Review : Whisper the Dead by Alyxandra Harvey

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Whisper the Dead (The Lovegrove Legacy #2)
Author : Alyxandra Harvey
Publication Date : October 7th 2014
Publisher : Bloomsbury Childrens
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Cousins Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope are all dealing with what it means to be a Lovegrove. For Gretchen, it means she often feels like her head is going to explode. As a Whisperer, Gretchen constantly hears the whispers of other witches' spells. And while this does help her to know when one of her own spells is going wrong, the incessant buzzing and pain the whispers cause makes it difficult to use her gift.

But when something evil begins to menace Mayfair, Gretchen must find a way to master her power. Along with her cousins, a madcap named Moira, and the icy yet irresistible Tobias Lawless, Gretchen faces deadly threats and unimaginable loss in the hopes of preventing the terrible Greymalkin Sisters from rising again.

The second book in The Lovegrove Legacy trilogy, Whisper the Dead will leave readers spellbound.

Personal Thoughts

I just have so much love for this series and its main characters. Alyxandra Harvey is a phenomenal author in my eyes, because she knows how to balance out all the different elements that make up a good book, according to me, really well. I loved the first book in this trilogy, A Breath of Frost, so much and I have been patiently waiting for this sequel. Fortunately, it did not suffer from no middle-book syndrome and was as astounding as was the first book.

The Lovegrove Legacy series features 3 cousins with each book focusing one cousin's story more than the others. This time around, we get to see Gretchen at the forefront of the book. As expected, Gretchen was an absolute delight as a main character, making me constantly chuckle. She was brave, fierce and strong minded, qualities that were very much admirable in a main character. Her dynamics with her cousins is the highlight of this series for me. These three girls shared a bond so deep, it actually made me jealous because my cousins and I are nowhere this close. In a genre that is constantly perpetuating the idea of mean girls and slut-shaming, it's refreshing to see a book that focused on the positive aspects of feminine friendships. Individually, Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope were brilliant characters, but together, they were epic in every way. I love how supportive they were of each other and how in tune they were with each other's emotions. While the limelight might be on Gretchen in Whisper the Dead, I never felt like Alyxandra Harvey abandoned the secondary characters in any way. Each and everyone has a role and the reader gets to see their different personalities.

Alyxandra Harvey also knows how to write swoon-worthy romances that will have you sighing in happiness. The relationship between Gretchen and Tobias started off antagonistically, especially because Tobias came across as conceited and cold at first, but there were definitely some sparks between the two of them. Tobias wasn't all cold though. As the layers of character was revealed, I fell in love with him along with Gretchen. He was certainly a memorable hero battling with his own issues but doing everything to protect his family. The plot too was engaging in many ways. We find out more the world that these cousins live in and the world-building became clearer as I turned the pages. It's exciting because Harvey has incorporated all these elements together and made them work very well. There were many revelations and twists that I did not foresee. One of my favorite things about this series is how the author manages to effortlessly incorporate humor into the book that actually make you laugh. Whisper the Dead did end in a cliffhanger, but instead of making me furious, it made me even more enthusiastic for the final book in the trilogy.

The Lovegrove Legacy is without a shadow of doubt, one of my favorite YA paranormal historical series. It's a fun and romantic series that is thoroughly entertaining and keeps you on your toes. I can't recommend this series enough!

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

 Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the e-ARC of Whisper the Dead.