I got into half of this book and then noticed like
the blonde I am that this book is the second book
of the series. Which is a big no no to me. Must read things
in order so I must dnfed this til I get book 1!

After enjoying A Taste of Magic by J. Elle back in 2022, I was really excited to get more of Kyana Turner and her magical adventures, especially since we're diving into an aspect that was only surface level in the previous book. However, despite some interesting settings and sequences and growth from the protagonists, I found some issues in pacing that sadly grew into an underwhelming experience, and I really hate it too since this is the second book in a row by this author I've had similar experiences with.

First the good. The protagonists were interesting to follow for the most part, as Kyana is trying to keep her group together her magician friends have no place to train for the time being. I also found it interesting to how she dealt with the curse of emotions inside her. Ashley, the other POV character introduced in the book, drags Kyana over so she can have a familiar face during camp. I did enjoy where they ended up and some points of their development. The setting of an island camp was rather interesting and I like that the magic and lore was expanded from the first book. I enjoyed some of the sequences in this story, especially as it comes to discovering more about the magical Availables which were introduced in the first book, and I really enjoyed most of the climax with the plot twists that got thrown in.

Now the not so good. It took me nearly 5 months to finish the book, and yes, part of it was that other books and life did get into the way, but I struggled to get myself into the book. I think a big chunk of it was the pacing was sluggish. It felt like something interesting would happen and then it would take a few chapters to get back to it. The way everything came together made sense, but it felt like critical pieces were missing to figure out what was fully going on. The ending was slightly rushed and I felt like it needed one more chapter. While Kyana's character development from the previous book would lead to her being a group leader, it felt like it wasn’t something that developed on page as much as it could have been. Some of the other characters felt a bit flat, to the point that I almost missed a huge aspect of the twist.

Even though I was disappointed, I'm sure this book will find its fans from others that also liked the first book.

This book makes so much more sense when you read it after reading the first in the series. An obvious statement, I know, but I accidentally started reading the books out of order. On top of that, I ended up enjoying this book for more than. the first which could not make up its mind over whether it wanted to be a book about a cooking competition or one about a magical school. This entry leaned entirely into the magical school by sending Kyana, Ashley, and Russ to a magical training camp, a summer cap type situation set during Spring Break. Once there, a mystery, which started with some unusual events back home, unfolds and the three protagonists must solve it. The narrative also took a welcome new tone with the addition of Ashley's perspective, which helped the narrative find balance. This cohesion definitely helped the narrative achieve success as well as incline my desire to pick up any sequel in this series that J. Elle may write.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and J. Elle.

J. Elle is an amazing author. Such beautifully written worlds and great characters. I loved this story very much!

J. Elle’s A WHISPER OF CURSES picks up the action after Kyana’s victory in the baking contest in A TOUCH OF MAGIC. Construction of a new Park Row Magic Academy is underway. Kyana and Ashley are excited to participate in a week-long Enrichment Camp to fill the time before classes resume. The timing is perfect because Kyana seems to have been cursed by an Available and is exhibiting some hard to manage symptoms. The girls hope that the famous Dr. Minzy, one of the magic experts at the camp, will be able to help reverse the curse. Their plans change when soon after their arrival at camp, the portals that the campers used to reach camp are mysteriously closed, cutting the campers off from the rest of the world. With the help of their friend Russ, Kyana and Ashley will have to figure out what—or who—is behind the odd occurrences at the camp.

Told from the dual perspectives of Ashley and Kyana, the story’s secluded camp setting serves to heighten the stakes for the campers. Each of the main characters gets a chance to shine as they use their unique skill sets to play an integral role in the quest to unravel the mystery of what is happening at the camp. A WHISPER OF CURSES is an intriguing story featuring a well-developed and creative magical world and engaging characters. Fans of magical stories in school settings will devour this one.

*4.25 Stars*

I had a really good time reading this one. It was a great sequel. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters more. Seeing them in another setting was really interesting and the intrigue kept me on my toes.
Basically, this is a great read for any and every magic fan, no matter their ages. I hope we'll get more books in this series and I need to start reading J. Elle's other books!

I enjoyed A Whisper of Curses even more than A Taste of Magic. I loved hearing more from multiple characters and finding out so much more about the magical world for these witches/wizards. The mystery element definitely helped keep me hooked and wanting to read more each time I had to put it down.

