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The Extraordinaries #4
Whispering Twilight
PERU, 1815. Bess Hanley, fresh from service with England’s War Office and grieving the loss of her dearest friend, embarks on a sea voyage that ends in disaster. Shipwrecked off the coast of Peru, Bess’s Extraordinary ability to mentally communicate with anyone is not enough to prevent her from being kidnapped by a lost tribe of Incas.
An Inca Seer’s prophecy that Bess will help the Incas regain their dominance over South America tangles Bess in a political struggle that may mean her death. With the help of her Speaker friends, a mysterious Inca warrior woman, and a man who keeps his identity secret, Bess will try to stop a war—and fall in love with a man she has never met.
An Inca Seer’s prophecy that Bess will help the Incas regain their dominance over South America tangles Bess in a political struggle that may mean her death. With the help of her Speaker friends, a mysterious Inca warrior woman, and a man who keeps his identity secret, Bess will try to stop a war—and fall in love with a man she has never met.
474 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2021
46 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books860 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 20, 2021
This is fourth in a series that has the books loosely bound together. Bess showed up in Daphne's book, Abounding Might, and Daphne is mentioned a time or two here (as are Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge from Wondering Sight). So you likely want to read in order but don't really have to.
And my nonstandard disclaimer applies, as usual with Melissa's books. I have the great good fortune to share living space with her and am thus present at the creation, formation, and realization of her books. So if you wish to disregard this as a complicated form of foreplay, feel free to do so. I do strive for honesty as our relationship is founded on it, but won't begrudge anyone doubting it in practice.
Bess was always going to be a difficult heroine in what is largely an adventure series because she is practically blind and her talent is a passive one. I love how well her strength and fundamental resolve is shown in the events of this story! And it turns out that she is a fantastic action hero, though not without the help of her friends. And falling in love with a man without knowing who he is just hit me right in the feels.
I particularly love how Bess doesn't shrink from hard things and that she is always determined to do her best, even when things go so badly against her. The part where she is is harrowing and keeps me on the edge of my metaphorical seat even when I know what is (and isn't) going to happen. So the pace is great, is what I'm saying, even with a story that zips back and forth across the world a couple of times on the backs of various Bounders.
And I think I'll draw up there, before I burble on tiresomely. Five stars for how much I loved Bess, and never more so than when she creates her own happy ending. I just love that whole final chapter so very much! (and so much for not burbling tiresomely...)
A note about highlights: I had a really hard time making the highlights I like to with Kindle reads in this one because many of the best pieces of dialogue happen mentally and are thus offset by italics—and italics don't come across with the crappy Kindle Notes & Highlights function of GoodReads/Amazon. I really wish they'd fix that because those sections just turn out confusing when you don't have any way to distinguish what's "spoken" and what isn't.
A note about chaste: Bess spends the entire novel not knowing the true identify of the man she has fallen in love with. So yeah, it's very chaste, indeed, with only a couple awesome kisses near the end.
And my nonstandard disclaimer applies, as usual with Melissa's books. I have the great good fortune to share living space with her and am thus present at the creation, formation, and realization of her books. So if you wish to disregard this as a complicated form of foreplay, feel free to do so. I do strive for honesty as our relationship is founded on it, but won't begrudge anyone doubting it in practice.
Bess was always going to be a difficult heroine in what is largely an adventure series because she is practically blind and her talent is a passive one. I love how well her strength and fundamental resolve is shown in the events of this story! And it turns out that she is a fantastic action hero, though not without the help of her friends. And falling in love with a man without knowing who he is just hit me right in the feels.
I particularly love how Bess doesn't shrink from hard things and that she is always determined to do her best, even when things go so badly against her. The part where she is is harrowing and keeps me on the edge of my metaphorical seat even when I know what is (and isn't) going to happen. So the pace is great, is what I'm saying, even with a story that zips back and forth across the world a couple of times on the backs of various Bounders.
And I think I'll draw up there, before I burble on tiresomely. Five stars for how much I loved Bess, and never more so than when she creates her own happy ending. I just love that whole final chapter so very much! (and so much for not burbling tiresomely...)
A note about highlights: I had a really hard time making the highlights I like to with Kindle reads in this one because many of the best pieces of dialogue happen mentally and are thus offset by italics—and italics don't come across with the crappy Kindle Notes & Highlights function of GoodReads/Amazon. I really wish they'd fix that because those sections just turn out confusing when you don't have any way to distinguish what's "spoken" and what isn't.
A note about chaste: Bess spends the entire novel not knowing the true identify of the man she has fallen in love with. So yeah, it's very chaste, indeed, with only a couple awesome kisses near the end.
Read
March 18, 2025When I finished writing Abounding Might, I felt tapped out as far as The Extraordinaries went. Thanks to my tradition of inserting the next book's protagonist into the current book, I knew book 4 would be about Bess Hanley, the Extraordinary Speaker who befriends Daphne St. Clair. I just didn't have a story in mind. So instead I struggled with Voyager of the Crown and wrote all of the Company of Strangers series, and by the end of that it had been a while since an Extraordinaries release and I was starting to feel an internal pressure to get back to the series.
It was almost a disaster. Various life problems, including an experimental medication that was a huge mistake, contributed to the first draft being a hot mess in which, among other things, I failed to develop the implications of a telepathic reticulum as I'd established it. Fortunately, I have an insightful and generous first reader who was not only willing to read the manuscript twice, but gave me a ton of helpful criticism that let me put things back together. The final version is a lot better thanks to her.
One of the reasons the first draft had Issues was that I have always considered telepathy the boring base state of psionic powers. Before I came up with the alternate history world of the Extraordinaries, which is basically superheroes with psychic powers fighting the Napoleonic Wars, there was a version I played around with that was set in our world's present. In that version, the talents were all the same as in The Extraordinaries, but people could have multiple talents, and all psions were telepathic. With the new version, Speaking became its own thing, and I had to work hard to figure out a way to make it interesting. Hence the Extraordinary Speaker's ability to Speak to anyone, which extends to the ability to turn that Speech into a weapon--something Bess uses to great effect in this book. At any rate, I didn't immediately see how having a network of people someone can telepathically communicate with would turn into never being alone, and how that would affect someone's personality.
While the idea of Bess encountering the lost Inca Empire is the core of the plot, the core of her story is her relationship with Mr. Quinn, the man whose identity is completely unknown to her. Anne McCaffrey wrote a number of stories about people with psychic powers, and two of them, "The Lady in the Tower" and "A Meeting of Minds," have stuck with me ever since I read them decades ago. (They were later expanded into a series of novels featuring the Rowan and her children.) I think I've always wanted to tell a story of someone falling in love with someone they know only through telepathic communication, and it was this desire that is at the heart of Bess's story.
I was completely surprised by the identity of the next protagonist, who is, as always, introduced here. I knew I wanted to write about the Extraordinary Shaper, but who she was and how her story would work out came to me as I was writing. Sometimes it happens that way. It's always fun to have elements in a book come together to create something interesting I didn't plan.
I am a little obsessed with my books' lengths. I think I'm afraid that, with them being as long as they tend to be, the length is from padding or unnecessary asides. With Whispering Twilight, almost all of that length comes from how much writing it took to resolve the romantic plot. I really hope readers won't feel it bogs down in the middle, where Bess is back in England and it's not quite so action-adventury.
I would also like to point out the lovely, lovely cover, which is by Amalia Chitulescu, the artist who created the cover for Burning Bright. Once I was free of my publisher, I contacted her to see if she was available for the rest of this series. She reached into her past (her current style is very different) to create a cover that matches Burning Bright and came up with something phenomenal. I hope eventually to have her re-cover the other books in the series, especially Abounding Might, which I've never been satisfied with despite the artist giving me exactly what I asked for.
The release of Whispering Twilight marks my return to the series, and there should be no more long delays between the rest of the books. Book five, Liberating Fight, is complete and waiting on cover art, and I'm in the middle of writing book six, Beguiling Birthright (which is, by the way, really fun to write). This series is close to my heart, and I'm glad it's been popular. Thanks to all of you who read and enjoyed the other books, and I hope you'll love Bess's story.
It was almost a disaster. Various life problems, including an experimental medication that was a huge mistake, contributed to the first draft being a hot mess in which, among other things, I failed to develop the implications of a telepathic reticulum as I'd established it. Fortunately, I have an insightful and generous first reader who was not only willing to read the manuscript twice, but gave me a ton of helpful criticism that let me put things back together. The final version is a lot better thanks to her.
One of the reasons the first draft had Issues was that I have always considered telepathy the boring base state of psionic powers. Before I came up with the alternate history world of the Extraordinaries, which is basically superheroes with psychic powers fighting the Napoleonic Wars, there was a version I played around with that was set in our world's present. In that version, the talents were all the same as in The Extraordinaries, but people could have multiple talents, and all psions were telepathic. With the new version, Speaking became its own thing, and I had to work hard to figure out a way to make it interesting. Hence the Extraordinary Speaker's ability to Speak to anyone, which extends to the ability to turn that Speech into a weapon--something Bess uses to great effect in this book. At any rate, I didn't immediately see how having a network of people someone can telepathically communicate with would turn into never being alone, and how that would affect someone's personality.
While the idea of Bess encountering the lost Inca Empire is the core of the plot, the core of her story is her relationship with Mr. Quinn, the man whose identity is completely unknown to her. Anne McCaffrey wrote a number of stories about people with psychic powers, and two of them, "The Lady in the Tower" and "A Meeting of Minds," have stuck with me ever since I read them decades ago. (They were later expanded into a series of novels featuring the Rowan and her children.) I think I've always wanted to tell a story of someone falling in love with someone they know only through telepathic communication, and it was this desire that is at the heart of Bess's story.
I was completely surprised by the identity of the next protagonist, who is, as always, introduced here. I knew I wanted to write about the Extraordinary Shaper, but who she was and how her story would work out came to me as I was writing. Sometimes it happens that way. It's always fun to have elements in a book come together to create something interesting I didn't plan.
I am a little obsessed with my books' lengths. I think I'm afraid that, with them being as long as they tend to be, the length is from padding or unnecessary asides. With Whispering Twilight, almost all of that length comes from how much writing it took to resolve the romantic plot. I really hope readers won't feel it bogs down in the middle, where Bess is back in England and it's not quite so action-adventury.
I would also like to point out the lovely, lovely cover, which is by Amalia Chitulescu, the artist who created the cover for Burning Bright. Once I was free of my publisher, I contacted her to see if she was available for the rest of this series. She reached into her past (her current style is very different) to create a cover that matches Burning Bright and came up with something phenomenal. I hope eventually to have her re-cover the other books in the series, especially Abounding Might, which I've never been satisfied with despite the artist giving me exactly what I asked for.
The release of Whispering Twilight marks my return to the series, and there should be no more long delays between the rest of the books. Book five, Liberating Fight, is complete and waiting on cover art, and I'm in the middle of writing book six, Beguiling Birthright (which is, by the way, really fun to write). This series is close to my heart, and I'm glad it's been popular. Thanks to all of you who read and enjoyed the other books, and I hope you'll love Bess's story.
Read
January 20, 2021Another thoroughly enjoyable entry in this series. The heroine gets to be an action hero though she is short-sighted, which would have appealed so strongly to young me, the short-sighted spindleshanks bumbling through the world. (Sometimes switchblade in hand.)
Bess, finding herself shipwrecked and thrown onto her own resources in the land of the Inca, becomes quite intrepid. Although she is not quite alone; her talent enables her to hear her reticulum, her circle of other minds able to reach across space.
The reticulum is quite fun--not always helpful, but always there . . . until they aren't. One of the things the history geek in me appreciated was how the talents have played out in causing our timeline to diverge to this one. And how differently they developed in the various cultures.
As for Bess's talent, and her unseen contacts, I really enjoyed the overlay of their interactions on Bess's adventures. And then there's that one, with whom Bess begins a wary truce, then friendship, and then a bond. I am a sucker for this kind of courtship, and McShane handles it delightfully--leaving me guessing the actual identity of the man until the very end.
In fact that was one of the highlights of this book, the alliances and friendships Bess makes along the way, within her familiar cultural milieu and outside of it. The depiction of the Inda was vivid and absorbing, the adventures exciting, the romance a delight.
Especially these days, with so much anxiety in the world, reading about a young woman gaining agency and becoming a heroine was just so satisfying.
Copy provided by author
April 14, 2023
Whispering Twilight is the fourth book in McShane’s The Extraordinaries series. All the books could easily be read as a standalone, but I’d recommend reading them in order, if for no other reason than each book focuses on one of the eight different magical Talents. It would certainly enrich your experience to have read the previous books, and you get a few cameos of past character in the subsequent books, which I always enjoy. Plus, they’re all amazing so go read them.
Here in Book 4, McShane has hit upon my all-time favorite romance trope. Falling in love with not actually meeting. Often this is done through correspondence or more prevalent these days, texting; but my favorite technique is mental connection. And that is the crux of heroine’s Talent. Bess is an Extraordinary Speaker, which allows her to mentally speak to others with the same talent. Normally, a person must be in the Speakers’ reticulum (cool word), which means they know them personally. Imagine Bess’ surprise when a mysterious unknown gentleman’s Voice pops in her head. Let the well-paced, slow-burn romance commence.
The setting for each book moves all over the world during the Regency Era, AND McShane successfully overlays real history atop her fantasy story. It’s really all brilliant. Finally, I want to give the author my compliments once again on her very accurate, Austenesque prose. I’ve said before that other Regency Era authors do not do it nearly as well, even with their main characters not having superpowers.
Cheers and Bravo, Melissa.
Here in Book 4, McShane has hit upon my all-time favorite romance trope. Falling in love with not actually meeting. Often this is done through correspondence or more prevalent these days, texting; but my favorite technique is mental connection. And that is the crux of heroine’s Talent. Bess is an Extraordinary Speaker, which allows her to mentally speak to others with the same talent. Normally, a person must be in the Speakers’ reticulum (cool word), which means they know them personally. Imagine Bess’ surprise when a mysterious unknown gentleman’s Voice pops in her head. Let the well-paced, slow-burn romance commence.
The setting for each book moves all over the world during the Regency Era, AND McShane successfully overlays real history atop her fantasy story. It’s really all brilliant. Finally, I want to give the author my compliments once again on her very accurate, Austenesque prose. I’ve said before that other Regency Era authors do not do it nearly as well, even with their main characters not having superpowers.
Cheers and Bravo, Melissa.
July 1, 2021
I really enjoy Melissa McShane's books, and her Extraordinaries series is one of my favourites. I very much enjoyed this installment.
I love the world of the Extraordinary talents, and the juxtaposition of that with the 18th Century Britain we all know. It works surprisingly well and allows for the clash of magic and manners.
McShane also has a wonderful way of writing strong female characters who also have flaws, doubts and who make bad decisions on their way to the requisite happily-ever-after. I always connect easily to her characters, and like them immensely, and Bess was no different. Her disability doesn't stop her from being intelligent, resourceful and strong.
The plots McShane comes up with are always clever, creative and suspensful, with plenty of obstacles for her characters to overcome and this book didn't deviate from that.
My one quibble with this - and it is a minor one - is that sections of the book were in Spanish, and I disliked not understanding what was going on. I wish that all the sections with foreign languages were explained to the reader, but as I say a minor objection.
Overall, I love the Extraordinary books and will continue reading them as long as McShane writes them!
I love the world of the Extraordinary talents, and the juxtaposition of that with the 18th Century Britain we all know. It works surprisingly well and allows for the clash of magic and manners.
McShane also has a wonderful way of writing strong female characters who also have flaws, doubts and who make bad decisions on their way to the requisite happily-ever-after. I always connect easily to her characters, and like them immensely, and Bess was no different. Her disability doesn't stop her from being intelligent, resourceful and strong.
The plots McShane comes up with are always clever, creative and suspensful, with plenty of obstacles for her characters to overcome and this book didn't deviate from that.
My one quibble with this - and it is a minor one - is that sections of the book were in Spanish, and I disliked not understanding what was going on. I wish that all the sections with foreign languages were explained to the reader, but as I say a minor objection.
Overall, I love the Extraordinary books and will continue reading them as long as McShane writes them!
February 16, 2021
2.5 stars
Honestly I picked this up because I really like the trope of a romance conducted with a mystery person through letters or other anonymous modes of communication. My favorite instance of this trope is probably in Crown Duel, but the movie You’ve Got Mail is a more well-known example. There's something so fun and exciting and deliciously angsty about hidden identities, when they're done right.
I'm afraid Whispering Twilight didn't quite meet my expectations though. To start, I was a little uncomfortable by the realization that the English Colonialists are the good guys in this series -- I read the first one a while ago and didn't remember it being particularly related to Colonialism, but it seems that successive books have been based in India and other places that the English colonized.
Bess, for her part, steps into a conflict between the Incas and the Spanish who conquered Peru. There was some sensitivity and discussion related to preserving the culture and civilization of the Incas, but not really much acknowledgement that it was their land to begin with. I don't know, overall the book didn't do too bad a job with a sensitive topic, but there were definitely moments where I thought it could've been handled better.
Besides my discomfort with the setting, I felt that Bess as a character left something to be desired. She seemed to overstate her danger on a number of occasions and was always making dramatic statements to her reticulum (the group of people she could communicate with in her mind) and Mr. Quinn, the mystery man. And they were constantly telling her how great she was, which felt very unnecessarily congratulatory. She just seemed to take herself way too seriously. Her perilous situation was somewhat mitigated by the fact that she could talk to her friends at any time. It's the difference between being stranded in the wilderness with nothing and being stranded in the wilderness with a working cell phone and the ability to call your friends and family at will. One of those situations has a much larger emotional and mental impact, though both are problematic, certainly. I couldn't help but compare it to the first book in one of my favorite series, Stray by Andrea K Höst. In Stray, the main character Cass walks into a much more dire survival situation (with absolutely no support or hope of rescue), but pities herself a lot less.
My other qualm was with the romance, which progressed too quickly and inexplicably for my taste. Bess had a few rather lack luster conversations with Mr. Quinn in which she would assume an attitude of noble perseverance in the face of adversity and he would applaud her and tell her how much he respected her (more than any other woman in his acquaintance(!), which seemed to say more about his opinion of women in general than his regard for Bess to me -- why, for example, couldn't he have respected her more than any other person in his acquaintance, rather than any other woman? Was he acquainted with so many incredible men that Bess's adventures were run of the mill in their company?) And after these conversations, Bess suddenly felt a deep and abiding connection with him. It just didn't have enough of a foundation for me to truly buy it. And later, when the romantic tensions came to a head, I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Very cheesy, with very little subtlety or delicacy.
I think overall this book will probably appeal to a lot of people but isn't quite my cup of tea.
Honestly I picked this up because I really like the trope of a romance conducted with a mystery person through letters or other anonymous modes of communication. My favorite instance of this trope is probably in Crown Duel, but the movie You’ve Got Mail is a more well-known example. There's something so fun and exciting and deliciously angsty about hidden identities, when they're done right.
I'm afraid Whispering Twilight didn't quite meet my expectations though. To start, I was a little uncomfortable by the realization that the English Colonialists are the good guys in this series -- I read the first one a while ago and didn't remember it being particularly related to Colonialism, but it seems that successive books have been based in India and other places that the English colonized.
Bess, for her part, steps into a conflict between the Incas and the Spanish who conquered Peru. There was some sensitivity and discussion related to preserving the culture and civilization of the Incas, but not really much acknowledgement that it was their land to begin with. I don't know, overall the book didn't do too bad a job with a sensitive topic, but there were definitely moments where I thought it could've been handled better.
Besides my discomfort with the setting, I felt that Bess as a character left something to be desired. She seemed to overstate her danger on a number of occasions and was always making dramatic statements to her reticulum (the group of people she could communicate with in her mind) and Mr. Quinn, the mystery man. And they were constantly telling her how great she was, which felt very unnecessarily congratulatory. She just seemed to take herself way too seriously. Her perilous situation was somewhat mitigated by the fact that she could talk to her friends at any time. It's the difference between being stranded in the wilderness with nothing and being stranded in the wilderness with a working cell phone and the ability to call your friends and family at will. One of those situations has a much larger emotional and mental impact, though both are problematic, certainly. I couldn't help but compare it to the first book in one of my favorite series, Stray by Andrea K Höst. In Stray, the main character Cass walks into a much more dire survival situation (with absolutely no support or hope of rescue), but pities herself a lot less.
My other qualm was with the romance, which progressed too quickly and inexplicably for my taste. Bess had a few rather lack luster conversations with Mr. Quinn in which she would assume an attitude of noble perseverance in the face of adversity and he would applaud her and tell her how much he respected her (more than any other woman in his acquaintance(!), which seemed to say more about his opinion of women in general than his regard for Bess to me -- why, for example, couldn't he have respected her more than any other person in his acquaintance, rather than any other woman? Was he acquainted with so many incredible men that Bess's adventures were run of the mill in their company?) And after these conversations, Bess suddenly felt a deep and abiding connection with him. It just didn't have enough of a foundation for me to truly buy it. And later, when the romantic tensions came to a head, I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Very cheesy, with very little subtlety or delicacy.
I think overall this book will probably appeal to a lot of people but isn't quite my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2021
This is the 4th in the series and while you probably could read it alone I wouldn't recommend it. There's too much history and connection that comes from reading the set in order. :)
This was such a fun book to read. The premise of the series is that some people are born with certain powers and of those with powers there are those who are the top of the power chart, the Extraordinaries. We meet various extraodinary women through the various books and see how they use their wits, abilities and powers to overcome challenges all set against the Napoleonic war.
I looved seeing Bess's story. One of the things this book engages is what it's like to have a non-negligible disability. Bess is what we would call legally blind and almost entirely blind. She makes her way through the world based on having really good glasses and using her abilities as an Extraordinary Speaker. Early in the book Bess finds herself shipwrecked without the glasses and held captive in a place and by a people that are beyond what she could have imagined.
But Bess tackles her situation with grit and smarts, connected to a retinue she can hear, but who can't help her.
The romance in this is also awesome as it deals with falling in love with someone you've never met. There are certainly parallels to today's internet dating with the same anxiety of wondering if when you meet in person can it be as real and wonderful as the connection of heart and mind.
Beautifully told, and we meet Amaya who is the lead in Liberating Fight giving us the set up for where we go from here.
This was such a fun book to read. The premise of the series is that some people are born with certain powers and of those with powers there are those who are the top of the power chart, the Extraordinaries. We meet various extraodinary women through the various books and see how they use their wits, abilities and powers to overcome challenges all set against the Napoleonic war.
I looved seeing Bess's story. One of the things this book engages is what it's like to have a non-negligible disability. Bess is what we would call legally blind and almost entirely blind. She makes her way through the world based on having really good glasses and using her abilities as an Extraordinary Speaker. Early in the book Bess finds herself shipwrecked without the glasses and held captive in a place and by a people that are beyond what she could have imagined.
But Bess tackles her situation with grit and smarts, connected to a retinue she can hear, but who can't help her.
The romance in this is also awesome as it deals with falling in love with someone you've never met. There are certainly parallels to today's internet dating with the same anxiety of wondering if when you meet in person can it be as real and wonderful as the connection of heart and mind.
Beautifully told, and we meet Amaya who is the lead in Liberating Fight giving us the set up for where we go from here.
February 23, 2021
Well, I am biased here because I love the series. Burning Bright and Abounding Might being my two absolute faves of the series. Wondering Sight was worth a read just to get a feel of the this wonderful alternate reality that McShane has created but it wasn't one that I would read again. I found the h mediocre, her relationship to the H "ok," but mostly it was what I felt was a rambling description throughout of how the h's powers worked. I felt like someone was trying to explain linear algebra to me and hint, I WILL start to tune out.
This addition to the series falls somewhere in between the 5 star Burning Bright and Abounding Might and the 3 star Wondering Sight. Although the story was fascinating, it lost some of the tension because as a "Speaker," the h is able to converse with others throughout her trials and tribulations. For instance, as her life is in danger and she's being hunted by fierce warriors, what could have been a tense moment is mitigated as she converses with her various friends along the lines of "well, you'll never believe it but I'm running across the Peruvian mountains away from deadly warriors" and their typical response of "oh no, how awful" followed by one of them saying "Ok, gotta go, catch up with you later." Of course I'm paraphrasing but it did feel that way to me. Also, the relationship between the mysterious Mr. Quinn and the h was also a little flat. In Burning Bright and Abounding Might, the h and H interact from the very beginning. You see them work together under some trying conditions and frankly, the H's are so...well...sweet that you can't help but adore them. Here, Mr. Quinn barely has a presence until halfway through the book. Even then, he's not much help as far as I could see until the very end.
However, the book still stands better than Wondering Sight. Also, I personally feel that the cover to this book and Burning Bright are two of the prettiest covers that I have ever seen and I confess that I bought the printed copies just for the covers. At the end, I saw that another book in the Extraordinaries series is in the works and I, for one, can't wait to read it. I mean, who wouldn't love a story set during a "typical" Regency period only populated with people with special powers. Hello! Sign me up.
This addition to the series falls somewhere in between the 5 star Burning Bright and Abounding Might and the 3 star Wondering Sight. Although the story was fascinating, it lost some of the tension because as a "Speaker," the h is able to converse with others throughout her trials and tribulations. For instance, as her life is in danger and she's being hunted by fierce warriors, what could have been a tense moment is mitigated as she converses with her various friends along the lines of "well, you'll never believe it but I'm running across the Peruvian mountains away from deadly warriors" and their typical response of "oh no, how awful" followed by one of them saying "Ok, gotta go, catch up with you later." Of course I'm paraphrasing but it did feel that way to me. Also, the relationship between the mysterious Mr. Quinn and the h was also a little flat. In Burning Bright and Abounding Might, the h and H interact from the very beginning. You see them work together under some trying conditions and frankly, the H's are so...well...sweet that you can't help but adore them. Here, Mr. Quinn barely has a presence until halfway through the book. Even then, he's not much help as far as I could see until the very end.
However, the book still stands better than Wondering Sight. Also, I personally feel that the cover to this book and Burning Bright are two of the prettiest covers that I have ever seen and I confess that I bought the printed copies just for the covers. At the end, I saw that another book in the Extraordinaries series is in the works and I, for one, can't wait to read it. I mean, who wouldn't love a story set during a "typical" Regency period only populated with people with special powers. Hello! Sign me up.
November 18, 2021
Such a fun series. Like the author I’ve always considered telepathy a bit boring (although I think being a discerner is actually the worst power) and it’s great to see Melissa’s take on it. Plus, like me, the heroine is extremely short sighted which is something you don’t usually come across in fantasy. In addition we move over to South America to see a different part of this alternative regency. I did guess the real name of Mr Quinn fairly quickly but the romance is nicely done with her usual light touch that doesn’t distract from the heroine. Another solid 4.
January 30, 2021
Melissa McShane's Whispering Twilight is the fourth in the Extrordinaries series. Set in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars, it is the story of Bess a visually impaired young woman, daughter of a squire, who has a Talent. She is an Extraordinary Speaker, able to communicate across a room or half-way around the world with anyone whom she can visualize.
The world-building is extremely clever in this series. I can't do justice to the Talents in this review, but recommend that the new reader to the series begin by touching the link provided in the table of contents which explains the system, before beginning. That done, this fantasy romance is stand-alone. The blending of the fantasy world and the Regency world is fascinating, and the adventures are non-stop.
As Bess plunges from one desperate situation to another, she is sustained and encouraged by another Extraordinary Speaker whom she does not even know. A difficult situation in his life has led him to hide his Talent. He desperately conceals his identity from Bess even as he shares at a distance her saga. Gradually a love begins to grow between the two, but it almost seems more doomed than Bess's journey.
If you like fantasy, adventure, and romance, you won't find a better book than this, and the setting in Regency England just makes it that much more enjoyable to an Anglophile and history buff like me!
The world-building is extremely clever in this series. I can't do justice to the Talents in this review, but recommend that the new reader to the series begin by touching the link provided in the table of contents which explains the system, before beginning. That done, this fantasy romance is stand-alone. The blending of the fantasy world and the Regency world is fascinating, and the adventures are non-stop.
As Bess plunges from one desperate situation to another, she is sustained and encouraged by another Extraordinary Speaker whom she does not even know. A difficult situation in his life has led him to hide his Talent. He desperately conceals his identity from Bess even as he shares at a distance her saga. Gradually a love begins to grow between the two, but it almost seems more doomed than Bess's journey.
If you like fantasy, adventure, and romance, you won't find a better book than this, and the setting in Regency England just makes it that much more enjoyable to an Anglophile and history buff like me!
January 22, 2021
Absolutely exceptional. I've waited a long time for the 4th book in this series and it didn't disappoint. This is by far one of my favorite series. The world McShane creates is so magical. I always can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I'm always delightfully surprised. I'm beyond excited for the 5th book.
Bess was such a strong character. We read about her in Abounding Might and I was glad she got her own book. Her limited eyesight was explained so well I almost felt that I had limited eyesight as well while reading it. (Movie in my mind thing). I though it was so romantic having her love interest be someone that she had only met telepathically. Will definitely read this one again!
This book was a thrilling adventure with a touch of clean romance.
Bess was such a strong character. We read about her in Abounding Might and I was glad she got her own book. Her limited eyesight was explained so well I almost felt that I had limited eyesight as well while reading it. (Movie in my mind thing). I though it was so romantic having her love interest be someone that she had only met telepathically. Will definitely read this one again!
This book was a thrilling adventure with a touch of clean romance.
January 21, 2021
Another Fabulous Adventure
This is a fantastic mix of fantasy adventure and victorian age romance, just like the previous three novels. You could read them out of order, as the stories stand alone, however I would be surprised if you stop with reading just one. All of these stories are masterfully told. Each has a unique heroine who overcomes difficult challenges and find love alone the way, but each story is so unique and compelling. Best part: it's good clean romance appropriate for all ages. Modest kissing, hand holding and emotional connection without the graphic bedroom scenes. I'm looking forward to the next one!
This is a fantastic mix of fantasy adventure and victorian age romance, just like the previous three novels. You could read them out of order, as the stories stand alone, however I would be surprised if you stop with reading just one. All of these stories are masterfully told. Each has a unique heroine who overcomes difficult challenges and find love alone the way, but each story is so unique and compelling. Best part: it's good clean romance appropriate for all ages. Modest kissing, hand holding and emotional connection without the graphic bedroom scenes. I'm looking forward to the next one!
January 26, 2023
I am in a few minds with Whispering Twilight. On the one hand I really, really enjoyed it, on the other, I'm a little half-half on some aspects of the relationship - but I need to point out that McShane did it well, it's just a personal thing I've never really gelled to (and I've noted it several times when I coincidentally picked up several books containing relationships with one similar aspect to the one in Whispering Twilight, but more on that later).
First and foremost, I was absolutely dying to pick up Whispering Twilight, after I sped through the three books before this one. I remember, I picked up Burning Bright simply because it was set in the Regency Era. The added superpower aspect was an added bonus since I'm not adverse to a fusion of these two genres. I remember telling myself, the fourth book, the one in Peru could hardly interest me, but the first two, and probably the third one would. To my own surprise, I have come to really love and enjoy these Extraordinaries books, to the point that even though I had my indifference to Bess Hanley (who we see in Abounding Might), there was no doubt that I would pick up Whispering Twilight, and find out if McShane could prove me wrong.
She did.
I will admit that it was a lucky thing that I tend to sleep late, and because of that I was awake in time for my kindle order of Whispering Twilight to appear in my Kindle. Can I tell you, I was EXCITED. I managed to read the first few chapters before I conked out for the night, but I was already intrigued. In a few pages, McShane made Bess Hanley into a character I found myself interested in knowing about. This matters because while she was fairly nice in Abounding Might, next to the vivacious Lady Daphne St Clair, she was a mere shade. However, in her own book, Bess Hanley becomes alive. She's a very reasonable young woman, however in Whispering Twilight, it's clear she's more than reasonable. Her time with the War Office has given her an unfortunate compass for an Extraordinary Adventure (pun totally intended).
I won't regurgitate the blurb here, but I will point out that although it states a predominantly Peruvian adventure, the setting of the main story happens in both Peru and London - as you would know by now, with Bounders available, circumventing the long travel by sea in this alternate history of McShane's world, this makes it very plausible to go between both London and Peru in the space of a few days and weeks. It also makes her adventure more exciting because McShane was thus required to test the limits of her world and flex around it, which as always with a well built world is quite a challenge! From what I can see however, McShane has done an excellent job. Fantastic.
Which brings me to the world, again. It's alternate history in which due to a plague which resulted in people developed powers. It's a familiar premise that's reminiscent of Push (2009 film), X-men, and other series out there day involves the development of powers etc. McShane fuses this with the genre of historical regency romance. In McShane's world, there are those with one of the eight talents, and those who are Extraordinaries of one of these talents. Those who are Extraordinary can do many more things than those who are talents within the same category. McShane has set rules that are treated with respect by the author. She keeps to her rules and stretches them to their limits - each book so far has focussed on a young woman, usually between 21 and 25, who has served or is serving with the War Office or the Navy as due to them as Extraordinary Talents. What I love about the world is that even after four books, it never feels under or over-discussed. McShane has clearly thought about her world enough that every sentence she writes makes the world feel so natural - all the bounding, the shaping, the speaking. It never feels forced, never feels like "the fae looked like human but for their ears" kind of thing. The development in the world is there, and we see it through the main character's experience and development of their own abilities.
As for the romance. Yes, a main aspect of all four books is the romance, mainly because these books are romance. Now, I have enjoyed each romance so far, McShane has a way of really matching up her pairings in a way that I respect. In this one, it's between Bess Hanley and the mysterious Speaker Mr Quinn, whom she has never spoken to before, yet from where they were, knew she must have spoken to in person before. It's established early on that this will be a kind of love before first sight thing, which is amusing because Bess herself is nearly blind with terrible vision and must wear spectacles, which often got lost in the chaotic adventure she experiences in Peru. Nonetheless, if you've followed my reviews at the end of 2020, I read a large number, coincidentally, of books with a similar theme, where the romance occurs through an exchange of letters, emails, messages, or other forms of anonymous writing (there was also song lyrics turned letters). Sometimes, those involved knew each other already in person, other times, they became acquainted. In short, these remind of me You've Got Mail, the film. Whispering Twilight is similar, though rather than letters, it's a spoken exchange, done through Bess and Mr Quinn's Extraordinary Speaker abilities.
Now, I want to say first and foremost, I am usually not a fan of this trope unless there's a strong component of the main characters already or becoming acquainted in person, resulting in falling in love with both personalities, resulting in conflict of whether or not they had found the right person, hoping that they were the same. It's a little more miraculous, but I particularly like the part that the female or male already knows the person in person and learns to like them (for example they might have disliked them earlier, but then for some reason, need to learn about them or get to know them etc). For example, you see this in You've Got Mail, and just off the top of my head, literarily, one of the last ones I read that falls into my favourite version of this trope is Tweet Cute (I'm sure there are others).
The romance between Bess and Mr Quinn falls partly into my ideal version of this trope. In the sense that during one of the times when Bess is returned safely to London, she sets out to find the mysterious Mr Quinn's identity. As she had already surmised the possible options earlier in the book, it was only a matter of eliminating the possibilities. So we do see Bess looking. And Bess getting to know the possible Mr Quinns. But I wished it was just a little bit more. I wished there were more scenes with the real Mr Quinn! Because they were quite intense when they happened. Magnetic perhaps is a way to describe it. But the rest of the novel and romance occurs through their speech, which I have read is what McShane intended. And I'll admit, for someone who doesn't usually enjoy the whole falling only for a voice/letter thing, I was quite swayed, because Mr Quinn was quite lovely, even more so when one learns the identity of the real one. I think McShane's diversion with the possible Mr Quinns was cute, but if one paid attention to the dialogue of the man Bess thought most likely to be Mr Quinn, it would have already been quite clear that he could not be, especially when one thinks of the conversations that Bess and Mr Quinn had before when she was in Peru. So in the end, I was quite swayed by Bess and Mr Quinn! I don't know what it is, but it was like Sophia and Mr Rutledge in Wondering Sight, I couldn't be helped that the pairing was one to die for. Even more so when the romances are clean and based on mutual respect and understand of each person involved - in this sense, it feels very Heyeresque, which is just my style! And I hope it stays that way for the remaining books.
Now, even though it is a romance, like the other three books, the action is rarely overshadowed by the romance. There's a lot of action, and a political and colonial plot that occurs in the Peru segments, to some extent spills over to the London points, and carries much of Bess's experiences in Whispering Twilight. Now like with the previous three books, I love how much action goes into these books, since I've always been more engaged with the doing rather than the romancing (even though a touch of romance also makes a story even more interesting, though I am usually perfectly happy with a plot that moves). Thus, the action combined with the clean romances of the Extraordinaries so far appeals highly to my tastes.
Overall, while I might have one or two gripes (such as some parts of the romances, which I would have loved even more if there were more face to face, though I still love it enough as it is), Whispering Twilight is another fantastic book for this series, and I am absolutely dying to read the rest! I hope the pub date for Liberating Fight is released soon. Until then, I must return to the read-as-it-catches-my-fancy style that I had been engaging in prior to stumbling on Burning Bright.
First and foremost, I was absolutely dying to pick up Whispering Twilight, after I sped through the three books before this one. I remember, I picked up Burning Bright simply because it was set in the Regency Era. The added superpower aspect was an added bonus since I'm not adverse to a fusion of these two genres. I remember telling myself, the fourth book, the one in Peru could hardly interest me, but the first two, and probably the third one would. To my own surprise, I have come to really love and enjoy these Extraordinaries books, to the point that even though I had my indifference to Bess Hanley (who we see in Abounding Might), there was no doubt that I would pick up Whispering Twilight, and find out if McShane could prove me wrong.
She did.
I will admit that it was a lucky thing that I tend to sleep late, and because of that I was awake in time for my kindle order of Whispering Twilight to appear in my Kindle. Can I tell you, I was EXCITED. I managed to read the first few chapters before I conked out for the night, but I was already intrigued. In a few pages, McShane made Bess Hanley into a character I found myself interested in knowing about. This matters because while she was fairly nice in Abounding Might, next to the vivacious Lady Daphne St Clair, she was a mere shade. However, in her own book, Bess Hanley becomes alive. She's a very reasonable young woman, however in Whispering Twilight, it's clear she's more than reasonable. Her time with the War Office has given her an unfortunate compass for an Extraordinary Adventure (pun totally intended).
I won't regurgitate the blurb here, but I will point out that although it states a predominantly Peruvian adventure, the setting of the main story happens in both Peru and London - as you would know by now, with Bounders available, circumventing the long travel by sea in this alternate history of McShane's world, this makes it very plausible to go between both London and Peru in the space of a few days and weeks. It also makes her adventure more exciting because McShane was thus required to test the limits of her world and flex around it, which as always with a well built world is quite a challenge! From what I can see however, McShane has done an excellent job. Fantastic.
Which brings me to the world, again. It's alternate history in which due to a plague which resulted in people developed powers. It's a familiar premise that's reminiscent of Push (2009 film), X-men, and other series out there day involves the development of powers etc. McShane fuses this with the genre of historical regency romance. In McShane's world, there are those with one of the eight talents, and those who are Extraordinaries of one of these talents. Those who are Extraordinary can do many more things than those who are talents within the same category. McShane has set rules that are treated with respect by the author. She keeps to her rules and stretches them to their limits - each book so far has focussed on a young woman, usually between 21 and 25, who has served or is serving with the War Office or the Navy as due to them as Extraordinary Talents. What I love about the world is that even after four books, it never feels under or over-discussed. McShane has clearly thought about her world enough that every sentence she writes makes the world feel so natural - all the bounding, the shaping, the speaking. It never feels forced, never feels like "the fae looked like human but for their ears" kind of thing. The development in the world is there, and we see it through the main character's experience and development of their own abilities.
As for the romance. Yes, a main aspect of all four books is the romance, mainly because these books are romance. Now, I have enjoyed each romance so far, McShane has a way of really matching up her pairings in a way that I respect. In this one, it's between Bess Hanley and the mysterious Speaker Mr Quinn, whom she has never spoken to before, yet from where they were, knew she must have spoken to in person before. It's established early on that this will be a kind of love before first sight thing, which is amusing because Bess herself is nearly blind with terrible vision and must wear spectacles, which often got lost in the chaotic adventure she experiences in Peru. Nonetheless, if you've followed my reviews at the end of 2020, I read a large number, coincidentally, of books with a similar theme, where the romance occurs through an exchange of letters, emails, messages, or other forms of anonymous writing (there was also song lyrics turned letters). Sometimes, those involved knew each other already in person, other times, they became acquainted. In short, these remind of me You've Got Mail, the film. Whispering Twilight is similar, though rather than letters, it's a spoken exchange, done through Bess and Mr Quinn's Extraordinary Speaker abilities.
Now, I want to say first and foremost, I am usually not a fan of this trope unless there's a strong component of the main characters already or becoming acquainted in person, resulting in falling in love with both personalities, resulting in conflict of whether or not they had found the right person, hoping that they were the same. It's a little more miraculous, but I particularly like the part that the female or male already knows the person in person and learns to like them (for example they might have disliked them earlier, but then for some reason, need to learn about them or get to know them etc). For example, you see this in You've Got Mail, and just off the top of my head, literarily, one of the last ones I read that falls into my favourite version of this trope is Tweet Cute (I'm sure there are others).
The romance between Bess and Mr Quinn falls partly into my ideal version of this trope. In the sense that during one of the times when Bess is returned safely to London, she sets out to find the mysterious Mr Quinn's identity. As she had already surmised the possible options earlier in the book, it was only a matter of eliminating the possibilities. So we do see Bess looking. And Bess getting to know the possible Mr Quinns. But I wished it was just a little bit more. I wished there were more scenes with the real Mr Quinn! Because they were quite intense when they happened. Magnetic perhaps is a way to describe it. But the rest of the novel and romance occurs through their speech, which I have read is what McShane intended. And I'll admit, for someone who doesn't usually enjoy the whole falling only for a voice/letter thing, I was quite swayed, because Mr Quinn was quite lovely, even more so when one learns the identity of the real one. I think McShane's diversion with the possible Mr Quinns was cute, but if one paid attention to the dialogue of the man Bess thought most likely to be Mr Quinn, it would have already been quite clear that he could not be, especially when one thinks of the conversations that Bess and Mr Quinn had before when she was in Peru. So in the end, I was quite swayed by Bess and Mr Quinn! I don't know what it is, but it was like Sophia and Mr Rutledge in Wondering Sight, I couldn't be helped that the pairing was one to die for. Even more so when the romances are clean and based on mutual respect and understand of each person involved - in this sense, it feels very Heyeresque, which is just my style! And I hope it stays that way for the remaining books.
Now, even though it is a romance, like the other three books, the action is rarely overshadowed by the romance. There's a lot of action, and a political and colonial plot that occurs in the Peru segments, to some extent spills over to the London points, and carries much of Bess's experiences in Whispering Twilight. Now like with the previous three books, I love how much action goes into these books, since I've always been more engaged with the doing rather than the romancing (even though a touch of romance also makes a story even more interesting, though I am usually perfectly happy with a plot that moves). Thus, the action combined with the clean romances of the Extraordinaries so far appeals highly to my tastes.
Overall, while I might have one or two gripes (such as some parts of the romances, which I would have loved even more if there were more face to face, though I still love it enough as it is), Whispering Twilight is another fantastic book for this series, and I am absolutely dying to read the rest! I hope the pub date for Liberating Fight is released soon. Until then, I must return to the read-as-it-catches-my-fancy style that I had been engaging in prior to stumbling on Burning Bright.
July 16, 2023
Why isn't this series better known?? I'm really enjoying it, and I don't typically stick around for series that go beyond a trilogy. The first book is still my favorite, and I think I liked the third one a teensy bit more than this....hence why this one is *only* rated four stars, but it's a GOOD four stars.
This one focused on Bess Hanley, an Extraordinary Speaker (someone who can communicate with others telepathically) that we met in the last book. I'm enjoying this pattern of each book being about a woman who'd been a side character in the previous book. It keeps the series fresh, and you can have satisfying plot conclusions within each book without drawing out one character's story across multiple books.
The gist of the plot is that Bess is heading for a job when she gets shipwrecked on the coast of South America, and then finds herself kidnapped by Inca people and taken to their hidden city. They want her to act as a go between with the English crown to supply them with weapons against the Spanish invaders. The story is quite a lot of traveling across sparse landscapes, daring escapes, more kidnapping, and muddled conversations that occur mostly in the form of mental pictures and broken Spanish because of the language barriers. Overall, it's a good adventure story, and I liked it a lot.
Bess' abilities as an Extraordinary were, as always with this series, very interestingly explored throughout the story. Right away we're introduced to her "reticulum", which is the group of people that she's created a mental bond with so that they can Speak freely to one another. Most of these are other young gentile ladies of her acquaintance, busy with dances and fashion and whatnot, while others are people like Clarissa Emrey, another Extraordinary Speaker currently employed at the War Office (where we had met Bess in the last book). When Mr. Quinn communicates with her the first time, it's most unexpected because he's not in her reticulum, so direct Speech shouldn't be possible. So, the reticulum component was interesting. She also has the ability to hit people with a burst of Speech, which basically sounds like a mind taser. At another point in the story, she'd force fed a substance that stifles her Talent, so she loses all abilities of Speech...another fascinating angle to explore.
Another note: Bess has really bad eyesight, and relies on her spectacles to help her see more than fuzzy blobs. I like that, despite this handicap, she's never really portrayed as weak. Sure, there are circumstances where she's fairly incapacitated because she can't see, but she's still mentally strong. The only time when she seems truly pathetic is when she loses her Talent, and caves (initially) to despair and the demands of the people who have kidnapped her and can literally control her every move. She also suffers from some claustrophobia, but powers through it.
I WILL admit that the romantic aspect in each of these books is a tad formulaic in the way it's always a chaste Regency-style romance that leads to a kiss and marriage at the end. Like, it's FINE, and it fits the time period...but I'll be looking forward to seeing if the author shakes it up as the series goes on. This one was at least a little different in that Bess didn't know the identity of the man (alias "Mr. Quinn") she was falling in love with because they only began communicating unexpectedly through their telepathic Speech, and he was ashamed to admit his identity to her. No love-at-first-sight here!
For a little while I hoped But, alas, my intrigue was misguided when Mr. Quinn turned out to be a perfectly nice gentleman () and they had a perfectly straight(ha!)forward romantic happily ever after.
I have a strong suspicion about which side character the 5th book will focus on, and I'm really excited to continue. I mean, it probably won't top book 1 (which had pirates!), but my fingers are crossed that it becomes my second favorite of the series.
This one focused on Bess Hanley, an Extraordinary Speaker (someone who can communicate with others telepathically) that we met in the last book. I'm enjoying this pattern of each book being about a woman who'd been a side character in the previous book. It keeps the series fresh, and you can have satisfying plot conclusions within each book without drawing out one character's story across multiple books.
The gist of the plot is that Bess is heading for a job when she gets shipwrecked on the coast of South America, and then finds herself kidnapped by Inca people and taken to their hidden city. They want her to act as a go between with the English crown to supply them with weapons against the Spanish invaders. The story is quite a lot of traveling across sparse landscapes, daring escapes, more kidnapping, and muddled conversations that occur mostly in the form of mental pictures and broken Spanish because of the language barriers. Overall, it's a good adventure story, and I liked it a lot.
Bess' abilities as an Extraordinary were, as always with this series, very interestingly explored throughout the story. Right away we're introduced to her "reticulum", which is the group of people that she's created a mental bond with so that they can Speak freely to one another. Most of these are other young gentile ladies of her acquaintance, busy with dances and fashion and whatnot, while others are people like Clarissa Emrey, another Extraordinary Speaker currently employed at the War Office (where we had met Bess in the last book). When Mr. Quinn communicates with her the first time, it's most unexpected because he's not in her reticulum, so direct Speech shouldn't be possible. So, the reticulum component was interesting. She also has the ability to hit people with a burst of Speech, which basically sounds like a mind taser. At another point in the story, she'd force fed a substance that stifles her Talent, so she loses all abilities of Speech...another fascinating angle to explore.
Another note: Bess has really bad eyesight, and relies on her spectacles to help her see more than fuzzy blobs. I like that, despite this handicap, she's never really portrayed as weak. Sure, there are circumstances where she's fairly incapacitated because she can't see, but she's still mentally strong. The only time when she seems truly pathetic is when she loses her Talent, and caves (initially) to despair and the demands of the people who have kidnapped her and can literally control her every move. She also suffers from some claustrophobia, but powers through it.
I WILL admit that the romantic aspect in each of these books is a tad formulaic in the way it's always a chaste Regency-style romance that leads to a kiss and marriage at the end. Like, it's FINE, and it fits the time period...but I'll be looking forward to seeing if the author shakes it up as the series goes on. This one was at least a little different in that Bess didn't know the identity of the man (alias "Mr. Quinn") she was falling in love with because they only began communicating unexpectedly through their telepathic Speech, and he was ashamed to admit his identity to her. No love-at-first-sight here!
For a little while I hoped But, alas, my intrigue was misguided when Mr. Quinn turned out to be a perfectly nice gentleman () and they had a perfectly straight(ha!)forward romantic happily ever after.
I have a strong suspicion about which side character the 5th book will focus on, and I'm really excited to continue. I mean, it probably won't top book 1 (which had pirates!), but my fingers are crossed that it becomes my second favorite of the series.
April 13, 2022
Really enjoyed this installment! Bess is a wonderful main character, and I love that her vision impairment / partial blindness is part of how she interacts with the world, but is not her sole or defining characteristic. I think McShane also did a fantastic job of showing how this could be a danger to Bess in some situations, while also having Bess fight her own battles when necessary, while ALSO showing it's important (and not at all shameful) to acknowledge when you need help - all in a story that manages to make Bess feel like an active character in her own story, despite the fact that she does have a lot of help.
I also enjoyed the romance! I'm sometimes iffy on the 'fall in love without knowing who the person is' thing only because it can be hard to feel a love interest is well-developed if you don't actually know who they are, but here I think it worked really well. I was both correct and pleased with who he turned out to be 😎
Plot-wise, I personally preferred the parts in England to the adventure parts set in Peru, but that's just because I don't tend to gravitate to survival / adventure stories -those parts were still well-written and compelling. And I love Amaya! excited she's the heroine of the next book.
And also, I think this book did a much better job of critiquing imperialism than Abounding Might did (though I did still enjoy that book). Bess has been raised in a very Eurocentric worldview, and we see its effect on her; but she's also an incredibly observant and compassionate person, so we see her start to question some of the assumptions Europeans make about Native peoples. Though I do still think we could have gone farther with it while retaining the semi-historical setting, overall I think the author did a pretty good job of balancing those things.
A few spoilery quibbles (which are minor in terms of pagetime):
Other than those things, a really excellent entry in a series I'm really enjoying!
CW: Grief, imperialism, violence, kidnapping, sexual harassment
I also enjoyed the romance! I'm sometimes iffy on the 'fall in love without knowing who the person is' thing only because it can be hard to feel a love interest is well-developed if you don't actually know who they are, but here I think it worked really well. I was both correct and pleased with who he turned out to be 😎
Plot-wise, I personally preferred the parts in England to the adventure parts set in Peru, but that's just because I don't tend to gravitate to survival / adventure stories -those parts were still well-written and compelling. And I love Amaya! excited she's the heroine of the next book.
And also, I think this book did a much better job of critiquing imperialism than Abounding Might did (though I did still enjoy that book). Bess has been raised in a very Eurocentric worldview, and we see its effect on her; but she's also an incredibly observant and compassionate person, so we see her start to question some of the assumptions Europeans make about Native peoples. Though I do still think we could have gone farther with it while retaining the semi-historical setting, overall I think the author did a pretty good job of balancing those things.
A few spoilery quibbles (which are minor in terms of pagetime):
Other than those things, a really excellent entry in a series I'm really enjoying!
CW: Grief, imperialism, violence, kidnapping, sexual harassment
March 10, 2021
I definitely enjoyed reading this book, as I have enjoyed basically every other book Melissa has written (that I've read so far), with a couple of exceptions. I loved getting to know Bess, and go with her on her unexpected journey through Peru. I especially delighted in seeing her being so self-sufficient despite her poor eyesight, and taking charge of her own defense without worry.
While I didn't necessarily find the romance to be overly exciting or full of intense chemistry, it followed a trope that I always adore so I definitely enjoyed that part of it.
My biggest issue and one that is hard to hate on completely because of the circumstances of the novel and Bess's upbringing is how she viewed the Incans. While she was respectful of them and their culture, and did not wish to see them wiped out by the Spanish, she also felt sympathy for the Spanish as well when they were subjected to the Incans' revenge. I understand that she is living in a time when colonialism is not only accepted but lauded by those doing the colonizing, and as an Englishwoman probably does not understand why it is so terrible. While it makes sense that she would hate to see either group suffer at the hands of the other, she failed completely to grasp the concept that the Spanish had forcibly taken the land from the Incans and drove them into hiding and building up an armory to exact their revenge. Again, Bess is a woman of the time when people were ignorant to the plight of those they were exploiting, but I wish that, considering how intelligent and well-read she is, she would have been able to consider the situation more from the Incans' perspective and realize that no matter what they did to the Spanish, the Incans were still mostly in the right in trying to take their land back.
It is a hard subject to deal with, especially coming at it from a modern perspective and reading about it through the eyes of a woman with an understanding relative to the time, but I think for the most part McShane did as good a job as she could, considering Bess's circumstances. I mean, I think there could have been a bit of improvement in some aspects of her perspective on the situation, but overall she did her best to prevent what she feared the most - unecessary killing on either side.
Overall, it was still an enjoyable read, with some great characters and a captivating plot. I'm excited to read more about Amaya in the next book and see where her story arc takes her.
4 stars
While I didn't necessarily find the romance to be overly exciting or full of intense chemistry, it followed a trope that I always adore so I definitely enjoyed that part of it.
My biggest issue and one that is hard to hate on completely because of the circumstances of the novel and Bess's upbringing is how she viewed the Incans. While she was respectful of them and their culture, and did not wish to see them wiped out by the Spanish, she also felt sympathy for the Spanish as well when they were subjected to the Incans' revenge. I understand that she is living in a time when colonialism is not only accepted but lauded by those doing the colonizing, and as an Englishwoman probably does not understand why it is so terrible. While it makes sense that she would hate to see either group suffer at the hands of the other, she failed completely to grasp the concept that the Spanish had forcibly taken the land from the Incans and drove them into hiding and building up an armory to exact their revenge. Again, Bess is a woman of the time when people were ignorant to the plight of those they were exploiting, but I wish that, considering how intelligent and well-read she is, she would have been able to consider the situation more from the Incans' perspective and realize that no matter what they did to the Spanish, the Incans were still mostly in the right in trying to take their land back.
It is a hard subject to deal with, especially coming at it from a modern perspective and reading about it through the eyes of a woman with an understanding relative to the time, but I think for the most part McShane did as good a job as she could, considering Bess's circumstances. I mean, I think there could have been a bit of improvement in some aspects of her perspective on the situation, but overall she did her best to prevent what she feared the most - unecessary killing on either side.
Overall, it was still an enjoyable read, with some great characters and a captivating plot. I'm excited to read more about Amaya in the next book and see where her story arc takes her.
4 stars
September 28, 2021
All documented Extraoridinaries were required to serve the Crown for 4 years via the War Office and Bess had just finished hers... the next step for every young lady of her class would be marriage especially as she was at loose ends... her guilt over John's death with all the attendant wrong opinions and misconceptions of people... and missing her previous job. Bess was a Speaker ~ one who could communicate or converse in thoughts with one or many Speakers (part of her reticulum) over long distances. So an Extraordinary old family friend... ship owner and trader gave her a job ~ to Speak for his South American contacts. On her way there she was shipwrecked en route to Panama City... she found land and while searching for water to drink she lost consciousness, fatigued from wandering given her failing eyesight. She was forced to enjoy the hospitality of a lost Inca tribe who found her. Among the Incas she was perceived as a pawn given her Talent and also as an enemy by the head of the Leopard Warriors. She was saved from certain death by Amaya, a Leopard Warrior, she befriended. Bess' adventures were all interesting because she had to participate and invest in her own rescue and not just rely on her rescuer... through out these events she developed another Talent as a natural or an inevitable progression of her handicap given the restrictions of her situation in trying to interpret the Incas' language ~ she could read minds or see visual manifestations of thoughts. So many layers in this story like her Secret Speaker friend that she formed a special bond with... and as to Why he hid his Talent and remained undiscovered through adulthood. Great adventure.
January 19, 2021
A good continuation of this series, and best read as such, as there are references throughout the book to previous characters and a definite plot line left open for the next book at the end.
However, while I definitely liked this book, I felt there were a few flaws that kept me from being as enthusiastic as I usually am about Melissa McShane’s works. The beginning of the book felt quite awkward, and included a character that kind of flitted in and back out with little explanation, and then was never referenced again. I also thought that the transitions of the main character between Jane Austen-esque young lady looking for her Mr. Right to daring and relatively fearless adventurer (and back again, a couple of times) felt too easy, and perhaps slightly unrealistic. I did really like that the heroine was quite shortsighted; it’s nice to have a protagonist that isn’t perfect!
Thus, only 4 stars, sorry Melissa! But I’m very happy to see this series continue, as it’s truly one of my favorites of your work.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this book, but of course all reviews are optional and all opinions are my own.
However, while I definitely liked this book, I felt there were a few flaws that kept me from being as enthusiastic as I usually am about Melissa McShane’s works. The beginning of the book felt quite awkward, and included a character that kind of flitted in and back out with little explanation, and then was never referenced again. I also thought that the transitions of the main character between Jane Austen-esque young lady looking for her Mr. Right to daring and relatively fearless adventurer (and back again, a couple of times) felt too easy, and perhaps slightly unrealistic. I did really like that the heroine was quite shortsighted; it’s nice to have a protagonist that isn’t perfect!
Thus, only 4 stars, sorry Melissa! But I’m very happy to see this series continue, as it’s truly one of my favorites of your work.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this book, but of course all reviews are optional and all opinions are my own.
June 14, 2021
I adored it!
I love having found a series where every one of the books is excellent, with a great adventure story built around a subtle, clean romance.
This fourth book in the series was a favorite.
The female main character was a minor character in a previous book. I liked her for her courage in the other story and in this book she is even better. I can totally relate to the misery of losing your glasses when they are the first thing you reach for every morning and the last thing you relinquish every night. Even when she was crying herself to sleep every night she got up every day and just kept going.
The male main character is sort of a mysterious voice throughout the book which is both intriguing and incredibly frustrating but it makes the big reveal at the end just delightful.
The series doesn't have to be read in order but the little bits and pieces here and there where the characters interact make more sense if you have read the previous books.
Violence. No sex. Mild language.
I love having found a series where every one of the books is excellent, with a great adventure story built around a subtle, clean romance.
This fourth book in the series was a favorite.
The female main character was a minor character in a previous book. I liked her for her courage in the other story and in this book she is even better. I can totally relate to the misery of losing your glasses when they are the first thing you reach for every morning and the last thing you relinquish every night. Even when she was crying herself to sleep every night she got up every day and just kept going.
The male main character is sort of a mysterious voice throughout the book which is both intriguing and incredibly frustrating but it makes the big reveal at the end just delightful.
The series doesn't have to be read in order but the little bits and pieces here and there where the characters interact make more sense if you have read the previous books.
Violence. No sex. Mild language.
July 10, 2021
Bess is an Extraordinary Speaker and is also nearly blind. So when she finds herself shipwrecked with no glasses, and no one to lead her, she feels lost. But then she turns to a Voice that holds mystery and knowledge. A Voice that will come to mean more to her than the hope of rescue, but also the hope of love.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and love the addition of the Incas. It was also fun to read the Speaker discussions that she has with the Voice. I enjoyed figuring out who it was. I think the Speaker power is actually one of my favorites. It was a little annoying how unconcerned Bess was with Maya, a woman who gave up everything twice to save her. My favorite parts were when she stood up for herself against Mendoza and when/how she figured out who the Voice was. I look forward to hopefully reading Maya’s story!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and love the addition of the Incas. It was also fun to read the Speaker discussions that she has with the Voice. I enjoyed figuring out who it was. I think the Speaker power is actually one of my favorites. It was a little annoying how unconcerned Bess was with Maya, a woman who gave up everything twice to save her. My favorite parts were when she stood up for herself against Mendoza and when/how she figured out who the Voice was. I look forward to hopefully reading Maya’s story!
April 10, 2022
Speaking to Bess
The adventures of Bess, the Extraordinary Speaker who returns from India, are unexpectedly continued after she's shipwrecked off the coast of Peru. It's most unfortunate that she's nearly blind leaving her helpless but her talents will ultimately save her. Her connection with the mysterious Mr Quinn is most intriguing as a romance is floating around but you never see who he actually is. This is appropriate for a heroine who can barely see.
I really am enjoying this series. The only annoyance was the continuing interruptions by her psychically connected group. It made me wonder about her connecting to such a young, feather headed girl like Rose, and Bess admitted herself that adding the gossip to the group was a mistake. As I was reading through the action, there she was nattering about her crush while Bess' life was in danger. Really.
The adventures of Bess, the Extraordinary Speaker who returns from India, are unexpectedly continued after she's shipwrecked off the coast of Peru. It's most unfortunate that she's nearly blind leaving her helpless but her talents will ultimately save her. Her connection with the mysterious Mr Quinn is most intriguing as a romance is floating around but you never see who he actually is. This is appropriate for a heroine who can barely see.
I really am enjoying this series. The only annoyance was the continuing interruptions by her psychically connected group. It made me wonder about her connecting to such a young, feather headed girl like Rose, and Bess admitted herself that adding the gossip to the group was a mistake. As I was reading through the action, there she was nattering about her crush while Bess' life was in danger. Really.
January 29, 2025
Oh I have complicated feelings on this one. Bess was an excellent heroine. As always, the world of this series is so unique, interesting and very well built. The romance (which is a sideline to the main plot) had fun You've Got Mail vibes, even if it felt a bit underdeveloped. But oooohhh man colonialism. I get that the whole premise of this series is an accurate Napoleonic-era world but with superheroes ("Extraordinaries"). But the Extraordinaries have already canonically started to change societal norms around women, so with each book it seems less believable that it's made no difference whatsoever to the accepted world order (esp. as all parts of the world, including indigenous societies, have them). So oohh man colonialism.
August 14, 2021
I’d probably give this 3.75 stars. It was a really interesting story, but it dragged in some places. My other issue was that a lot of the Spanish was wrong. And some of it was okay because the main character doesn’t actually know Spanish that well, but even the native speaker characters were making a lot of mistakes and it got really distracting. The main characters mistakes were also quite inconsistent whereas in other places she wouldn’t make a mistake but the sentence would be grammatically complex enough that a new Spanish speaker wouldn’t know how to say that. So as a Spanish speaker the Spanish mistakes were annoying but if you don’t speak Spanish you wouldn’t know.
December 29, 2020
Whispering Twilight is a tale that is just like its cover……beautiful! This fourth installment from Melissa McShane’s The Extraordinaries series, is now my new favorite I have read by her. I loved every single page. I adored Bess and admired her determination and bravery. I enjoyed taking this journey with her.
I am giving Whispering Twilight a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical fantasy. It is so very good.
I received Whispering Twilight from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I am giving Whispering Twilight a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical fantasy. It is so very good.
I received Whispering Twilight from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
January 23, 2021
I forget how much I enjoy this series until the next book is released and I devour it! Great story and characters and fantastic adventures. The first is probably still my favorite (girl on a ship = nostalgia for Charlotte Doyle) but this one is a close second. The Incan culture is portrayed in a way that feels real - layered and complicated and respectful. I love the concepts of Talent in the 1800s and how it has changed societies around the world. Ready for the next book and hoping the wait isn’t too long!
March 3, 2021
4 stars
I liked this book, Bess is an interesting character. I like how her eyesight is part of her and something that she deals with as opposed to overcomes. The Speaking was interesting and I loved Mr. Quinn. The mystery of who he is is half the fun.
My one quibble with this book
I am curious about Amaya and if we will get to see her again.
I liked this book, Bess is an interesting character. I like how her eyesight is part of her and something that she deals with as opposed to overcomes. The Speaking was interesting and I loved Mr. Quinn. The mystery of who he is is half the fun.
My one quibble with this book
I am curious about Amaya and if we will get to see her again.
January 16, 2023
I liked the other books of this series so far (especially Burning Bright, the first one), but found this one a bit of a struggle to get through. The protagonist is telepathic and spends a lot of her time telling her friends about what just happened, sometimes even several times over, which slows the action right down. Or even that she can't answer right now and will get back to them.
So I will probably still give the rest of the series a go, but this one was just not for me.
So I will probably still give the rest of the series a go, but this one was just not for me.
January 30, 2021
A worthy entry in one of my favorite series
I've enjoyed the other books in this series, and this one is a very fine addition to it. The adventure was top notch, though I wish the romance had been a little more developed -- but then again, given the constraints, it was quite well done. All in all, definitely worth the read!
I've enjoyed the other books in this series, and this one is a very fine addition to it. The adventure was top notch, though I wish the romance had been a little more developed -- but then again, given the constraints, it was quite well done. All in all, definitely worth the read!
August 1, 2021
I should preface this by saying this was simultaneously good and frustrating: when the story got going it was good, but the constant conversations that served no purpose at all really dragged the pace of the book down. The romance portion of this one also seemed a bit forced.
The thought of having someone in your reticulum forever also gives me the willies…
The thought of having someone in your reticulum forever also gives me the willies…
June 21, 2022
What an adventure. I love that McShane chose to send a person with a handicap into a dangerous situation on the other side of the world. I found the mystery romantic interest rather obvious and wondered why Bess was confused about it for such a long time. I think it might have been nice to get to know him a little bit more in his normal life before the big reveal.
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