Autumn Thorns by Yasmine Galenorn Series: Whisper Hollow, #1
Published by Jove Publication Date: October 27th 2015
Pages: 336
Also in this series: Shadow Silence
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In an all-new series, 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 when I returned, I inherited my grandmother’s house—and her gift. As 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.
When I was little, I was told my mother ran off. But now it looks like she was murdered. With the help of my mysterious neighbor Bryan, we begin to unravel the mystery of her disappearance, and in doing so, unearth a dark force seeking to bury Whisper Hollow. Now I must work with the dead, rather than against them, because our enemy will do whatever she can to destroy the town, and she means to start with me.
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from Galley Sites, NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
This was my first book by this author and I have to say, I’m a fan. There was a lot of uncharted territory in this book for me, things I’d never encountered in another read, so I was pleasantly surprised by it’s unique story and unsettling scenes. I loved the mythology the author plays off of, the writing style was well done and the characters were easy to connect with. I read this one in one sitting because I just couldn’t’t put it down.
Kerris Fellwater returns home to Whisper Hollow after fifteen years away, to take her rightful place as the town’s spirit shaman, after the passing of her grandmother. Her childhood was filled with things she wanted to forget, not only from the mystical and undead but also her controlling and unloving grandfather.
But the town has called her home and knowing not to ignore the signs, she’s picked up the gauntlet her grandmother left behind. There are secrets to uncover, mysteries to solve and dangers to avoid and not everyone wants the spirit shaman to do her job.
This read was full of tantalizing mystery and a who-done-it scenario that kept me guessing most of the way through. I loved that I couldn’t suss out who was truly friend or foe, or the mastermind behind the whole troublesome happenings in Whisper Hollow. It kept me intrigued and wanting to get to the end so I could see what exactly was going on.
There was plenty of mystic and the unexplained with some pretty chilling and intense scenes to sink my teeth into. And though the romance was a little more on the lighter side than I normally like, there was still enough to keep me invested in Kerris and Bryan as both individuals and as a couple.
I thought Kerris was a great character even though she was a little too apt to let things go because of fear. For example, there were several times when she refused to ask questions, stating she was scared of the answers. I know this was the author’s attempt to draw out the mystery, but her avoidance made her look weak. However, when things started happening, and the mystery started to unravel, she stepped up and kicked butt! I loved that about her.
Bryan was a wonderful character also. I loved his protective nature. He let his alpha male shine when needed, but he also knew when to step back and let Kerris control the situation, making them the perfect team.
Both were powerful, but together, they were the A-team, that could and would protect what needed protecting. It was a lot of fun watching their relationship bloom and grow.
This book had some great characters all around and a wonderful, exciting, thrilling story. I will say that some of the scenes were a little long winded. There were several times I felt the story got bogged down with trivial things, such as clothing options or cat antics.
But other than that, I enjoyed this read so much. I can’t wait to see what the second book holds and what secrets may be revealed next!