This is such a great book. I think it had a great balance of introducing some new elements and showing more growth for the main trio of characters while also holding onto a lot of what was so fun about the first book. My only complaint is I would have liked to see more baking but it does make sense for the setting. I hope we get to see more baking in the next book and I am so excited to see the schools completed make over. Back to the book at hand though the summer camp setting was so well done. It was great how it added both fun elements and upped the stakes on the danger of the situation with the campers being isolated from more help. The way they worked around the isolation and relied on each other was great character development. I thought the mystery and the pacing of the story were well done and all around it was a fun read,

After saving Park Row Magic Academy, Kyana is determined to be the leader everyone seems to believe she is. Only, she’s not sure if she’s the right person for the job. She really starts to question herself more when she’s accidentally infected by an Available, spirits that usually inhabit objects in our world, and spirits that are not supposed to touch actual people. Trying to resolve this infection, she goes to her best friend Ashley, who is not only an expert at Available magic, but who has also been invited to a special camp where they’ll have the opportunity to meet the greatest magical inventor of all! If Doctor Minzy can’t fix Kyana, who can?

I received an advanced reading copy of A Whisper of Curses in exchange for an honest review.

A Whisper of Curses is a middle grade fantasy novel by J. Elle. It’s also the sequel to A Taste of Magic, which I also got an ARC for. I was so excited to get a copy of the second book in the Park Row Magic Academy series too!

This book starts shortly after the end of the last one. Park Row Magic Academy is temporarily shut down for construction, but soon it will be bigger and better! But that means that Kyana and her friends there have found themselves unable to hang out as much as they used to. Kyana also carries the additional burden of leadership, after saving the academy. She struggles with embodying what she thinks a good leader should be, and the extra pressure makes it even harder when she gets infected by the Available and has to figure out a solution!

Luckily, she has her friends. This book is actually told through two POVs, both Kyana’s and Ashley’s. I was really surprised when Ashley’s POV started up, but I ended up really enjoying the chance to get into her head as well as Kyana’s. Ashley is shy, and she tends to focus more on her work and studies than on trying to make new friends. That’s one of the reasons that camp has always been such a struggle for her, but when Kyana asks for her help, she immediately sets all that aside and agrees to do anything she can. The friendship between both girls was such a prevalent part of this book, and I loved reading about it! Of course it can be difficult, especially as the Available infection has taken away Kyana’s control of her emotions, but the two girls are determined to solve this together.

A Whisper of Curses was such a fun follow-up to A Taste of Magic, and the plot was definitely exciting! The infection felt like a ticking time-bomb the entire way through the book, and as camp began to grow weirder and weirder, I began to wonder what else was going on.

Holding friendship at its core, this is one I’d recommend to fans of magic school (or magic camp!) books, those who love middle grade magic, and those who love seeing friends face incredible odds! Definitely be sure to check the Park Row Magic Academy series out! Speaking of series, I’m not sure if there will be a third book to this series, but hopefully we’ll find out soon enough!

A Whisper of Curses will be released on July 9. You can preorder your copy from Bloomsbury Children’s Books here.

A Whisper of Curses by J. Elle is a fabulous sequel to A Taste of Magic! Once again, we follow young teen Kyana as she explores the magic in the spirit world.
Middle grade will always hold a special place in my heart. It brings back all the feels of going to the local library or bookstore and exploring as a child. Oh, the smells of pages and fresh coffee! Magic will always be enjoyable for children and adults, and I hope Kyana brings you as much joy in the moment as she did me.

This was fun! I didn't read book #1 because I didn't know there was on but I didn't feel as if I missed anything. This would be great for those looking to start reading in this particular genre.

A Whisper of Curses picks up where Park Row Magic Academy left off. A new Magick Academy is being built for the students so they get invited to Retreat Week. Things don't go as planned when a student gets grabbed by a spirit and then they are all trapped. Ash and her friends have to figure out what magic is causing the chaos and who's behind but they don't know who to trust. Book two in Park Row Magic Academy continues to open up this delightful world and introduce wonderful characters. I truly love this series and can't wait to see where it goes!

A great little fantasy novel for younger readers. Book 2 has magic, friendship and problem solving. Definitely would recommend for beginner fantasy readers.

Thank you Bloomsbury for the ARC! While I still don’t quite understand the magic system (what’s the difference between charms and spells?), I enjoyed being back with the Park Row kids