildest dreams if you sacrifice a piece of yourself along the way?' We follow Ren on her quest to avenge her father, but Scott Reintgen writes Ren in a way where not only do we understand her wants and ambitions, but we watch her struggle with the PTSD of the choices she made in the wilderness and the dynamic of her feelings for Theo.

From introducing new characters and houses, new branches of magic, intense and visceral combat scenes, and sweeping political intrigue, I wasn't sure how Reintgen would manage to bring everything together at the end of a book in a way that felt fully satisfying. He did that and more. I am entirely hooked. My only regret in reading this as an ARC is that I must wait even longer to read whatever Reintgen writes next.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Every twist and turn in this one had me on the edge of my seat. I love Scott’s writing and it just gets better and better with each book!