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Elydes #3
Whispers of the Isles
Book 3 of this Isekai LitRPG adventure about a young man with a second chance to find his true potential.
Featuring a detailed System with plenty of power progression, three-dimensional characters, slice-of-life elements, an intriguing world, and so much more!
Featuring a detailed System with plenty of power progression, three-dimensional characters, slice-of-life elements, an intriguing world, and so much more!
- GenresFantasy
702 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 21, 2026
Elydes 3 is a masterpiece
Reading this book was awesome. I think I am going to have to reread it soon. This series is one of the best progression fantasies of the genre in my opinion. On a side note I originally read this series on RR and the already great quality definitely gets better when it's published to Amazon. I would definitely recommend supporting this authors hard work and reading his early chapters on patreon before it is released to kindle.
Reading this book was awesome. I think I am going to have to reread it soon. This series is one of the best progression fantasies of the genre in my opinion. On a side note I originally read this series on RR and the already great quality definitely gets better when it's published to Amazon. I would definitely recommend supporting this authors hard work and reading his early chapters on patreon before it is released to kindle.
January 31, 2026
Loved the first two books and this one didn't disappoint either. Whereas the first two books focused more on Kai's training and growth, Whispers of the Isles does the same thing while also expanding on the world around him. We learn more about not only the archipelago, but also about the republic.
I cannot put into words how much I love the magic and progression system in this series, the author has done the hard part and actually created an engaging progression and magic system that feels cohesive, intuitive, and deeply tied to the world itself rather than tacked on for numbers’ sake. The thing that drew me to this series and what I still enjoy a lot is the progression. Kai's progress feels very earned and organic, every level and experience that he gets feels like he actually worked for it, and he's no where near as overpowered as you would expect.
Another thing that I liked was the pacing. We got a lot of action at the end of the previous book, so now we're gonna focus on Kai training and leveling up his skills. The author then gives us a little bit of action in the middle before we get some slice of life. The book then ends on a very high note with a lot more action and we even get to learn more about the world and government around him.
One thing that I just absolutely hate is his family. It seems like they always assume the worst things about him, and they seem to hold him to standards that feel disproportionate to his age, experience, or circumstances, and yet treat him like a child in the same breath (especially his mom), all the while Kai acts like a doormat and just accepts their criticisms, even agreeing with them. I've read some of the next book on royal road and all I'll say is that they get a lot worse with some of their actions at the beginning of the book. I also didn't really enjoy the character of Valela. She just seems like a spoiled brat, and while her need to save lives is great, it's undercut by the fact that by doing so, it endangers the lives of not only herself, but also Kai and the people with her. Perhaps why I find this so annoying is that the author is obviously setting her up to be the love interest, and romance is just not something I enjoy reading about.
Even with these issues, none of them were enough to pull me out of the story or diminish my overall enjoyment that I couldn't put the book down and finished in just over a week. The foundation of this series—the magic system, progression, and immersive world—remains incredibly strong, and that’s what ultimately keeps me coming back. I’m still excited to continue the series and see how both the world and Kai continue to evolve.
I cannot put into words how much I love the magic and progression system in this series, the author has done the hard part and actually created an engaging progression and magic system that feels cohesive, intuitive, and deeply tied to the world itself rather than tacked on for numbers’ sake. The thing that drew me to this series and what I still enjoy a lot is the progression. Kai's progress feels very earned and organic, every level and experience that he gets feels like he actually worked for it, and he's no where near as overpowered as you would expect.
Another thing that I liked was the pacing. We got a lot of action at the end of the previous book, so now we're gonna focus on Kai training and leveling up his skills. The author then gives us a little bit of action in the middle before we get some slice of life. The book then ends on a very high note with a lot more action and we even get to learn more about the world and government around him.
One thing that I just absolutely hate is his family. It seems like they always assume the worst things about him, and they seem to hold him to standards that feel disproportionate to his age, experience, or circumstances, and yet treat him like a child in the same breath (especially his mom), all the while Kai acts like a doormat and just accepts their criticisms, even agreeing with them. I've read some of the next book on royal road and all I'll say is that they get a lot worse with some of their actions at the beginning of the book. I also didn't really enjoy the character of Valela. She just seems like a spoiled brat, and while her need to save lives is great, it's undercut by the fact that by doing so, it endangers the lives of not only herself, but also Kai and the people with her. Perhaps why I find this so annoying is that the author is obviously setting her up to be the love interest, and romance is just not something I enjoy reading about.
Even with these issues, none of them were enough to pull me out of the story or diminish my overall enjoyment that I couldn't put the book down and finished in just over a week. The foundation of this series—the magic system, progression, and immersive world—remains incredibly strong, and that’s what ultimately keeps me coming back. I’m still excited to continue the series and see how both the world and Kai continue to evolve.
February 14, 2026
I genuinely don't get the positive reviews. Outside of the lackluster proof reading, this is ~700 pages of wasting your time, going nowhere, achieving nothing.
The entire book is filler. The last 50-100 pages are somewhat relevant (if you can get past the slow, rambling writing and nonsensical stat increases that - at this point - literally do nothing apart from MAKE NUMBER GO BIGGER), the rest is purely unnecessary and contains no real plot, character development or anything else worthwhile. I get that people stop leaving critical reviews the further a series goes on, but this was beyond terrible.
The main character is insufferable. I get that he's a child, but after three books, maybe make him grow up a little bit? We have characters that grow centuries old, how is the character still 11 for the majority of book 3?
And for heaven's sake: half the book consists of the main character telling us how he has to keep his secrets, because if they got out, he'd be in massive trouble... only for him to tell literally everybody he meets and their dog every last secret he has. It's dumb.
And let's not forget the fact that for some reason half the book now revolves around the terrible, insufferable side character we'd established in the previous book was a terrible person. Why did he of all people have to become the sidekick we spend most of the book on, including nonsensical chapters told from his perspective?
Besides... at this speed of "plot" development and character "growth", this series will never be finished. The author somehow managed to make 700 pages contain no development worth mentioning. Even the leveling has just stopped entirely. Some numbers go up, but it never has a tangible effect and the main level literally doesn't increase once, because the requirements have become too insane and the timescale of the book too narrow.
So if the plot doesn't exist, the leveling has stopped and the character doesn't develop beyond being an insufferable 11-year-old... what's left? Nothing. Nothing is left.
I don't get it. Anyways, after much anticipation, this will be the end of Elydes for me. I wish they hadn't dropped the ball, but I genuinely hated my time with this book. I was hoping to the very end for it to get better, but ultimately I regret wasting my time on it.
Edit: I should've known: of course this is a Royal Road webnovel. That explains why the plot doesn't go anywhere and the chapters are so disconnected. It happens to every webnovel at some point: writing chapter by irreversible chapter is a terrible way to write and Elydes shows it.
The entire book is filler. The last 50-100 pages are somewhat relevant (if you can get past the slow, rambling writing and nonsensical stat increases that - at this point - literally do nothing apart from MAKE NUMBER GO BIGGER), the rest is purely unnecessary and contains no real plot, character development or anything else worthwhile. I get that people stop leaving critical reviews the further a series goes on, but this was beyond terrible.
The main character is insufferable. I get that he's a child, but after three books, maybe make him grow up a little bit? We have characters that grow centuries old, how is the character still 11 for the majority of book 3?
And for heaven's sake: half the book consists of the main character telling us how he has to keep his secrets, because if they got out, he'd be in massive trouble... only for him to tell literally everybody he meets and their dog every last secret he has. It's dumb.
And let's not forget the fact that for some reason half the book now revolves around the terrible, insufferable side character we'd established in the previous book was a terrible person. Why did he of all people have to become the sidekick we spend most of the book on, including nonsensical chapters told from his perspective?
Besides... at this speed of "plot" development and character "growth", this series will never be finished. The author somehow managed to make 700 pages contain no development worth mentioning. Even the leveling has just stopped entirely. Some numbers go up, but it never has a tangible effect and the main level literally doesn't increase once, because the requirements have become too insane and the timescale of the book too narrow.
So if the plot doesn't exist, the leveling has stopped and the character doesn't develop beyond being an insufferable 11-year-old... what's left? Nothing. Nothing is left.
