I expected a bit more, since I’ve loved Arden’s other books, especially the Winternight trilogy. Not a bad book, but certainly Arden’s weakest.

READ IF YOU…

• Enjoy fantasy
• Love ghost stories
• Are in the mood for well-written MG

Title: Dead Voices Author: Katherine Arden | Rating: 3/5

Dead Voices is the sequel to Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces. It was a good read, but not quite as engaging as Small Spaces. In Small Spaces, the story follows Ollie, but in Dead Voices, the story follows more of Ollie’s friends, with Ollie still a centerpiece but not the only major player.

I both enjoyed and didn’t enjoy this. I got used to Ollie in the first book and expected more of her in the second. But, it was a decent read getting to know the other characters a bit more.

The story itself wasn’t as dramatic as in Small Spaces and felt a bit more forced. The antagonists weren’t as alarming or realistic and felt more like caricatures. Having said this, it may be because it’s a middle grade read and I’m far past that age group.

The story features cliches, like getting caught behind a mirror, ghost girls, an angry ghost matron, and an orphanage. I expected a bit more, since I’ve loved Arden’s other books, especially the Winternight trilogy. Not a bad book, but certainly Arden’s weakest.