The Whistlers In The Dark

• Written by Victoria Williamson
• Publishes on 21st September 2023 by Scotland Street Press

I absolutely adore anything written by Victoria Williamson, she has the knack of writing thought provoking books and books that make you take a long hard look at yourself.

This time she has taken us to Scotland 158 AD, a place that sounds interesting….

Scotland, 158 AD, is a divided country.

On one side of the Antonine Wall, thirteen-year-old Felix is trying to become a good Roman soldier like his father. On the other, twelve-year old Jinny is vowing revenge on the ‘metal men’ who have invaded her Damnonii tribe’s homeland. At the Damnonii’s sacred circle of standing stones, her planned attack on Felix goes badly wrong, awakening a legend that threatens to bring fire and destruction down on them all.

Can Jinny and Felix overcome their differences and soothe the stones back to sleep before it’s too late?

Before this book I had never read anything set in Roman times, so this was going to be a new experience. In fact my knowledge of Roman times isn’t the best.

As soon as the book arrived I jumped straight in. The book is told from the point of view of both the main characters Jinny and Felix. I like books like these, as it’s interesting to see what each character  makes of the same situation. And their thoughts and feelings.

The first 2 chapters are setting the scene for us, giving us background information on them both and what has happened before the story starts.

We see how the Roman invasion is unwelcome and how the Romans can’t see what they are doing wrong.

It was interesting how Jinny doesn’t see the Romans as real people, she sees them as Metal men, hiding behind their armour. It’s sad to see how Jinny is treated by her family and village.

Usually in a book there will be a character that I will be rooting for, a character that I like best, but in this case it wasn’t so. Each character had their flaws, had good parts and bad parts.

There were a few times that both characters came across as annoying. They have a tragic history which is discovered in the first couple of chapters, and they need a way to forgive and forget. 

The book was an amazing read, and I was made to feel as though I was living in that era. There were tense parts, funny lighthearted moments, and parts where you were left wondering what would happen next.

The whistlers in the dark is a powerful read, and I look forward to reading the next Victoria Williamson book.