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The Whispering Crystals #5
Untamed Spirit
Nothing in life that’s worth having, comes easy.
Having finally learned the horrible truth about Peilor society, Emma has chosen to cut the chain connecting her spirit to her body, and fled to the Realm of Imagination.
Now she is headed for a Realm whose ruler banished her, with no way back. Worse, she has never managed to stay there for longer than a few hours before starting to Fade out of existence...
Even if she manages to survive, lacking her powerful body and Skills, how is she going to stay out of the hands of Peilor?
More importantly, how is she ever going to get back to Kaitlynn?
One thing is for sure: if Emma is to have any chance of reclaiming what she’s lost, she’s going to need to develop a whole new way of fighting, and gather power.
A lot of power.
Having finally learned the horrible truth about Peilor society, Emma has chosen to cut the chain connecting her spirit to her body, and fled to the Realm of Imagination.
Now she is headed for a Realm whose ruler banished her, with no way back. Worse, she has never managed to stay there for longer than a few hours before starting to Fade out of existence...
Even if she manages to survive, lacking her powerful body and Skills, how is she going to stay out of the hands of Peilor?
More importantly, how is she ever going to get back to Kaitlynn?
One thing is for sure: if Emma is to have any chance of reclaiming what she’s lost, she’s going to need to develop a whole new way of fighting, and gather power.
A lot of power.
- GenresFantasy
676 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2023
99 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
H.C. Mills
15 books35 followersH.C. Mills is a Dutch author, who dabbles in acting and singing in musicals, and even (play)writing them. He used to teach physics and chemistry, and once represented his country in the 2008 International Biology Olympiad, but please don't hold that against him.
As a physics-nerd, H.C. Mills naturally gravitates to hard magic systems, but he also enjoys writing comedy and romance.
Like most authors worth their salt, he is a true sadist who takes pleasure in the mental anguish of his imaginary friends/brainchildren--or better yet, in making them cause their own suffering. He refuses to give them anything for free, but will usually leave a window cracked open for them somewhere, to escape whatever peril he plunges them in.
He's also a big fan of Tabletop RPG's, and can even be watched every Sunday, playing on the Pathfinder Livestream 'Rules as Fun' here: twitch.tv/rulesasfun
(Pathfinder is like D&D but with more choices and flavour)
Check out the first episode of the campaign here: youtu.be/watch?v=a5Vo5AVA4IA
Or sign up for his mailing list on his website: hcmillsofficial.com
As a physics-nerd, H.C. Mills naturally gravitates to hard magic systems, but he also enjoys writing comedy and romance.
Like most authors worth their salt, he is a true sadist who takes pleasure in the mental anguish of his imaginary friends/brainchildren--or better yet, in making them cause their own suffering. He refuses to give them anything for free, but will usually leave a window cracked open for them somewhere, to escape whatever peril he plunges them in.
He's also a big fan of Tabletop RPG's, and can even be watched every Sunday, playing on the Pathfinder Livestream 'Rules as Fun' here: twitch.tv/rulesasfun
(Pathfinder is like D&D but with more choices and flavour)
Check out the first episode of the campaign here: youtu.be/watch?v=a5Vo5AVA4IA
Or sign up for his mailing list on his website: hcmillsofficial.com
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 7, 2025
This got rough. Like, really rough.
I'm going to continue the series, but barely. It's probably a 1.5 star, but only because I reserve 1 star for things that are truly awful.
This whole book could have easily been a couple chapters, with Espir gains worked into previous books. Its a whole separate magic system and setting and enormous cast of short-visited characters that are wholly unnecessary. It could have been resolved by a boon of creative use of something.
That would have also avoided the really dumb plot, which is essentially: the Goddess previously banished Emma for being impatient and thinking her stuff is the most important and accidentally killing a creature, but now that Emma is back and is still impatient and still thinks her stuff is the most important and is planning to PURPOSEFULLY kill and consume thousands of creatures, the Goddess is cool with it and will help because it'll be in a slightly different realm. Even though the Goddess punished Akir for doing the same thing in the past. ???
Also, at the end of the last book, Emma severed herself because she chose her own potential death over her friends or getting back to her family. But now she's alive and willing to kill a bunch of beings to get back? No plan, no continuity.
The dream world is written jarringly, randomly jumping from topic to topic without payoff or purpose. This book feels like it should have been a spin off series-- events don't fit into the main series, and this book didn't spend enough time on individual events, leaving them feeling hollow-- like the whole book is a training montage.
The author's overuse of certain phrases, like "after all" and "Moreover" got even worse to the point of being painful.
Emma is magical and perfect and smart and lucky and overpowered. The plot armor is so thick that we didn't even attempt to make it feel like she was truly at risk. It's boring.
I'm going to continue the series, but barely. It's probably a 1.5 star, but only because I reserve 1 star for things that are truly awful.
This whole book could have easily been a couple chapters, with Espir gains worked into previous books. Its a whole separate magic system and setting and enormous cast of short-visited characters that are wholly unnecessary. It could have been resolved by a boon of creative use of something.
That would have also avoided the really dumb plot, which is essentially: the Goddess previously banished Emma for being impatient and thinking her stuff is the most important and accidentally killing a creature, but now that Emma is back and is still impatient and still thinks her stuff is the most important and is planning to PURPOSEFULLY kill and consume thousands of creatures, the Goddess is cool with it and will help because it'll be in a slightly different realm. Even though the Goddess punished Akir for doing the same thing in the past. ???
Also, at the end of the last book, Emma severed herself because she chose her own potential death over her friends or getting back to her family. But now she's alive and willing to kill a bunch of beings to get back? No plan, no continuity.
The dream world is written jarringly, randomly jumping from topic to topic without payoff or purpose. This book feels like it should have been a spin off series-- events don't fit into the main series, and this book didn't spend enough time on individual events, leaving them feeling hollow-- like the whole book is a training montage.
The author's overuse of certain phrases, like "after all" and "Moreover" got even worse to the point of being painful.
Emma is magical and perfect and smart and lucky and overpowered. The plot armor is so thick that we didn't even attempt to make it feel like she was truly at risk. It's boring.
April 25, 2023
Help me buy more books to review
I wasn't a big fan of this book. I much prefer the first few when they were competing, learning new skills, advancing and so on. This book was a whole lot of almost nothing related to LitRPG, though there was enough to keep it on track, but other than Emma making her way higher into the worlds in the imagination realm, there's not much happening here. Sure, there's lots of action, what with Emma defeating world after world so she can advance to the next one, but that all did little to advance the story. You could loose 75 percent of this book, and it wouldn't affect the story hardly at all.
The last half/quarter of the book is where almost everything worth noting took place in the story, and I'm happy to see that it certainly looks like the next book is going get back to the things that made the series so interesting in the first place. Good to see that at least. It looks like interesting times are ahead for Emma and her group of friends/enemies/whatever you want to call them. I'm hoping the next book gets back to what made the series so much fun to read in the beginning. World building is nice, but almost an entire book spent on it with almost nothing to show just means the story could have been way better.
But, I'll withhold judgement until I get to see the next book in the series, it looks like it will be fun.
I wasn't a big fan of this book. I much prefer the first few when they were competing, learning new skills, advancing and so on. This book was a whole lot of almost nothing related to LitRPG, though there was enough to keep it on track, but other than Emma making her way higher into the worlds in the imagination realm, there's not much happening here. Sure, there's lots of action, what with Emma defeating world after world so she can advance to the next one, but that all did little to advance the story. You could loose 75 percent of this book, and it wouldn't affect the story hardly at all.
The last half/quarter of the book is where almost everything worth noting took place in the story, and I'm happy to see that it certainly looks like the next book is going get back to the things that made the series so interesting in the first place. Good to see that at least. It looks like interesting times are ahead for Emma and her group of friends/enemies/whatever you want to call them. I'm hoping the next book gets back to what made the series so much fun to read in the beginning. World building is nice, but almost an entire book spent on it with almost nothing to show just means the story could have been way better.
But, I'll withhold judgement until I get to see the next book in the series, it looks like it will be fun.
March 6, 2023
He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster
This book takes us away from the original premise of the series, surviving in a contest against other humans, to a broader world, surviving against monsters while struggling not to become one.
The plot was a bit predictable and by the book, with Emma finding a new situation to fight in from the bottom and build herself up. Most of the LitRPG elements disappeared with this transition, and what was left was just a few vague numbers that meant nothing.
Overall, it was entertaining and kept me reading, and I look forward to the next book, which will hopefully resolve the plot. There is a danger of dragging on too long, and this book showed signs of it already happening.
This book takes us away from the original premise of the series, surviving in a contest against other humans, to a broader world, surviving against monsters while struggling not to become one.
The plot was a bit predictable and by the book, with Emma finding a new situation to fight in from the bottom and build herself up. Most of the LitRPG elements disappeared with this transition, and what was left was just a few vague numbers that meant nothing.
Overall, it was entertaining and kept me reading, and I look forward to the next book, which will hopefully resolve the plot. There is a danger of dragging on too long, and this book showed signs of it already happening.
June 16, 2025
The fifth book of the Whispering Crystals series, was similar to the first four. Instead of stages, it’s world hopping, instead of leveling up at hubs, it’s becoming the apex of the world, and then the final tournament.
I wanted to like this one as much as the first four, but it didn’t hold up to me. A lot of new characters thrown in, a lot of world building that I don’t think was necessary. And while it was a repeat of the first four books but in one contained book, it was slow reading for me. I finished the all of the first four faster than I finished this one alone.
The last 150 pages or so are very action packed, giving vibes of the first four. While I’ll finish the series, as there is only one more book, I think I’ll take a break first and go into it fresh.
I wanted to like this one as much as the first four, but it didn’t hold up to me. A lot of new characters thrown in, a lot of world building that I don’t think was necessary. And while it was a repeat of the first four books but in one contained book, it was slow reading for me. I finished the all of the first four faster than I finished this one alone.
The last 150 pages or so are very action packed, giving vibes of the first four. While I’ll finish the series, as there is only one more book, I think I’ll take a break first and go into it fresh.
May 1, 2023
Drawing it out.
This could have been good, but that twist at the end is really just an attempt to draw it out. Emma is honestly a fairly awful human and an even worse spiritform. She's so stupid. A toddler could have seen what was happening, but this moron just carries on being an idiot. I'm not reading any more of these. They're infuriating.
This could have been good, but that twist at the end is really just an attempt to draw it out. Emma is honestly a fairly awful human and an even worse spiritform. She's so stupid. A toddler could have seen what was happening, but this moron just carries on being an idiot. I'm not reading any more of these. They're infuriating.
May 23, 2023
Another great entey
A great expansion of the series and a bold experiment to force a litrpg character to abandon previous tricks and rules while still being inspired by them.
Also just love our gals.
A great expansion of the series and a bold experiment to force a litrpg character to abandon previous tricks and rules while still being inspired by them.
Also just love our gals.
June 23, 2023
WOW, just Amazingly Creative & Well Told Series
Not just a great read, also wonderfully put together story arc and constantly fresh and interesting
Truly the finest example of what is possible for LitRPG!
Not just a great read, also wonderfully put together story arc and constantly fresh and interesting
Truly the finest example of what is possible for LitRPG!
October 11, 2024
Just keep reading
This series is beyond addictive. It’s goes from just one more page to frack that was the last page without you realizing it. Each book seems to pull you into the storyline deeper.
This series is beyond addictive. It’s goes from just one more page to frack that was the last page without you realizing it. Each book seems to pull you into the storyline deeper.
September 12, 2025
Kind of annoying, is all I can really say. For some reason this series feels like Roblox to me and the MC has a weird mentality. We're going along, that's great, the characters, I feel like they need more work. Ugh.
March 12, 2023
Continuation
I like the story. It got a little slow sometimes but I'm glad I finished it. Lots of violence but not graphically so. I look forward to the next installment.
I like the story. It got a little slow sometimes but I'm glad I finished it. Lots of violence but not graphically so. I look forward to the next installment.
April 2, 2023
I still love this series!
Another great book in the series. I thought this was going to be the last book, but it turns out it wasn't. I'm really looking forward to the next book.
Another great book in the series. I thought this was going to be the last book, but it turns out it wasn't. I'm really looking forward to the next book.
April 24, 2023
OMG how could the author end the book like that?! I can't wait for the next book!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews