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Waxways #2
A Whisper in the Walls
In this sequel to the New York Times bestselling, “pulse-pounding” (Publishers Weekly) A Door in the Dark, Ren’s intellect and cunning are stretched to the limit in her quest to take down the system that stole her father’s life.
Ren Monroe is a wolf among lions. After infiltrating one of the greatest Houses in Kathor through her successful bond with Theo Brood, she finds Theo’s father is two steps ahead. He exiles Theo and isolates Ren, strategically working to break her unwelcome grasp on his son—and foiling Ren’s first step to enacting the revenge she’s been planning her whole life.
Ren might have more resources than she’d ever imagined growing up, but she’ll still get nowhere without allies. Enter House Tin’Vori. Years ago, House Brood led an unprecedented raid to destroy a fellow House of Kathor. But a few siblings survived, and they haven’t forgotten the horrors waged against their family. Quietly, they’ve plotted their own revenge, waiting for the right moment to strike. And Ren Monroe might be their best chance.
Like fire, the Tin’Vori siblings are as dangerous as they are useful, both gifted in rare magics. Ren must decide how to unleash them against House Brood without hurting Theo in the process. Her feelings for Theo are growing past the boundaries of their bond, and Ren finds herself balanced on a knife’s edge, a breath away from immense power or utter ruin.
Ren Monroe is a wolf among lions. After infiltrating one of the greatest Houses in Kathor through her successful bond with Theo Brood, she finds Theo’s father is two steps ahead. He exiles Theo and isolates Ren, strategically working to break her unwelcome grasp on his son—and foiling Ren’s first step to enacting the revenge she’s been planning her whole life.
Ren might have more resources than she’d ever imagined growing up, but she’ll still get nowhere without allies. Enter House Tin’Vori. Years ago, House Brood led an unprecedented raid to destroy a fellow House of Kathor. But a few siblings survived, and they haven’t forgotten the horrors waged against their family. Quietly, they’ve plotted their own revenge, waiting for the right moment to strike. And Ren Monroe might be their best chance.
Like fire, the Tin’Vori siblings are as dangerous as they are useful, both gifted in rare magics. Ren must decide how to unleash them against House Brood without hurting Theo in the process. Her feelings for Theo are growing past the boundaries of their bond, and Ren finds herself balanced on a knife’s edge, a breath away from immense power or utter ruin.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2024
240 people are currently reading
9821 people want to read
About the author
Scott Reintgen
19 books1,602 followersScott Reintgen grew up in North Carolina, and took full advantage of the fact that he lived on the same street as fourteen of his cousins. It could be a little crowded, but he threw a few elbows and carved out a space for himself as the family storyteller. He enjoyed the role so much that he decided to spend most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in the great state of North Carolina, where he currently lives with his wife and family. To his great delight, the demand for stories and storytellers is alive and well. As such, he can often be found at local coffee shops laboring over stories that he hopes his family, and fans, will love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
February 5, 2025
⭐️5.00⭐️
It’s not often that the 2nd book in a series impresses more than the 1st, particularly when the 1st book is strong in its own right — but I am pleasantly surprised with how brilliant this sequel is.
There are a lot of revenge stories in YA, and while interesting and unique in its own way, the 1st book did follow what you’d expect of a YA with a dirt poor main character seeking revenge for the age old familial reasons. So, I wasn’t sure how the 2nd book would pull off the actual plan, without falling flat or being repetitive of the first.
Without spoiling anything, I think this book felt great to read because the win was impressive, but also realistic and reasonably within Ren’s capabilities to pull off.
I also enjoyed the new characters and found they were as fleshed out as new characters can be, seeing as they have half the page space of the original characters who we’re used to from book one to impress.
The world building also stepped up a notch as we were introduced to a vastly different part of the country, and also some more underground groups in the world.
I finished this in 2 days and I’m looking forward to book 3, as the end promises this is all much bigger than we thought…
It’s not often that the 2nd book in a series impresses more than the 1st, particularly when the 1st book is strong in its own right — but I am pleasantly surprised with how brilliant this sequel is.
There are a lot of revenge stories in YA, and while interesting and unique in its own way, the 1st book did follow what you’d expect of a YA with a dirt poor main character seeking revenge for the age old familial reasons. So, I wasn’t sure how the 2nd book would pull off the actual plan, without falling flat or being repetitive of the first.
Without spoiling anything, I think this book felt great to read because the win was impressive, but also realistic and reasonably within Ren’s capabilities to pull off.
I also enjoyed the new characters and found they were as fleshed out as new characters can be, seeing as they have half the page space of the original characters who we’re used to from book one to impress.
The world building also stepped up a notch as we were introduced to a vastly different part of the country, and also some more underground groups in the world.
I finished this in 2 days and I’m looking forward to book 3, as the end promises this is all much bigger than we thought…
May 17, 2024
A surprisingly strong second installment of a series. I say surprising because second books tend to be weak, wasting too much energy setting up events in a final book in a trilogy. But this book got going from the start and never let up. Even though the story was split across multiple POVs I never felt like the story got stuck or slowed down. What was an interesting choice was basically wrapping up the main arc from the first story (the revenge angle) while also setting up the conflict for the next book. It worked really well, much better than if the revenge arc was dragged out for another book. All in all I had trouble putting this book down and am very eager for the next in the series.
October 24, 2023
Edit: I was so excited to read and finish this sequel that I forgot to say... thank you to Scott Reintgen's team for reaching out to me about reading an arc & to Netgalley for giving me access.
Based on the way A Door in the Dark, the previous book in this series, ended, I was excited to learn how Ren would take on the Brood family. The multi-pov in this book provides Ren's perspective as well as that of Nevelyn and Dahvid, two other people who were devastatingly hurt by the actions of a Brood. I really enjoyed the break from Ren's thoughts, because her one-track mind of revenge with the necessary manipulation felt tiring during some of the first book. The chapters are short enough to never spend too much time with one character and their plotline but action-packed enough to keep the story steadily moving. Everything is orchestrated very well for the end result. Some puzzle pieces slid right into place in my mind, but Reintgen still kept me eager to turn pages for everything I could not guess. Little details that are pivotal to the characters' plans easily get forgotten by the reader with the constant influx of scenes filled with intrigue and action. New characters such as Nevelyn and Dahvid added more depth to the revenge plot, and learning more about Agnes, Ren's mother, was sweet yet brow-furrowing. Ren was only a child when her father died, which causes me to question how much she really knows about the events surrounding his death, especially after the conclusion to A Whisper in the Walls. Theo is used like a tool by Ren, and I expect a subsequent book will reveal more truths to him about her and to her about the world as she knows it. Who runs the city? Why the sudden shift in Agnes's behavior? Are the Tin'Vori children satisfied? In a magical land of powerful ruling families, how can true peace be possible? These are questions I hope to see answered next.
Based on the way A Door in the Dark, the previous book in this series, ended, I was excited to learn how Ren would take on the Brood family. The multi-pov in this book provides Ren's perspective as well as that of Nevelyn and Dahvid, two other people who were devastatingly hurt by the actions of a Brood. I really enjoyed the break from Ren's thoughts, because her one-track mind of revenge with the necessary manipulation felt tiring during some of the first book. The chapters are short enough to never spend too much time with one character and their plotline but action-packed enough to keep the story steadily moving. Everything is orchestrated very well for the end result. Some puzzle pieces slid right into place in my mind, but Reintgen still kept me eager to turn pages for everything I could not guess. Little details that are pivotal to the characters' plans easily get forgotten by the reader with the constant influx of scenes filled with intrigue and action. New characters such as Nevelyn and Dahvid added more depth to the revenge plot, and learning more about Agnes, Ren's mother, was sweet yet brow-furrowing. Ren was only a child when her father died, which causes me to question how much she really knows about the events surrounding his death, especially after the conclusion to A Whisper in the Walls. Theo is used like a tool by Ren, and I expect a subsequent book will reveal more truths to him about her and to her about the world as she knows it. Who runs the city? Why the sudden shift in Agnes's behavior? Are the Tin'Vori children satisfied? In a magical land of powerful ruling families, how can true peace be possible? These are questions I hope to see answered next.
February 3, 2025
2025 re-read:
Okay, so I just finished re-reading this before the conclusion comes out and I think it'd be remiss to leave out a couple of things I didn't mention in my initial review.
The Characters:
I think the characterwork here is actually really solid. There are some delightful scenes with two side characters (Garth and Seminar Shiverian) that I read aloud to my spouse because they're just so charming. But I also think the villains/men in the highest seats of power were really well depicted. And even the new main characters that we get! Everyone has clear motivations and personality, even if they don't get a ton of screentime.
I absolutely need more nerdy scenes with Seminar and will feel personally affronted if they're not in the sequel!
The Audiobook:
This is a very normal audiobook with nothing that particularly sticks out... except for the depiction of Darling. Which is honestly just fantastic and I can't imagine reading his dialogue without the truly top tier narration.
Darling is a rather sinister sort of fellow with 2 appearances and two souls, one manacled to the other as one of them is committing some pretty dark, forbidden magic to overtake the host. But while both are tethered to the body, he swings between registers, even within a single sentence and just like... idk man, but it's so chef's kiss and really brings the character to life.
------------------------
So glad I decided to follow through on this series because I was honestly pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this installment.
Lots of delicious revenge, some cool magic originality, VENGEANCE!, and even a little bit of Reylo-reminiscent force-bond (but carried out much better).
Okay, so I just finished re-reading this before the conclusion comes out and I think it'd be remiss to leave out a couple of things I didn't mention in my initial review.
The Characters:
I think the characterwork here is actually really solid. There are some delightful scenes with two side characters (Garth and Seminar Shiverian) that I read aloud to my spouse because they're just so charming. But I also think the villains/men in the highest seats of power were really well depicted. And even the new main characters that we get! Everyone has clear motivations and personality, even if they don't get a ton of screentime.
I absolutely need more nerdy scenes with Seminar and will feel personally affronted if they're not in the sequel!
The Audiobook:
This is a very normal audiobook with nothing that particularly sticks out... except for the depiction of Darling. Which is honestly just fantastic and I can't imagine reading his dialogue without the truly top tier narration.
Darling is a rather sinister sort of fellow with 2 appearances and two souls, one manacled to the other as one of them is committing some pretty dark, forbidden magic to overtake the host. But while both are tethered to the body, he swings between registers, even within a single sentence and just like... idk man, but it's so chef's kiss and really brings the character to life.
------------------------
So glad I decided to follow through on this series because I was honestly pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this installment.
Lots of delicious revenge, some cool magic originality, VENGEANCE!, and even a little bit of Reylo-reminiscent force-bond (but carried out much better).
October 2, 2023
I had a plan. Sit down and read a few chapters of "A Whisper in the Walls" before bed. 4 hours and several more 'just one more chapter' later, and it's safe to say I was hooked. The second book in the Waxways Series by Scott Reintgen grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.
While the first book brought to life dark academia elements reminiscent of A Deadly Education, the second book brought to life the political intrigue and house dynamics of books like Game of Thrones and Misborn.
We pick up in A Whisper in the Walls a few months after Ren and Theo make it out of the wilderness and begin to see the dynamics of their bond as Ren becomes a wolf in sheep's clothing as the newest addition to House Brood. As a lead character, Ren is a dynamic, complicated, and morally grey heroine who will have you asking, 'What happens when you achieve your wildest dreams if you sacrifice a piece of yourself along the way?' We follow Ren on her quest to avenge her father, but Scott Reintgen writes Ren in a way where not only do we understand her wants and ambitions, but we watch her struggle with the PTSD of the choices she made in the wilderness and the dynamic of her feelings for Theo.
From introducing new characters and houses, new branches of magic, intense and visceral combat scenes, and sweeping political intrigue, I wasn't sure how Reintgen would manage to bring everything together at the end of a book in a way that felt fully satisfying. He did that and more. I am entirely hooked. My only regret in reading this as an ARC is that I must wait even longer to read whatever Reintgen writes next.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
While the first book brought to life dark academia elements reminiscent of A Deadly Education, the second book brought to life the political intrigue and house dynamics of books like Game of Thrones and Misborn.
We pick up in A Whisper in the Walls a few months after Ren and Theo make it out of the wilderness and begin to see the dynamics of their bond as Ren becomes a wolf in sheep's clothing as the newest addition to House Brood. As a lead character, Ren is a dynamic, complicated, and morally grey heroine who will have you asking, 'What happens when you achieve your wildest dreams if you sacrifice a piece of yourself along the way?' We follow Ren on her quest to avenge her father, but Scott Reintgen writes Ren in a way where not only do we understand her wants and ambitions, but we watch her struggle with the PTSD of the choices she made in the wilderness and the dynamic of her feelings for Theo.
From introducing new characters and houses, new branches of magic, intense and visceral combat scenes, and sweeping political intrigue, I wasn't sure how Reintgen would manage to bring everything together at the end of a book in a way that felt fully satisfying. He did that and more. I am entirely hooked. My only regret in reading this as an ARC is that I must wait even longer to read whatever Reintgen writes next.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2024
SO GOOD!!!! I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW
Writing a review for A Whisper in the Walls has been difficult. Believe me when I say I have tried to write this review multiple times since I finished the book. But nothing is good enough. Nothing explains how much I loved this book. From start to finish, this book had me invested, which is no surprise because I have been a fan of Scott Reintgen for forever now.
The Waxways series has me hooked. When I finished A Door in the Dark, I won't lie, I was nervous. The story took such a turn that I was not prepared for. But Scott Reintgen did not disappoint. A Whisper in the Walls has been one of the best sequels I have read.
And because I was blessed with an early copy, I got to read along with the audiobook. And let me tell you, the narration was fantastic. 10/10
If you want to pick up one of this author's books, this series is the one. I mean truthfully, you cannot go wrong with any of them. They are all brilliant, but this one holds a special place in my heart.
Writing a review for A Whisper in the Walls has been difficult. Believe me when I say I have tried to write this review multiple times since I finished the book. But nothing is good enough. Nothing explains how much I loved this book. From start to finish, this book had me invested, which is no surprise because I have been a fan of Scott Reintgen for forever now.
The Waxways series has me hooked. When I finished A Door in the Dark, I won't lie, I was nervous. The story took such a turn that I was not prepared for. But Scott Reintgen did not disappoint. A Whisper in the Walls has been one of the best sequels I have read.
And because I was blessed with an early copy, I got to read along with the audiobook. And let me tell you, the narration was fantastic. 10/10
If you want to pick up one of this author's books, this series is the one. I mean truthfully, you cannot go wrong with any of them. They are all brilliant, but this one holds a special place in my heart.
May 23, 2024
I can't wait to see how this ends!! It's going to be so messy but great!
May 29, 2024
NetGalley ARC and physical ARC from Scott Reintgen himself in exchange for an honest review.
The plotting in this! Sneaky! Loved learning about new ways to do magic, different types of vessels. Really enjoying this world and magic system. More review to come, this was just off the top of my head.
The plotting in this! Sneaky! Loved learning about new ways to do magic, different types of vessels. Really enjoying this world and magic system. More review to come, this was just off the top of my head.
July 5, 2025
4,5⭐️
Pff, me ga gustado más que el primero.
A mí dame una buena dosis de "plan de venganza" y ya estoy dentrísimo.
He de decir, que hay una parte del sistema de magia que me ha chirriado, y es que en el primero la protagonista tiene magia "limitada" y hay que cargarla, pero en este segundo tomo esta parte se ha desvanecido y no se menciona nada al respecto.
Por lo demás, me ha tenido enganchadísima. Tanto los nuevos personajes (adoro a estos hermanos) como Ren y Theo me han gustado mucho, los planes, los secretos, las traiciones... es que me lo he gozado, de verdad. Sobretodo porque no iba pensando "pf, a esto le veo lagunas", sino que cada cosa que iban contando pensaba "QUE LISTOSSS"
El epílogo me ha dejado con el culo torcido. Necesito el tercero.
En resumen: esta historia empezó bien, pero se ha puesto más interesante 👀
¿Qué encontraréis aquí?
✨️ Segunda parte de trilogía
✨️ Venganza
✨️ Secretos
✨️ Alianzas
✨️ Nuevos personajes
✨️ Familia
✨️ Traiciones
Pff, me ga gustado más que el primero.
A mí dame una buena dosis de "plan de venganza" y ya estoy dentrísimo.
He de decir, que hay una parte del sistema de magia que me ha chirriado, y es que en el primero la protagonista tiene magia "limitada" y hay que cargarla, pero en este segundo tomo esta parte se ha desvanecido y no se menciona nada al respecto.
Por lo demás, me ha tenido enganchadísima. Tanto los nuevos personajes (adoro a estos hermanos) como Ren y Theo me han gustado mucho, los planes, los secretos, las traiciones... es que me lo he gozado, de verdad. Sobretodo porque no iba pensando "pf, a esto le veo lagunas", sino que cada cosa que iban contando pensaba "QUE LISTOSSS"
El epílogo me ha dejado con el culo torcido. Necesito el tercero.
En resumen: esta historia empezó bien, pero se ha puesto más interesante 👀
¿Qué encontraréis aquí?
✨️ Segunda parte de trilogía
✨️ Venganza
✨️ Secretos
✨️ Alianzas
✨️ Nuevos personajes
✨️ Familia
✨️ Traiciones
May 2, 2024
This series started out as an interesting take on portal magic and mostly morphs into standard palace intrigue in the second book. The ending leaves it unclear but very possible that the series will continue.
I didn’t mind this, but like most YA Fantasy these days, it’s nothing really new. The story follows a fairly standard formula, as does the magical system. The characters are likable but tropey and underdeveloped, and the story is predictable, but moves well and feels satisfying if not terribly unique.
I would read another of these, though I wish the series either worked harder to create more evocative setting, or took the story in a direction we haven’t seen dozens of times before in books like it.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I didn’t mind this, but like most YA Fantasy these days, it’s nothing really new. The story follows a fairly standard formula, as does the magical system. The characters are likable but tropey and underdeveloped, and the story is predictable, but moves well and feels satisfying if not terribly unique.
I would read another of these, though I wish the series either worked harder to create more evocative setting, or took the story in a direction we haven’t seen dozens of times before in books like it.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
December 28, 2024
Ren... go girlll 👸🏻 son bölümleri okurken hop oturup hop kalktım acil 3. kitaba ihtiyacım var Scott abicim...
April 29, 2024
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult / Dark Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Scott Reintgen's A Whisper in the Walls is the second installment in the author's Waxways series. In this sequel to A Door in the Dark, Ren’s intellect and cunning are stretched to the limit in her quest to take down the system that stole her father’s life. Key Characters: Ren Monroe, Landwin Brood, Theo Brood, Dahvid Tin'Vori, and Nevelyn Tin'Vori. This story actually revolves around Ren, Dahvid, and Nevelyn as each character is fighting not only for survival but for revenge on House Brood.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Dark Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Scott Reintgen's A Whisper in the Walls is the second installment in the author's Waxways series. In this sequel to A Door in the Dark, Ren’s intellect and cunning are stretched to the limit in her quest to take down the system that stole her father’s life. Key Characters: Ren Monroe, Landwin Brood, Theo Brood, Dahvid Tin'Vori, and Nevelyn Tin'Vori. This story actually revolves around Ren, Dahvid, and Nevelyn as each character is fighting not only for survival but for revenge on House Brood.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
January 3, 2025
Very different from the first one but still a great read
Overall 4.5⭐️ rounded up
Romance 4💕
Spice 2🫑
Audio 4🎧
Overall 4.5⭐️ rounded up
Romance 4💕
Spice 2🫑
Audio 4🎧
January 12, 2025
Enjoyable!
