A unique mix of fantasy and horror, this book was fast paced and easy to get sucked into compared to a traditional fantasy story that drags on for double the length. But, in that regard it did feel like things moved too quickly and easily for our fmc when it came to her abilities and relationships.

I typically read more thriller focused books but I had been curious by the cover and decided to check it out. I'll be on the lookout for more of Alex's work.

In 2019 my health started going down hill and I didn't take into consideration what that would mean for my book reviewing. Sadly, I've been trying to play catch up for years and it's been affecting my ability to keep up with present day tasks. So I greatly apologize for this but I am going to clear out all these older review books and focus on present day. I will come back and update this review if I end up reading the book, which is very possible as a lot of these books are still ones I would like to read, I just don't think the pressure looming over me is helpful. Thank you for giving me a chance to early read these books and I am so sorry I wasn't able to provide what was needed.

actual rating: 3/5 stars

whisperwood by alex woodroe is a dark fantasy debut that promises eerie folklore, mysterious towns, and unsettling creatures, but ultimately falls a little short in delivering on its potential. the premise is intriguing: anna, a nomad trying to escape her violent past, seeks refuge in whisperwood, a town that seems to trap those who enter. the early chapters set up a strong atmosphere of mystery and danger, with the idea of a vanishing town and the strange folk customs providing an eerie backdrop. the writing style is straightforward and easy to follow, making for a smooth reading experience, especially in the beginning.

unfortunately, the execution of the main character’s journey and her supposed interest in folk customs and local stories didn’t live up to the expectations set by the premise. anna’s curiosity about the town’s legends quickly fades into the background, and i found myself forgetting that she had come to whisperwood to collect stories. there’s little passion in her pursuit of knowledge, and her motivations feel more self-serving as she focuses on surviving rather than immersing herself in the culture she initially sought. this lack of depth in her character made it harder to connect with her, and the side characters, while diverse, didn’t stand out enough to make the narrative more engaging.

the town of whisperwood and its inhabitants initially exude a chilling atmosphere, but this quickly dissipates as the story progresses. while there are a few standout moments, particularly the encounters with creatures from romanian folklore like zburătorul zmeilor, they were too sparse to maintain the eerie vibe i was hoping for. these moments were genuinely terrifying and memorable, but they were overshadowed by the slower, less impactful parts of the story. the atmosphere that starts so promisingly soon loses its grip, and by the middle of the book, i found myself checking how many pages were left, hoping for the tension to pick up again.

despite its flaws, whisperwood shows a lot of potential. the incorporation of folklore is one of the book's strongest points, and woodroe’s writing demonstrates promise. while the plot feels stretched and a bit meandering at times, there’s enough in this debut to suggest that woodroe has the potential to write a truly gripping folk horror story in the future. for now, whisperwood was an enjoyable read, but it didn’t quite live up to its full potential. i look forward to seeing how woodroe’s craft develops in future works.

I just booked. It was very suspenseful and mysterious. I also like how the pros in the book was written. The Author was able to blend a unique style of almost Gothic style romance with fantasy, and also have a darker underlying tension between all the characters in the story of the Whisperwood. I enjoyed the Lord that was within the book. I also thought that the character development was very strong, especially within the female character in her journey through the book.

Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication!

I adore the concept of this book. I love the cover. I fell in love as soon as I read the blurb. Unfortunately, despite trying to get through this book many times, the voice and mood of this book doesn't appear to match the marketing copy. The narrator's voice feels strikingly modern despite it taking place in what is ostensibly (as I understood it) a quasi-medieval setting. I couldn't get past the dissonance and I tried many times.

I am not saying the book is bad by any means, only that perhaps the blurb didn't do it justice.

Three stars.

I don't think this book will be for everyone but it was for me! What a creepy, eerie, atmospheric story! I really enjoyed this!

The town was a frontier, acting as a lighthouse for the vast ocean of the unknown world beyond. They called that beyond-place Unspoken. It was populated by creatures the townsfolk called Whispers, because if they ever visited, they were only faint shadows and specters, like the one that greeted me on my first evening in town. They didn’t belong in our world.

Whisperwood is a mash-up of Fantasy, Folklore and Folk Horror, which is an intoxicating mix.
Another reviewer likened the setting to ‘The Village’ in M Night Shyamalan’s film of the same name. That’s exactly the initial vibes I got. As with a lot of Fantasy books, you couldn’t guess which era this was supposed to be set. The village definitely seemed to be from the past, but the tone of Anna’s narration seemed more modern, which really added another strength to the book.

As a huge fan of Folklore, this book, with it’s many references to and elements of Romanian Folklore, was its main attraction for me.
There were some fantastic other-worldly creatures/characters. The description of the Dochia was vividly and effectively disturbing.
Baba Dochia is actually a known character from Romanian mythology - the personification of mankind’s impatience for the return of Spring. Also, the Pricolici (a Werewolf/Vampire type beast) was gruesomely effective.

I sometimes get a bit frustrated and impatient with slow-burners, but Whisperwood was at the other end of the pacing spectrum. Frenetic and action-packed - however, possibly a little too chaotic and confusing at times. Hence 4 stars rather than 5.

This is a highly original dark fantasy novel. I did feel the initial suspense waned through the middle, but the truth of the apparent softening of the main character was explained later in the book. It's has detailed lore that requires concentration to read the book, so it took me a while to get through it, but it's worth sticking with.

This was totally in the vein of a more modern Grimm’s fairytale. The magic system was really intriguing and I loved how it was described. The world building was also amazing.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. You can hear Alex and I talk about the book on my show We Bleed Orange & Black, the podcast for Halloween and Horror lovers. I had a great interview with her on episode #44.

The creepy forest trope is one of my favorites, and Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe does it so well. For such a short book, the world building is fantastic. Whisperwood has everything a folk horror, dark fantasy lover could want. A likable MC with a troubled past, a mysterious village, superstitious townsfolk, conflict between the magical and the human and questioning whom you should fear most. But, most of all, an eerie wilderness that comes to life, pulls you in, and may never let you leave. Whisperwood left me wanting more. A prequel and a sequel. And, isn't that the best compliment you can give a fantasy world?

Thank you Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a reasonably well written book. It has an engaging, if sometimes overworked, premise that's established well at the outset of the story. There are a few well-conceived set pieces, but a lot of the action is fairly generic. Our heroine spends a day or two in the village and somehow knows everything about the village, has become best friends with all of the important supporting characters, and even gets to be the centerpiece and hero of all the closing action. Given all that, try as I might I found neither the characters, nor their situations, nor the overall narrative engaging enough to arouse or hold my curiosity and attention. As a consequence, it doesn't seem fair to write much more of a review, apart from encouraging inquisitive readers to give the book a try.

Alex Woodroe understands storytelling at a visceral level. 100% would recommend for anyone wanting a solid folk horror/dark fantasy story.

This book is a page-turning, atmospheric, and eerie dark fantasy. I enjoyed the novel though I think it was a little too fast-paced and dialogue-heavy. 3.5, I'm rounding up to four stars. Love the cover!

A dark fantasy set in the same line as the Grimm fairytales, count me in! This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year

Apologies for the delayed review but it took me months of forcing myself to steadily plod through this book. The start was promising-a young woman running away from something hitches a lift to a strange town to start a new life. Then it went downhill for me. It was supposed to be mysterious and spooky and I just didn’t care. The characters, setting, dialogue, all of it fell really flat for me.

This was okay in my opinion. I am not the biggest fan of graphic novels. The illustration was great but I was not connected to the story.

I adored this book. As a fellow Romanian I absolutely loved the representation and inclusion of our monsters and legends. Alex is a master of the genre both in editing and writing, and I am sure she will keep surprising us with her words. Can't wait to read Alex's next book!

I'm not huge on horror, but I did like this novel. I loved the scenery the author portrayed of the creep southern towns and the folklore. It did move a little slow in some parts, but picked up in others. If you like horror you'll like this book.

I loved this debut.
It's eerie, creepy and thrilling; bizarre, touching and riveting. It's a beautiful example of dark fantasy done right, featuring great world building, fascinating folkloric creatures and intriguing characters. A yes from me!