Into Whispering Shadows

Darkened Skies, Book 2

De: H.E. Bauman

Narrado por: Brielle Rose

Whispers of truth often linger in darkness.

After fleeing the Helosian Empire, Astrea and her friends follow the trail of clues north in search of the mystery-cloaked void mages known as the Paragon. Crossing the border into Novaria, the group finds the capital city on high alert after a string of murders.

Just like in Kalama, the victims bear the mark of void magica clear display of brazenness as the shadows influence continues to grow across the continent.

Determined to stop the killers and uncover the secrets of the Paragon, the group teams up with Novaria's ruler, the Grand Duchess Ysabel. But with conspiracies and deceit at every turn, Astrea begins to question everything she thought she knew—not just about the world, but about herself and her magic.

Only one thing is clear: Astrea is being hunted. And this time, no one can save her.

©2023 H.E. Bauman (P)2024 H.E. Bauman

I love them, your honor

When I tell you I was STRESSED listening to the last hour or so of this. Absolutely obsessed with this narrator. She makes the story so immersive and I really felt everything Astrea was going through in that last quarter of the book. This series is quickly becoming a fav. We got to see so much development between Jin and Astrea in this book. Please keep it coming!!

lovely

Character driven
sweet, close up, intense look at her feeling and anxiety about the situation paired with her abilities to feel everyone around her feelings. Intense and very in the moment. Loved the love story. The friendship. love the narrator for AZ!

Excellent Narration and Intense Ending

I really enjoyed this book. Jin and Az's relationship progressed, Az learned a lot more about her powers, and new characters were introduced. The end was intense!! What Az went through absolutely sucked! Her pain, her fear, her hopelessness....but then her utter determination! Perfect! I will say that the middle of the book has some pacing issues. I think it allowed for a lot of explanations, discovery, and character growth though. This book was also really well narrated by Brielle Rose... Once again!

Great narration for a great story!

I love this narrator and her ability to bring every character to life, and how talented she is with the accents and individuality of every person in the story!
High stakes, spice, and a perfect continuation of book 1, although I read Jin’s prequel story right before this one and had a much more whole understanding of Jin and his thought process and his history in the military. This book takes us on a journey with the main characters, and we get to see them grow and meet new friends, foes and family in a different kingdom. The last quarter of the book broke my heart, but the ending was great. I loved the blooming romance and I have some theories as to where certain things are going…so on to book 3!!!

Intense Continuation of the Story

What happens after you flee the only home you’ve ever known due to an infringing darkness coming from all sides? How do you cope with having to leave loved ones behind? How do you convince others to join your side to fight with you against this growing threat? “Into Whispering Shadows” by H.E. Bauman explores all of this while also pouring more into the romance between Jin and As.

I absolutely loved this book so much. The constant mystery of what’s going on behind the scenes, the romance that actually feels real instead of instant, the insecurities, and encouragement between friends. There is so much happening that it’s hard to truly describe this book as one genre.

While the world building isn’t as much in this book as the last since they’re in hiding, the little bit we do get is exceptional. I was also really impressed with how the politics was done. So many times in books, we either get factions completely against or completely for. Rarely have I read a fantasy novel where there is actual discussion, planning, and debate laid out in the story for us to experience the tension.

The narrator, Brielle Rose, also did a phenomenal job. She was able to portray the intensity and panic of certain moments while also having a lighter tone for the more mundane or comedic aspects of the story.

I do want to let everyone know this is the first book in the series that has open door romance. While I skimmed through it (with permission from the author as that’s one thing I struggle to read), from what I could tell, it seemed realistic and well done. I also want to give a content warning that there is some drugging/torture later in the story that could be a trigger for some as it was very well written to the point I could almost feel the pain. Some people can handle that, but I know some may struggle, so I wanted to give a fair warning.

“Into Whispering Shadows” by H.E. Bauman was an amazing second book in the Darkened Skies series. There is still a decent amount of cursing, and, as mentioned above, this book does have open door romance, so I would only recommend it for an adult audience. While the official genre is romantasy, there is also mystery, adventure, action, and comedy all mixed in. I am so excited to continue this series! This is definitely one to check out!