Whispers: Feathers and Fire Book 3

"Whispers", the third book in Shayne Silvers' "Feathers and Fire" series, takes the reader beyond the confines of Kansas City to the Vatican. Callie, a wizard, has discovered that she is the daughter of an Angel and a Nephilim, who is now hearing whispers when she performs magic. She doesn't totally understand what this means and due to circumstances beyond her control, she must set aside her quest for answers. First, she has to deal with the changes of her two closest friends. Claire is now a shifter bear and Roland is forced to make a sacrifice that goes against everything he believes. Shayne Silvers does it again. Just when you figure out how a storyline will go, he throws you into a rabbit ho!e that has no end. You find yourself deep in a plot that blows your mind. Because of a murder at the Vatican, Callie and Roland are thrown in the midst of a religious conspiracy that plots brother against brother. Despite the basis of Shayne's books, urban fantasy, I think it is interesting that the conspiracy has its' roots in "regulars" but gets resolved by "freaks". " Whispers" is a non-stop action ride that gives us a more in-depth glimpse of who Callie is. She is someone that you want as friend, loyal and honest-who will do whatever it takes to do what is right, regardless of consequences. As in Shayne Silvers' books, there is the usual humor and typical quotable phrases which take root in your mind. There is every reason to love his books and every reason to jump in the world of Shayne Silvers, a place you will find a home.

Another great episode in the evolving story of Callie Penrose, one of the best heroines in the urban fantasy genre. After reading it for free with my Kindle Unlimited subscription, I added it to my permanent collection. I like doing that whenever possible because it means the author gets paid for page count and for the sale. Shayne Silvers is one of the masters of the craft, skillfully interweaving the Feathers and Fire storyline with the popular Nate Temple series. He is building a partnership between Callie and Nate while keeping both as strong lead characters who are distinct and independent. The only possible downside to "Whispers" is that to fully enjoy it, you need to read the preceding books and the Nate Temple Chronicles. But as they are all great stories, that's more of a bonus than a hardship.

Silvers has repeatedly pushed his boundaries time and again with this world and the protagonists he's focused on, to the point where many would attest to the idea that he's well on his way to burning himself out creativity-wise. Happy to say that it's rather the opposite, instead stretching his ideas out and maintaining a stable plateau rather than forcing himself to higher jumps and more abrupt twists just to try and push the envelope further. The story remains engaging and once again solidifies Callie Penrose as more than just flashier arm candy for his other central series protagonist Nate Temple, the ongoing chemistry between them being just staggered and reluctant enough despite all the heat between them to make it realistic given their individual wildly chaotic existences. Nate appears once again in this novel though I will admit Silvers is kind of pushing the credibility of his 'Oh I wasn't here because of you, happy coincidence ain't it?" logic to all their run-ins, both appearing in eachother's books very briefly but making huge impacts on things in the story. It could be his way of tempting readers to imagine how hectic a full blown team-up between them would run, but it also gives the impression that some parts of their stories need the other to function properly, something I believe Silvers has been trying to avoid to let them both stand alone as stronger protagonists, especially since Nate Temple has had the much longer build up to his story before Callie was even introduced. The rest of the story holds up well though and throws in more twists and turns for the overarching plot of the series and world as well as numerous nuances for the characters themselves. The backdrop of the Vatican is unfortunately sorely underdeveloped given how much of the story takes place there, it feels like another wasted opportunity to dig a deeper foundation for the feel and setting of the world of the story. Rather instead the action takes precedence again which is welcome, but given how staggered some events are from each other it just feels like there was room to stop and look around a bit, so to speak. It unashamedly ended on a bit of a teaser towards the previously noted full on team-up, and once again the timing of the novel is set a bit ambiguously compared to the timeline of the Nate Temple novels so it can be hard to tell how big a leap forward one of them is taking when showing up in the other's book. Also "bear peyote" is now a thing, and I am definitely stealing that one for my own use in the future.

I guess I’ll have to give this one five stars. I couldn’t find anything seriously wrong with it. And it flowed to a much greater extent than any of the other books. Given what we know about Callie and Roland and the Shepherds in this magical world, nearly everything that happens in this book makes sense or at least follows from what went before. At least half of this story takes place in Rome at the Vatican. But this is not the Vatican that most people think of. We bypass all the churches and chapels and spend most of our time in a space that appears to have been a storage shed at one time. Callie, not forgetting the trademark snark, which is still present in this book as strong as ever, dubs it the “holy shed.” This space is the headquarters of the group known as “the Conclave” – the group the Shepherds report to. The reason Roland and Callie have been called in is that one of the other Shepherds, Roland’s mentor Constantine has been murdered, and the two werewolf girls Roland brought for him to train are accused of his murder. Also, the Conclave wants to interrogate Callie. Possibly they want to offer her a position as a full-fledged Shepherd since they are now short one… But there are problems. Roland has foolishly done something which has caused him to be turned into a vampire. And the Conclave – a group of old blind wizards – refuses to allow Callie and Roland to question the wolves directly. It appears that treachery and betrayal are going on – but is it one of the other Shepherds? Or all of them? Or is it one or more members of the Conclave? And why is the Conclave allowing a man who styles himself the Anti-Pope to come wandering into their area? Curiously, by the way, we never see either the real Pope or most of the many other officials of the church who you would normally expect to be wandering around the Vatican.

