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Leaf and Scale #2
The Tattling Whisperwoods
Words have power, and secrets can kill…
The village of Drake’s Bend has long been guardian of a sacred grove where ancient trees offer gentle counsel to those who dare share their secrets. For centuries, this delicate balance between confession and wisdom has been maintained.
Until now.
The whisperwoods have turned venomous. The trees sharpen sacred confidences into devastating weapons of betrayal, threatening to tear the local community apart. Old friendships are being torn apart, and villagers fall ill with a mysterious sickness. But the whisperwoods hold still darker secrets that are twisted and spread to the highest reaches of London society. The old sentinels could be lost forever as the call to silence them grows louder.
Fern must uncover the truth behind what poisons both trees and people before time runs out and lives are ruined. The ancient sentinels are the last of their kind, and their loss would forever silence a magic as old as Britain itself. But in the race to save both grove and villagers, Fern discovers that some secrets were meant to stay buried—and awakening them could destroy everything she holds dear.
The village of Drake’s Bend has long been guardian of a sacred grove where ancient trees offer gentle counsel to those who dare share their secrets. For centuries, this delicate balance between confession and wisdom has been maintained.
Until now.
The whisperwoods have turned venomous. The trees sharpen sacred confidences into devastating weapons of betrayal, threatening to tear the local community apart. Old friendships are being torn apart, and villagers fall ill with a mysterious sickness. But the whisperwoods hold still darker secrets that are twisted and spread to the highest reaches of London society. The old sentinels could be lost forever as the call to silence them grows louder.
Fern must uncover the truth behind what poisons both trees and people before time runs out and lives are ruined. The ancient sentinels are the last of their kind, and their loss would forever silence a magic as old as Britain itself. But in the race to save both grove and villagers, Fern discovers that some secrets were meant to stay buried—and awakening them could destroy everything she holds dear.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2025
25 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Tilly Wallace
28 books584 followersTilly writes whimsical historical fantasy books, set in a bygone time where magic is real. With a quirky and loveable cast, her books combine vintage magic and gentle humour. Through fierce friendships her characters discover that in an uncertain world, the most loyal family is the one you create.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 31, 2025
tilly wallace gets better with every book. i adore this series and am looking forward to more fern, squib, eurydice, millie, et al.
July 29, 2025
3.75
I continue to love Marian Hussey's narration.
The beginning of this book, especially, was very much a "cozy fantasy" in the sense that a lot of it had a sort of "daily life in the village" vibe to it. I would say the Whisperwoods themselves aren't even really mentioned until, like, 1/3 of the way into the book.
In this book Fernis once again trying to balance multiple avenues - she gets a job with Lord Drakeman to help clean up his conservatory (which, I mean, we knew was gonna happen as soon as she saw it in the first book, right?), the Tattlewoods are sick, people in the village are getting sick, and she continues developing her friendship with Millie and Squib, while taking care of Eurydice.
Sometimes I wonder, though, if Fern is the only person in the village who, like, does things? She's constantly bopping to the Witch Ladies cottage to pick up medicine, that she then goes around and distributes to the sick people, while also having to bop back and forth to the Manor to enlist Drakeman's assistance on finding a cure, and then she has to try to , and it's like, girl - get someone to do a chore! Damn.
At least she does have help with Eurydice, since she's away from home so much. (Though it was nice to see Eurydice )
We also get little niggles into the presumably larger plot - the reason for the decline of the dragons. In both books this gets mentioned and sort of explored, before more pressing concerns become the main focus, so I know this is going to be the big resolution of the series finale, whenever that happens.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. My one complaint is I wish there was more development of the
I continue to love Marian Hussey's narration.
The beginning of this book, especially, was very much a "cozy fantasy" in the sense that a lot of it had a sort of "daily life in the village" vibe to it. I would say the Whisperwoods themselves aren't even really mentioned until, like, 1/3 of the way into the book.
In this book Fernis once again trying to balance multiple avenues - she gets a job with Lord Drakeman to help clean up his conservatory (which, I mean, we knew was gonna happen as soon as she saw it in the first book, right?), the Tattlewoods are sick, people in the village are getting sick, and she continues developing her friendship with Millie and Squib, while taking care of Eurydice.
Sometimes I wonder, though, if Fern is the only person in the village who, like, does things? She's constantly bopping to the Witch Ladies cottage to pick up medicine, that she then goes around and distributes to the sick people, while also having to bop back and forth to the Manor to enlist Drakeman's assistance on finding a cure, and then she has to try to , and it's like, girl - get someone to do a chore! Damn.
At least she does have help with Eurydice, since she's away from home so much. (Though it was nice to see Eurydice )
We also get little niggles into the presumably larger plot - the reason for the decline of the dragons. In both books this gets mentioned and sort of explored, before more pressing concerns become the main focus, so I know this is going to be the big resolution of the series finale, whenever that happens.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. My one complaint is I wish there was more development of the
Want to read
July 24, 20258/5/25 but unknown audio date
August 11, 2025
This book is such a delight! Strong characters, warmth, compassion, and dragons, love it! Can’t wait for the book.
August 28, 2025
Enchanting story!
This book delves deeper into the secrets of dragons, magical trees, and the exceptional heroine. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!
This book delves deeper into the secrets of dragons, magical trees, and the exceptional heroine. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!
August 28, 2025
ughhhh I loved this book so much!! I can't wait for the next one!
September 10, 2025
3.5. stars Another extremely cozy, cute book in a series I want to continue as soon as possible. Fern is an extremely likeable character and the idea of the Tattling Whisperwoods was so creative. Drake's Bend is a magical place I wish I could visit. :)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews