Whispers from the Coven is a fiction novel sprinkled with spells. Advance praise was enthusiastic with reviewers commenting on the spooky setting and how much they enjoyed the blending of storytelling with actual spells.
I am not as positive.
Different members of the coven tell the story through a journal entry in each chapter. This allows the author to have each character share a specific spell -- for protection, revealing the truth, entering a trance, etc. -- as it is relevant to the plot. This structure allows Allaun to impart a great deal of information in an unusual manner, which I did enjoy. I also found the mechanics (if I may be forgiven such a technical, mundane, term) of the spells logical; they will likely work for people interested in working them.
It was the story part that let me down. I found the characters naive and there were too many elements that felt modern and out of place for post-war 1940's. Their voices weren't distinct enough for journal entries -- I often could only tell who was who by what they told me they did (gay sex instead of college, for example) rather than how they wrote. Their choices are pretty much all along the lines of going to the basement alone in the spooky house where people go missing all of the time.
This is NOT a book for newcomers to magic -- it lacks any consideration of spiritual hygiene or safety. That said, if you like books with recipes (a la "culinary mysteries" which usually have a recipe based on an element of plot at the end of each chapter), then Whispers from the Coven might be a good fit for you.
~review by Lisa McSherry
Author: Chris Alluan
Crossed Crow Books, 2024
pp. 250, $25.95