May 19, 2024
Quite the disappointment after book 1. Very different stories. An added POV (new character) which I could've done without. I'd rather have had a POV for Theo.
This plot was all over the place. So much was glossed over. How does one get stabbed in the gut and survive? There's no mention of magic or medicine healing this wound.
Also, what is this magic? What happened to the 2 jobs the girls had? Does anyone care how the acquaintances/friends at the theater or at Ren's internship care what happened to anyone. Not even the epilogue clues you in.
But, oh boy, the epilogue... now Agnes is right in the thick of it?! Working for the Master?!
Ugh. Book 1 was so fun and dark and twisty, but this was a mess.
This plot was all over the place. So much was glossed over. How does one get stabbed in the gut and survive? There's no mention of magic or medicine healing this wound.
Also, what is this magic? What happened to the 2 jobs the girls had? Does anyone care how the acquaintances/friends at the theater or at Ren's internship care what happened to anyone. Not even the epilogue clues you in.
But, oh boy, the epilogue... now Agnes is right in the thick of it?! Working for the Master?!
Ugh. Book 1 was so fun and dark and twisty, but this was a mess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2025
I NEED BOOK 3 LIKE NOW. A Door in the Dark was one of my favorite releases this year, but this one brought a whole new level to the Waxways series! There were more characters, more magic, more combat, more revenge plotting… I can’t say enough good things about this series! My only complaint is now having to wait for the next book. 😭
February 20, 2024
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway for my honest review. In the city of Kathor where magic is plenty a young Girl named Ren Monroe watched her father killed. After a decade Ren is not that little girl anymore. For the last decade she has been plotting to get revenge on her father's killer, Landwin Brood. Their are 5 major families that rule Kathor. The top ruling family is House of Brood. Landwin Brood also completely destroyed and killed another ruling family, had them all killed. Or so he thought. 3 of the children of House of Tin'Vori survived. Those 3 children and Ren Monroe become allies. The frustrating part is Ren has bonded with Theo Brood, Landwin's son. Her bond with Theo has become rather strong and she's starting to have feelings for Theo. How are the poor children going to bring down The House of Brood with all the magical security and an whole army at their beck and call? Will Ren find Justice for her father or will this be the end? This book is very well written. Slightly entertaining. 75% of the book is about plotting to take down the house of Brood. Which makes the battle at the end seem very small in comparison. If your a fan of Fantasy books I recommend you give it a try.
July 6, 2024
⭐️3.75 While A Whisper in the Walls was not quite as enjoyable as A Door in the Dark, it was very good! I really enjoyed the multiple pov of this book (we all know multiple pov is my favorite). I enjoyed both of the Tin’Vori siblings, and just the overall vibe of this book! I think I’m really starting to understand how the magic system works because it wasn’t quite as confusing as A Door in the Dark. There were still a few confusing parts though.
The only warnings for this book are there is some slight cursing (one use of the f word), and some mild violence. Honestly, the Broods are just beyond ruthless and Aden isn’t far behind. I’d say 13+
Looking forward to the finale of this series: A Burning in the Bones! Though I must say, I’m disappointed we have to wait until February!
The only warnings for this book are there is some slight cursing (one use of the f word), and some mild violence. Honestly, the Broods are just beyond ruthless and Aden isn’t far behind. I’d say 13+
Looking forward to the finale of this series: A Burning in the Bones! Though I must say, I’m disappointed we have to wait until February!
May 21, 2024
Even better than the first one - I read this in a span of 48 hours. Loved the introduction of multiple POVs.
June 4, 2024
Enjoyed this one more than the first book.
June 5, 2024
Enjoyed this one more than the first! Can't wait to see what happens in the next one. It's going to be a wild ride
February 13, 2025
Just as good as the first book, if not better. This was multiple POV and it definitely added to the suspense. I love that. I was holding my breath for the last 150 pages. Can't wait to read the final book!
June 18, 2025
I blew through this one! Good read, and I can't wait to start book #3!
May 16, 2025
this one was much more regular business as far as fantasy, high house stories usually go—which is a great thing imo, it was very interesting!! i enjoyed this a lot, but it feels a bit disconnected from the first because theres basically no carry-over of plot or things like that.
September 30, 2023
A Door in the Dark was one of my fav fantasy books I’ve read this year, so I was ecstatic to receive an advanced copy of the sequel and obviously dropped everything to read it immediately. I actually decided to do a reread of A Door in the Dark first and loved it just as much the second time! It worked well for me with the reminder of everything that happened in book one because this starts not long after those events take place.
I’m going to keep this review vague to make sure I don’t give anything away if you haven’t read book 1 yet, but honestly you should take this as your sign to go buy a copy!!
I loved getting to know the characters better, especially seeing them back in their day to day lives. In this book we get several all new characters and the story is told through multiple POV’s which I thought added some great depth and also really helped to quickly get to know the new characters better. I was happy to get several key things wrapped up with a solid conclusion, as well as a mysterious loose end that gives a peek at where we might go in book three too. The pacing is steady throughout before things pick up to a fast paced action packed conclusion.
If I used one word to describe A Door in the Dark it would be Survive. For A Whisper in the Walls it would be Revenge. Now doesn’t that sound like a fun progression??
Thanks so much to Simon Teen and the author for my early review copy! I’m already looking forward to my reread before book 3!!
I’m going to keep this review vague to make sure I don’t give anything away if you haven’t read book 1 yet, but honestly you should take this as your sign to go buy a copy!!
I loved getting to know the characters better, especially seeing them back in their day to day lives. In this book we get several all new characters and the story is told through multiple POV’s which I thought added some great depth and also really helped to quickly get to know the new characters better. I was happy to get several key things wrapped up with a solid conclusion, as well as a mysterious loose end that gives a peek at where we might go in book three too. The pacing is steady throughout before things pick up to a fast paced action packed conclusion.
If I used one word to describe A Door in the Dark it would be Survive. For A Whisper in the Walls it would be Revenge. Now doesn’t that sound like a fun progression??
Thanks so much to Simon Teen and the author for my early review copy! I’m already looking forward to my reread before book 3!!
December 6, 2023
I read A Door in the Dark at the beginning of this year and immediately started pining for book 2 of The Waxways series. When I received my arc copy of A Whisper in the Walls I decided to reread the first book and it's even better the second time, so many little things I missed! My first read was done on audio but I loved it so much I bought a physical copy and you can't go wrong with either format. A Whisper in the Walls picks up not too long after the end of the ADITD. We have our old favorites Ren and Theo and also get additional characters and POV's which really worked for me. I loved the way the story lines came together and getting to hear from each new character had me invested in them from the beginning. Scott Reintgen deserves a round of applause for concluding each book in a satisfying way while still leaving me ravenous for the next book. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say that people always ask which books don't get enough hype and I can resoundingly say this series. I will continue to shout from the roof tops that everyone should read A Door in the Dark and A Whisper in the Walls. I'm off to read Ashlords while I wait for Waxways book 3. Thank you to the author and Simon Teen for my advanced copy, it releases on April 23rd, 2024 so preorder it now!
June 23, 2024
3.5 stars rounded down.
I really enjoyed this book. Do I think it was better than the first book? No. I liked the first book much better. But I liked the twists and turns and I enjoyed how the plans Ren made played out. This book actually showed how smart she was and how she used her knowledge.
I also really enjoyed the new characters that were introduced. They all had their own unique strengths and I enjoyed reading about them.
The one thing I wish this the new characters had a bit more development because there’s a lot about them (especially Cath) who we don’t know much about. I also think there should have been more scenes of Ren and Theo just being around each other because Ren thought multiples times how she felt like her connections to him was stronger than before, but we don’t really see that much of it. We’re simply told over a time slip they grew closer and Ren started having real feelings for him. And I think that put a hinderance on things. I don’t think this should have turned into more romance based or anything. But I think there should have been more to back up the reasonings to REN’s growing emotions for Theo.
Still a good book. If/when the third book comes out, I’ll give it a go.
I really enjoyed this book. Do I think it was better than the first book? No. I liked the first book much better. But I liked the twists and turns and I enjoyed how the plans Ren made played out. This book actually showed how smart she was and how she used her knowledge.
I also really enjoyed the new characters that were introduced. They all had their own unique strengths and I enjoyed reading about them.
The one thing I wish this the new characters had a bit more development because there’s a lot about them (especially Cath) who we don’t know much about. I also think there should have been more scenes of Ren and Theo just being around each other because Ren thought multiples times how she felt like her connections to him was stronger than before, but we don’t really see that much of it. We’re simply told over a time slip they grew closer and Ren started having real feelings for him. And I think that put a hinderance on things. I don’t think this should have turned into more romance based or anything. But I think there should have been more to back up the reasonings to REN’s growing emotions for Theo.
Still a good book. If/when the third book comes out, I’ll give it a go.
May 31, 2024
Thank you to Simon Teen for the giveaway ARC copy!
Below is my honest review of this book.
First, I would like to discuss the characters.
1: Ren--
I felt that she was a little bland in this book, and that she lacked some depth. Although she was supposedly 'falling' for Theo and catching feelings for him, it felt forced and very... fake/artificial.
2: Theo-- I felt like his personality changed a bit.. not like it was a huge problem or anything, but it was just strange. He felt a lot like a simple puppet and less of a character.
Now onto the book itself,
The action seemed quite dry and dragged out, and the writing did make it a bit hard to envision. It was slow, and confusing at times. The plot itself felt like it had just been thrown out there and mashed into a paperback copy...
The book was also dragged out and was bland...
It sadly didn't keep me interested! It's a shame because I did like the first one and had some good expectations for this one.
Overall? Not for me. It's likely a one-time read.
2.8 stars.
Content warnings: Possible language, some violence.
Sexual content: nay
overall rating: 12+
Below is my honest review of this book.
First, I would like to discuss the characters.
1: Ren--
I felt that she was a little bland in this book, and that she lacked some depth. Although she was supposedly 'falling' for Theo and catching feelings for him, it felt forced and very... fake/artificial.
2: Theo-- I felt like his personality changed a bit.. not like it was a huge problem or anything, but it was just strange. He felt a lot like a simple puppet and less of a character.
Now onto the book itself,
The action seemed quite dry and dragged out, and the writing did make it a bit hard to envision. It was slow, and confusing at times. The plot itself felt like it had just been thrown out there and mashed into a paperback copy...
The book was also dragged out and was bland...
It sadly didn't keep me interested! It's a shame because I did like the first one and had some good expectations for this one.
Overall? Not for me. It's likely a one-time read.
2.8 stars.
Content warnings: Possible language, some violence.
Sexual content: nay
overall rating: 12+
December 24, 2023
A Door in the Dark was one of my favorite releases of this year, and this sequel doesn't disappoint! I was engaged from the very start.
Ren and Theo are back in the city of Ravinia and Ren continues to plot the revenge of her father against her enemy Landwin Brood. Two more character POVs are introduced, and there is new magic to discover.
I loved this! It's fast paced, easy reading, and just an overall fun time.
Content includes mild violence, mild language, and closed door, but noisy romance.
Thank you to Scott Reintgen and his publisher for reaching out and allowing me to read his new book, and Netgalley for a platform to read it.
Ren and Theo are back in the city of Ravinia and Ren continues to plot the revenge of her father against her enemy Landwin Brood. Two more character POVs are introduced, and there is new magic to discover.
I loved this! It's fast paced, easy reading, and just an overall fun time.
Content includes mild violence, mild language, and closed door, but noisy romance.
Thank you to Scott Reintgen and his publisher for reaching out and allowing me to read his new book, and Netgalley for a platform to read it.
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