What do you think?
Rate this book
The Whisper of Stars
Pitched as Leigh Bardugo meets Alias in 1920s Russia, an alternate history.
Anarchist poet Katya Efremova has spent ten months imprisoned in a covert government laboratory. When an escape attempt goes terribly wrong, she's transferred to a new prison colony being established on Solovetsky Island in the White Sea. She learns her arrest wasn’t due to her involvement in a magic-fueled resistance against the Bolsheviks—it was because of her murdered mother’s research into the legendary folk hero, Stenka Razin. Katya finds a clue her mother left for her the day she died, which may contain a cipher: Listen to the whisper of stars.
Given his title of nobility, imprisoned aristocrat Dima Danilov knows he’ll never leave Solovetsky Island alive. Dima finds a 250-year-old manuscript written by his ancestor which gives a first-person account of Stenka Razin’s rebellion against the tsar. Desperate for his life to mean something before it’s over, Dima decides to write an epic poem based on Razin’s life, hoping to encourage Russians to revolt against Bolshevik tyranny.
Natasha is a rogue witch who has been experimented on in the government laboratory for two years. When she’s offered her freedom in exchange for spying on Katya, she jumps at the chance, though she has her own reasons for wanting to solve the conspiracy surrounding Katya’s mother’s death.
As their goals intertwine, the three imprisoned Russians work together to uncover the secret behind Stenka Razin’s rebellion, a secret woven into the history of Solovetsky Island.
Discovering the island’s legendary power might be the key to overthrowing the Bolshevik regime, but as Katya solves the puzzle of her mother's murder she realizes she wasn't sent to Solovetsky by chance. The head of the government’s spy network is using her to find Stenka Razin’s power, and there will be no hope of a free Russia if he takes hold of the magic hidden beneath the White Sea snow.
Anarchist poet Katya Efremova has spent ten months imprisoned in a covert government laboratory. When an escape attempt goes terribly wrong, she's transferred to a new prison colony being established on Solovetsky Island in the White Sea. She learns her arrest wasn’t due to her involvement in a magic-fueled resistance against the Bolsheviks—it was because of her murdered mother’s research into the legendary folk hero, Stenka Razin. Katya finds a clue her mother left for her the day she died, which may contain a cipher: Listen to the whisper of stars.
Given his title of nobility, imprisoned aristocrat Dima Danilov knows he’ll never leave Solovetsky Island alive. Dima finds a 250-year-old manuscript written by his ancestor which gives a first-person account of Stenka Razin’s rebellion against the tsar. Desperate for his life to mean something before it’s over, Dima decides to write an epic poem based on Razin’s life, hoping to encourage Russians to revolt against Bolshevik tyranny.
Natasha is a rogue witch who has been experimented on in the government laboratory for two years. When she’s offered her freedom in exchange for spying on Katya, she jumps at the chance, though she has her own reasons for wanting to solve the conspiracy surrounding Katya’s mother’s death.
As their goals intertwine, the three imprisoned Russians work together to uncover the secret behind Stenka Razin’s rebellion, a secret woven into the history of Solovetsky Island.
Discovering the island’s legendary power might be the key to overthrowing the Bolshevik regime, but as Katya solves the puzzle of her mother's murder she realizes she wasn't sent to Solovetsky by chance. The head of the government’s spy network is using her to find Stenka Razin’s power, and there will be no hope of a free Russia if he takes hold of the magic hidden beneath the White Sea snow.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published November 6, 2025
4 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
November 10, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
The Whisper of Stars is a romantic historical fantasy novel written by Cristin Williams, published by Gollancz. A richly imagined, high-stakes proposal set in an alternate 1920s Russia with a compelling and well-fleshed leading cast, resulting in an equally ambitious and emotionally powerful story that explores resistance, humanity and memory while also blending history with more fantastical elements such as witchcraft and folklore.
Our story centres around three characters whose paths cross together while hunting down a secret magical source that could change Russia, all while being imprisoned on Solovetsky Island, a labour camp (gulag) set on a dangerous frozen island.
The first (and most prominent) of our lead characters is Katya Efremova, a young anarchist poet; she's trying to understand the cryptic message left by her mother, a message that will guide her towards a labyrinth of codes and secrets. She hopes the power at the end will allow her to bring down the Bolshevik government, restarting the Russian Revolution and bringing back its ideals; Katya is scarred by the past, having serious problems of mistrust with others, but surviving in the gulag will require her to get along with more people, and even, during her search, we will see how unexpected alliances are forged.
The second of our characters is Dima Danilov, a former aristocrat; because of his origins, he knows he won't leave Solovestky alive. A charming and creative character that represents the rebellion through art; we quickly see how he cares about the rest, suffering on their behalf. He's quite empathic, and eventually, his search for clues of his ancestor's story will put him in Katya's path, creating a reluctant bond (especially from Katya's side) that eventually grows into something deeper. At some points, you feel Dima to be the ray of light when everything is dark, even bringing some initiatives destined to keep the humanity of prisoners through art.
And the third of our characters is Natasha, a rogue witch who acts as the antagonist; a sibylline and intriguing person, also searching for the same magical source as Katya. She aims to restore the tsarist regimen, restoring Russia to its old glory with her as the head; still a prisoner of the Bolsheviks, having to report to them, but she aims to recover her liberty, and even enslave her captors. Natasha needs Katya's lead if she wants to access the power.
The three leading characters are excellently developed, with a distinctive narrative voice; there's a conscious effort of giving them a past that is influencing their present, that has scarred them.
Williams has crafted a really immersive and atmospheric setting, transporting the reader to the frozen and unforgiving landscape of Solovetsky Island; the care of the historical details shows the amount of research behind this novel. The tension between political intrigue and supernatural elements is well balanced, adding more depth to this story.
It is also worth to mention two extremely cool details included in the novel: the ciphers (allowing the reader to be part of the investigation) and the calligrams (adding to the beauty of the story).
The pacing lands a bit on the slow side, but it's relentless; the pages pass as you are immersed in the story.
The Whisper of Stars is a gorgeously told story, an excellent novel that transports us to the gulag while making us care deeply about its characters; if you like historical-inspired fantasy with a romantic touch, you should read this novel. A remarkable adult debut by Cristin Williams.
The Whisper of Stars is a romantic historical fantasy novel written by Cristin Williams, published by Gollancz. A richly imagined, high-stakes proposal set in an alternate 1920s Russia with a compelling and well-fleshed leading cast, resulting in an equally ambitious and emotionally powerful story that explores resistance, humanity and memory while also blending history with more fantastical elements such as witchcraft and folklore.
Our story centres around three characters whose paths cross together while hunting down a secret magical source that could change Russia, all while being imprisoned on Solovetsky Island, a labour camp (gulag) set on a dangerous frozen island.
The first (and most prominent) of our lead characters is Katya Efremova, a young anarchist poet; she's trying to understand the cryptic message left by her mother, a message that will guide her towards a labyrinth of codes and secrets. She hopes the power at the end will allow her to bring down the Bolshevik government, restarting the Russian Revolution and bringing back its ideals; Katya is scarred by the past, having serious problems of mistrust with others, but surviving in the gulag will require her to get along with more people, and even, during her search, we will see how unexpected alliances are forged.
The second of our characters is Dima Danilov, a former aristocrat; because of his origins, he knows he won't leave Solovestky alive. A charming and creative character that represents the rebellion through art; we quickly see how he cares about the rest, suffering on their behalf. He's quite empathic, and eventually, his search for clues of his ancestor's story will put him in Katya's path, creating a reluctant bond (especially from Katya's side) that eventually grows into something deeper. At some points, you feel Dima to be the ray of light when everything is dark, even bringing some initiatives destined to keep the humanity of prisoners through art.
And the third of our characters is Natasha, a rogue witch who acts as the antagonist; a sibylline and intriguing person, also searching for the same magical source as Katya. She aims to restore the tsarist regimen, restoring Russia to its old glory with her as the head; still a prisoner of the Bolsheviks, having to report to them, but she aims to recover her liberty, and even enslave her captors. Natasha needs Katya's lead if she wants to access the power.
The three leading characters are excellently developed, with a distinctive narrative voice; there's a conscious effort of giving them a past that is influencing their present, that has scarred them.
Williams has crafted a really immersive and atmospheric setting, transporting the reader to the frozen and unforgiving landscape of Solovetsky Island; the care of the historical details shows the amount of research behind this novel. The tension between political intrigue and supernatural elements is well balanced, adding more depth to this story.
It is also worth to mention two extremely cool details included in the novel: the ciphers (allowing the reader to be part of the investigation) and the calligrams (adding to the beauty of the story).
The pacing lands a bit on the slow side, but it's relentless; the pages pass as you are immersed in the story.
The Whisper of Stars is a gorgeously told story, an excellent novel that transports us to the gulag while making us care deeply about its characters; if you like historical-inspired fantasy with a romantic touch, you should read this novel. A remarkable adult debut by Cristin Williams.
November 21, 2025
This was EPIC on so many levels, and as debuts go the author should be proud. It's stunning.
Rich in (alternate) historical fiction, folklore, and fantasy with a touch of magical realism the author's imagery and world building really brings the story to life.
It starts as a deliberately paced read that allowed me to fully immerse myself into the story and it's characters, and carries on at a moderate pace.
Katya, Natasha and Dima were brilliant characters. All so easy to become emotionally invested in.
Spellbindingly good.
Rich in (alternate) historical fiction, folklore, and fantasy with a touch of magical realism the author's imagery and world building really brings the story to life.
It starts as a deliberately paced read that allowed me to fully immerse myself into the story and it's characters, and carries on at a moderate pace.
Katya, Natasha and Dima were brilliant characters. All so easy to become emotionally invested in.
Spellbindingly good.
November 22, 2025
“Words are symbols, afterall. They mean something different to each person, based on individual perceptions and experiences.”
It’s difficult to put into words how this book made me feel exactly. It made me feel a whole panel of emotions, but I *think* hope is the one who gets the upper hand.
I loved that almost closed atmosphere, claustrophobic, in which each character hides their secrets, their plans. You never know who you can trust, and it creates a very paranoid feeling —even more enhanced by the triple POV.
Here, the Historical aspect is the most developed, in a world that looks like the aftermath of the Russian revolution. The magic comes afterwards, as a lingering aspect, floating all around the story.
I adored how important words were in this story. Their power —poetry’s power— and how magic can come from arts —if we allow it— are a motor for the whole story, events, world building, or characters’ motivation. This is this exact hope, given by arts and magic, that allows us to hold on in this unhospitable environment, no matter what decisions the characters have to make, what they have to face, which enigmas and codes they have to solve. The plot is a mix between politics, mystery and romance, it’s as thick as fog, for the better.
Yet, this is the magic —the hope— that remains, days after reading. Hope is the stories we whisper to ourselves, snuggled against each other, when everything is cold outside. It’s the immortality given by the words, and, consequently, the sparkle for resistance. It’s the beauty in the art, in a landscape just covered by the snow. It’s the shadow of a running bear, a legend brought back to life. It’s a few words lined on a leaflet, that challenges the powerful ones.
This book was hard, yes. But it was so magical too.
4.5/5
It’s difficult to put into words how this book made me feel exactly. It made me feel a whole panel of emotions, but I *think* hope is the one who gets the upper hand.
I loved that almost closed atmosphere, claustrophobic, in which each character hides their secrets, their plans. You never know who you can trust, and it creates a very paranoid feeling —even more enhanced by the triple POV.
Here, the Historical aspect is the most developed, in a world that looks like the aftermath of the Russian revolution. The magic comes afterwards, as a lingering aspect, floating all around the story.
I adored how important words were in this story. Their power —poetry’s power— and how magic can come from arts —if we allow it— are a motor for the whole story, events, world building, or characters’ motivation. This is this exact hope, given by arts and magic, that allows us to hold on in this unhospitable environment, no matter what decisions the characters have to make, what they have to face, which enigmas and codes they have to solve. The plot is a mix between politics, mystery and romance, it’s as thick as fog, for the better.
Yet, this is the magic —the hope— that remains, days after reading. Hope is the stories we whisper to ourselves, snuggled against each other, when everything is cold outside. It’s the immortality given by the words, and, consequently, the sparkle for resistance. It’s the beauty in the art, in a landscape just covered by the snow. It’s the shadow of a running bear, a legend brought back to life. It’s a few words lined on a leaflet, that challenges the powerful ones.
This book was hard, yes. But it was so magical too.
