Secret of the Whispering Woods by Jordan Gray

Secret of the Whispering Woods by Jordan Gray
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

This enchanting story, perfect for early teens and young adults who love fantasy and adventure, will whisk you away to a magical world where sparkling fairies and mischievous sprites live side-by-side with humans. Featuring a magical world, thrilling battle between good and evil, bravery, friendship, and a touch of magic. It’s a tale about the power of courage, the importance of friendship, and the enduring hope for a happily ever after.

Magic is everywhere.

I appreciated how magic worked in this universe. The same rules applied to everyone regardless of who they were and whether or not they were aware that their choices were being so carefully observed. Sometimes this led to characters experiencing consequences to their actions that they never would have expected but that were deeply satisfying to read. Without giving away any spoilers, keep an eye out for how characters react to frustrating situations and how they behave when they have no reason to believe anyone will ever know what they’re doing. If only our world always operated on the same principles of justice and equality.

It would have been nice to have more details to work with. Whether I was thinking about the character development, the plot twists, or the descriptions of the settings, this was a thought that continued to pop up as I read. There simply wasn’t enough information about any of these things for me to easily visualize them in the majority of the scenes. To give one concrete example, there were a few feasts mentioned that barely spent any time describing what the otherworldly food at them looked or tasted like. Not everything needs to be described in great detail, of course, but including some passages like this here and there would have gone a long way in encouraging me to choose a higher rating.

One of the unique things about this tale was how much of it was written from the villain’s perspective. Elara was an interesting person, and learning about her sad and difficult childhood made it easier for me to understand why she had grown into such an angry, jealous, and selfish adult. Of course, this wasn’t an excuse for the terrible things she did, but it can be hard for someone to make good decisions if they haven’t had positive role models to show them a better way to live. Elara certainly had her work cut out for her there!

Secret of the Whispering Woods was a cute fairy tale.