Callie Penrose, both alluring and mysterious. Also very attractive and hard as nails with a soft side. I found this latest entry into the Callie Penrose saga an absolute delight to read. Often times in a series an author can overwhelm the reader with references to previous events in the series. Not so with Whispers. The story moves forward at a rapid pace which makes the book difficult to put away until it's done. The conclusion is satisfying yet, I found myself left with a desire to see what happens to Callie, Claire, Beckett and Roland. I am particularly interested in seeing just exactly what Callie is. As with both the Nate Temple series and this series, which by the way is "Feathers and Fire" a new reader would be very satisfied should they start the series with the first book. Do that and you won't be bored for a long time to come. Ready for the next one in both series Mr Shayne Silvers.

Another masterpiece from Shayne Silvers!! Ok I'm not going to say I was happy with the beginning of the story. Anytime you mess with a main character I get out of sorts. BUT it will all work out, I hope, as the series continues. Roland and Callie are off to Italy/The Vatican to try and save two young girls/werewolves who have been framed it seems by the Conclave. Callie and Roland ran into more then just a few unholy, lying, corrupt priests, cardinals, an antipope and other church employees. The story moved smoothly with all sorts of shocking events, lots of heart stopping action, injuries and death. Of course I was delighted when Nate Temple made a couple of appearances ❤️. The ending left me drooling for the next Feathers and Fires Book. I highly recommend this series and of course the Nate Temple series. Kathy Barber Doyle - 1/31/2018

Whispers was a solid installment to the Feathers and Fire series. In this edition, we got to meet the infamous Shepherds and Conclave, which was definitely the highlight for me, as Roland and Callie are required to head to the Vatican for various meetings; even though Callie wants nothing to do with either. What isn’t known is that Roland has been turned into something unexpected, which makes rescuing an innocent party to a devious crime far more challenging. Once again, the author was able to create the unpredictable, with lots of twists and turns, and the presentation of both new characters and continued development of characters already known; a real strength of the series. Nate makes another appearance, which is nice as we can see the relationship between the two continue to develop. As always, I highly recommend for a fun and fascinating read and I’m looking forward to the next installment.

Shayne Silvers has done it again. I could not put the book down until I came to The End.....But with Mr. Silvers there is never a The End but more of an Until Next Time. We are seeing Callie grow in new powers and getting a view on the world that just re-enforces her opinion that most people suck. She’s Ok with erring on the side of caution and playing hardball until you show her differently. It takes a ballsy woman to walk into the Vatican and say excuse me I will be heard, I don’t give a good God#$&@ if you are the Pope. Something stinks here in the Vatican so get out of my way and let me do what I need to do. I’m not sure how I feel about her starting to be jealous of Beckett yet she’s attracted to Nate as well. She and Nate both share the “white” powers so it wouldn’t surprise me if Silvers throws a monkey wrench in my fantasy of them being together by making her a sister or some twisted thing. He’s very sly about that, always keeps you guessing. And Roland!! Wow, no spoilers but I just can’t believe the twist his life has taken. See....Justification that Silvers knows how to throw that wrench.

This is possibly Shayne's best book yet. A true thriller with enough tension to please any whodunnit fan. I'm not going to give anything away, but prepare to be shocked and surprised while you are having major problems putting this book down. It comes with all the usual sass and action I always associate with this author, a terrific story line, and an ending that leaves you wanting more.

Trust is a two edged sword. It can protect you from harm or be used to stab you in the back. Callie learns the hard way that humanity is flawed, but people (of whatever freak flavor) can be worth having Faith in Sometimes the Sinners aren’t the ones on the inside, it’s those whispering in your ear. And those who seem to be monsters are actually Saints. Be careful who you trust.

Another amazing book by one of the best indie writers of the time (in my personal opinion). Definitely looking forward to reading more Nate and Callie books later this year.

The third book in the series starts off with a quick Turn and then keeps on going. You can read this series as a stand alone or mix with the Nate Temple series, I'd recommend reading both sets as they are some of the best modern day writing you will find. The more books you read the more you go back and re read to see how far back plots were set up, hinted and and seeds sown in your mind. I have to keep rereading as I never see everything the first go around. The writing draws you in and keeps you there so that you want to read the books in one go and not put them down - unfortunately this time someone neglected to tell my family of this.

A few twists I did not see coming in this story made it really enjoyable, on top of all the badassery and butt-kicking I've come to expect from Callie. Can't wait for the next one!