4.5/5
April 3, 2025
Review of The Whisper of Stars by Cristin Williams
Cristin Williams’ The Whisper of Stars is a haunting and atmospheric blend of historical fiction and fantasy, set in an alternate 1920s Russia where secrets are hidden in whispers, and power lurks in the shadows. Following the journey of Katya Efremova, a young anarchist poet imprisoned on Solovetsky Island, the novel weaves a tale of revolution, mystery, and magic. With the echoes of her mother’s final message—“Listen to the whisper of stars”—guiding her, Katya must navigate a dangerous path filled with cryptic codes, unexpected allies, and the lingering presence of a legendary folk hero.
Williams crafts an immersive world, pulling readers into the frozen, unforgiving landscape of Solovetsky Island, where every step Katya takes could be her last. The tension between political intrigue and supernatural elements is expertly balanced, with the presence of rogue witches and ancient secrets adding depth to the novel’s historical setting. The characters—particularly Katya, aristocratic prisoner Dima Danilov, and the enigmatic Natasha Bobrinskaya—each bring unique perspectives and conflicts, creating a richly layered narrative.
One of the novel’s standout elements is its use of codes and riddles, giving the story a puzzle-like quality that keeps readers engaged. While some may find the plot intricate and demanding, those who enjoy stories that challenge them will likely appreciate the depth of detail woven into the narrative.
Overall, The Whisper of Stars is an intriguing, thought-provoking novel that blends history, magic, and mystery in a fresh and compelling way. If you’re a fan of atmospheric historical fantasy with complex characters and a touch of espionage, this book should be on your radar.
Cristin Williams’ The Whisper of Stars is a haunting and atmospheric blend of historical fiction and fantasy, set in an alternate 1920s Russia where secrets are hidden in whispers, and power lurks in the shadows. Following the journey of Katya Efremova, a young anarchist poet imprisoned on Solovetsky Island, the novel weaves a tale of revolution, mystery, and magic. With the echoes of her mother’s final message—“Listen to the whisper of stars”—guiding her, Katya must navigate a dangerous path filled with cryptic codes, unexpected allies, and the lingering presence of a legendary folk hero.
Williams crafts an immersive world, pulling readers into the frozen, unforgiving landscape of Solovetsky Island, where every step Katya takes could be her last. The tension between political intrigue and supernatural elements is expertly balanced, with the presence of rogue witches and ancient secrets adding depth to the novel’s historical setting. The characters—particularly Katya, aristocratic prisoner Dima Danilov, and the enigmatic Natasha Bobrinskaya—each bring unique perspectives and conflicts, creating a richly layered narrative.
One of the novel’s standout elements is its use of codes and riddles, giving the story a puzzle-like quality that keeps readers engaged. While some may find the plot intricate and demanding, those who enjoy stories that challenge them will likely appreciate the depth of detail woven into the narrative.
Overall, The Whisper of Stars is an intriguing, thought-provoking novel that blends history, magic, and mystery in a fresh and compelling way. If you’re a fan of atmospheric historical fantasy with complex characters and a touch of espionage, this book should be on your radar.
November 6, 2025
Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for approving me to read this book I’m rating it 3.5 stars rounded to 4.0.
Wow this was a deeply political read mixed with a very unique magic system, it was an unexpected read.
The story follows 3 characters quite closely, the paths they end up on and decisions made are vital to the very foundations and structure of Russia in this story. There has been a revolution thats led to distinct lines in the sand and our main characters are straddling the fence in some ways and on the opposite side in others. We get to see some really gritty and awful sides of the outcome of revolution and what happens when the opposing side doesnt just give up quietly.
I will say due to the riddles, ciphers, and shifting alliances this story became a little confusing at points, I lost track of what the characters were really doing or able to do at certain points of the story. I enjoyed the magic, political intrigue and slight romance quite a lot, I actually would give this a re-read down the line or if there is an interconnected book I’d definitely read this.
Lastly, I’m not sold on the epilogue because it felt unsatisfying for me, I just wanted a bit more after everything the characters go through.
Wow this was a deeply political read mixed with a very unique magic system, it was an unexpected read.
The story follows 3 characters quite closely, the paths they end up on and decisions made are vital to the very foundations and structure of Russia in this story. There has been a revolution thats led to distinct lines in the sand and our main characters are straddling the fence in some ways and on the opposite side in others. We get to see some really gritty and awful sides of the outcome of revolution and what happens when the opposing side doesnt just give up quietly.
I will say due to the riddles, ciphers, and shifting alliances this story became a little confusing at points, I lost track of what the characters were really doing or able to do at certain points of the story. I enjoyed the magic, political intrigue and slight romance quite a lot, I actually would give this a re-read down the line or if there is an interconnected book I’d definitely read this.
Lastly, I’m not sold on the epilogue because it felt unsatisfying for me, I just wanted a bit more after everything the characters go through.
May 2, 2025
what the actual ****ck????
dnf
April 21, 2025I had high hopes for this one because if there's one thing I have a soft spot for, it's Imperial Russia-inspired fantasy. Don't ask me why, there's just something inexplicably fascinating about the early 20th century Russia that draws me in, thus, I had to add this title the second it mentioned it is a reimagined take on Russian history. Sprinkle in some magic and fantasy elements and I was convinced this will be a pretty solid read.
When I was notified by NetGalley that I had been approved for an ARC copy, I was beyond gleeful. It's also the reason why it saddens me so much that I couldn't get through this book until the very end. Let's get one thing straight, though, it is by no means the fault of the writing - the narrative style is actually pretty solid and the story flowed easily and cohesively. For this being a debut novel, it was done well. However, it was the lack of tangible action that inevitably forced me to drop this.
I understand character-driven novels; I've read a few so I know how compelling they can be. In the case of The Whisper of Stars I just failed to connect with the characters enough to overlook the fact that we were missing some solid action and gritty parts. On one hand, I recognise that this is not the nail-biting, kickass type of fantasy story and the author rather wanted to focus on the bleak and dark reality that was the Bolshevik regime. On that front alone, I applaude the author because she did capture the cruelity and helplessness of those times amazingly. On the other hand, it read more like a historical fiction rather than fantasy and the amount of drama was too overwhelming for a novel that has been marketed as fantasy.
Simply, it felt like reading a completely different kind of a book than I've been promised. There's time and space for historical novels, when I'm in the proper mood, and here I, sadly, wasn't. The whole concept of shapeshifters and different practices of witchcraft felt unique and intriguing, there just wasn't enough of it to keep the story afloat - at least, not by fantasy genre standards.
Perhaps, I was too hasty in dropping this and the second half of the book is more fleshed-out and delivers on the things it has promised. I'm of the opinion, though, that once you get past the halfway point of a novel and you're still not feeling it; you are failing to feel anything for the main characters and you don't feel the urge to get back into reading, it's not worth your time and attention.
As I've mentioned, the book has certain strengths and for people who enjoy existential and character-driven stories, this will be a great hit. Personally, though, I've struggled with this title more than I was enjoying it, which is a deal-breaker when you have limited time for reading and there are so many other titles out there that deserve a chance. I'm going to keep an eye on the author because I did find her style captivating, and her ideas clever, but as of now, The Whisper of Stars is a book with failed potential.
When I was notified by NetGalley that I had been approved for an ARC copy, I was beyond gleeful. It's also the reason why it saddens me so much that I couldn't get through this book until the very end. Let's get one thing straight, though, it is by no means the fault of the writing - the narrative style is actually pretty solid and the story flowed easily and cohesively. For this being a debut novel, it was done well. However, it was the lack of tangible action that inevitably forced me to drop this.
I understand character-driven novels; I've read a few so I know how compelling they can be. In the case of The Whisper of Stars I just failed to connect with the characters enough to overlook the fact that we were missing some solid action and gritty parts. On one hand, I recognise that this is not the nail-biting, kickass type of fantasy story and the author rather wanted to focus on the bleak and dark reality that was the Bolshevik regime. On that front alone, I applaude the author because she did capture the cruelity and helplessness of those times amazingly. On the other hand, it read more like a historical fiction rather than fantasy and the amount of drama was too overwhelming for a novel that has been marketed as fantasy.
Simply, it felt like reading a completely different kind of a book than I've been promised. There's time and space for historical novels, when I'm in the proper mood, and here I, sadly, wasn't. The whole concept of shapeshifters and different practices of witchcraft felt unique and intriguing, there just wasn't enough of it to keep the story afloat - at least, not by fantasy genre standards.
Perhaps, I was too hasty in dropping this and the second half of the book is more fleshed-out and delivers on the things it has promised. I'm of the opinion, though, that once you get past the halfway point of a novel and you're still not feeling it; you are failing to feel anything for the main characters and you don't feel the urge to get back into reading, it's not worth your time and attention.
As I've mentioned, the book has certain strengths and for people who enjoy existential and character-driven stories, this will be a great hit. Personally, though, I've struggled with this title more than I was enjoying it, which is a deal-breaker when you have limited time for reading and there are so many other titles out there that deserve a chance. I'm going to keep an eye on the author because I did find her style captivating, and her ideas clever, but as of now, The Whisper of Stars is a book with failed potential.
April 13, 2025
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 🤍
The Whisper of Stars is a richly imagined, high-stakes historical fantasy set in an alternate 1920s Russia—layered with magic, rebellion, and grief. It’s a book full of sharp edges and deep sorrow, and I genuinely admire the ambition and emotional force behind it.
Katya, Dima, and Natasha are compelling leads, each scarred by what they’ve lost, each carrying the weight of revolution on their shoulders. The story explores resistance, memory, and identity with unflinching intensity—and that intensity never lets up.
And that, in the end, is what made this a difficult read for me. The pacing is relentless. There are no moments of quiet, no space to breathe between betrayals, conspiracies, and emotional reckonings. While this works thematically—it mirrors the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a crumbling empire—for me as a reader, it became draining. I found myself needing more stillness, more contrast to fully appreciate the emotional peaks.
So while I deeply respect what this novel set out to do—and recognize the skill in how it’s told—it wasn’t the right fit for me. But for readers who thrive on constant tension, layered politics, and tragic, determined characters, this could be exactly what you’re looking for.
The Whisper of Stars is a richly imagined, high-stakes historical fantasy set in an alternate 1920s Russia—layered with magic, rebellion, and grief. It’s a book full of sharp edges and deep sorrow, and I genuinely admire the ambition and emotional force behind it.
Katya, Dima, and Natasha are compelling leads, each scarred by what they’ve lost, each carrying the weight of revolution on their shoulders. The story explores resistance, memory, and identity with unflinching intensity—and that intensity never lets up.
And that, in the end, is what made this a difficult read for me. The pacing is relentless. There are no moments of quiet, no space to breathe between betrayals, conspiracies, and emotional reckonings. While this works thematically—it mirrors the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a crumbling empire—for me as a reader, it became draining. I found myself needing more stillness, more contrast to fully appreciate the emotional peaks.
So while I deeply respect what this novel set out to do—and recognize the skill in how it’s told—it wasn’t the right fit for me. But for readers who thrive on constant tension, layered politics, and tragic, determined characters, this could be exactly what you’re looking for.
September 7, 2025
3.5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: historical fantasy, multiple POVs, 1920s Russia, magic
Big thanks to Orion Fiction, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The premise of this book is definitely intriguing. I was curious to see how Katya, Dima, and Natasha's stories intersected, and the addition of magic and witchcraft drew a fascinating picture of alternate-1920s Russia. Unfortunately, the delivery of that premise left something to be desired.
The writing in this book is somewhat uneven. There's a lot of infodumping at the beginning of the book and it's very much tell-not-show for a good amount of page time. I don't think it's until we're established on Solovetsky Island that we start to get shown rather than told things. But even then there are moments when Williams will slip and we're back to expository writing. It's a shame too, because Williams has strong writing in the 'showing' scenes and it's much more engaging to read than when she's just telling us what's going on. It's especially a shame since we get several flashback scenes, some of which are depicted as if we're in the moment and others of which are, again, just told to us, and there's a huge difference in quality and impact when Williams goes the showing route. It's odd too, because even toward the end of the book we get some memories told to us line-by-line while other memories are allowed to flow naturally, creating a very disjointed and jarring experience. It also creates a disconnect from the characters, and I actually started skimming parts because we were just....getting.....told stuff. I think some additional editing to move away from the expository writing would've helped strengthen this book a good deal.
