Shadow Silence

Whisper Hollow, Book #2

By Yasmine Galenorn

ISBN#9780515156256

Author Website: Galenorn.com

 

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn invites readers to Whisper Hollow, where spirits walk among the living and the lake never gives up her dead…

Fifteen years ago, I ran away from Whisper Hollow, Washington, a small town on Crescent Lake in the Olympic Peninsula. But truth is, if you were born here, you can never really leave. I’m Kerris Fellwater, and I’m a spirit shaman. It’s my responsibility to drive the dead back to their graves, because around Whisper Hollow, people—and secrets—don’t always stay buried.

My best friend Peggin finds herself under a curse after she is almost taken by the Lady of the Lake, and the Unliving are determined to drag her back to the hungry waters. As Bryan—my guardian and mate—and I work to break the hex, we uncover a dark and violent mystery from the past. One the Hounds of Cú Chulainn will do anything to guard—even if they must summon a legion of the dead to destroy Whisper Hollow. (Goodreads)

Review:

I really enjoyed Shadow Silence, the second book in the Whisper Hallow paranormal series.

Shadow Silence takes place in the small town of Whisper Hallow, Washington, where people are drawn and, if they do leave, they will definitely come back home.  Such is the case with Kerris Fellwater, a spirit shaman by birth right.  Her grandmother dies before Kerris was able to learn all she needed to know to fulfill her legacy, but her paternal grandmother and the other matriarchs of the town are guiding her way.  Spirits of the dead are everywhere in Whisper Hollow, the Lady of the Lake claims far too many lives, and there are opposing forces trying to keep Kerris in the dark.  Evil is coming.  In this installment, Kerris must do her best to keep the Lady of the Lake from taking her best friend Peggin to a watery grave.  Much more is going on, though, and it all seems to be connected to the house Peggin has recently moved into.  Kerris and her friends must work together to uncover the mystery held within the house even as things become more and more dangerous for all involved.  Not everyone is as they seem, and Kerris learns the hard way that not everyone can be trusted.

There are MAJOR spoilers for Autumn Thorns in Shadow Silence.  I cannot emphasize this enough.  If you haven’t read the series from the beginning, proceed with caution (no spoilers in my review).

I like this book so much more than the first book in the series, Autumn Thorns, mostly because there is no exceptionally graphic sex here.  Kerris and Bryan’s relationship, though they are meant to be together, was more about lust in Autumn, and it has mellowed into a sweet, yet passionate, love in this book.  Kerris is learning more about her role as spirit shaman and her abilities.  She is a strong, loyal character.  Bryan is, as expected, sexy and little too good to be true, but I love him anyway.  Peggin annoys me a bit, but she is still likable.  And can we talk about Peggin’s love interest Dr. Divine “Deev” for a minute?  I won’t spoil anything here, but I want to know everything about him.  Hopefully, readers will learn more in the next installment.  Perhaps my favorite characters, though, are Ellia and Kerris’s grandparents.

This series is rich in Celtic folklore, and Galenorn does a fantastic job of making all of the lore fresh for the twenty-first century story, providing plenty of insight without a boring information dump or too much all at one time.  Knowledge about the The Gray Man, the Shadow People, the Screaming Tree, and Magda and the Hounds comes bit by bit, but there are plenty of secrets still to be revealed.  I look forward to seeing what comes next for Kerris.

Shadow Silence provides hours of spine tingling entertainment.  I recommend the Whisper Hollow series to fans of Ms. Galenorn and readers who enjoy ghosts and things that go bump in the night.