Whisperwood

Woodroe’s eerie, folklore-steeped debut follows nomad Anna Maria Haller to the mysterious town of Whisperwood. A place that is “barely spoken of in more than three hushed words by inn firesides where stern matrons shushed people away from too much telling,” Whisperwood only allows one merchant in or out, and is rumored to have “devoured stray nomads whole.” Anna, who sneaks in with the town’s merchant, hopes it will protect her from the violent ex who still pursues her. The villagers are strange and secretive, with odd rituals for luck, safety, and burying their dead. Worse, Anna soon learns that she’s unable to leave. Then there are the whispers, shadowy creatures from the woods on the other side of the magically warded wall that borders the village, who infiltrate Whisperwood in increasing numbers, driving the locals to take more and more desperate measures to protect themselves and their loved ones. As Anna comes to care about the town, she learns that a dangerous walk into the woods beyond the wall may be the only way to restore peace and safety to Whisperwood. There’s a simplicity to both the plot and the prose that recalls the earliest fairy tales. Fans of the grimmest works of the brothers Grimm will want to check this out. (July)