Katya feels very surface level as a character. She's an anarchist radical whose been in prison for almost a year, forced into magical experiments, but a lot of the time it just feels like she's playacting. She hates informants, but never really acknowledges her role in the experiments. Even in emotional scenes, I struggled to connect with Katya and really feel what she's feeling. She could witness something terrible and is just like 'and this is what happens, it was so scary.' Like, yess girl, give us nothing. I didn't dislike Katya, she was fine as a character and clearly has solid morals, but I didn't really connect with her the way I like with main characters.
Dima was a bit better. His whole family got killed and now he's making heart eyes at someone who's politically aligned with their killers, so you can imagine the kind of inner conflict he's experiencing. That being said, it's very obvious what his choice is going to be. Dima is the kind of character who immediately projects their intentions and then we're shown/told that over and over throughout the story. While I did like Dima and was able to connect with him more than Katya, it also felt like he was playing a part. He comes into the story, with Katya as his potential torturer (in the lab), and is immediately like "oh give her food too." Right. I did appreciate getting to see more of Dima's magic. I think I'd've liked it explained a bit more, as I didn't totally understand what it was that he actually did, but the dreamwalking stuff was pretty cool.
Finally, Natasha. She was not the character I was expecting her to be at all. If you like villain POVs, then you'll probably like her. Natasha is unabashedly a villain, from start to end, and she doesn't care who she has to hurt to get what she wants. That being said, she definitely thinks she's smarter than she is. She may be able to strategize long-term, but she's terrible when it comes to strategizing around people's emotions. Natasha needs Katya to ally with her so she can get information, and she doesn't particularly care how that alliance happens, but she then proceeds to do things that would make any sane person want to be in a different country from her. For example "Katya hates me, so I'll just kill Dima and then she'll have to turn to me"....like, what? Katya has other friends, if Dima is killed would she not....just...turn to them? In my opinion, Natasha also lets some of her own ego get in the way of recognizing just how much her 'enemy of my enemy' is taking advantage of her.
The magic system in this book was pretty interesting. There are different categories of magical beings with a variety of different skillsets. People like Katya have a natural affinity for words and spells, and can both memorize and create spells. Dima and magicians like him are able to shapeshift, I think all into bears, and can also dreamwalk, which can at times tell the future. For Dima, he also seems to be able to sketch out aspects of the future, though I'm kind of unclear on whether that just comes from his dreams or if it's another aspect of his magic. Natasha and magicians like her require materials and rituals to perform magic, but it seems to be the strongest kind of magic. And then there are the...werewolves(?), some of whom seem to be naturally occurring and some of whom witches need to create. I would've liked to get a somewhat firmer grasp on the magic system, but it's not a particular focus of the book.
I also have to say, for an island that's supposed to be a prison camp with magical beings guarding it, the prisoners are certainly given a lot of leeway. Katya and Dima are constantly out and about, and even when the guards are protected against Katya's magic, they're never really challenged? They can just kind of walk about and miss rollcall and there are no consequences for them or their friends. Things do start to get dicey toward the end, but that's honestly more about the Stenka Razin plot than about them skipping shifts. For a book that does seem to have research backing it, this just feels like an odd gap in the worldbuilding.
Recommended if you like: historical fantasy, multiple POVs, 1920s Russia, magic
Big thanks to Orion Fiction, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The premise of this book is definitely intriguing. I was curious to see how Katya, Dima, and Natasha's stories intersected, and the addition of magic and witchcraft drew a fascinating picture of alternate-1920s Russia. Unfortunately, the delivery of that premise left something to be desired.
The writing in this book is somewhat uneven. There's a lot of infodumping at the beginning of the book and it's very much tell-not-show for a good amount of page time. I don't think it's until we're established on Solovetsky Island that we start to get shown rather than told things. But even then there are moments when Williams will slip and we're back to expository writing. It's a shame too, because Williams has strong writing in the 'showing' scenes and it's much more engaging to read than when she's just telling us what's going on. It's especially a shame since we get several flashback scenes, some of which are depicted as if we're in the moment and others of which are, again, just told to us, and there's a huge difference in quality and impact when Williams goes the showing route. It's odd too, because even toward the end of the book we get some memories told to us line-by-line while other memories are allowed to flow naturally, creating a very disjointed and jarring experience. It also creates a disconnect from the characters, and I actually started skimming parts because we were just....getting.....told stuff. I think some additional editing to move away from the expository writing would've helped strengthen this book a good deal.
Katya feels very surface level as a character. She's an anarchist radical whose been in prison for almost a year, forced into magical experiments, but a lot of the time it just feels like she's playacting. She hates informants, but never really acknowledges her role in the experiments. Even in emotional scenes, I struggled to connect with Katya and really feel what she's feeling. She could witness something terrible and is just like 'and this is what happens, it was so scary.' Like, yess girl, give us nothing. I didn't dislike Katya, she was fine as a character and clearly has solid morals, but I didn't really connect with her the way I like with main characters.
Dima was a bit better. His whole family got killed and now he's making heart eyes at someone who's politically aligned with their killers, so you can imagine the kind of inner conflict he's experiencing. That being said, it's very obvious what his choice is going to be. Dima is the kind of character who immediately projects their intentions and then we're shown/told that over and over throughout the story. While I did like Dima and was able to connect with him more than Katya, it also felt like he was playing a part. He comes into the story, with Katya as his potential torturer (in the lab), and is immediately like "oh give her food too." Right. I did appreciate getting to see more of Dima's magic. I think I'd've liked it explained a bit more, as I didn't totally understand what it was that he actually did, but the dreamwalking stuff was pretty cool.
Finally, Natasha. She was not the character I was expecting her to be at all. If you like villain POVs, then you'll probably like her. Natasha is unabashedly a villain, from start to end, and she doesn't care who she has to hurt to get what she wants. That being said, she definitely thinks she's smarter than she is. She may be able to strategize long-term, but she's terrible when it comes to strategizing around people's emotions. Natasha needs Katya to ally with her so she can get information, and she doesn't particularly care how that alliance happens, but she then proceeds to do things that would make any sane person want to be in a different country from her. For example "Katya hates me, so I'll just kill Dima and then she'll have to turn to me"....like, what? Katya has other friends, if Dima is killed would she not....just...turn to them? In my opinion, Natasha also lets some of her own ego get in the way of recognizing just how much her 'enemy of my enemy' is taking advantage of her.
The magic system in this book was pretty interesting. There are different categories of magical beings with a variety of different skillsets. People like Katya have a natural affinity for words and spells, and can both memorize and create spells. Dima and magicians like him are able to shapeshift, I think all into bears, and can also dreamwalk, which can at times tell the future. For Dima, he also seems to be able to sketch out aspects of the future, though I'm kind of unclear on whether that just comes from his dreams or if it's another aspect of his magic. Natasha and magicians like her require materials and rituals to perform magic, but it seems to be the strongest kind of magic. And then there are the...werewolves(?), some of whom seem to be naturally occurring and some of whom witches need to create. I would've liked to get a somewhat firmer grasp on the magic system, but it's not a particular focus of the book.
I also have to say, for an island that's supposed to be a prison camp with magical beings guarding it, the prisoners are certainly given a lot of leeway. Katya and Dima are constantly out and about, and even when the guards are protected against Katya's magic, they're never really challenged? They can just kind of walk about and miss rollcall and there are no consequences for them or their friends. Things do start to get dicey toward the end, but that's honestly more about the Stenka Razin plot than about them skipping shifts. For a book that does seem to have research backing it, this just feels like an odd gap in the worldbuilding.
November 10, 2025
The Whisper of Stars, by Cristin Williams, is an alternate history set in Russia in the early 1920s.
Young Katya Efremova is a charovnika – a subtype of volshebniki (magical folk) who use words to channel power from the Otherworld and affect change, both in the form of spoken spells and writing (poetry, in Katya’s case). She’s also an anarchist, and therefore imprisoned as a political enemy by the country’s new Bolshevik rulers.
The Bolsheviks fear and despise Katya and other volshebniki who don’t support them, but also see the potential to harness their powers to exert control over the population. Hence, Katya is initially imprisoned in a facility where she’s restrained by iron and subjected to distressing experiments, before being transferred to a monastery-turned-prison-camp on the remote Solovetsky Island.
It transpires that Katya’s mother, Svetlana (also an anarchist and charovnika, and murdered by the Bolsheviks not long before Katya was captured), made a trip to the same freezing archipelago a few years previously, where she came tantalisingly close to uncovering an extremely potent grimoire – and she’s left a number of coded clues to help her daughter complete her mission.
However, Katya isn’t the only person on Solovetsky Island – volshebnik or Bolshevik – who knows about the grimoire, and whoever gets hold of it first will thereby have the power to determine Russia’s political future once and for all.
The Whisper of Stars ticked so many boxes for me. Alternate history involving magic! An historical setting I particularly enjoy reading about! Folklore! Spells and rituals! Shapeshifters! Magic books and words! Mystical labyrinths! Coded messages! Dark secrets! Moments of extreme peril! I was hooked right from the start.
You’d be right in thinking that Katya’s particular brand of magic, and the sought-after grimoire, especially captured my imagination. Katya is not only able to draw on long-established spells, but can wield her own poetry as a supernatural weapon, way above and beyond changing hearts and minds with the sentiments she expresses.
Like its counterpart in The Great Deception, by Syd Moore, the grimoire contains words that can invoke and deploy magic, and is also a magical object in and of itself that would be extremely dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. I just love the idea of words channeling power and bringing about change merely from being inscribed (yes, I did swoon over R. F. Kuang’s Babel), so The Whisper of Stars really won me over in that respect.
As indicated above, Katya is far from the only volshebnik in the prison camp. Her co-conspirator (once she overcomes the fact that he’s an aristocrat) Dima is a skomorokha: a member of an ancient bloodline whose ancestors swore an oath of kinship with bears, and one of the small proportion of whom are able to transform into bears.
In addition to wanting to help Katya look for the grimoire because he’s into her, and doesn’t want the Bolsheviks finding and using it, Dima has a personal motivation: the book features in family stories that have been passed down to him, and even shape his dreams. I found Dima’s lore – both the skomorokha origin story and the more recent activities of his forefathers, and how they relate to Solovetsky Island’s past as a monastery – fascinating to read.
In fact, Katya and Dima are both compelled to track down the grimoire by duty to their families, to some extent. For Dima, this is straightforward: his whole family were shot by anti-Cossacks in the wake of the Revolution, and this is something he can do to honour his beloved relatives.
Katya’s mother Svetlana, we learn, was disinterested in her daughter until Katya’s magical abilities started to show, at which point she became interested – in how she could use them to further her political cause. Katya therefore experiences conflict between the possibility of finally managing to please her mother (who very much lives on in her psyche), and questioning why she should continue the work of someone who almost never had a kind word to say to her.
Another gifted prisoner who’s very interesting to read about is aristocrat Natasha, a vedma – a woman who uses rituals, potions, and music to draw and direct magic from nature – who instantly takes against Katya, and also seeks the grimoire, ostensibly on behalf of the Bolshevik camp chiefs who believe they, not she, are pulling the strings.
Gratifyingly – and despite her intentions to close herself off, so she can’t get hurt – Katya does make friends among the many women in her barracks, principally Tsisana, a Georgian countess and kolduna (a woman with a healing touch and extensive knowledge of remedies). The interactions the prisoners have with one another are often touching, and not infrequently amusing, which warmed my heart.
One criticism I do have, though, is the lack of overt queer rep. It feels like a missed opportunity, in an alternate history where the characters sleep in barracks segregated by gender, not to have at least one same-sex relationship take off. Plus, I’m pretty sure “magical lesbians”, even as a minor subplot, could only increase this book’s appeal for LGBTQIA+ fantasy readers.
The Whisper of Stars is absolutely captivating.
Young Katya Efremova is a charovnika – a subtype of volshebniki (magical folk) who use words to channel power from the Otherworld and affect change, both in the form of spoken spells and writing (poetry, in Katya’s case). She’s also an anarchist, and therefore imprisoned as a political enemy by the country’s new Bolshevik rulers.
The Bolsheviks fear and despise Katya and other volshebniki who don’t support them, but also see the potential to harness their powers to exert control over the population. Hence, Katya is initially imprisoned in a facility where she’s restrained by iron and subjected to distressing experiments, before being transferred to a monastery-turned-prison-camp on the remote Solovetsky Island.
It transpires that Katya’s mother, Svetlana (also an anarchist and charovnika, and murdered by the Bolsheviks not long before Katya was captured), made a trip to the same freezing archipelago a few years previously, where she came tantalisingly close to uncovering an extremely potent grimoire – and she’s left a number of coded clues to help her daughter complete her mission.
