Review: Whispering Evil

Title: Whispering Evil (Midnight Guardian Series: Book #2)

Author: Bryna Butler

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 hearts: Very Highly Recommended!

~This review is for Book # 2, I suggest you read my earlier review of Book #1: Of Sun and Moon BEFORE reading this one.  This review contains spoilers for Book #1. ~

Book Summary:

I found two different book summaries and can’t decide which one to post, so here are both of them!

“Keira faces her greatest challenge yet…her driving test.  She has a mogdoc ally, a hot new guardian mentor and is ready to take on a new ruler of the Mogdoc Empire.  Too bad the guardian elders won’t let her.  On the other hand, when has Keira ever asked for permission?”

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“Keira Ryan has moved on.  It’s the start of her sophomore year at Valley View High School.  She's got a cute, new guardian mentor, an unlikely mogdoc ally, and she's dating her best friend.  Now, all she has to do is pass her driving test and figure out how to stop the new Empress and her reign of terror.

Will she survive it all or will she fall victim to the whispering evil that surrounds her?”

After reading Of Sun and Moon, its sequel, Whispering Evil, has some impressive shoes to fill, and I think it fills them nicely!  Keira starts this book completely happy: her best friend is now her boyfriend, she gets to see her charge, and, best of all, she’s old enough to get her drivers license.  The downside?  She is still the child of the prophesy (destined to sacrifice a human), her ex-boyfriend-turned-mogdoc keeps popping up to prove he’s not a villain, and her boyfriend starts to act really weird.  Great.  Just what she needs.

I really like Whispering Evil-- it is fast paced and fun to read.  I enjoy the twists and turns the plot takes and, even though a few times I’m ripping my hair out in frustration when a character does something I know is going to come back to bite them in the butt, I still enjoy, and will reread, this book.  One thing that I find odd is how my feelings towards Colby change.  In Of Sun and Moon, I just wanted Colby and Keira to be together, but in this book I start to feel that it just isn’t worth it at all.  Keira and William belong together, and it seems like all she and Colby are doing is being awkward and ruining their friendship!

Colby feels “off” in this book -- it’s like all of a sudden he just forgets how close he and Keira used to be.  Yeah, okay, she’s keeping secrets from him.  The strange thing is that previously, when he found out she’s a flipping TOOTHFAIRY, he had little-to-no problem accepting it, but NOW he’s just going to wig out on her?  True, it’s not exactly that simple, but that’s how it feels. 

With Keira in Of Sun and Moon, I had gotten used to her being tough and never letting things get to her…she stood her ground, and I really respected that about her character.  However, in Whispering Evil, she reacts emotionally to a few situations and that just strikes me as “off”.  I mean, her best friend (also known as her boyfriend) starts to act like a jerk, and she gets upset and leaves.  To me, I can see her yelling, refusing to move, or possibly slapping him, but to get upset and leave?  It doesn’t seem like Keira.  Maybe she is not willing to risk losing the friendship and that causes her to just let it go.  But, I really wish that she would stay and fight.

           Though some of the actions confused me, the character complexities that were shown in Of Sun and Moon are still present, as well as the same great writing style.  Butler continues to do a great job of showing AND telling creating another great story that is fun to read!  I really like where Whispering Evil ends.  It is in a good spot that leaves the direction of the next book wide open.  I cannot wait to see what happens with Will, Keira, and the mysterious prophecy that has everyone on edge!

The Cover:

           This cover is BEAUTIFUL.  The girl on the front, leaning back, makes the cover look bigger than it really is.  I really like how the girl is looking up at the wisps of green and just staring at them, as though she just can’t figure out what they want from her.  This artwork has a haunting feel to it that fits very well with the book’s mystery.

For more on Bryna Butler visit her website: http://brynabutler.wordpress.com/

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