I don't get it. Anyways, after much anticipation, this will be the end of Elydes for me. I wish they hadn't dropped the ball, but I genuinely hated my time with this book. I was hoping to the very end for it to get better, but ultimately I regret wasting my time on it.
Edit: I should've known: of course this is a Royal Road webnovel. That explains why the plot doesn't go anywhere and the chapters are so disconnected. It happens to every webnovel at some point: writing chapter by irreversible chapter is a terrible way to write and Elydes shows it.
January 22, 2026
This is shaping up to be one of my favorite series!
The author of this series has shown her talents, not only with her thorough knowledge and understanding of this genre, of its tropes, but also being observant enough to know what works the best. Couple this with her seemingly effortless ability to write endearing, dimensional characters with subtly and succinctness, then you have a recipe for a great series.
I won’t go into too much detail about the magic system, the world building, the characters, the plots, or the payoffs, I’ve covered those in prior reviews for Books 1 & 2. I will just say that the author’s talent to weave a tale with characters we love, but also introduce stakes and tension without resorting to contrivances and plot devices to get out of themes, is up there with some of the best author’s in the genre.
My two favorite authors are Rick Scott (Path of the Berserker) and Erick Theimke (World Sphere & A Soldier’s Life). And as much as I love those series, none of them are perfect, and neither is Drew Wells, but they are all damn close to it. These are authors that understand the genre, understand why we read it, and are all, to a degree, just natural storytellers.
I have to confess to catching up with this series on Royal Road, and after this book, we leave the comfort of our island home behind, and take a couple of unexpected new steps. In Book 5, Kai joins a magic academy, which sounds like a terrible idea on paper, but somehow the author shows her skills again and I am so into it.
I’m proud that she has a publisher, those other authors I mentioned do not, but it has slowed the pace of her books getting to market for ebooks and audiobooks. So if you want to see where this series is going, you can find it on Royal Road and Patreon.
And you can also find this series on my all time favorites list on my Goodreads profile page. A strong number 4! And I think it could go higher. I wish I didn’t have to wait to see where it goes, but alas I will suffer through many a substandard series waiting for the good stuff.
The author of this series has shown her talents, not only with her thorough knowledge and understanding of this genre, of its tropes, but also being observant enough to know what works the best. Couple this with her seemingly effortless ability to write endearing, dimensional characters with subtly and succinctness, then you have a recipe for a great series.
I won’t go into too much detail about the magic system, the world building, the characters, the plots, or the payoffs, I’ve covered those in prior reviews for Books 1 & 2. I will just say that the author’s talent to weave a tale with characters we love, but also introduce stakes and tension without resorting to contrivances and plot devices to get out of themes, is up there with some of the best author’s in the genre.
My two favorite authors are Rick Scott (Path of the Berserker) and Erick Theimke (World Sphere & A Soldier’s Life). And as much as I love those series, none of them are perfect, and neither is Drew Wells, but they are all damn close to it. These are authors that understand the genre, understand why we read it, and are all, to a degree, just natural storytellers.
I have to confess to catching up with this series on Royal Road, and after this book, we leave the comfort of our island home behind, and take a couple of unexpected new steps. In Book 5, Kai joins a magic academy, which sounds like a terrible idea on paper, but somehow the author shows her skills again and I am so into it.
I’m proud that she has a publisher, those other authors I mentioned do not, but it has slowed the pace of her books getting to market for ebooks and audiobooks. So if you want to see where this series is going, you can find it on Royal Road and Patreon.
And you can also find this series on my all time favorites list on my Goodreads profile page. A strong number 4! And I think it could go higher. I wish I didn’t have to wait to see where it goes, but alas I will suffer through many a substandard series waiting for the good stuff.
January 27, 2026
the mc needs a better recipe
Good book. Really good book. I thought this was the best book yet until I ran into the terrible plot in the middle of the story. Where, out of the blue the mc all of the sudden goes crazy for something stupid. The mc decides to break character and lose his sense of self-preservation for a chance, (not guaranteed but a statistically possible chance), to help someone he has never met. This wasn’t benevolence, it was a bad investment. There was no point given to the reader either, like we were just to expect it like this is normal. Does the mc hate himself for not having the same opportunity? Does he despise his two sister’s because they also didn’t get a chance? I thought the goal of the mc was to make it to the mainland. Even a quest to find ingredients for the recipe would have been better. There is no motivation given for the mc for this plot; the mc doesn’t even have the means nor opportunity to take on this risk for an unknown possibility. Despite all that, the mc doesn’t drop it but religiously pursues it to the risk of his torture and death. What?! Really? Point being the evil Republic only values a human life based upon a person’s color and number of stars. The native islander’s way and values are cast out and might makes right with the Republic. The mc has 29 years of existence experience and in only 7 years under the Republic he too only values a life based upon their worth in color and stars. When I started to think about what is different between the Republic and the mc it almost ruined the book. This new plot was so stupid I stopped reading for a while. The reader never even gets to know if it worked. Aside from that huge abyss in the plot road it was a really good book. Once past that blight, the book quickly regains lost ground and gets back on track other than some mc stupidity for plot reasons. The mc, I know he thinks he is witty and snarky but he’s just a jerk because it’s purposeful and can be turned off.
Good book. Really good book. I thought this was the best book yet until I ran into the terrible plot in the middle of the story. Where, out of the blue the mc all of the sudden goes crazy for something stupid. The mc decides to break character and lose his sense of self-preservation for a chance, (not guaranteed but a statistically possible chance), to help someone he has never met. This wasn’t benevolence, it was a bad investment. There was no point given to the reader either, like we were just to expect it like this is normal. Does the mc hate himself for not having the same opportunity? Does he despise his two sister’s because they also didn’t get a chance? I thought the goal of the mc was to make it to the mainland. Even a quest to find ingredients for the recipe would have been better. There is no motivation given for the mc for this plot; the mc doesn’t even have the means nor opportunity to take on this risk for an unknown possibility. Despite all that, the mc doesn’t drop it but religiously pursues it to the risk of his torture and death. What?! Really? Point being the evil Republic only values a human life based upon a person’s color and number of stars. The native islander’s way and values are cast out and might makes right with the Republic. The mc has 29 years of existence experience and in only 7 years under the Republic he too only values a life based upon their worth in color and stars. When I started to think about what is different between the Republic and the mc it almost ruined the book. This new plot was so stupid I stopped reading for a while. The reader never even gets to know if it worked. Aside from that huge abyss in the plot road it was a really good book. Once past that blight, the book quickly regains lost ground and gets back on track other than some mc stupidity for plot reasons. The mc, I know he thinks he is witty and snarky but he’s just a jerk because it’s purposeful and can be turned off.
February 17, 2026
Top Five Favorite LitRPG / Progression Fantasy (Maybe Top Three)
This series continues to deliver. I think this book is one of the best paced I've read in the genre. The author has clearly spent large amounts of time in the editing room and it shows. While the MC's growth is large, it's steady and logically consistent (and not overpowered). The new characters (and old friends) are interesting and do a good job adding to the plot (although the twins are a bit trope-y). When new skills / concepts are introduced, the author does a good job of highlighting them and moving on (this seems to be a struggle for many in this genre).
Side Note: I really wanted to jump into the author's RR / Patreon after finishing the last book. But, I decided against it as I wanted to read the story as a cohesive whole. From reading interactions about the series online, I think this is a good decision. The author seems to be doing a great job of taking his RoyalRoad content and trimming / tightening it for actual publication. I can be patient for the next book!
This series continues to deliver. I think this book is one of the best paced I've read in the genre. The author has clearly spent large amounts of time in the editing room and it shows. While the MC's growth is large, it's steady and logically consistent (and not overpowered). The new characters (and old friends) are interesting and do a good job adding to the plot (although the twins are a bit trope-y). When new skills / concepts are introduced, the author does a good job of highlighting them and moving on (this seems to be a struggle for many in this genre).
Side Note: I really wanted to jump into the author's RR / Patreon after finishing the last book. But, I decided against it as I wanted to read the story as a cohesive whole. From reading interactions about the series online, I think this is a good decision. The author seems to be doing a great job of taking his RoyalRoad content and trimming / tightening it for actual publication. I can be patient for the next book!
January 25, 2026
I really liked most of this book, but there were moments when I wondered what the author was thinking. From the two previous books I had got used to him often going over the same ground more than once and the excessive internal debates and introspection, so these only irritate me a little bit.
However I didn’t get the ’Fate Fulcrum’ gimmick and I’m always a bit sceptical when author’s introduce Gods into a story. Finally I didn’t like the ending to the book.
However I didn’t get the ’Fate Fulcrum’ gimmick and I’m always a bit sceptical when author’s introduce Gods into a story. Finally I didn’t like the ending to the book.
February 26, 2026
waited so long for greatness
I really thought I’d never see the third book so when I saw it was being released I was over the moon. It was so good, I really like everything, the characters, the world, the humor, different personalities, and just everything. I can’t wait for the next book and can only hope it comes soon. But if it doesn’t to allow for quality then I will be here
I really thought I’d never see the third book so when I saw it was being released I was over the moon. It was so good, I really like everything, the characters, the world, the humor, different personalities, and just everything. I can’t wait for the next book and can only hope it comes soon. But if it doesn’t to allow for quality then I will be here
April 1, 2026
Better and better!
This series gets better and better. The story is just so incredibly addicting, well written and professionally edited. The MC is very fun to follow and has a likeable personality. The side characters and character interactions are also great. Can’t wait for the next!
This series gets better and better. The story is just so incredibly addicting, well written and professionally edited. The MC is very fun to follow and has a likeable personality. The side characters and character interactions are also great. Can’t wait for the next!
January 22, 2026
Ruins conquered, on to the next journey!
Love the dynamic between Kai and Lou. Sad this book is over, can’t wait for Book 4! Clean dialogue compared to the original chapters as well and well paced.
Love the dynamic between Kai and Lou. Sad this book is over, can’t wait for Book 4! Clean dialogue compared to the original chapters as well and well paced.
January 28, 2026
Kai.doesn't disappoint
Awesome storyline and good characters and magic system. Nice transition of Kai to adolescence and reconnecting with his childhood friends. Good twists.and suspense. If you already read first two books this is a must!
Awesome storyline and good characters and magic system. Nice transition of Kai to adolescence and reconnecting with his childhood friends. Good twists.and suspense. If you already read first two books this is a must!
March 4, 2026
Fantastic continuing story
Compelling plot great character development side characters are amazing as well. Definitely an underappreciated author If you haven't read this yet read it!
Compelling plot great character development side characters are amazing as well. Definitely an underappreciated author If you haven't read this yet read it!
March 13, 2026
great
Of all three books I have read so far this one has really really been the best. I have enjoyed these so much I have read them over the past three days. Start at. Ok one it is a good series and I a so looking forward to seeing the next one,
Of all three books I have read so far this one has really really been the best. I have enjoyed these so much I have read them over the past three days. Start at. Ok one it is a good series and I a so looking forward to seeing the next one,
May 5, 2026
I actually follow this one over on RR, Although I do believe it ranks amongst the biggest Isekai. But based on the pace it is going it'll never actually end, not with the author overwhelmed by serialisation and publishing, and the general slow burn the novel follows.
October 27, 2025
A great entry where the series feels like its hitting its stride. Note, I read this in advance on royal road.
January 22, 2026
Excellent
On overall great read, a fun and exciting continuation of the series that makes you want to keep reading more.
On overall great read, a fun and exciting continuation of the series that makes you want to keep reading more.
January 23, 2026
It sucks you in and doesn’t let go
The interplay between all the great characters keeps you reading. While the story line entertains all the way. Cannot wait for book 4.
The interplay between all the great characters keeps you reading. While the story line entertains all the way. Cannot wait for book 4.
January 24, 2026
A great book
There were some annoying parts, but overall, it was a great book that I really enjoyed reading. I'm looking forward to the next!
There were some annoying parts, but overall, it was a great book that I really enjoyed reading. I'm looking forward to the next!
January 28, 2026
Amazing story and characters. I have enjoyed all 3 books tremendously.
March 3, 2026
Bloody fantastic!
Hurry and give me the next ohine! I couldn't stop reading and the cliffhanger was mean and inhumane! MORE LOL!
Hurry and give me the next ohine! I couldn't stop reading and the cliffhanger was mean and inhumane! MORE LOL!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews