Confronting the Whispers of the Past with Shawna Hunter
Author: Shawna Hunter
Publication Date: November 15, 2023
Genres: Paranormal Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Female
As stories for the spooky season go, Whispers of the Past is so much more than I expected from the blurb. What Shawna Hunter has written here is both dark and deep, full of as much insight into human nature as speculations on the power of nature.
Initially, it seems a simple enough story about a group of amateur witches setting out to conduct a Halloween ritual in the woods, but there’s an ominous sense of danger from the trees, which Nightshadow experiences as “disapproving . . . particularly bitter, even spiteful.” Their androgynous leader, Silvanth, has marked the trees with magical symbols to protect their nocturnal rites, but Nightshadow sees it as wounding.
There’s tension between the witches too, largely owing to hurt feelings between Moonbane and Panathea, which is addressed in a cleansing ritual, but even that is undermined by whispers from the trees that only Nightshadow can hear – until they choose to speak through her. It quickly becomes apparent that these young women are messing with forces they do not understand, and when the ancient spirits decide to intervene, none of them will leave the circle unchanged.
I’m cautious of revealing any of the revelations in the second half of the story, but if you’ve ever read a Shawna Hunter story, then it shouldn’t surprise you that gender and sexuality, from fearful fancies to fearsome fetishes, are exposed and explored. It’s erotic, but it’s also uncomfortable, and the unease I felt is a testament to how well these characters were established and how deftly they’re manipulated.
Whispers of the Past is thoughtful, well-written, meaningful, and most of all, memorable.
Rating: 
