Ballad of Whispers: The Sunchosen Chronicles, Book 1

by K.B. Elizabeth, Heather Stonewell (Narrator), Casey Jones (Narrator)

Iris Virlana lives by two Never let anyone know who you are. And never, ever, get yourself into a life debt.

The golden sun inked beneath the base of her neck is the reason for both. In Altaerra, it meant life as a Sunchosen, one of the twenty children branded by the Goddesses at birth to sit on the council ruling Altaerra. For Iris, it meant a fate confined in a glittering cage, forged and warped by power.

Considered a traitor to the Divine after escaping the Bronze Palace as a child, Iris knows that maintaining her new life as an apothecary apprentice to the woman who saved her relies on remaining hidden. But when a life debt forces her to work with an icy prince to uncover answers about a plague ravaging both realms, Iris must navigate maintaining the ruse of who she is, desperately searching for a cure, and a kingdom rife with political scheming.

As the death toll rises, precarious matters of the heart become entangled, and carefully kept secrets begin to unravel...

Will she ever truly escape the power-hungry brutality of the life she fled?

Ballad of Whispers is a debut romantic fantasy novel and the first installment in The Sunchosen Chronicles, a new series full of whimsical world-building, intricate magic, deadly secrets, profound journeys of self-discovery, and epic relationships.

Audible Audio

Published February 3, 2026

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy to get to listen to a ALC of this book. I loved the voice actors from Podium. I love a good slooooow burn. Like I enjoy books that some would say are painfully slow burns, but that’s how I like them especially in series. Knowing this story will be continued in many more books makes me glad everything was slow to build in this one. I absolutely love the magic system and how in depth it is. I can’t wait to hear more of different characters magic. Overall I really enjoy Iris and Aspen as FMC and MMC. I thought the way they spoke about their mental health and helped one another was very real and raw.

[✨Mood Reader✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was LUCKY enough to receive an advanced listener copy of this audiobook from the author. If audiobooks are your thing absolutely give this book a listen. I originally read the book on my kindle and absolutely loved the story. Audiobooks truthfully are sometimes hit or miss for me as the FMC can be cringey and over-dramatized in my opinion (maybe unpopular). I didn’t feel that way in this story at all and it didn’t take me out of it. Even if you’ve already read the story I highly recommend revisiting the world through the audiobook for a richer immersive experience!! Thank you thank you KB and I cannot wait for the next installment.