Whisper the Dead, by Alyxandra Harvey is the second book in “The Lovegrove Legacy” series. Unlike the previous book, this installment is mainly narrated by Gretchen Thorn. Emma, Penelope and a lot of other characters also narrate the story occasionally, but the main focus is on Gretchen. After the events of the previous book, many of the wards in London are disappearing. The Order has also sent out Keeper’s to keep an eye on the Lovegrove cousins after their involvement with the Greymalkins. While this is happening, Gretchen is trying to master her new found Whisperer powers, Emma is trying to bring back her father from the Underworld and Penelope is looking for love.
Gretchen is not the daughter her mother wants her to be. She is loud, stubborn, and aggressive. She has no desire to get married and hates the formal balls she must attend as a debutante. Her character does not change throughout the story. In fact, the story often requires her brash nature, but her powers as a Whisperer grow. In the beginning, Gretchen was assaulted with the whispers of witches’ spells causing pain and bleeding ears. She gains better control of her powers and uses the witches’ whispers the assist her with creating and improving spells.
This book starts really slow, but builds up overtime. Many plot lines take place simultaneously. By the end, the plot lines converge and the story becomes very interesting and engaging. Until then, it can be hard to get into the book. Gretchen is gifted with a love interest whose identity is easily detected within the first few chapters. Although predictable, it gives the readers a chance to watch the lovers grow closer and closer. The many plot lines can be hard to follow, but without them, the book would have been extremely boring. In all, I give this 397 page book 4 stars.
The Lovegrove Legacy
This is the wonderful Lovegrove Legacy series. It takes place in 19th century London