I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as I’ve been burned by Dark Academia recommendations from bookish social media before, namely Ninth House, A Study in Drowning, and the cult classic The Secret History. So I went into this with some reservations and some low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself hooked into the plot rather early on and remained invested for the entire read.

This may be subjective, but I quite liked the relationships within The Whispering Dark, both the platonic friendships and the romance between our main characters. They felt a lot more believable as university friendships and romances than in other novels and the general interactions and dialogue between the characters felt more authentic to the age range and setting context. There are, of course, fantasy elements which make this evidently not realistic but the basics are there.

The plot felt well paced and the tension rose as necessary throughout the novel, however, I feel that the description sometimes fell flat or failed to evoke the right level of emotion and intensity for given situations. There was eeriness and creepiness in some section which were well-executed and carried that vibe the book has but sometimes it slipped to the wayside. I mention this here as the power of the right description really ties in with the pacing and tension – if you have a strong, vivid depiction of the surroundings, the action, the internal discourse and the environmental factors of a scene it can propel the pacing and tension forward. If it falls short of creating a full image for readers, then the pacing and tension will also fall short of their potential. The general vibes and eeriness throughout the novel are great, but I just wish there were a few more details, maybe some sensory engagement in a scene to tether the threads together a little tighter.

One thing I appreciate with this novel is the character representation. I want to note here that deafness as a character trait isn’t something you can just tack on and get brownie points for because you’re being inclusive. I was worried at first when the detail came up that it would be a performative act more so than actually understanding the impact deafness has a on a person but I was put to ease upon learning that the author has deafness and knows exactly how to depict it in this novel. Representation is a significant thing in the media and in entertainment so to have a deaf character written without her existence being sensationalised or wildly inaccurate is great to see.

If you’re looking for a Dark Academia with an occult lean, look no further. The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew is all you’ll want to talk about once you’ve sped from cover to cover. Fans of Ninth House and A Study in Drowning take note – you’ll be wanting to add this to your TBR if you haven’t already.