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Charlie Travesty #1
A Whisper in the Dark
A city ruled by vampires. A disgraced princess. A world underground.
Charlotte Travesty lives in a world of comfort. Glittering nightclubs, a lavish mansion, and a staff of humans at her beck and call. Being a royal vampire means her future is secured—all she has to do is get through the Awakening, an ancient ceremony every vampire experiences when they come of age.
But when her Awakening arrives at last, everything changes in one terrifying instant.
Cast from her home and rejected by the royal family, Charlie is forced into a life of fear and brutality. Where creatures called weepers live below the city, kept at bay by an unlucky sector of fighters enslaved by the very king who cast her out. Charlie now finds herself among the ranks.
She soon learns that weepers aren’t all she needs to fear in her new life. Other workers are dying in the tunnels below ground. Charlie knows that if she’s going to survive, she must form alliances with the very humans that despise her. But will she win their trust in time? Or will she die in the very darkness she was born to rule?
For fans of Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City and Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series, A Whisper in the Dark is the first volume in the Charlie Travesty serial.
Charlotte Travesty lives in a world of comfort. Glittering nightclubs, a lavish mansion, and a staff of humans at her beck and call. Being a royal vampire means her future is secured—all she has to do is get through the Awakening, an ancient ceremony every vampire experiences when they come of age.
But when her Awakening arrives at last, everything changes in one terrifying instant.
Cast from her home and rejected by the royal family, Charlie is forced into a life of fear and brutality. Where creatures called weepers live below the city, kept at bay by an unlucky sector of fighters enslaved by the very king who cast her out. Charlie now finds herself among the ranks.
She soon learns that weepers aren’t all she needs to fear in her new life. Other workers are dying in the tunnels below ground. Charlie knows that if she’s going to survive, she must form alliances with the very humans that despise her. But will she win their trust in time? Or will she die in the very darkness she was born to rule?
For fans of Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City and Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series, A Whisper in the Dark is the first volume in the Charlie Travesty serial.
94 pages, ebook
First published April 28, 2020
About the author
Jessi Elliott
17 books329 followersJessi Elliott is a new adult and young adult paranormal and fantasy romance author.
She lives in Ontario, Canada with her adorable calico cat, Phoebe.
When she's not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with friends and family, get lost in a steamy romance novel, watch Friends, and drink coffee.
You can find Jessi on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Join her newsletter to stay up to date on book news and upcoming releases!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ibmmLg
Instagram: https://bit.ly/39YAnsQ
TikTok: https://bit.ly/3JgKlaV
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3kb7D4Y
She lives in Ontario, Canada with her adorable calico cat, Phoebe.
When she's not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with friends and family, get lost in a steamy romance novel, watch Friends, and drink coffee.
You can find Jessi on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Join her newsletter to stay up to date on book news and upcoming releases!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ibmmLg
Instagram: https://bit.ly/39YAnsQ
TikTok: https://bit.ly/3JgKlaV
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3kb7D4Y
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
May 12, 2020
Part 1 of 4 in the Charlie Travesty serial release!
"The human bows again. As he straightens, I want to tell him that he's been more of a father to me than my own. I want to tell him that I look forward to seeing him every day. I want to tell him what a difference he's made in my life. When I look at my siblings and cousins, so many of them have an emptiness in their eyes-they look at humans and see livestock. Humans like Alexei taught me otherwise."
"The human bows again. As he straightens, I want to tell him that he's been more of a father to me than my own. I want to tell him that I look forward to seeing him every day. I want to tell him what a difference he's made in my life. When I look at my siblings and cousins, so many of them have an emptiness in their eyes-they look at humans and see livestock. Humans like Alexei taught me otherwise."
May 16, 2020
The start of what is to surely be an enticing and gripping new Vampire romance
I really enjoyed the first instalment in this serial. The character of Charlie is intriguing and I'm interested to see what she does next, especially after the introduction of a dark and delicious vampire towards the end of this.
I really enjoyed the first instalment in this serial. The character of Charlie is intriguing and I'm interested to see what she does next, especially after the introduction of a dark and delicious vampire towards the end of this.
Read
April 29, 2020FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!
Amazon US → https://rb.gy/wntyql
Amazon CA → https://rb.gy/5izel8
Amazon UK → https://rb.gy/9cankp
Amazon AU → https://rb.gy/irrkw8
Dear Readers,
This story was an adventure in so many ways, not only because neither Jessi or I have ever co-authored a novel before, but because we’re releasing the book as a serial! Four volumes, eight weeks, and at the end of it... one print edition to include them all.
So I hope you have as much fun reading this story as it was writing it. We could all use a good distraction right now, and that's what Jessi and I hoped to provide for you as we wove Charlie Travesty's tale.