However, Katya isn’t the only person on Solovetsky Island – volshebnik or Bolshevik – who knows about the grimoire, and whoever gets hold of it first will thereby have the power to determine Russia’s political future once and for all.
The Whisper of Stars ticked so many boxes for me. Alternate history involving magic! An historical setting I particularly enjoy reading about! Folklore! Spells and rituals! Shapeshifters! Magic books and words! Mystical labyrinths! Coded messages! Dark secrets! Moments of extreme peril! I was hooked right from the start.
You’d be right in thinking that Katya’s particular brand of magic, and the sought-after grimoire, especially captured my imagination. Katya is not only able to draw on long-established spells, but can wield her own poetry as a supernatural weapon, way above and beyond changing hearts and minds with the sentiments she expresses.
Like its counterpart in The Great Deception, by Syd Moore, the grimoire contains words that can invoke and deploy magic, and is also a magical object in and of itself that would be extremely dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. I just love the idea of words channeling power and bringing about change merely from being inscribed (yes, I did swoon over R. F. Kuang’s Babel), so The Whisper of Stars really won me over in that respect.
As indicated above, Katya is far from the only volshebnik in the prison camp. Her co-conspirator (once she overcomes the fact that he’s an aristocrat) Dima is a skomorokha: a member of an ancient bloodline whose ancestors swore an oath of kinship with bears, and one of the small proportion of whom are able to transform into bears.
In addition to wanting to help Katya look for the grimoire because he’s into her, and doesn’t want the Bolsheviks finding and using it, Dima has a personal motivation: the book features in family stories that have been passed down to him, and even shape his dreams. I found Dima’s lore – both the skomorokha origin story and the more recent activities of his forefathers, and how they relate to Solovetsky Island’s past as a monastery – fascinating to read.
In fact, Katya and Dima are both compelled to track down the grimoire by duty to their families, to some extent. For Dima, this is straightforward: his whole family were shot by anti-Cossacks in the wake of the Revolution, and this is something he can do to honour his beloved relatives.
Katya’s mother Svetlana, we learn, was disinterested in her daughter until Katya’s magical abilities started to show, at which point she became interested – in how she could use them to further her political cause. Katya therefore experiences conflict between the possibility of finally managing to please her mother (who very much lives on in her psyche), and questioning why she should continue the work of someone who almost never had a kind word to say to her.
Another gifted prisoner who’s very interesting to read about is aristocrat Natasha, a vedma – a woman who uses rituals, potions, and music to draw and direct magic from nature – who instantly takes against Katya, and also seeks the grimoire, ostensibly on behalf of the Bolshevik camp chiefs who believe they, not she, are pulling the strings.
Gratifyingly – and despite her intentions to close herself off, so she can’t get hurt – Katya does make friends among the many women in her barracks, principally Tsisana, a Georgian countess and kolduna (a woman with a healing touch and extensive knowledge of remedies). The interactions the prisoners have with one another are often touching, and not infrequently amusing, which warmed my heart.
One criticism I do have, though, is the lack of overt queer rep. It feels like a missed opportunity, in an alternate history where the characters sleep in barracks segregated by gender, not to have at least one same-sex relationship take off. Plus, I’m pretty sure “magical lesbians”, even as a minor subplot, could only increase this book’s appeal for LGBTQIA+ fantasy readers.
The Whisper of Stars is absolutely captivating.
December 27, 2025
Russia's rich folkloric tradition and its bloody history makes it the ideal setting for The Whisper of Stars; Cristin Williams melds historical fiction with fantasy and the result is a lyrical, immersive read that captivated me throughout. The novel is set in an alternative post-Revolution 1920s Russia where Lenin's Bolsheviks have seized power but while the ruthless treatment of those considered enemies to the cause and the convoluted affiliations and plots are historically accurate, the storyline here is enhanced further through the fascinating inclusion of an imaginative world of magic.
The narrative is split between three characters; Katya, Dima and Natasha. Their distinct voices are realised superbly as are the stark differences and similarities that lie behind their actions. Katya is the main protagonist and is a wonderful character. When we first meet her, she has endured months of cruel imprisonment where her attempts to resist having her magical abilities used to experiment on others has left her near starving, weak and traumatised. Her mother was a notorious anarchist who raised Katya to share her beliefs but left her feeling secondary to the cause. Nevertheless, she instructed her daughter in both politics and magic before being murdered, and her teachings drive Katya to seek the truth when she is sent to Solovetsky Island. She finds a mysteriously blood-stained book among her possessions and quickly realises her mother has left her a message in the form of a cipher. Katya is brave and determined but clearly damaged and has erected a protective wall around herself.
It's ironic, therefore, that she is gradually persuaded by her fellow prisoners to open herself up to human connections and to risk being loved. She is surprised to receive kindnesses from the former aristocrats she considers her enemies but slowly realises they have more in common than she thought. The relationship that develops between Katya and Dima, a once-privileged Cossack disconcerts her at first but ultimately frees her in ways she could never have imagined.
If Katya is the guarded heart of The Whisper of Stars, Dima is its empathetic, courageous soul. Dima understands that his previous nobility means he has no chance of leaving Solovetsky Island alive but still determines to remind the other prisoners of their humanity through the arts. He also has a magical ability which has become more of a curse and without giving anything away here, is the perfect metaphor for Russia itself. Dima finds an ancient manuscript written by an ancestor and is inspired to join forces with Katya as they seek the answers which will allow them to revolt against tyranny and to ultimately free Russia from Bolshevik oppression. In spite of their differences, both Dima and Katya are empowered by poetry and the romantic tension which develops between them is by turns heartwarming and poignant.
The third voice is that of Natasha, who is arguably the most complex character in the book. Like Katya, she has also been imprisoned due to her magical abilities but she has taken a different path and as the storyline progresses, her objectives are intriguingly opaque. Natasha is a powerful witch but in choosing to collaborate with her captors, she is also a reminder of the tense webs of collusion and surveillance encouraged by the regime.
The Solovetsky Islands really were the site of a special prison in the White Sea and Cristin Williams captures the dangerous atmosphere of the remote, frozen gulag brilliantly. The sense of isolation is excellent but so too is the spirit of camaraderie and the prevailing nature of the human spirit. In spite of everything that occurs here – and the brutality of those in control is never in doubt – hope is never fully extinguished.
Cristin Williams' in-depth research is evident throughout and ensures The Whisper of Stars remains an authentic read even with its magical elements. The fantasy parts of the book are so well-realised they complement the historical story to create an exciting, engaging and moving tale of fortitude and love, even at the darkest of times. Highly recommended.
The narrative is split between three characters; Katya, Dima and Natasha. Their distinct voices are realised superbly as are the stark differences and similarities that lie behind their actions. Katya is the main protagonist and is a wonderful character. When we first meet her, she has endured months of cruel imprisonment where her attempts to resist having her magical abilities used to experiment on others has left her near starving, weak and traumatised. Her mother was a notorious anarchist who raised Katya to share her beliefs but left her feeling secondary to the cause. Nevertheless, she instructed her daughter in both politics and magic before being murdered, and her teachings drive Katya to seek the truth when she is sent to Solovetsky Island. She finds a mysteriously blood-stained book among her possessions and quickly realises her mother has left her a message in the form of a cipher. Katya is brave and determined but clearly damaged and has erected a protective wall around herself.
It's ironic, therefore, that she is gradually persuaded by her fellow prisoners to open herself up to human connections and to risk being loved. She is surprised to receive kindnesses from the former aristocrats she considers her enemies but slowly realises they have more in common than she thought. The relationship that develops between Katya and Dima, a once-privileged Cossack disconcerts her at first but ultimately frees her in ways she could never have imagined.
If Katya is the guarded heart of The Whisper of Stars, Dima is its empathetic, courageous soul. Dima understands that his previous nobility means he has no chance of leaving Solovetsky Island alive but still determines to remind the other prisoners of their humanity through the arts. He also has a magical ability which has become more of a curse and without giving anything away here, is the perfect metaphor for Russia itself. Dima finds an ancient manuscript written by an ancestor and is inspired to join forces with Katya as they seek the answers which will allow them to revolt against tyranny and to ultimately free Russia from Bolshevik oppression. In spite of their differences, both Dima and Katya are empowered by poetry and the romantic tension which develops between them is by turns heartwarming and poignant.
The third voice is that of Natasha, who is arguably the most complex character in the book. Like Katya, she has also been imprisoned due to her magical abilities but she has taken a different path and as the storyline progresses, her objectives are intriguingly opaque. Natasha is a powerful witch but in choosing to collaborate with her captors, she is also a reminder of the tense webs of collusion and surveillance encouraged by the regime.
The Solovetsky Islands really were the site of a special prison in the White Sea and Cristin Williams captures the dangerous atmosphere of the remote, frozen gulag brilliantly. The sense of isolation is excellent but so too is the spirit of camaraderie and the prevailing nature of the human spirit. In spite of everything that occurs here – and the brutality of those in control is never in doubt – hope is never fully extinguished.
Cristin Williams' in-depth research is evident throughout and ensures The Whisper of Stars remains an authentic read even with its magical elements. The fantasy parts of the book are so well-realised they complement the historical story to create an exciting, engaging and moving tale of fortitude and love, even at the darkest of times. Highly recommended.
November 26, 2025
(Overall: 5!) Thank you Orion Publishing Group and Cristin Williams for allowing me to access an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review! What a fantastic debut novel: a historical fantasy steeped in Russian politics and magic! I loved the intricate magic, politics, and interpersonal relationships!
Style (1): Assuming the occasional unfinished sentences and grammar mistakes have been edited in the final version (not the ARC I received), the writing style was excellent! There were occasional turns of phrases that I marveled at for their beautifully evocative imagery. At the beginning of each part of the book (there were several, each containing many chapters within), there was always a poem in a shape symbolic to that part. I can't personally evaluate the poetry as I've never had much of a taste or understanding for it, but I appreciated this special touch.
The only thing I should mention is that this book uses a lot of Russian (or Russian-sounding) words and referred to political parties and situations during the Russian revolution that I had no knowledge of. This felt a bit much at the beginning, so the book could have definitely done with a bit of a political/historical introduction as well as a glossary of non-English words.
Plot (1): The plot felt very original to me. Little did I know that it was based on more history than I had realized! Regardless, the author wove an intricate story with 3POVs and various different threads/stories within (reminding me of a story cloak—iykyk). The layers of POVs, each from a very different political background (extremely pertinent at the time of the Russian revolution) uncovered different parts of the story, joining other storytellers, creating a kaleidoscope that is difficult for me to describe since I am not myself a writer. It was a magical feat.
The plot included political strategy, defiance, abuse, manipulation, romance, kinship, hope, inspiration... it had everything!
Atmosphere/Setting (1): I didn't realize quite how historical this book was until reading the author's note at the end. It was shocking! Of course, there was no magic in 1920's Russia, but that didn't stop the Cheka from experimenting on suspected magic wielders! I, of course, knew of the gulags, but felt that I learned a lot about the experience of the real people sent to the gulags. It was very much like a WWII concentration camp, but with more snow. Even so, this book managed to create a mystical and hopeful atmosphere at times, romantic at times, and dangerously political and strategic at others. THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL!
Characters (1): The characters each had unique backgrounds representing a very wide variety of "political" affiliations, chosen or assigned at birth (e.g., social revolutionary, anarchist, Cossack, aristocrat...). They also had different personalities, approaches to survival, and magic (several but not all had magic). Yes, most of the characters fell into a dichotomy of morally "good" or "bad" based on what means they believed could be justified by the end, but they still had very different ideas of how best to get there, very different visions for a future Russia. I appreciated the inner struggles of the main characters when they tried to reason through their cognitive dissonance regarding the identities of others or other discoveries.
Enjoyment (1): I loved this book, especially because it gave me ALL the emotions! It made me yearn, it made me cry, it made me nauseous, it made me proud... Truly incredible that a novel (and a debut at that!) could elicit all these emotions from a single cast of characters and plot line in such a cohesive manner.
Style (1): Assuming the occasional unfinished sentences and grammar mistakes have been edited in the final version (not the ARC I received), the writing style was excellent! There were occasional turns of phrases that I marveled at for their beautifully evocative imagery. At the beginning of each part of the book (there were several, each containing many chapters within), there was always a poem in a shape symbolic to that part. I can't personally evaluate the poetry as I've never had much of a taste or understanding for it, but I appreciated this special touch.
The only thing I should mention is that this book uses a lot of Russian (or Russian-sounding) words and referred to political parties and situations during the Russian revolution that I had no knowledge of. This felt a bit much at the beginning, so the book could have definitely done with a bit of a political/historical introduction as well as a glossary of non-English words.
Plot (1): The plot felt very original to me. Little did I know that it was based on more history than I had realized! Regardless, the author wove an intricate story with 3POVs and various different threads/stories within (reminding me of a story cloak—iykyk). The layers of POVs, each from a very different political background (extremely pertinent at the time of the Russian revolution) uncovered different parts of the story, joining other storytellers, creating a kaleidoscope that is difficult for me to describe since I am not myself a writer. It was a magical feat.
The plot included political strategy, defiance, abuse, manipulation, romance, kinship, hope, inspiration... it had everything!
Atmosphere/Setting (1): I didn't realize quite how historical this book was until reading the author's note at the end. It was shocking! Of course, there was no magic in 1920's Russia, but that didn't stop the Cheka from experimenting on suspected magic wielders! I, of course, knew of the gulags, but felt that I learned a lot about the experience of the real people sent to the gulags. It was very much like a WWII concentration camp, but with more snow. Even so, this book managed to create a mystical and hopeful atmosphere at times, romantic at times, and dangerously political and strategic at others. THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL!
Characters (1): The characters each had unique backgrounds representing a very wide variety of "political" affiliations, chosen or assigned at birth (e.g., social revolutionary, anarchist, Cossack, aristocrat...). They also had different personalities, approaches to survival, and magic (several but not all had magic). Yes, most of the characters fell into a dichotomy of morally "good" or "bad" based on what means they believed could be justified by the end, but they still had very different ideas of how best to get there, very different visions for a future Russia. I appreciated the inner struggles of the main characters when they tried to reason through their cognitive dissonance regarding the identities of others or other discoveries.
Enjoyment (1): I loved this book, especially because it gave me ALL the emotions! It made me yearn, it made me cry, it made me nauseous, it made me proud... Truly incredible that a novel (and a debut at that!) could elicit all these emotions from a single cast of characters and plot line in such a cohesive manner.
November 19, 2025
Thank you so much to Gollancz, Cristin Williams and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of The Whisper of Stars.
The Whisper of Stars follows Katya, an anarchist poet in 1920s Russia who has been imprisoned in a laboratory since she was arrested after the death of her anarchist mother. She possesses magic, and she's been experimented on for months. When Katya is transferred to a prison colony on Solovetsky Island, she finds clues and ciphers in the journal that her mother left behind for her, telling her to follow the whisper of the stars. Along with an aristocrat, Dima, Katya must follow these clues to unlock the secrets of the island and work to save herself and those she cares about from the prison.
Unfortunately this one just didn't engage me as much as I wanted it to. I'm really interested in Russian history and was drawn to this one because it's based off of a really turbulent time in Russian history, and I did find that this was very well researched by the author with lots of real life historical figures woven in. However the story and the characters just didn't grip me at all, so I ended up not really caring about what happened to any of the characters in the story. It was probably a me thing and would have changed if I'd read this at a different time, but reading it when I did I struggled to really get into it as much as I wanted to.
The writing in this is really beautiful and really carried across the horror of living in this prison colony. The desperation and despair of the prisoners really came through, and this became a really harrowing and dark read at times. I really enjoyed the inclusion of poetry in between the different parts. It was fun to have a little break from the story to read the poems, and some of them were really well done. I'm not usually a poetry lover, but I did enjoy reading the ones that were included here.
The pacing needed work here I think, some parts were super slow and dragged quite a bit, which made this book feel longer than it was. That and not being able to connect to the characters that much just meant this book didn't engage me as much as I wanted, and I found myself eager to just get through it.
I did also enjoy the magic included in here, however I would have liked a bit more explanation about how most of the magic worked and how different parts of the magic came to be. We did get a story about the people who can turn into bears, which was a nice touch, but I think I wanted more background about how the other magics worked and came about.
I'd say if you like dark, slow, haunting books about the persistent survival of humanity, I think you'd enjoy this one. It tackles themes of grief and hope in dark times very well; it just wasn't quite something that hooked me at this moment in time unfortunately.
The Whisper of Stars follows Katya, an anarchist poet in 1920s Russia who has been imprisoned in a laboratory since she was arrested after the death of her anarchist mother. She possesses magic, and she's been experimented on for months. When Katya is transferred to a prison colony on Solovetsky Island, she finds clues and ciphers in the journal that her mother left behind for her, telling her to follow the whisper of the stars. Along with an aristocrat, Dima, Katya must follow these clues to unlock the secrets of the island and work to save herself and those she cares about from the prison.
Unfortunately this one just didn't engage me as much as I wanted it to. I'm really interested in Russian history and was drawn to this one because it's based off of a really turbulent time in Russian history, and I did find that this was very well researched by the author with lots of real life historical figures woven in. However the story and the characters just didn't grip me at all, so I ended up not really caring about what happened to any of the characters in the story. It was probably a me thing and would have changed if I'd read this at a different time, but reading it when I did I struggled to really get into it as much as I wanted to.
The writing in this is really beautiful and really carried across the horror of living in this prison colony. The desperation and despair of the prisoners really came through, and this became a really harrowing and dark read at times. I really enjoyed the inclusion of poetry in between the different parts. It was fun to have a little break from the story to read the poems, and some of them were really well done. I'm not usually a poetry lover, but I did enjoy reading the ones that were included here.
The pacing needed work here I think, some parts were super slow and dragged quite a bit, which made this book feel longer than it was. That and not being able to connect to the characters that much just meant this book didn't engage me as much as I wanted, and I found myself eager to just get through it.
I did also enjoy the magic included in here, however I would have liked a bit more explanation about how most of the magic worked and how different parts of the magic came to be. We did get a story about the people who can turn into bears, which was a nice touch, but I think I wanted more background about how the other magics worked and came about.
I'd say if you like dark, slow, haunting books about the persistent survival of humanity, I think you'd enjoy this one. It tackles themes of grief and hope in dark times very well; it just wasn't quite something that hooked me at this moment in time unfortunately.
December 9, 2025
I devoured this book, shivering under a blanket with a million cups of coffee as Cristin spirits you away to both the past, and an icebound island in Bolshevik era Russia.
The notion that armies and politicians have experimented with the supernatural and the occult is something which has been explored in books such as 'The Spear' by James Herbert and all encompassing new obsession, 'IT: Welcome To Derry', so I had no issue believing that Russians were conducting secret experiments during the post tsar era, in the hope of maintaining rule through fear.
The title refers to a note that one of the protagonists, Katya, finds scribbled into her poetry notebook, by her mother, a murdered revolutionary.
It refers to a Yakut belief that anything spoken during this meteorological phenomenon , would result in your words being frozen as they were spoken, falling to the ground and in spring, the thaw would release these words into waiting ears.
Katya has minimal possessions after being snatched from a boarding school where she was being made to spy on the daughters of the bourgeoise.
The book begins by introducing Katya as trapped and being made to force her powers onto other trapped , human subjects, using mind control as a weapon , with the promise of rest and food as a reward.
However, her supernatural, witchy abilities are thrown into the pale by Subject 30, Dmitri, or Dima, who turns into a bear and attacks the doctors and soldiers maintaining the 'safety' of the experiments.
Both are trapped by the magic which could bring them freedom, and the ability to fight back against the revolutionaries who promised freedom, but, instead, imposed under Lenin's rule, even more stringent living conditions.
An iron ring around Dima's neck and bruised finger marks around Katya's, rob them of their agency (Dima's shape shifting and the Katya's verbalisation of her spells) and allows them to be 'safely' transported to Solovetsky Iskland, where an ancient, abandoned monastery has been commandeered as a prison/experimentation laboratory.
Ice bound, physically bound and carrying the weight of generational trauma, both Dima and Katya are seeking answers for their family curses whilst trying to bring down this restrictive regime from the inside.
A beautifully realised , historical and fantastical epic, this sweeps you up with both the action and the revolving narrators.
Mixing real life figures such as Gleb Boki, with well established fantastical elements, creates a timely narrative to publish whilst authenticity and truth are valuable ideals, but so hard to come by. This was a fantastic read with extraordinary talent, heart and scope. I absolutely loved it!
The notion that armies and politicians have experimented with the supernatural and the occult is something which has been explored in books such as 'The Spear' by James Herbert and all encompassing new obsession, 'IT: Welcome To Derry', so I had no issue believing that Russians were conducting secret experiments during the post tsar era, in the hope of maintaining rule through fear.
The title refers to a note that one of the protagonists, Katya, finds scribbled into her poetry notebook, by her mother, a murdered revolutionary.
It refers to a Yakut belief that anything spoken during this meteorological phenomenon , would result in your words being frozen as they were spoken, falling to the ground and in spring, the thaw would release these words into waiting ears.
Katya has minimal possessions after being snatched from a boarding school where she was being made to spy on the daughters of the bourgeoise.
The book begins by introducing Katya as trapped and being made to force her powers onto other trapped , human subjects, using mind control as a weapon , with the promise of rest and food as a reward.
However, her supernatural, witchy abilities are thrown into the pale by Subject 30, Dmitri, or Dima, who turns into a bear and attacks the doctors and soldiers maintaining the 'safety' of the experiments.
Both are trapped by the magic which could bring them freedom, and the ability to fight back against the revolutionaries who promised freedom, but, instead, imposed under Lenin's rule, even more stringent living conditions.
An iron ring around Dima's neck and bruised finger marks around Katya's, rob them of their agency (Dima's shape shifting and the Katya's verbalisation of her spells) and allows them to be 'safely' transported to Solovetsky Iskland, where an ancient, abandoned monastery has been commandeered as a prison/experimentation laboratory.
Ice bound, physically bound and carrying the weight of generational trauma, both Dima and Katya are seeking answers for their family curses whilst trying to bring down this restrictive regime from the inside.
A beautifully realised , historical and fantastical epic, this sweeps you up with both the action and the revolving narrators.
Mixing real life figures such as Gleb Boki, with well established fantastical elements, creates a timely narrative to publish whilst authenticity and truth are valuable ideals, but so hard to come by. This was a fantastic read with extraordinary talent, heart and scope. I absolutely loved it!
September 3, 2025
3.5 stars
I always enjoy reading historical fantasy, wherein there's just that slight hint of magic in recognizable, real-life places. That was why I was excited to try out The Whisper of Stars . However, this book unfortunately fell short of my expectations. Set in an alternate history version of 1920s Russia, this book centres around three characters, Katya, an anarchist poet; Dima, a former aristocrat and Natasha, a rogue witch, as they hunt down a secret magical source that could change all of Russia, all the while being imprisoned on a very dangerous island.
I knew from the start this was going to be a slow, character-driven fantasy, and usually I enjoy those. However, in reading this book, I didn't find myself enjoying the chapters, and found them to be a little too slow, even for someone like me who loooves a good slow fantasy book. The characters also weren't compelling enough for a fantasy book that centres around them, and I found it hard to care for them. Another thing which I wasn't a fan of was the level of information being provided to us in the first few chapters. It was very much an info dump right from the first chapter till the ending. Unfortunately, this made the book feel very much as though I was reading a historical fiction book rather than a fantasy book.
The concept of the magic system was unique, and I loved how interesting the power system was constructed, and how even the most innocuous of things could be used to perform magic. However, there simply wasn't enough of usage of said magic that kept me hooked, at least for the first half of the book. In the second half it picks up for sure, but once more, with the slow pacing and everything else, I just wanted to finish this book as soon as I could.
One thing I will say, as someone who has a little bit of knowledge about Russian history and the Bolshevik Revolution, Cristin Williams has put in an incredible amount of research and effort into crafting an alternate history Russia and I truly enjoyed that aspect of the book. She perfectly captured the brutality and violence of that time period, and how cruel things were. I honestly think she would such an amazing job writing a historical fiction novel.
Unfortunately, while I did not enjoy The Whisper of Stars as much as I wanted to, there are many aspects of this book that will be enjoyable for other readers. And I'll definitely keep an eye out for what Cristin Williams writes next, because the history lover in me was pretty happy reading this.
Thank you Gollancz for sending me an e-ARC through NetGalley!
I always enjoy reading historical fantasy, wherein there's just that slight hint of magic in recognizable, real-life places. That was why I was excited to try out The Whisper of Stars . However, this book unfortunately fell short of my expectations. Set in an alternate history version of 1920s Russia, this book centres around three characters, Katya, an anarchist poet; Dima, a former aristocrat and Natasha, a rogue witch, as they hunt down a secret magical source that could change all of Russia, all the while being imprisoned on a very dangerous island.
