elliefufu's review
5.0
Autumn Thorns, Whisper Hollow #1, by Yasmine Galenorn
Grade: A
Autumn Thorns is the first in a wonderful new series by Yasmine Galenorn that takes place Whisper Hollow a town where the the Lady of the lake takes who she wants and spirits roam free. The town has a group, The Crescent Moon Society, that tries to keep the spirits under control and send them into the veil when possible so they don’t rise again lead by the town’s spirit shaman. Since the spirit shaman’s life was taken by the Lady, it is up for her granddaughter, Kerris Fellwater, to come back to Whisper Hollow and fulfill her destiny.
I absolutely loved this book so much and I could not put it down until I had finished it in one sitting. I loved the magical world that Mrs. Galenorn has created with so many different elements that all fit together in one beautiful and haunting town. Kerris has come back to her hometown after the death of her grandparents to become the new spirit shaman and right from the get go she discovers secrets of her and her family’s past. Since Kerris left as a teenager she is not properly trained but she does have a great group around her to help her find her way.
Kerris is a great character and I really enjoyed her a lot. I think she epitomizes everything I love in a female lead: strong, intelligent and happy in her own skin. The scenes between her and Bryan were smoking hot and a great addition to the story. There are a ton of twists and turn in the adventure-mystery that Kerris is on during this book and I loved that I never knew what was going to happen next. I am very excited to see how the mysteries of the town are revealed and what happens to Kerris on her adventure as the spirit shaman. I can’t wait for the next book and it’s going to the top of my TBR pile. This is a must read series and one of the best books by Yasmine Galenorn I’ve read in years.
Grade: A
Autumn Thorns is the first in a wonderful new series by Yasmine Galenorn that takes place Whisper Hollow a town where the the Lady of the lake takes who she wants and spirits roam free. The town has a group, The Crescent Moon Society, that tries to keep the spirits under control and send them into the veil when possible so they don’t rise again lead by the town’s spirit shaman. Since the spirit shaman’s life was taken by the Lady, it is up for her granddaughter, Kerris Fellwater, to come back to Whisper Hollow and fulfill her destiny.
I absolutely loved this book so much and I could not put it down until I had finished it in one sitting. I loved the magical world that Mrs. Galenorn has created with so many different elements that all fit together in one beautiful and haunting town. Kerris has come back to her hometown after the death of her grandparents to become the new spirit shaman and right from the get go she discovers secrets of her and her family’s past. Since Kerris left as a teenager she is not properly trained but she does have a great group around her to help her find her way.
Kerris is a great character and I really enjoyed her a lot. I think she epitomizes everything I love in a female lead: strong, intelligent and happy in her own skin. The scenes between her and Bryan were smoking hot and a great addition to the story. There are a ton of twists and turn in the adventure-mystery that Kerris is on during this book and I loved that I never knew what was going to happen next. I am very excited to see how the mysteries of the town are revealed and what happens to Kerris on her adventure as the spirit shaman. I can’t wait for the next book and it’s going to the top of my TBR pile. This is a must read series and one of the best books by Yasmine Galenorn I’ve read in years.
maeverose's review
slow-paced
2.0
TL;DR: This was my first urban fantasy, and it felt a lot like a cozy urban fantasy/mystery to me. I decided to just search on libby for something autumnal, and this came up (yes I literally just searched ‘autumn’ lol). I’d never heard of it before and decided to give it a try even though it isn’t a genre I’d usually go for. About 70% of the book was info dumping, 20% was slice of life and 10% was graphic sex scenes. I did appreciate the autumnal and spooky atmosphere, since that was the main thing I was looking for, and it was somewhat cozy. But the actual plot, storytelling and characters were lacking for me and I was very bored by the end. It felt a little like a 90s urban fantasy tv show. I haven’t watched Buffy and it’s probably completely different plot wise but it kept making me think of that.
The world building was excessive and clunky. There was a lot of info dumping, usually through the dialogue which always felt unnatural, like people wouldn’t talk that way irl. It was repeated a lot too. There were too many elements to the world building, it felt unnecessary.
It’s messy storytelling and some weird choices were made. Very minor spoiler as an example:
Spoiler
the initiation ritual that her grandmother was performing involving a violent orgasm……..? Tf was that added for?Spoiler
the end reveal about her grandfather’s change of heart, that was mentioned at the very beginning, and that other people can see ghosts, even though we saw other people react to ghosts earlier.The romance was a bit dubious at times and moved waaay too quickly for me. There is kind of an in-story reason for it, but still.
Spoiler
The hero also mentions that his daughter is twice as old as the heroine (he’s non human and over 100), which from his pov feels gross. And later in the story they fuck right after the mc finds her murdered mother’s remains, so….I’m not Native and I’m not that knowledgeable on shamanism, but the use of the word ‘shaman’ throughout the book made me a bit uncomfortable. It’s a term that’s typically used within Native cultures, and it’s often appropriated in spiritual/witchy communities. In this book it’s a fantasy sort of ability, and they explain spirit shamans originated in Ireland, so clearly not tied to Indigenous culture. From a quick google search it doesn’t look like there were ever any shamans in Ireland irl, or if there were they were called something else. It felt a bit disrespectful to use it that way imo. The author could’ve made up a completely new term rather than taking from another culture (assuming the author isn’t Native herself, considering if she was she probably would’ve made it an Indigenous thing in the book too). There was also a tiny bit of racial stereotyping with one Native character in the book.
The characters also seemed to have a borderline pro-guns stance and that makes me wonder about the author’s political opinions..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Terminal illness, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, and Rape
Minor: Abortion, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Cursing, Infertility, and Pregnancy
Death in child birth, lots of mentions of food that could potentially be triggering for some people.lynn_the_greyhound_mum's review
5.0
29-10-2018
Second read of this book and had to re read because I'm about to start Shadow Silence. So glad I did the re read because this is another gripping series from Yasmine.
12-03-2016
I should have been working but when I started this book this morning over coffee I just couldn't put it down. I don't have the superlatives to adequately describe how good this book is, it is going to be another mind blowing series from Yasmine.
The characters came to life at the hands of a mistress of words and phrases.
Second read of this book and had to re read because I'm about to start Shadow Silence. So glad I did the re read because this is another gripping series from Yasmine.
12-03-2016
I should have been working but when I started this book this morning over coffee I just couldn't put it down. I don't have the superlatives to adequately describe how good this book is, it is going to be another mind blowing series from Yasmine.
The characters came to life at the hands of a mistress of words and phrases.
valerie5121's review
5.0
This story was absolutely amazing!!! I am so sad that that story is not being continued :(
chllybrd's review
4.0
The blurb for AUTUMN THORNS reminded me a lot of Indigo court so going into the book I thought it might be too similar for me to really enjoy, but I was in for a surprise. The characters felt different, the setting felt different and the storyline was it's own.
Kerris was my kind of heroine. She jumps into danger, but knows when she needs help and asks for it. She is strong and determined to get down to the nitty gritty, she's dependable and she's a loyal friend. She was just all around likable and fun to get to know. I really enjoyed watching Kerris and Bryan's connection grow. I knew right away what they meant to each other when Bryan showed. Watching Kerris not get it for a bit was a bit frustrating, but when everyone was on the same page their relationship was clearly strong and meant to be.
The world building was so great that after reading AUTUMN THORNS I felt like I had visited Whisper Hollow. There was tons of danger involved in the whole book and the plot moved at a nice pace. There was a lot of investigative work going on as Kerris and her friends tried to solve the mystery. On the subject of friends, I loved Peggin and can't wait to see her in the next book.
I have loved some of Yasmine's series—Indigo Court—, enjoyed some of her series—Otherworld/Sisters of the moon—, and liked ok, but probably won't continue others—Fly By Night. I am happy to say that the first book in the Whisper Hollow series, AUTUMN THORNS, has made my love list and I am hoping that continues when I pick up book 2.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Kerris was my kind of heroine. She jumps into danger, but knows when she needs help and asks for it. She is strong and determined to get down to the nitty gritty, she's dependable and she's a loyal friend. She was just all around likable and fun to get to know. I really enjoyed watching Kerris and Bryan's connection grow. I knew right away what they meant to each other when Bryan showed. Watching Kerris not get it for a bit was a bit frustrating, but when everyone was on the same page their relationship was clearly strong and meant to be.
The world building was so great that after reading AUTUMN THORNS I felt like I had visited Whisper Hollow. There was tons of danger involved in the whole book and the plot moved at a nice pace. There was a lot of investigative work going on as Kerris and her friends tried to solve the mystery. On the subject of friends, I loved Peggin and can't wait to see her in the next book.
I have loved some of Yasmine's series—Indigo Court—, enjoyed some of her series—Otherworld/Sisters of the moon—, and liked ok, but probably won't continue others—Fly By Night. I am happy to say that the first book in the Whisper Hollow series, AUTUMN THORNS, has made my love list and I am hoping that continues when I pick up book 2.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
chadjames312's review
5.0
The 1st book in a gripping, magically and soulfully enchanting series from bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn. A solid and strong plot with great secondary characters, looking forward to many more books in this strong series from a talented writer of worlds!
aly36's review
5.0
I love this book too. I think Kerris and Bryan are great charatcers and I love this series so far. I really like Penelope as well. I think the series will be another great one by Yasmine. I can't wait to read more. I think this is one of my favorite authors!!! * I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
melodicfate's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
This was an excellent Halloween read! The atmosphere was spooky, there were ghosts and shapeshifters and other paranormal beings, and it was set in the fall. A great choice and one I just randomly picked up, but it was a great way to be introduced to Yasmine Galenorn's work.
I loved the heroine of this book. Kerris was just your average thirty-something woman, but one with a gift. Kerris had some not-so-bright moments, but I loved her personality. She was easygoing, loved books, and had cats. I felt like she could be someone I know, and that's an awesome thing. With all that happened in this story, Kerris proved that she had a strong nature, too. I loved her character.
There were quite a few side characters in the novel, but only a few got significant page time. I liked Kerris's best friend Peggin, since the two had been friends for so long and had a really close relationship. Peggin would do anything for Kerris, and Kerris would do the same for Peggin. I'm intrigued by Ellia, one of the people Kerris has to work with as a spirit shaman. Then there was Bryan, Kerris's next-door neighbor. He was a shapeshifter and Kerris's guardian, as well as her love interest. Their romance was a bit fast, but I thought it was reasonably well-explained. There were also a lot of other people introduced who were townspeople, and another character I hope to learn and see more of in the coming novels, but to say more would be spoilery.
I really, really liked this book's plot and atmosphere. Kerris returned to her hometown of Whisper Hollow after fifteen years of absence, because she had received signs from the Crow Man. She discovered that her grandmother had died, and had to come home to take her place. This was because the women in Kerris's family were spirit shamans who had to keep the dead from walking in Whisper Hollow. Which is a big problem there, since the town was built on ley lines. Anyway, upon returning home, Kerris had to navigate old memories, find out exactly what happened to her parents who had both vanished long ago, and deal with the rising number of incidents with spirits. All the while, something was after her. So this book was pretty action-packed. The setting of Whisper Hollow was creepy, but also riveting. The town is full of paranormal things, and all of them know about each other. This book had some of the best atmosphere I've read in a while. Plus, I loved all the mythology found in here.
With all that said, of course I recommend this book! If you like urban fantasy and paranormal romance, this will be your thing. It's got a bit more romance than the average urban fantasy, but trust me. Even if romance isn't your thing, there's plenty of other stuff happening here. I loved the heroine, the side characters, and the atmosphere. I guess the only thing keeping this from being amazing is the fact that I knew what was going to happen, in terms of who the villain was. Still, this was a great story, and I just may have to go read book 2 now.
This was an excellent Halloween read! The atmosphere was spooky, there were ghosts and shapeshifters and other paranormal beings, and it was set in the fall. A great choice and one I just randomly picked up, but it was a great way to be introduced to Yasmine Galenorn's work.
I loved the heroine of this book. Kerris was just your average thirty-something woman, but one with a gift. Kerris had some not-so-bright moments, but I loved her personality. She was easygoing, loved books, and had cats. I felt like she could be someone I know, and that's an awesome thing. With all that happened in this story, Kerris proved that she had a strong nature, too. I loved her character.
There were quite a few side characters in the novel, but only a few got significant page time. I liked Kerris's best friend Peggin, since the two had been friends for so long and had a really close relationship. Peggin would do anything for Kerris, and Kerris would do the same for Peggin. I'm intrigued by Ellia, one of the people Kerris has to work with as a spirit shaman. Then there was Bryan, Kerris's next-door neighbor. He was a shapeshifter and Kerris's guardian, as well as her love interest. Their romance was a bit fast, but I thought it was reasonably well-explained. There were also a lot of other people introduced who were townspeople, and another character I hope to learn and see more of in the coming novels, but to say more would be spoilery.
I really, really liked this book's plot and atmosphere. Kerris returned to her hometown of Whisper Hollow after fifteen years of absence, because she had received signs from the Crow Man. She discovered that her grandmother had died, and had to come home to take her place. This was because the women in Kerris's family were spirit shamans who had to keep the dead from walking in Whisper Hollow. Which is a big problem there, since the town was built on ley lines. Anyway, upon returning home, Kerris had to navigate old memories, find out exactly what happened to her parents who had both vanished long ago, and deal with the rising number of incidents with spirits. All the while, something was after her. So this book was pretty action-packed. The setting of Whisper Hollow was creepy, but also riveting. The town is full of paranormal things, and all of them know about each other. This book had some of the best atmosphere I've read in a while. Plus, I loved all the mythology found in here.
With all that said, of course I recommend this book! If you like urban fantasy and paranormal romance, this will be your thing. It's got a bit more romance than the average urban fantasy, but trust me. Even if romance isn't your thing, there's plenty of other stuff happening here. I loved the heroine, the side characters, and the atmosphere. I guess the only thing keeping this from being amazing is the fact that I knew what was going to happen, in terms of who the villain was. Still, this was a great story, and I just may have to go read book 2 now.
buuboobaby's review
3.0
2.5 stars
Too much telling and not enough showing / doing. The concept of Whisper Hollow is intriguing, the the never-ending dialogue between the characters bored me to tears.
Too much telling and not enough showing / doing. The concept of Whisper Hollow is intriguing, the the never-ending dialogue between the characters bored me to tears.
ashthebookdragon's review against another edition
2.0
An interesting first book. I would like to see where the series goes in the next book.