Stay safe and stay healthy.
Love,
Kelsey
Amazon US → https://rb.gy/wntyql
Amazon CA → https://rb.gy/5izel8
Amazon UK → https://rb.gy/9cankp
Amazon AU → https://rb.gy/irrkw8
Dear Readers,
This story was an adventure in so many ways, not only because neither Jessi or I have ever co-authored a novel before, but because we’re releasing the book as a serial! Four volumes, eight weeks, and at the end of it... one print edition to include them all.
So I hope you have as much fun reading this story as it was writing it. We could all use a good distraction right now, and that's what Jessi and I hoped to provide for you as we wove Charlie Travesty's tale.
Stay safe and stay healthy.
Love,
Kelsey
May 15, 2020
Another one of those vampire-zombie going gaga novelettes.
A vampy king's kiddy who is a Kinder Suprise, literally. And a what one! Nicely done, Gabs!
Much too short to develop too deep and, as a result, a teensy tad too sketchy for my liking. So, I dock a star.
Not sure if I love or hate the cover. Color me ambivalent about it, then.
A vampy king's kiddy who is a Kinder Suprise, literally. And a what one! Nicely done, Gabs!
Much too short to develop too deep and, as a result, a teensy tad too sketchy for my liking. So, I dock a star.
Not sure if I love or hate the cover. Color me ambivalent about it, then.
Shelved as 'wishlist'
July 4, 2020"A city ruled by vampires"
YES PLEASE
YES PLEASE
October 5, 2020
Give me all the vamps this spooky season, please and thanks.
This was a quick, entertaining read that did a pretty good job building the dark world Charlie lives in and I'm looking forward to see what happens in the next installment. Plus, I'm already here for the tension between Charlie and Noah.
Blog | Twitter
This was a quick, entertaining read that did a pretty good job building the dark world Charlie lives in and I'm looking forward to see what happens in the next installment. Plus, I'm already here for the tension between Charlie and Noah.
Blog | Twitter
January 28, 2021
A Whisper in the Dark is the first installment in the Charlie Travesty serial.
A vampire princess disowned by her family because of an ultimate betrayal. Charlie, the ex-princess, is thrown into a post-apocalyptic world that is ran by vampires. I loved getting to see Charlie live a lush vampire lifestyle before seeing her fall to the lowest ranks of the society. All the characters were really fleshed out for a novella. I really enjoyed two characters besides Charlie – a certain human and a vampire slayer. *winks*
I can't wait to continue on! ♥
This review was originally posted on Sincerely, Whitney
A vampire princess disowned by her family because of an ultimate betrayal. Charlie, the ex-princess, is thrown into a post-apocalyptic world that is ran by vampires. I loved getting to see Charlie live a lush vampire lifestyle before seeing her fall to the lowest ranks of the society. All the characters were really fleshed out for a novella. I really enjoyed two characters besides Charlie – a certain human and a vampire slayer. *winks*
I can't wait to continue on! ♥
This review was originally posted on Sincerely, Whitney
May 31, 2020
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the authors, Jessi Elliot and K.J. Sutton, for an honest review.
“The crown rests beside me – it must have fallen off while I slept.”
A quick introduction to a new Adult Fantasy series that are bringing the Vamps back with a vengeance!
I LOVE anything by Kelsey Sutton, so of course when I found out she was working on a series of novellas with an author I hadn’t had the pleasure of knowing about, I was SOLD. And in true K.J. Sutton fashion, she literally gives ZERO information ahead of time about what she is writing, and then just displays it in all it’s glory on release day, on a platter of gold and blood. ❤
This first installment of the Charlie Travesty series was AMAZING! I was hooked from the first page until the last, immediately in love with our leading vamp Charlie, and obsessed with the world. I absolutely love a dystopian styled fantasy, especially one where Vampires rule over humans, and one where a royal “falls from grace“.
In this vampire world, the Awakening is the moment when a vampire comes into who they are. Each eye color dictates where a vampire will reside and what their interests will be. Charlie, being an artist, hopes to wake with emerald eyes that will take her into Sul, the quarter for artists and writers. But when she wakes, her eye color shows the true proof of who Charlie really is.
I am so impressed with how easily this story flowed. Usually when you get a book written by two or more authors, there is a disconnect between the writing styles or the switch in voices in painfully obvious. And being such a HUGE K.J. Sutton fan, I figured I’d easily be able to tell which parts were written or influenced by Kelsey.
Well. Color me wrong AF.
You would NEVER guess this was written by two different people! The melding of these two creative minds is impeccable, and the story and world they created was addicting as hell. And even though I’m not a big novella reader, I really found myself preferring this pacing. It gets to the point, but not in a rushed way. I honestly had no problems at all with this book, and all I want is to read everything else these two beautiful writers put onto paper.
“The crown rests beside me – it must have fallen off while I slept.”
A quick introduction to a new Adult Fantasy series that are bringing the Vamps back with a vengeance!
I LOVE anything by Kelsey Sutton, so of course when I found out she was working on a series of novellas with an author I hadn’t had the pleasure of knowing about, I was SOLD. And in true K.J. Sutton fashion, she literally gives ZERO information ahead of time about what she is writing, and then just displays it in all it’s glory on release day, on a platter of gold and blood. ❤
This first installment of the Charlie Travesty series was AMAZING! I was hooked from the first page until the last, immediately in love with our leading vamp Charlie, and obsessed with the world. I absolutely love a dystopian styled fantasy, especially one where Vampires rule over humans, and one where a royal “falls from grace“.
In this vampire world, the Awakening is the moment when a vampire comes into who they are. Each eye color dictates where a vampire will reside and what their interests will be. Charlie, being an artist, hopes to wake with emerald eyes that will take her into Sul, the quarter for artists and writers. But when she wakes, her eye color shows the true proof of who Charlie really is.
I am so impressed with how easily this story flowed. Usually when you get a book written by two or more authors, there is a disconnect between the writing styles or the switch in voices in painfully obvious. And being such a HUGE K.J. Sutton fan, I figured I’d easily be able to tell which parts were written or influenced by Kelsey.
Well. Color me wrong AF.
You would NEVER guess this was written by two different people! The melding of these two creative minds is impeccable, and the story and world they created was addicting as hell. And even though I’m not a big novella reader, I really found myself preferring this pacing. It gets to the point, but not in a rushed way. I honestly had no problems at all with this book, and all I want is to read everything else these two beautiful writers put onto paper.
July 11, 2020
At a little over 90 pages, this urban fantasy does a pretty decent job of setting up a compelling world where vampires rule via a viscous vampire king, and humans are the bottom of the food chain. It's a world where vampires are assigned a place to live on the day of their Awakening - where their eyes will reveal their true calling. And Charlotte Travesty, daughter of the king, is about to find out her destiny may not be quite what she expects it to be.
Obviously given the length there's not too much character development, and I did find that a few of the characters we meet fall very quickly into the usual stereotypes of naive good guy, brooding hot guy and sassy sister - but I'm willing to give them a chance to grow and surprise me over the future installments to the series. There's certainly chemistry, even if it feels a little too much too soon. Charlie does also seem incredibly cloistered and naive about this new world she's thrust into, and at times I found her a little annoying - but she has all the potential to be a great protagonist.
I'm really most taken in by the world, with this strict heirachy of vampires all ruled under a cruel vampire who delights in torture and pain, and an heir who is even worse. I'm really intrigued to see where the story goes in terms of expanding on this lore, and hopefully seeing a range of vampires defined by their eye colour - and why this system is so important to uphold by the king. The Lavenders, and Charlie's involvement in their group, is also really intriguing.
An interesting start to a series that has a lot of potential for those who enjoy a good fantasy romance.
Obviously given the length there's not too much character development, and I did find that a few of the characters we meet fall very quickly into the usual stereotypes of naive good guy, brooding hot guy and sassy sister - but I'm willing to give them a chance to grow and surprise me over the future installments to the series. There's certainly chemistry, even if it feels a little too much too soon. Charlie does also seem incredibly cloistered and naive about this new world she's thrust into, and at times I found her a little annoying - but she has all the potential to be a great protagonist.
I'm really most taken in by the world, with this strict heirachy of vampires all ruled under a cruel vampire who delights in torture and pain, and an heir who is even worse. I'm really intrigued to see where the story goes in terms of expanding on this lore, and hopefully seeing a range of vampires defined by their eye colour - and why this system is so important to uphold by the king. The Lavenders, and Charlie's involvement in their group, is also really intriguing.
An interesting start to a series that has a lot of potential for those who enjoy a good fantasy romance.
July 12, 2020
Oh hi, I'm hooked.
I felt this was just going to be "okay" until Noah Forrest appeared and well, now I'm into it.
I felt this was just going to be "okay" until Noah Forrest appeared and well, now I'm into it.
February 21, 2023
not gonna lie, I mainly picked this up because it's short and because I needed my vampire novel fix. I'm having Blood Casino withdrawals and I hoped this would help.
And guess what?? It really did.
A Whisper in the Dark reads like every single book I used to read back in 2008, full of action and notions, all concentrated in 100 pages and with a main character I surprisingly didn't want to throw off a bridge.
And guess what?? It really did.
A Whisper in the Dark reads like every single book I used to read back in 2008, full of action and notions, all concentrated in 100 pages and with a main character I surprisingly didn't want to throw off a bridge.
Read
May 24, 2020Why is it so short? Only 5 chapters. It isn't enough. I want more of the bloodthirsty vampires dammit. Also, the writing was immensely better than the last books of this author. I love this duo already. Please keep it coming.
What to expect:
- sex- positive introvert half-vampire main character: Charlie Travesty
- a vampire dominant society where humans and other creatures are slaves
- interesting and innovative ways of blood sucking
- it literally answered all questions i had about vampires and how they function lol i sound like a creepy scientist. They drink venous blood, which makes sense.
- wanna know blood-lust? read this book. my mouth was watering at one point lmao
- siblingsssss. drew and nina are cute.
- character making cheesy jokes (which i found funny ngl) to cheer other person up
- a faction system like divergent on the basis of your eye colour
- hot dark-haired vampires period
"Why is it, Charlie Travesty, that vampires don’t make good artists?”
“Because they always like to draw blood,”
I want book 2 and 3 and 4 NOW. And make it at least 300 pages long.
What to expect:
- sex- positive introvert half-vampire main character: Charlie Travesty
- a vampire dominant society where humans and other creatures are slaves
- interesting and innovative ways of blood sucking
- it literally answered all questions i had about vampires and how they function lol i sound like a creepy scientist. They drink venous blood, which makes sense.
- wanna know blood-lust? read this book. my mouth was watering at one point lmao
- siblingsssss. drew and nina are cute.
- character making cheesy jokes (which i found funny ngl) to cheer other person up
- a faction system like divergent on the basis of your eye colour
- hot dark-haired vampires period
"Why is it, Charlie Travesty, that vampires don’t make good artists?”
“Because they always like to draw blood,”
I want book 2 and 3 and 4 NOW. And make it at least 300 pages long.
April 30, 2020
YESSSSSS!!! I absolutely LOVED this book!!! This is volume 1 in a new serial vampire book by this fantastic writing duo, and I'm ALL ABOUT IT!! The beginning to this story was just fantastic. I'm flailing like crazy over this book and can't recommend it enough. I'm so eager to see where the other volumes will take this story. And the covers are all gorgeous! Be sure to grab this one asap, as volume 2 will be here before we know it!
June 13, 2020
*3.5 stars.
This book had a really interesting concept about a royal vampire named Charlotte who is taken out of her luxurious lifestyle after a shocking event to live amongst the people she was raised to look down upon. There’s romance, humor and blood... lots of blood. ⚰️🖤
This book had a really interesting concept about a royal vampire named Charlotte who is taken out of her luxurious lifestyle after a shocking event to live amongst the people she was raised to look down upon. There’s romance, humor and blood... lots of blood. ⚰️🖤
April 20, 2020
*I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Vampire stories are hit or miss for me and this one slapped! A Whisper in the Dark is a fast paced read and an ode to everything great about paranormal romance with a dash of dystopian on the side. The world created by Elliot and Sutton is nuanced and drew me in from the first page. The plot was intricate with unique characters who I loved to read about. I only have one complaint: why do I have to wait so long for the next installment?
Vampire stories are hit or miss for me and this one slapped! A Whisper in the Dark is a fast paced read and an ode to everything great about paranormal romance with a dash of dystopian on the side. The world created by Elliot and Sutton is nuanced and drew me in from the first page. The plot was intricate with unique characters who I loved to read about. I only have one complaint: why do I have to wait so long for the next installment?
July 31, 2020
This little novel is the first in a series of novels about a Vampiric romance and isn't usually my type of reading, but I had a lot of fun with it, it's short and easy to read. Maybe this first book has a lot of information and the balance is strange at the end because the plot itself does not develop too much, but I still enjoyed it and I would like to continue with the rest of the novels in the future. I loved the construction of the world and the characters are interesting enough.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 7, 2020
2.5 It was alright. It kept me interested enough. I will probably finish this series, but the writing style isn’t anything amazing, and the characters don’t really have much flair like other books.
It is refreshing reading about a main character who is more quiet and thoughtful, ( which is the main character in this book) but I always do love reading about badass and feisty main characters I just can’t help it!
It is refreshing reading about a main character who is more quiet and thoughtful, ( which is the main character in this book) but I always do love reading about badass and feisty main characters I just can’t help it!
May 7, 2020
3,5 stars
5 chapters were not enough!!
In this novella we follow Charlotte, the daughter of the Vampire King himself, who is about to go through her Awakening (coming of age ritual), which will determine her future life. In the color-coded system her father created, vampires are sent to a specific district based on the eye color they develop, so our main heroine, being a chill person, who enjoys writing and gardening in her spare time, is hoping for her eyes to turn green and to move to Sul, a quarter bursting with artists and writers. But as you can already guess, things don't like to go as planned. So, Charlotte has to make do with what life has to offer.
The world the story is set in is ruled by the Vampire King who created a perfect kingdom (in his view) - there is a certain order to things ,such that half the human population are slaves (the other half live in a place which reminds of the Wild West, because any moment there can be your last).
Our main heroine falls into the category of the more lucky ones - she is a noble vampire, so her life consists mostly of clubbing and spending large sums of money on a whim. But there is the other side of the New Ve, that most of the nobility don't or choose not to notice. There, eerie creatures called weepers (those infected with a virus) roam in the dark corners of the sewers.
In the city you can stumble upon all sorts of creatures - the list isn't limited to just vampires and humans. There are kitsunes, nymphs, shapeshifters and lavenders, the most hated kind. Those, who are treated worse than human slaves - half-bloods (vampire/human).
As far as I understood, this is an alternate history setting with a fantasy twist to it. Up until the year 1992 it was identical to the real world, but that year vampires announced their existence and the history took a different turn. Consequently, the characters are still able to enjoy facilities like phones, cars, automatic doors etc.
Obviously, that the order of life in the New Ve is very different, but this world definitely has an urban feel to it.
Unfortunately, there was a decent amount of info-dumping. Maybe those page-long explanations were inevitable, because the authoresses needed to show how everything works in this world, but it felt as if someone was explaining to me the concept of this book instead of the history being organically introduced to the novella.
It's truly hard to judge such a short novella, so take my commentary with a grain of salt.
The characters were quite likeable, even though we didn't get to see much of them.
There isn't much I can say about the main heroine, other than she seems to be just a normal person trying to live calm and enjoyable life. One thing that I thought was a bit unrealistic was how quickly she accepted everything. I can't say without spoiling, but she kind of just got on with the drastic changes. As I remember she is supposed to be that rich vampire noble girl, who is used to being surrounded by a myriad of servants. Anyways, it didn't bother me, I just expected it to be harder for her to adjust to her new life.
Overall, 'A Whiser in the Dark' was a super quick and enjoyable read, so I'm excited to read the next instalment in this tetralogy.
5 chapters were not enough!!
In this novella we follow Charlotte, the daughter of the Vampire King himself, who is about to go through her Awakening (coming of age ritual), which will determine her future life. In the color-coded system her father created, vampires are sent to a specific district based on the eye color they develop, so our main heroine, being a chill person, who enjoys writing and gardening in her spare time, is hoping for her eyes to turn green and to move to Sul, a quarter bursting with artists and writers. But as you can already guess, things don't like to go as planned. So, Charlotte has to make do with what life has to offer.
The world the story is set in is ruled by the Vampire King who created a perfect kingdom (in his view) - there is a certain order to things ,such that half the human population are slaves (the other half live in a place which reminds of the Wild West, because any moment there can be your last).
Our main heroine falls into the category of the more lucky ones - she is a noble vampire, so her life consists mostly of clubbing and spending large sums of money on a whim. But there is the other side of the New Ve, that most of the nobility don't or choose not to notice. There, eerie creatures called weepers (those infected with a virus) roam in the dark corners of the sewers.
In the city you can stumble upon all sorts of creatures - the list isn't limited to just vampires and humans. There are kitsunes, nymphs, shapeshifters and lavenders, the most hated kind. Those, who are treated worse than human slaves - half-bloods (vampire/human).
As far as I understood, this is an alternate history setting with a fantasy twist to it. Up until the year 1992 it was identical to the real world, but that year vampires announced their existence and the history took a different turn. Consequently, the characters are still able to enjoy facilities like phones, cars, automatic doors etc.
Obviously, that the order of life in the New Ve is very different, but this world definitely has an urban feel to it.
Unfortunately, there was a decent amount of info-dumping. Maybe those page-long explanations were inevitable, because the authoresses needed to show how everything works in this world, but it felt as if someone was explaining to me the concept of this book instead of the history being organically introduced to the novella.
It's truly hard to judge such a short novella, so take my commentary with a grain of salt.
The characters were quite likeable, even though we didn't get to see much of them.
There isn't much I can say about the main heroine, other than she seems to be just a normal person trying to live calm and enjoyable life. One thing that I thought was a bit unrealistic was how quickly she accepted everything. I can't say without spoiling, but she kind of just got on with the drastic changes. As I remember she is supposed to be that rich vampire noble girl, who is used to being surrounded by a myriad of servants. Anyways, it didn't bother me, I just expected it to be harder for her to adjust to her new life.
Overall, 'A Whiser in the Dark' was a super quick and enjoyable read, so I'm excited to read the next instalment in this tetralogy.
July 26, 2020
This was a fun little novella but not much really happened.
I don’t know why the authors decided to make this a four-novella series instead of just one book (maybe revenue; I’m not sure?) since this doesn’t really stand by itself. Usually with novellas, each book has its own plot and there’s an overarching plot for the whole series, right? With A Whisper in the Dark, it felt like “part one” of a full length novel rather than its own book.
Another critique I have is that the stakes were pretty low. I enjoyed my time reading, but the goodreads description makes the novella seem a LOT more high stakes than it really was. There was no action? Even though Lavenders are supposed to be hated, she’s living in a boarding house, people are friendly enough to her, she’s going to bars after work and she’s gonna watch a movie on Sunday? Charlie kept mentioning how she was a slave and the Vampire King wanted her dead, but it doesn’t seem so bad?
What I liked was the world, it seemed interesting: a bunch of different paranormal creatures living together, the whole eye-colour-coming-of-age-predicts-your-future scenario was very 2012 dystopian but in a good way? I’d like to see and learn more about New Ve and it’s history!
We’ll see if the stakes are heightened in the next volume, since the first one ended with the promise of action. Overall, this wasn’t bad (like I said, I enjoyed it!) but I wanted more. It was pretty tame for a vampire book!
I don’t know why the authors decided to make this a four-novella series instead of just one book (maybe revenue; I’m not sure?) since this doesn’t really stand by itself. Usually with novellas, each book has its own plot and there’s an overarching plot for the whole series, right? With A Whisper in the Dark, it felt like “part one” of a full length novel rather than its own book.
Another critique I have is that the stakes were pretty low. I enjoyed my time reading, but the goodreads description makes the novella seem a LOT more high stakes than it really was. There was no action? Even though Lavenders are supposed to be hated, she’s living in a boarding house, people are friendly enough to her, she’s going to bars after work and she’s gonna watch a movie on Sunday? Charlie kept mentioning how she was a slave and the Vampire King wanted her dead, but it doesn’t seem so bad?
What I liked was the world, it seemed interesting: a bunch of different paranormal creatures living together, the whole eye-colour-coming-of-age-predicts-your-future scenario was very 2012 dystopian but in a good way? I’d like to see and learn more about New Ve and it’s history!
We’ll see if the stakes are heightened in the next volume, since the first one ended with the promise of action. Overall, this wasn’t bad (like I said, I enjoyed it!) but I wanted more. It was pretty tame for a vampire book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2020
3.5, technically!
*It was pretty short, obviously, being a novella, but I was intrigued. I enjoyed the characters -- Drew, in particular. He's just the best. Such a happy, optimistic, friendly guy! Charlie is also an enjoyable character, for me. She's incredibly naive, understandably-so. It's interesting seeing her figuring out just, the normal world. Going from being a party-girl princess, to basically out on her ass and trying to survive, and being genuinely terrified.
*But being so short, I wasn't personally able to really get GRABBED by it. The writing style was fine and good--the depiction of the "hunger" the vampires feel was done really well, I felt, in particular. This is the authors' first time co-authoring and I think they did a really good job with that. I haven't read anything else by Jessi Elliot, but I couldn't "tell" that it was two different voices telling the story.
*The plot was good so far as well -- my interest is definitely piqued and I fully intend to read the other installments! The second one is released on the 12th and I already preordered it. Very curious to see where it all goes... !
*It was pretty short, obviously, being a novella, but I was intrigued. I enjoyed the characters -- Drew, in particular. He's just the best. Such a happy, optimistic, friendly guy! Charlie is also an enjoyable character, for me. She's incredibly naive, understandably-so. It's interesting seeing her figuring out just, the normal world. Going from being a party-girl princess, to basically out on her ass and trying to survive, and being genuinely terrified.
*But being so short, I wasn't personally able to really get GRABBED by it. The writing style was fine and good--the depiction of the "hunger" the vampires feel was done really well, I felt, in particular. This is the authors' first time co-authoring and I think they did a really good job with that. I haven't read anything else by Jessi Elliot, but I couldn't "tell" that it was two different voices telling the story.
*The plot was good so far as well -- my interest is definitely piqued and I fully intend to read the other installments! The second one is released on the 12th and I already preordered it. Very curious to see where it all goes... !
June 10, 2020
There’s nothing better than discovering a new upcoming release and see that the release date is less than 20 days away.
Plus, it’s about vampires. GIMME IT.
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Plus, it’s about vampires. GIMME IT.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin’
October 20, 2020
I’m interested to see where this series goes, the books are all really short so they’re an easy read so it’ll be interesting to see how the author finishes these books.
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 14, 2021I don’t care. I tried. I can’t even remember the names. The story is weird. Her mom hates her but when we find out why it’s so dumb. And her dad has set up this vampire society based on eye color that is just trying too hard. And human are food...duh. But are almost extinct. So what are the vampires going to eat????
I don’t care.
I don’t care.
April 26, 2020
I was gifted an Advanced Readers Copy of A Whisper in the Dark by K.J. Sutton and Jessi Elliott in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
A city ruled by vampires. A disgraced princess. A world underground.
Charlotte Travesty lives in a world of comfort. Glittering nightclubs, a lavish mansion, and a staff of humans at her beck and call. Being a royal vampire means her future is secure - all she has to do is get through the Awakening, an ancient ceremony every vampire experiences when they come of age.
But when her Awakening arrives at last, everything changes in one terrifying instant.
Cast from her home and rejected by the royal family, Charlie is forced into a life of fear and brutality. Where creatures called weepers live below the city, kept at bay by an unlucky sector of fighters enslaved by the very king who cast her out. Charlie now finds herself among the ranks.
She soon learns that weepers aren’t all she needs to fear in her new life. Other workers are dying in the tunnels below ground. Charlie knows that if she’s going to survive, she must form alliances with the very humans that despise her. But will she win their trust in time? Or will she die in the very darkness she was born to rule?
“Get it out of my fucking sight,” he says to the guards.’
I loved how this book sucked me right in. With some books, I’ll admit will skip over parts of the book because they are boring me. Guilty as charged, I know. But whenever I read one of K.J’s books, I never skip over any part. I read it and then I read it again! It was also cool to be introduced to yet another author!
“Hello?”
“Hey, Jules.” My throat suddenly feels thick. I swallow. Silence on the other end. “So it matters to you, then? What I am?”
In my opinion it’s always exciting to see your name written in a book co written by your favourite author. Just saying.
‘All the while, the creature on the windowsill doesn’t do anything - she just stays through every pang of panic, every tear of terror, a silent presence. Sometimes, though, that’s really all you need.’
This book was pretty good! A little on the short side but that definitely won’t stop my from giving it 5 Stars!
I can’t wait to read Volume 2 and the rest of Charlie’s story!
5/5 Stars!
Release date: April 28, 2020
Synopsis:
A city ruled by vampires. A disgraced princess. A world underground.
Charlotte Travesty lives in a world of comfort. Glittering nightclubs, a lavish mansion, and a staff of humans at her beck and call. Being a royal vampire means her future is secure - all she has to do is get through the Awakening, an ancient ceremony every vampire experiences when they come of age.
But when her Awakening arrives at last, everything changes in one terrifying instant.
Cast from her home and rejected by the royal family, Charlie is forced into a life of fear and brutality. Where creatures called weepers live below the city, kept at bay by an unlucky sector of fighters enslaved by the very king who cast her out. Charlie now finds herself among the ranks.
She soon learns that weepers aren’t all she needs to fear in her new life. Other workers are dying in the tunnels below ground. Charlie knows that if she’s going to survive, she must form alliances with the very humans that despise her. But will she win their trust in time? Or will she die in the very darkness she was born to rule?
“Get it out of my fucking sight,” he says to the guards.’
I loved how this book sucked me right in. With some books, I’ll admit will skip over parts of the book because they are boring me. Guilty as charged, I know. But whenever I read one of K.J’s books, I never skip over any part. I read it and then I read it again! It was also cool to be introduced to yet another author!
“Hello?”
“Hey, Jules.” My throat suddenly feels thick. I swallow. Silence on the other end. “So it matters to you, then? What I am?”
In my opinion it’s always exciting to see your name written in a book co written by your favourite author. Just saying.
‘All the while, the creature on the windowsill doesn’t do anything - she just stays through every pang of panic, every tear of terror, a silent presence. Sometimes, though, that’s really all you need.’
This book was pretty good! A little on the short side but that definitely won’t stop my from giving it 5 Stars!
I can’t wait to read Volume 2 and the rest of Charlie’s story!
5/5 Stars!
Release date: April 28, 2020
February 9, 2021
✨ Read for the 2021 KU Shitathon™ challenge – [Yearly Edition] – at Weaponized Pineapples ✨
♠ Plan C: #1 of 4 — Month: February ♠
Liked this but somehow I couldn't really connect. Was also a bit bored, until the last 5 pages at least. Plus the amount of detail was too much, even if they did paint an interesting picture. Will try #2 cause curious.
♠ Plan C: #1 of 4 — Month: February ♠
Liked this but somehow I couldn't really connect. Was also a bit bored, until the last 5 pages at least. Plus the amount of detail was too much, even if they did paint an interesting picture. Will try #2 cause curious.
August 29, 2020
The start of this series didn't convince me yet, but I might try the second one to see where the story goes. There are some characters that might be really interesting and with a bit more world building this could develop in a great direction.
May 21, 2020
This was quite an intriguing first volume with an interesting premise. Definitely interested in reading the next volume!
One thing I will say though is that there was a lot of info-dumping. Which usually I don't mind too much, but a couple of the explanations I found so confusing. Even when I reread a couple of the passages five times, I still couldn't wrap my head around what it meant. And I'm so sure that there was a mistake in how the mother was described, because it just didn't make sense (if you've read this, I'm talking about the eyes). This of course could be a fault with me the reader just being a bit stupid, but in this case I think it was just written a little poorly.
One thing I will say though is that there was a lot of info-dumping. Which usually I don't mind too much, but a couple of the explanations I found so confusing. Even when I reread a couple of the passages five times, I still couldn't wrap my head around what it meant. And I'm so sure that there was a mistake in how the mother was described, because it just didn't make sense (if you've read this, I'm talking about the eyes). This of course could be a fault with me the reader just being a bit stupid, but in this case I think it was just written a little poorly.
May 2, 2020
VAMPS!!!!!!!!! 🔥🔥 I'm digging it already!!!!!! Wish all the volumes were just in one book but can't wait for more!
May 31, 2020
A very interesting start to this urban fantasy story.
Vampires are back baby. I'm getting all the Twilight nostalgia from the vampire storyline coming back into popularity. These authors are releasing this book in parts - this is the first five chapters and it's definitely an intriguing take on urban fantasy world building. Vampires rule a city filled with humans, slaves, and other magical creatures. The city is broken up into factions with very distinct class differences. Our main character Charlotte is cast out of her home in the palace and finds herself in the lowest of the low, struggling to survive in this new world outside of her golden tower.
I'm excited to read more of this story, and I kind of love how they're releasing it in parts. It's like your favorite TV show coming out every week but in book form.
Vampires are back baby. I'm getting all the Twilight nostalgia from the vampire storyline coming back into popularity. These authors are releasing this book in parts - this is the first five chapters and it's definitely an intriguing take on urban fantasy world building. Vampires rule a city filled with humans, slaves, and other magical creatures. The city is broken up into factions with very distinct class differences. Our main character Charlotte is cast out of her home in the palace and finds herself in the lowest of the low, struggling to survive in this new world outside of her golden tower.
I'm excited to read more of this story, and I kind of love how they're releasing it in parts. It's like your favorite TV show coming out every week but in book form.
April 19, 2020
(Do I need to say this is the review of an eARC? Dunno. But it is. Regardless, my opinions here are honest and entirely my own.)
I'm always a little leery about co-authored books despite the fact that I've never actually read a bad one. This was no exception. It flowed smoothly, no jarring transitions or style changes. And that's about where my ability to talk technical stuff ends.
The world reminded me of so much. It was like an nuanced meal where I could taste flavors of things I've had before but was, on the whole, it's own thing entirely. I felt like I could *see* the settings, feel the press of people in the bar, the desolation of the streets just before sunrise. I love Charlie. She is all that I want in a protagonist. Good and yet, flawed. Beneath the veneer is a monster waiting to be released and I adore it. I was game for who I thought the love interest would be, even though it would not be my first choice. And then the end happened and my fangirling heart squealed with joy.
I look forward to the next installment of this story. I already knew that K.J Sutton wrote books that I love, that speak to the twisted places in my heart that sing for these dark themes. Now I'm excited to check out what Jessi Elliott has to offer. I feel like I made out like a bandit on this deal: a great new story to read, a new author's work to pursue, a beloved author's work to revisit. Yes, yes, yes.
Go. Read. This. Book.
I'm always a little leery about co-authored books despite the fact that I've never actually read a bad one. This was no exception. It flowed smoothly, no jarring transitions or style changes. And that's about where my ability to talk technical stuff ends.
The world reminded me of so much. It was like an nuanced meal where I could taste flavors of things I've had before but was, on the whole, it's own thing entirely. I felt like I could *see* the settings, feel the press of people in the bar, the desolation of the streets just before sunrise. I love Charlie. She is all that I want in a protagonist. Good and yet, flawed. Beneath the veneer is a monster waiting to be released and I adore it. I was game for who I thought the love interest would be, even though it would not be my first choice. And then the end happened and my fangirling heart squealed with joy.
I look forward to the next installment of this story. I already knew that K.J Sutton wrote books that I love, that speak to the twisted places in my heart that sing for these dark themes. Now I'm excited to check out what Jessi Elliott has to offer. I feel like I made out like a bandit on this deal: a great new story to read, a new author's work to pursue, a beloved author's work to revisit. Yes, yes, yes.
Go. Read. This. Book.
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