I knew from the start this was going to be a slow, character-driven fantasy, and usually I enjoy those. However, in reading this book, I didn't find myself enjoying the chapters, and found them to be a little too slow, even for someone like me who loooves a good slow fantasy book. The characters also weren't compelling enough for a fantasy book that centres around them, and I found it hard to care for them. Another thing which I wasn't a fan of was the level of information being provided to us in the first few chapters. It was very much an info dump right from the first chapter till the ending. Unfortunately, this made the book feel very much as though I was reading a historical fiction book rather than a fantasy book.
The concept of the magic system was unique, and I loved how interesting the power system was constructed, and how even the most innocuous of things could be used to perform magic. However, there simply wasn't enough of usage of said magic that kept me hooked, at least for the first half of the book. In the second half it picks up for sure, but once more, with the slow pacing and everything else, I just wanted to finish this book as soon as I could.
One thing I will say, as someone who has a little bit of knowledge about Russian history and the Bolshevik Revolution, Cristin Williams has put in an incredible amount of research and effort into crafting an alternate history Russia and I truly enjoyed that aspect of the book. She perfectly captured the brutality and violence of that time period, and how cruel things were. I honestly think she would such an amazing job writing a historical fiction novel.
Unfortunately, while I did not enjoy The Whisper of Stars as much as I wanted to, there are many aspects of this book that will be enjoyable for other readers. And I'll definitely keep an eye out for what Cristin Williams writes next, because the history lover in me was pretty happy reading this.
Thank you Gollancz for sending me an e-ARC through NetGalley!
November 6, 2025
I don’t just read fantasy, I also read other genres, why else would I be so intrigued by The Whisper of Stars by Cristin Williams. Set in 1923 this book is an epic work of historical fantasy fiction. I remember studying Russia from 1700 to 1950s in school and this book lays it’s roots in the Russian Revolution, bringing to fantastical life real world historical figures within a fantasy that has its roots in folk stories and legends.
In the years following the dark and dramatic events of the Russian Revolution, Lenin’s Bolshevik forces have made the decision to utilise the magical skills of witchcraft and those citizens who have those skills to serve the state. The story focuses on three protagonists, Yekaterina Efremova (Katya,) born into a family of and daughter of the famous Svetlana Efremova, is Volshevniki, born with magic powers, specifically Charovniki, the casting of spells. Dima, son of an aristocratic Cossack family, enemy of the state and having the Skomorokh ability ( ability to shape shift into a bear,) and Natasha, a witch with the skill of Vedma (she can use ritual magic to identify and condemn counter-revolutionaries.) Natasha is an unwilling spy for Commissar Boky, who has been instructed to become close to and report on Katya.
All three have been transferred to the island of Solvetsky, original home of the Solovki Monastery, which may be why Katya feels the strangeness and power of the island or like Dima there may be another reason for this sensation. All three are prisoners on the island but, not united in their status as prisoner as their original status of anarchist and aristocrat are not exactly compatible in post Revolution Russia. This is where the treasure hunt element of the story truly comes to life, Stenka Razin, a 17th century revolutionary had an object that granted huge power to it’s owner, the Bolsheviki want it but, so do our intrepid protagonists.
Normally this is where I would say there’s a real YA feel to the story but, Williams’ world-building and use of the realities of the harshness of post revolution Russia to bring to life the horrifying aspects of being imprisoned on an island labour camp, don’t work, don’t eat, the historic brutality is merged with fantasy and folk stories to bring to life horrifying guards that can transform into wolves. Williams’ world-building does not deny the darkness, brutality and danger of this period of Russian history and the story recognises those who suffered, and brings a real sense of reality to the story that cannot be denied.
Thank you so much Orion Publishing Group, Gollancz and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
In the years following the dark and dramatic events of the Russian Revolution, Lenin’s Bolshevik forces have made the decision to utilise the magical skills of witchcraft and those citizens who have those skills to serve the state. The story focuses on three protagonists, Yekaterina Efremova (Katya,) born into a family of and daughter of the famous Svetlana Efremova, is Volshevniki, born with magic powers, specifically Charovniki, the casting of spells. Dima, son of an aristocratic Cossack family, enemy of the state and having the Skomorokh ability ( ability to shape shift into a bear,) and Natasha, a witch with the skill of Vedma (she can use ritual magic to identify and condemn counter-revolutionaries.) Natasha is an unwilling spy for Commissar Boky, who has been instructed to become close to and report on Katya.
All three have been transferred to the island of Solvetsky, original home of the Solovki Monastery, which may be why Katya feels the strangeness and power of the island or like Dima there may be another reason for this sensation. All three are prisoners on the island but, not united in their status as prisoner as their original status of anarchist and aristocrat are not exactly compatible in post Revolution Russia. This is where the treasure hunt element of the story truly comes to life, Stenka Razin, a 17th century revolutionary had an object that granted huge power to it’s owner, the Bolsheviki want it but, so do our intrepid protagonists.
Normally this is where I would say there’s a real YA feel to the story but, Williams’ world-building and use of the realities of the harshness of post revolution Russia to bring to life the horrifying aspects of being imprisoned on an island labour camp, don’t work, don’t eat, the historic brutality is merged with fantasy and folk stories to bring to life horrifying guards that can transform into wolves. Williams’ world-building does not deny the darkness, brutality and danger of this period of Russian history and the story recognises those who suffered, and brings a real sense of reality to the story that cannot be denied.
Thank you so much Orion Publishing Group, Gollancz and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
October 3, 2025
For me, The Whisper of Stars was the perfect blend of fantasy and historical fiction. Set in 1920s Russia, we follow three characters imprisoned on Solovetsky Island: Katya, the anarchist, Dima, the aristocrat, and Natasha, the enigma. They each had a distinct voice, with their personalities woven throughout exquisite prose.
The claustrophobia of the prison only intensifies the message at this book's core - the strength of community in the face of political adversity. This is something our protagonist, Katya, has had instilled in her from birth as daughter of anarchist figurehead Svetlana Efremova, yet struggles with intensely due to her own trauma surrounding her mother's death. Svetlana cryptically haunts the narrative as Katya follows clues and ciphers left to her, burdened with the duty of fulfilling the mission of someone with whom her relationship was so strained.
I particularly loved Dima Danilov, as he was the voice of rebellion through art, and the power of gentle kindness. He is charming, creative, and his skomorokh magic was endearing - I think because he treated it as something that connected him to his ancestors. rather than a tool he relied on, like Katya and Natasha do with their spellcasting.
The supporting characters such as Tsisana and Andrei, were strong, and I even found myself enjoying the 'villains' of the story, despite my hatred of them - a sign of great writing. Whilst some were outright sadistic, others were complex, and their motives both understandable and condemnable.
Life on Solovetsky island is brutal and abrasive, not just in the treatment of the prisoners, but in the frozen landscape surrounding them. In a world where survival feels impossible, it is even more heartwarming to witness the blossoming of relationships - both platonic and romantic - as these connections breathe life into the barren environment. The romance was a subplot, and therefore didn't overwhelm the crucial focus on politics, however that is not to say that it was lacking. The passion was tender, vulnerable, and utterly satisfying, and whilst I feel slightly bereft at the ending of this book, I can recognise the purpose of it's ambiguity; these events are so much bigger than the characters we grow to adore, and since they themselves place so much value on folklore, it is fitting for their tale to end as such - being narrated to us as readers.
Thank you to Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group, and Cristin Williams for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The claustrophobia of the prison only intensifies the message at this book's core - the strength of community in the face of political adversity. This is something our protagonist, Katya, has had instilled in her from birth as daughter of anarchist figurehead Svetlana Efremova, yet struggles with intensely due to her own trauma surrounding her mother's death. Svetlana cryptically haunts the narrative as Katya follows clues and ciphers left to her, burdened with the duty of fulfilling the mission of someone with whom her relationship was so strained.
I particularly loved Dima Danilov, as he was the voice of rebellion through art, and the power of gentle kindness. He is charming, creative, and his skomorokh magic was endearing - I think because he treated it as something that connected him to his ancestors. rather than a tool he relied on, like Katya and Natasha do with their spellcasting.
The supporting characters such as Tsisana and Andrei, were strong, and I even found myself enjoying the 'villains' of the story, despite my hatred of them - a sign of great writing. Whilst some were outright sadistic, others were complex, and their motives both understandable and condemnable.
Life on Solovetsky island is brutal and abrasive, not just in the treatment of the prisoners, but in the frozen landscape surrounding them. In a world where survival feels impossible, it is even more heartwarming to witness the blossoming of relationships - both platonic and romantic - as these connections breathe life into the barren environment. The romance was a subplot, and therefore didn't overwhelm the crucial focus on politics, however that is not to say that it was lacking. The passion was tender, vulnerable, and utterly satisfying, and whilst I feel slightly bereft at the ending of this book, I can recognise the purpose of it's ambiguity; these events are so much bigger than the characters we grow to adore, and since they themselves place so much value on folklore, it is fitting for their tale to end as such - being narrated to us as readers.
Thank you to Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group, and Cristin Williams for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2025
For fans of: Belle Sauvage, Shadow and Bone, Luna Nera
Rating: 2.5, rounding up to 3
When Dima, a Cossack aristocrat and Katya, an anarchist are both imprisoned at Solovetsky Prison, they find themselves drawn together despite antagonistic backgrounds in pursuit of a mystery that involves Katya’s dead mother and Dima’s long-ago ancestor. In this alternate history of 1924 Russia where magic is real, a dangerous search involving cryptography and secrets bound by magic unfolds amidst unspeakable conditions. Against Dima and Katya is the mysterious witch Natasha, also a prisoner on the island but covertly working as an agent of the government who is just as interested in uncovering the powerful artifact at the heart of Dima and Katya’s quest.
Being a fan of historical fantasy (especially the kind that involves witchcraft) also interested in the history of anarchism and the history of the Don Cossacks, the premise of this book drew me in, but it ended up having a much stronger premise than execution in my opinion.
One of the things I enjoyed the most was pattern poetry at the beginning of each section. The author’s command of verse throughout the book is a delightful addition to what otherwise felt bland. The chapters felt very formulaic, and the historical exposition throughout felt forced; which frankly is too bad because the Author’s Note at the end was much more interesting and engaging to read than the book itself. I think the author had an interesting idea for a book in a setting that she has deep knowledge of, but ultimately failed to satisfyingly bring those two things together.
While some of the plot twists were exciting or intriguing, others were either entirely predictable or “gotcha!” surprise moments rather than actual twists. Dropping a bomb on a reader is one thing (and usually really exciting!) but “suddenly actually XYZ all along” is not the same.
All that being said, the ending was perfect and fit the tone of the overall book and the setting appropriately. This story cannot exist and have a happily ever after without sacrificing its integrity.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
Rating: 2.5, rounding up to 3
When Dima, a Cossack aristocrat and Katya, an anarchist are both imprisoned at Solovetsky Prison, they find themselves drawn together despite antagonistic backgrounds in pursuit of a mystery that involves Katya’s dead mother and Dima’s long-ago ancestor. In this alternate history of 1924 Russia where magic is real, a dangerous search involving cryptography and secrets bound by magic unfolds amidst unspeakable conditions. Against Dima and Katya is the mysterious witch Natasha, also a prisoner on the island but covertly working as an agent of the government who is just as interested in uncovering the powerful artifact at the heart of Dima and Katya’s quest.
Being a fan of historical fantasy (especially the kind that involves witchcraft) also interested in the history of anarchism and the history of the Don Cossacks, the premise of this book drew me in, but it ended up having a much stronger premise than execution in my opinion.
One of the things I enjoyed the most was pattern poetry at the beginning of each section. The author’s command of verse throughout the book is a delightful addition to what otherwise felt bland. The chapters felt very formulaic, and the historical exposition throughout felt forced; which frankly is too bad because the Author’s Note at the end was much more interesting and engaging to read than the book itself. I think the author had an interesting idea for a book in a setting that she has deep knowledge of, but ultimately failed to satisfyingly bring those two things together.
While some of the plot twists were exciting or intriguing, others were either entirely predictable or “gotcha!” surprise moments rather than actual twists. Dropping a bomb on a reader is one thing (and usually really exciting!) but “suddenly actually XYZ all along” is not the same.
All that being said, the ending was perfect and fit the tone of the overall book and the setting appropriately. This story cannot exist and have a happily ever after without sacrificing its integrity.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 20, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for sending me an e-copy of The Whisper of Stars in exchange of an honest review.
Before I start on the actual review, a note on the editing:
sigh... now, now, what the heck is this editing? I'm not sure if it was my kindle copy or if that's like this for everyone, but ????
Between words cut (a letter separated from the rest of the word), paragraphs cut randomly, sentences abruptly ended after a comma (????), and worst of all.. the author's name in the middle of sentences? (not once, not twice, but at least THREE times???).
I'm sorry but that was atrocious. It kept throwing me off the story which was already a little hard to follow sometimes, and the frustration was up the roof. I really hope this was only a mistake and the actual book will be clean once it's out.
That set aside (with difficulty, though), the story is okay.
I really liked the reveals about the monastery's history and the political/magical context in Russia (I also liked reading the author's note about her research while writing the book.). The magic system isn't earth shattering, it was also a bit confusing at times, but I don't think it's meant to be the HARD core of the story, to me the characters' beliefs were way more important and magic was eventually only a mean to an end, I'm not mad about that.
I wasn't very invested in Katya or Dima, but the mysteries about her and her mother's cypher kept me interested enough to go through the entire book. The conclusion even left me satisfied to be honest, I was glad about the way it all ended, very nicely done in my opinion.
There was potential there!! But I was still a bit disappointed about one of Katya's discoveries which I think was supposed to land way harder than it has, and ended not being that very useful for story when it could have been huge.
Bonus point : the book cover is amazingly beautiful.
2.5-rounded up to 3/5, it's not bad, it's not great, but the editing problem threw me off way too much for me to really enjoy the story properly.
Before I start on the actual review, a note on the editing:
sigh... now, now, what the heck is this editing? I'm not sure if it was my kindle copy or if that's like this for everyone, but ????
Between words cut (a letter separated from the rest of the word), paragraphs cut randomly, sentences abruptly ended after a comma (????), and worst of all.. the author's name in the middle of sentences? (not once, not twice, but at least THREE times???).
I'm sorry but that was atrocious. It kept throwing me off the story which was already a little hard to follow sometimes, and the frustration was up the roof. I really hope this was only a mistake and the actual book will be clean once it's out.
That set aside (with difficulty, though), the story is okay.
I really liked the reveals about the monastery's history and the political/magical context in Russia (I also liked reading the author's note about her research while writing the book.). The magic system isn't earth shattering, it was also a bit confusing at times, but I don't think it's meant to be the HARD core of the story, to me the characters' beliefs were way more important and magic was eventually only a mean to an end, I'm not mad about that.
I wasn't very invested in Katya or Dima, but the mysteries about her and her mother's cypher kept me interested enough to go through the entire book. The conclusion even left me satisfied to be honest, I was glad about the way it all ended, very nicely done in my opinion.
There was potential there!! But I was still a bit disappointed about one of Katya's discoveries which I think was supposed to land way harder than it has, and ended not being that very useful for story when it could have been huge.
Bonus point : the book cover is amazingly beautiful.
2.5-rounded up to 3/5, it's not bad, it's not great, but the editing problem threw me off way too much for me to really enjoy the story properly.
November 19, 2025
Katya is a prisoner and has been transferred to the prison colony on Solovetsky Island but this is only the start of her journey. When she discovers a book of fairytales amongst her belongings she realises her late mother has left her a secret message. Can Katya unravel the secret left behind by her mother?
I would describe this story as a combination of historical fiction and fantasy. I really enjoyed this book and as soon as I started to read I was quickly transported to Katya’s world which at times was quite brutal. The storyline included drama, politics, action, mystery and magic. I really liked the world building because it was completely unique and very easy to understand. I did find that this was quite a slow paced read to begin with but as the story progressed the pace did pick up. But I do think that the initial slow pace did help me to get to know Katya and the world she was living in.
There are three main characters in the story: Katya, Dima and Natasha. Katya is an anarchist and meets Dima, who is also a prisoner. Natasha is sent by the government to get close to and spy on Katya. It was interesting to see all of the characters interact and develop. What isn't clear from the beginning is how all of the characters are connected but as the story progresses the link and connection between is revealed.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Katya and Dima develop. Their first meeting was certainly unusual because just as they are due to be experimented on Dima shape shifts into a bear. It’s at this point that Katya realises that Dima has a magical gift like she does. Katya’s gift being that she is a spell crafter. They do clash to begin with but that changes when they start to work together and something more than friendship develops between them.
Katya was a brilliant character. She is strong and determined. Whilst in captivity she goes through so much and is tortured. But despite this she remains strong and determined. Those around her try to break her but they always fail because Katya has an inner spirit and courage that can’t be broken. Even when she is knocked down she always gets back up. That’s one quality that I admired in her.
I would describe this story as a combination of historical fiction and fantasy. I really enjoyed this book and as soon as I started to read I was quickly transported to Katya’s world which at times was quite brutal. The storyline included drama, politics, action, mystery and magic. I really liked the world building because it was completely unique and very easy to understand. I did find that this was quite a slow paced read to begin with but as the story progressed the pace did pick up. But I do think that the initial slow pace did help me to get to know Katya and the world she was living in.
There are three main characters in the story: Katya, Dima and Natasha. Katya is an anarchist and meets Dima, who is also a prisoner. Natasha is sent by the government to get close to and spy on Katya. It was interesting to see all of the characters interact and develop. What isn't clear from the beginning is how all of the characters are connected but as the story progresses the link and connection between is revealed.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Katya and Dima develop. Their first meeting was certainly unusual because just as they are due to be experimented on Dima shape shifts into a bear. It’s at this point that Katya realises that Dima has a magical gift like she does. Katya’s gift being that she is a spell crafter. They do clash to begin with but that changes when they start to work together and something more than friendship develops between them.
Katya was a brilliant character. She is strong and determined. Whilst in captivity she goes through so much and is tortured. But despite this she remains strong and determined. Those around her try to break her but they always fail because Katya has an inner spirit and courage that can’t be broken. Even when she is knocked down she always gets back up. That’s one quality that I admired in her.
May 5, 2025
Going into this story I was so excited - hoping for a magical reimagining of early 20th century Russia. However what I got fell quite short of my expectations. The magical elements, while present, felt not quite fleshed out and somewhat disconnected from the main plot. Instead of adding value to the story, the magic seemed more like an afterthought, and I couldn’t help but feel that the story would have worked just as well without it.
The characters also lacked depth and it was impossible for me to grow attached to any of them. They felt more defined by their actions than by their personality and lacked a distinctive, recognizable voice.
The chemistry between the fmc and the mmc was just not there, which made it difficult to really care about their dynamic.
The pacing was slow paced with very little that felt truly engaging or significant. At times, it felt as though the story lacked direction or momentum.
The writing style felt very anticlimactic to me as pivotal moments completely lost their emotional value and parts that were supposed to feel exciting felt rather bland.
I came into this book with high hopes, and that’s probably on me.
After finishing the book I even reread the synopsis, wondering how my initial expectations diverged so much from what I read. It feels like the story promised one thing and delivered another.
That being said, I don’t think that it is a bad book - it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
Readers who enjoy historical fiction with elements inspired by russian mythology will find a lot to appreciate here. But if you’re looking for an intriguing, immersive fantasy, this one might leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed.
Thanks to NetGalley & Orion Publishing Group for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The characters also lacked depth and it was impossible for me to grow attached to any of them. They felt more defined by their actions than by their personality and lacked a distinctive, recognizable voice.
The chemistry between the fmc and the mmc was just not there, which made it difficult to really care about their dynamic.
The pacing was slow paced with very little that felt truly engaging or significant. At times, it felt as though the story lacked direction or momentum.
The writing style felt very anticlimactic to me as pivotal moments completely lost their emotional value and parts that were supposed to feel exciting felt rather bland.
I came into this book with high hopes, and that’s probably on me.
After finishing the book I even reread the synopsis, wondering how my initial expectations diverged so much from what I read. It feels like the story promised one thing and delivered another.
That being said, I don’t think that it is a bad book - it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
Readers who enjoy historical fiction with elements inspired by russian mythology will find a lot to appreciate here. But if you’re looking for an intriguing, immersive fantasy, this one might leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed.
Thanks to NetGalley & Orion Publishing Group for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 9, 2025
Lately I’ve been loving historical fiction blended with magical realism and fantasy, so I was thrilled to join the blog tour for this stunning debut. As someone fascinated by Russian history, the premise immediately drew me in and it absolutely delivered.
Set in the 1920s, the story follows Katya Efremova, who has just been transferred to a brutal prison colony on the icy Solovetsky Island. While there, she discovers a bloodstained book containing a cipher left by her mother on the day she died. As Katya begins to unravel its secrets, she finds herself caught in a centuries-old mystery that could hold the key to overthrowing the Bolshevik regime.
The narrative is shared between three compelling perspectives: Katya, the determined poet seeking truth and freedom; Natasha, a witch enlisted by the government’s spy network to befriend Katya and expose the hidden magic and Dima, an aristocrat whose own past is entwined with the mysterious cipher.
I loved how Cristin Williams wove Russian history into this alternate world, it created such a rich, atmospheric backdrop for the story’s magical elements. The prison colony setting was chilling and vividly depicted, adding a real sense of danger and tension. The blend of political unrest, opposing factions, and a hidden magical underworld made this an immersive and compelling read.
The characters were well developed, with plenty of depth and complexity (and a few villainous ones too!). I found myself really rooting for Katya and Dima as they faced impossible odds.
If you enjoy historical fantasy with elements of magic, mystery, and code-breaking, I highly recommend The Whisper of Stars. It’s a dark, atmospheric debut full of secrets, symbolism, and hope and I can’t wait to see what Cristin Williams writes next.
Set in the 1920s, the story follows Katya Efremova, who has just been transferred to a brutal prison colony on the icy Solovetsky Island. While there, she discovers a bloodstained book containing a cipher left by her mother on the day she died. As Katya begins to unravel its secrets, she finds herself caught in a centuries-old mystery that could hold the key to overthrowing the Bolshevik regime.
The narrative is shared between three compelling perspectives: Katya, the determined poet seeking truth and freedom; Natasha, a witch enlisted by the government’s spy network to befriend Katya and expose the hidden magic and Dima, an aristocrat whose own past is entwined with the mysterious cipher.
I loved how Cristin Williams wove Russian history into this alternate world, it created such a rich, atmospheric backdrop for the story’s magical elements. The prison colony setting was chilling and vividly depicted, adding a real sense of danger and tension. The blend of political unrest, opposing factions, and a hidden magical underworld made this an immersive and compelling read.
The characters were well developed, with plenty of depth and complexity (and a few villainous ones too!). I found myself really rooting for Katya and Dima as they faced impossible odds.
If you enjoy historical fantasy with elements of magic, mystery, and code-breaking, I highly recommend The Whisper of Stars. It’s a dark, atmospheric debut full of secrets, symbolism, and hope and I can’t wait to see what Cristin Williams writes next.
October 29, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Slavic folklore-inspired fantasy set in 1920s Russia? The Whisper of Stars felt like the perfect book for me, but unfortunately, it just fell flat.
I really appreciate the amount of research that went into this project and the real-life people/events that were incorporated into the story. The atmosphere the author created was very vivid, and the poems in between the parts were a fun addition. I also love the general message of resistance and the power that friendship and art can have in difficult situations.
I don't know how this novel managed to have so many twists and turns and yet feel so slow. The fantastical elements, particularly the various types of magic, could have been explained more clearly. The characters were one-dimensional, and it was hard to empathize or even care about them.
One of the main points of conflict in the novel was the relationship between Katya and Natasha. In my opinion, Natasha's reasons for not liking Katya did not feel strong enough, especially considering just how significant that was to the story. In general, the relationships were underdeveloped, and the discussion about difficult family relationships could have been very interesting, but ultimately just lacked depth.
Overall, I think the author attempted to do too many things at once, and most of them were unsuccessful. She nailed the research and the setting (both historical and the atmosphere of the physical location), but to the detriment of plot, characters, and the magic system. Maybe if this had been just a historical mystery instead of a fantasy, she could have focused more on these foundational elements and added more depth to the discussion topics that were touched on.
A Slavic folklore-inspired fantasy set in 1920s Russia? The Whisper of Stars felt like the perfect book for me, but unfortunately, it just fell flat.
I really appreciate the amount of research that went into this project and the real-life people/events that were incorporated into the story. The atmosphere the author created was very vivid, and the poems in between the parts were a fun addition. I also love the general message of resistance and the power that friendship and art can have in difficult situations.
I don't know how this novel managed to have so many twists and turns and yet feel so slow. The fantastical elements, particularly the various types of magic, could have been explained more clearly. The characters were one-dimensional, and it was hard to empathize or even care about them.
One of the main points of conflict in the novel was the relationship between Katya and Natasha. In my opinion, Natasha's reasons for not liking Katya did not feel strong enough, especially considering just how significant that was to the story. In general, the relationships were underdeveloped, and the discussion about difficult family relationships could have been very interesting, but ultimately just lacked depth.
Overall, I think the author attempted to do too many things at once, and most of them were unsuccessful. She nailed the research and the setting (both historical and the atmosphere of the physical location), but to the detriment of plot, characters, and the magic system. Maybe if this had been just a historical mystery instead of a fantasy, she could have focused more on these foundational elements and added more depth to the discussion topics that were touched on.
October 26, 2025
Set in an alternative 1920s Russia, Katya, Dima, and Natasha share their raw stories in this historical fantasy.
There is this association with 1920s Russia, one with spies, secrets, dictatorship, revolution, and cold power. The stern authorities vs passionate artistry. This story builds upon those themes vividly and blends elements of magic, creating a magical and immersive world with lots of tension.
Unfortunately for me, it felt quite unbalanced. Historical fiction about events I had little knowledge of. Magical creatures that I failed to understand their species. Mysteries and secrets that did not grip me. And the pacing felt unsteady.
The format was truly intriguing. Switching from Katya, Dima, and Natasha's perspective and the visual 'codes' or 'riddles' juxtaposed with some chapters.
The characters were complex and well-layered; however, it felt like those layers were not explored to the point where they tug at the heart. The dynamic between the characters was rather hasty, but because of the story's plot (a slow-developing bond of trust), it created this contradictory sensation.
Overall, the premise is catchy and pulsating, but the story could be improved by providing a bit more background information and the dynamics of the characters, especially at the beginning. On a final note, the writing was sharp and raw, perfectly reflecting the story's sentiments and its immersive alternative magical world.
Thank you, NetGalley and Cristin Williams, for the opportunity to read this book.
There is this association with 1920s Russia, one with spies, secrets, dictatorship, revolution, and cold power. The stern authorities vs passionate artistry. This story builds upon those themes vividly and blends elements of magic, creating a magical and immersive world with lots of tension.
Unfortunately for me, it felt quite unbalanced. Historical fiction about events I had little knowledge of. Magical creatures that I failed to understand their species. Mysteries and secrets that did not grip me. And the pacing felt unsteady.
The format was truly intriguing. Switching from Katya, Dima, and Natasha's perspective and the visual 'codes' or 'riddles' juxtaposed with some chapters.
The characters were complex and well-layered; however, it felt like those layers were not explored to the point where they tug at the heart. The dynamic between the characters was rather hasty, but because of the story's plot (a slow-developing bond of trust), it created this contradictory sensation.
Overall, the premise is catchy and pulsating, but the story could be improved by providing a bit more background information and the dynamics of the characters, especially at the beginning. On a final note, the writing was sharp and raw, perfectly reflecting the story's sentiments and its immersive alternative magical world.
Thank you, NetGalley and Cristin Williams, for the opportunity to read this book.
October 30, 2025
I extend my gratitude to Orion and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars. I was particularly impressed by the extensive research into Russian history that was evident throughout the narrative.
The story is presented through three different points of view, which I believe effectively maintained my engagement, especially during moments when the pacing felt a little slow. From the very beginning, the reader is immersed in this world with a considerable amount of information, which I personally found acceptable and was able to comprehend.
This book is set in Russia during the 1920s, a period marked by numerous rebellions, with various factions each believing they could restore Russia to its former glory. We begin with Katya, who has been captured and subjected to torture. Her journey unfolds as she endeavors to uncover what her mother entrusted her to achieve.
We also meet Dima, a charming character who possesses a remarkable magical ability that proves instrumental in assisting Katya in her search for clues. Together, they embark on a quest for a missing magical item, encountering numerous challenges, one of which is Natasha.
Natasha has endured years of experimentation and is prepared to go to great lengths to extricate herself from her predicament. She firmly believes it is her destiny to heal Russia and emerge as its savior.
Over all I did enjoy this book and sure many people will love it
I would rate this book 3.5 stars. I was particularly impressed by the extensive research into Russian history that was evident throughout the narrative.
The story is presented through three different points of view, which I believe effectively maintained my engagement, especially during moments when the pacing felt a little slow. From the very beginning, the reader is immersed in this world with a considerable amount of information, which I personally found acceptable and was able to comprehend.
This book is set in Russia during the 1920s, a period marked by numerous rebellions, with various factions each believing they could restore Russia to its former glory. We begin with Katya, who has been captured and subjected to torture. Her journey unfolds as she endeavors to uncover what her mother entrusted her to achieve.
We also meet Dima, a charming character who possesses a remarkable magical ability that proves instrumental in assisting Katya in her search for clues. Together, they embark on a quest for a missing magical item, encountering numerous challenges, one of which is Natasha.
Natasha has endured years of experimentation and is prepared to go to great lengths to extricate herself from her predicament. She firmly believes it is her destiny to heal Russia and emerge as its savior.
Over all I did enjoy this book and sure many people will love it
April 1, 2025
A mystic, magical book.
Set in Lenin Russia, with magic all around, this story is both a love letter to that period of time, and the ways of 'old Russia' of the wild blood and beast magic that filled folklore.
The story follows three characters, all trapped on a prison island, all searching for a book and all struggling with the aftermath of revolution. The personal journeys our MFC and MMC go on are great, especially our MFC. She has to come to terms with the idea that the world isn't black and white, right and wrong. That despite being an anarchist and despiser of the nobility, that sometimes - just sometimes - those born rich are also born good. She also has to come to terms with a mother that seemed to use her more than love her, and all the dark secrets that are swirling near her fingertips, just waiting to be unleashed.
There are layers within this story, a frantic cry against the dying of the light, a rage against the betrayal of the promise of liberty.
And the ending.
Oh the ending was beautiful but it broke me.
... more from this author please. That this is a *debut* novel is astounding.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
Set in Lenin Russia, with magic all around, this story is both a love letter to that period of time, and the ways of 'old Russia' of the wild blood and beast magic that filled folklore.
The story follows three characters, all trapped on a prison island, all searching for a book and all struggling with the aftermath of revolution. The personal journeys our MFC and MMC go on are great, especially our MFC. She has to come to terms with the idea that the world isn't black and white, right and wrong. That despite being an anarchist and despiser of the nobility, that sometimes - just sometimes - those born rich are also born good. She also has to come to terms with a mother that seemed to use her more than love her, and all the dark secrets that are swirling near her fingertips, just waiting to be unleashed.
There are layers within this story, a frantic cry against the dying of the light, a rage against the betrayal of the promise of liberty.
And the ending.
Oh the ending was beautiful but it broke me.
... more from this author please. That this is a *debut* novel is astounding.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
May 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Whisper of Stars is set in an alternate 1920s Russia in the midst of magic and mystery. Katya was transferred to a new prison on Solovetsky Island after breaking out of her imprisonment in a government laboratory. But was the location of her new prison merely coincidence? With ciphers, poetry and secrets this book definitely is filled with many twists and turns to keep readers on their feet.
I know many books make a reader lose interest in the story, but the pacing in this book was a bit too fast in my opinion, at some points it felt like getting reading whiplash from all of the reveals and betrayals. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and do believe I could have enjoyed reading the book more if it was slightly slower paced. Other than that, I thought the book was refreshingly different to my usual reads.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book but with the warning to readers to read with a well supported neck to avoid too much whiplash.
Thank you to Gollancz and Orion Publishing Group for the eARC of this book. This review was left honestly and voluntarily.
The Whisper of Stars is set in an alternate 1920s Russia in the midst of magic and mystery. Katya was transferred to a new prison on Solovetsky Island after breaking out of her imprisonment in a government laboratory. But was the location of her new prison merely coincidence? With ciphers, poetry and secrets this book definitely is filled with many twists and turns to keep readers on their feet.
I know many books make a reader lose interest in the story, but the pacing in this book was a bit too fast in my opinion, at some points it felt like getting reading whiplash from all of the reveals and betrayals. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and do believe I could have enjoyed reading the book more if it was slightly slower paced. Other than that, I thought the book was refreshingly different to my usual reads.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book but with the warning to readers to read with a well supported neck to avoid too much whiplash.
Thank you to Gollancz and Orion Publishing Group for the eARC of this book. This review was left honestly and voluntarily.
August 30, 2025
This book was like a magic infused sonnet to revolutionaries everywhere. It takes us back to one of the darkest and hardest places for a Russian who likes freedom, and shows how revolutions can be built out of pebbles or cannonballs; In a day and age where our world has once again reached such huge levels of inequality, where free speech is under threat, and people are feeling targeted by their own governments, this story stands as a reminder that (and this is paraphrased) "we need to light as many small fires as we can before the dark consumes us instead of just trying to set it all aflame." Katya, Dima, and Natasha are all different people who are suffering because of who their parents are and all struggle to break away from how they were raised. As we watch them fall and fail again and again, we see that sometimes revolutionaries are forced to choose between their lives and their ideals, that we need to learn how to balance survival and resistance. So for anyone who enjoys magic, who loves the underdogs, or is feeling overwhelmed with everything that has gone wrong recently, take a break and listen to the stars.
October 2, 2025
In this star crossed lovers, set in Russia, full of magic and those who can wield it, usrely only tragedy can be waiting?
Katya Efremova has a gift, she has magic, and can use it when she writes the most beautiful poetry. But she has been sent to a prison colony on Solovetsky Island, simply because of her Mother was: one of the greatest revolutionaries ever to exist. It is here she meets Dimtri Danilov, born her enemy and everything she stands for, but also a brilliant artist who has been dreaming of her. He has his own magic, and she doesnt know yet that she will need him. Can she unwrap the mystery that is surrounding her, the coded messages her mother had left her before she was killed? And can she do it in a prison where you only eat if you work, and under the eye of Lenin's spymaster?
A brilliant world of AU Russia, with magic woven in perfectly. A love story, an adventure, a chance to light a flame and burn down the country.
Katya Efremova has a gift, she has magic, and can use it when she writes the most beautiful poetry. But she has been sent to a prison colony on Solovetsky Island, simply because of her Mother was: one of the greatest revolutionaries ever to exist. It is here she meets Dimtri Danilov, born her enemy and everything she stands for, but also a brilliant artist who has been dreaming of her. He has his own magic, and she doesnt know yet that she will need him. Can she unwrap the mystery that is surrounding her, the coded messages her mother had left her before she was killed? And can she do it in a prison where you only eat if you work, and under the eye of Lenin's spymaster?
A brilliant world of AU Russia, with magic woven in perfectly. A love story, an adventure, a chance to light a flame and burn down the country.
October 22, 2025
*I received an ARC via Netgalley*
Honestly I feel like the only problem here was me. I so badly wanted to enjoy this but I just couldn't get into it. I felt like I was reading the second book in a series without reading the first. The information just wasn't clicking for me. I don't even think I could call this a world building issue, but more that I couldn't take to the writing. I wouldn't call it bad writing either, it's just something I couldn't click with. The political elements to the story were fantastic, but I found that the other elements to the story weren't blending well. I really wanted to continue to find out if this changed but the book just wasn't for me.
Onto the positives; the characters are very interesting! All with complex backgrounds that will keep the right kind of readers hooked. The writers imagery was also great, I can't fault that at all.
Readers looking for a historical fantasy with elements of magic and rebellion should definitely give this a try.
Honestly I feel like the only problem here was me. I so badly wanted to enjoy this but I just couldn't get into it. I felt like I was reading the second book in a series without reading the first. The information just wasn't clicking for me. I don't even think I could call this a world building issue, but more that I couldn't take to the writing. I wouldn't call it bad writing either, it's just something I couldn't click with. The political elements to the story were fantastic, but I found that the other elements to the story weren't blending well. I really wanted to continue to find out if this changed but the book just wasn't for me.
Onto the positives; the characters are very interesting! All with complex backgrounds that will keep the right kind of readers hooked. The writers imagery was also great, I can't fault that at all.
Readers looking for a historical fantasy with elements of magic and rebellion should definitely give this a try.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews