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The Seven Whistlers
Legends say that on stormy nights, or on sunsets, there sometimes comes a strange whistling noise in the sky, followed by sightings of enormous black dogs. But these are no ordinary dogs. They are demonic things, hounds loose from the Wild Hunt, and they are searching for lost souls. Ill fortune will befall any who encounter them, one by one. They are rarely sighted more than one at a time, and if all seven should come together, it will mean the end of the world.
In the picturesque New England town of Kingsbury, Vermont, a young woman named Rose Kerrigan mourns the death of her grandfather, the sweet but strange old man who raised her. She's never been able to get along with her cold, distant grandmother.
In the wake of Walter Kerrigan's death, the town is beset with strange occurrences, stormy weather, and eerie whistling in the night skies. Sightings of a huge, black hound are reported, followed by incidents of terribly bad luck, accidents, and unpleasant coincidences. Perhaps this is why Rose's grandmother has been acting so strange -- in addition to her grief, she's deeply unsettled by the goings-on in Kingsbury. At least, this is what Rose and her tight-knit group of friends believe, when they discuss such things at the coffee house where they hang out together. Some of these friends -- people Rose has known her whole life -- have experienced some of the unpleasant, and yet also wonderfully strange, events happening in town.
Weird, magical stuff.
Soon, Rose will learn the legend of the Seven Whistlers. They've come to Kingsbury, Vermont, in search of a soul that has been hidden from them, and they will not leave without it. First there was one, then two...but now, as Rose becomes more and more anxious, people see three of them together, and then four. If they don't find what they're looking for soon, perhaps all seven will gather in Kingsbury.
And if all seven should come together....
In the picturesque New England town of Kingsbury, Vermont, a young woman named Rose Kerrigan mourns the death of her grandfather, the sweet but strange old man who raised her. She's never been able to get along with her cold, distant grandmother.
In the wake of Walter Kerrigan's death, the town is beset with strange occurrences, stormy weather, and eerie whistling in the night skies. Sightings of a huge, black hound are reported, followed by incidents of terribly bad luck, accidents, and unpleasant coincidences. Perhaps this is why Rose's grandmother has been acting so strange -- in addition to her grief, she's deeply unsettled by the goings-on in Kingsbury. At least, this is what Rose and her tight-knit group of friends believe, when they discuss such things at the coffee house where they hang out together. Some of these friends -- people Rose has known her whole life -- have experienced some of the unpleasant, and yet also wonderfully strange, events happening in town.
Weird, magical stuff.
Soon, Rose will learn the legend of the Seven Whistlers. They've come to Kingsbury, Vermont, in search of a soul that has been hidden from them, and they will not leave without it. First there was one, then two...but now, as Rose becomes more and more anxious, people see three of them together, and then four. If they don't find what they're looking for soon, perhaps all seven will gather in Kingsbury.
And if all seven should come together....
143 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2006
10 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Amber Benson
99 books1,636 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 15, 2024
I absolutely hated the formatting of this book. Aside from the sweet cover art, the printed version of this book was atrocious. The double spaces after periods. The font choice. The way the story chose to rattle some character's pov's and change of scenes immediately in the next paragraph to then have other moments like that broken up with double spaces, or sometimes with spacers was maddening.
As for the story, it was bland as heck. Too many character povs for a scant 120 page story with more telling than showing, like we are supposed to know and care about these people and their lives. I found the lead, Rose, pretty self righteous and biased as heck when the reveal came around. Still not sure how she just 'learned the truth' when she decided she did to spur her actions into confirming or rather actually discovering the truth.
The lack of atmosphere and tension was most apparent. There was no nuance or intrigue. Just the bare bones of a story's idea. Not enough for anything to build, and the way the book is simply written as describing events, makes me think this book should have been a comic or tv halloween special, as it would have benefitted greatly from visual storytelling in the state it was offered to us to read.
I can't believe it took two authors to write this.
As for the story, it was bland as heck. Too many character povs for a scant 120 page story with more telling than showing, like we are supposed to know and care about these people and their lives. I found the lead, Rose, pretty self righteous and biased as heck when the reveal came around. Still not sure how she just 'learned the truth' when she decided she did to spur her actions into confirming or rather actually discovering the truth.
The lack of atmosphere and tension was most apparent. There was no nuance or intrigue. Just the bare bones of a story's idea. Not enough for anything to build, and the way the book is simply written as describing events, makes me think this book should have been a comic or tv halloween special, as it would have benefitted greatly from visual storytelling in the state it was offered to us to read.
I can't believe it took two authors to write this.
July 12, 2017
I have always been intrigued by local folk lore. No matter where you travel, someone will have a story to tell that they heard from their grandmother or the ancient woman who lives at the edge of town. Usually, they are doomsday stories; or at the very least warnings against bad behavior. Don't do this or go there or say these words on this night after midnight. This story is different in that it isn't just about crop failure or hair turning gray it is about the end of the world and everything is playing out in a small town unbeknownst to the rest of the population. I was on the edge of my seat. I have a large dog and although I love him, I am quite frightened of him. His teeth are the stuff of nightmares. So whenever large, feral dogs are introduced into a story I am terrified. Seven of them was heart attack territory. The characters are well developed and interesting and that is always important to me. If I don't care about your characters, you have lost me. Let me say that I was locked into this book from start to finish. The only bad thing is that I keep waiting for my dog, Grim to start whistling. Good stuff, this.
May 13, 2019
I love a good scary story. "The Seven Whistlers" by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden is one. It's a quick read, but one that will have you checking the locks on your doors and thinking twice before venturing outside after dark.
October 23, 2017
Wonderfully creepy take on a folk tale that raised goose-bumps on me multiple times while reading.
January 26, 2015
Rose and other residents of Kingsbury experience a series of escalatingly creepy events associated with large black hounds.
This could have been interesting, with Rose gradually unraveling the legend behind these events and struggling to battle these dark forces. Instead, the story was not very complex or nuanced. Rose comes to understand what's going on through a single Google search. Then the final pieces come together in the form of a conversation with an old woman- which happens offscreen. In a scene that we're not even shown, Rose gathers some crucial information from this woman, jumps to some not-very-well supported conclusion (which of course just happens to be right) and then rushes off to prevent the apocalypse. "Preventing the apocalypse" involves finding an object and moving it.
Kind of anti-climactic, really. Nothing very original or creative or engaging about it.
Also, I usually skim right over the typos other people complain about in reviews without even noticing them, but this one had quite a few that stood out even to me. "New" instead of "knew" is bad enough, but even Word will autocorrect "hr" to "her" and point out when you mangle a sentence with too many verbs.
This could have been interesting, with Rose gradually unraveling the legend behind these events and struggling to battle these dark forces. Instead, the story was not very complex or nuanced. Rose comes to understand what's going on through a single Google search. Then the final pieces come together in the form of a conversation with an old woman- which happens offscreen. In a scene that we're not even shown, Rose gathers some crucial information from this woman, jumps to some not-very-well supported conclusion (which of course just happens to be right) and then rushes off to prevent the apocalypse. "Preventing the apocalypse" involves finding an object and moving it.
Kind of anti-climactic, really. Nothing very original or creative or engaging about it.
Also, I usually skim right over the typos other people complain about in reviews without even noticing them, but this one had quite a few that stood out even to me. "New" instead of "knew" is bad enough, but even Word will autocorrect "hr" to "her" and point out when you mangle a sentence with too many verbs.
June 12, 2007
The Seven Whistlers is the newest in the growing line of collaborations between Benson and Golden, but is not a part of their Ghosts of Albion series. The stand-alone novella follows Rose in the days following her grandfather's death as the small town she lives in is plagued by fearsome black dogs and grave bad luck.
Benson and Golden weave an intriguing tale for such a short space, and some of Golden's trademark horror is present as Rose slowly learns disturbing truths about loved ones. The horror lies less in the supernatural elements than it does in the destructive changes it brings to Rose's relationships.
The authors also do a great job at bringing to life the small Vermont town where the story takes place. The descriptions of the setting, as well as the various characters that inhibit it, are vivid and efficient, and they really give the novella a great deal of flavor. Definitely worth a reread.
Benson and Golden weave an intriguing tale for such a short space, and some of Golden's trademark horror is present as Rose slowly learns disturbing truths about loved ones. The horror lies less in the supernatural elements than it does in the destructive changes it brings to Rose's relationships.
The authors also do a great job at bringing to life the small Vermont town where the story takes place. The descriptions of the setting, as well as the various characters that inhibit it, are vivid and efficient, and they really give the novella a great deal of flavor. Definitely worth a reread.
May 5, 2008
I picked up this book from the new horror section for a change of pace at the downtown library. I wanted a fairly quick read, and it was skinny and with no book jacket - I was intrigued. Classic or pompous for a new book. Then I saw Amber Benson mentioned, and thought 'buffy!'. Not sure if it's the same one..
anyway, it was an easy story to get into. pretty straightforward characters, enjoyable clasic scarytale.
anyway, it was an easy story to get into. pretty straightforward characters, enjoyable clasic scarytale.
August 26, 2012
Enjoyed this book very much - couldn't put it down. Interesting characters and story plot. I'm a fan of Christopher Golden but was surprised by Amber Benson's (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)input.
April 29, 2013
A spooky little tale!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews