A Whisper in the Walls
sequel to A Door in the Dark
by Scott Reintgen
Fantasy
* * * * Stars (Great!)
Ren is bent on avenging her father’s death – murdered by the powerful Brood family. To that end she has infiltrated their ranks by way of the youngest Brood son, Theo, with whom she is now magically bonded. The Brood family just wants Ren out of the way, however, and Landwin Brood, the head of the family, attempts to buy her off with an attractive magical research position. Instead, Ren joins up with another family the Broods have wronged, and together they plot its destruction. Her allies, however – the Tin’Viori siblings – are not completely trustworthy, and may be even more bloodthirsty than she. Ren is also faced with the difficult task of convincing Theo to turn against his family and come to her aid.
This was an excellent continuation of the series. The first book blindsides readers in the final pages when it comes to light that Ren is responsible for the wayward magic that sent her and her fellow students into the wilderness where most of them then perished. She can be cold and calculating! She’s developing feelings for Theo through her bond, though, which is causing some internal turmoil – he’s a Brood! She should hate him, too! The magic is interesting too, how spells are constructed, the different varieties. Sometimes they’re awfully convenient (Dahvid Tin’Viori uses magical tattoos as part of his fighting style, and they definitely allow him to do things that further the plot). Very suspenseful – aided by short chapters following different characters. There’s more to come in this series, but this was a very satisfying second book. For high school teens, and possibly some 8th graders who enjoy dark revenge fantasy.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
