Beneath the Whispering Void

Shattered Light Chronicles #1

by Sarah Bowen

Seph Quinn was supposed to disappear.

After a devastating loss, she was locked away, reshaped by confinement and silence. Not to save her. To hide her from the world.

It didn’t work.

Something inside her is breaking free—slow at first, then violently. Power she was never taught to control. Power that doesn’t ask permission. The more it grows, the harder it becomes to pretend she is still the girl who was left behind.

Politics close in. Old choices resurface. The past refuses to stay buried.
And then there are the men who see her clearly.

Men who don’t fear what she is becoming. Men who would kill for her without hesitation. Men whose devotion makes love as dangerous as the power rising inside her.

Seph is no longer fighting to survive. She is fighting to choose what happens when she stops holding back. Because the world is not ready for what she is about to unleash.

But it will be.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Why Choose, Romance, Magic, Dragons, Romantasy

422 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2026

About the author

I write fantasy romance about messy people, bad choices, and the kind of love that hurts a little. And I love a touch of magic!

Reviews

[⋆˚ leyla ✿˖° · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just wanted to read anything with "void" in the title since I'm currently working on filling the void my long-distance boyfriend left when his visit ended 😩.
Okay, now ending the pity party, this wasn't half bad! I enjoyed that her powers weren't 'good' and that her guys weren't either.
I guess the reason why I didn't rate it higher is that I was just a little... bored? And honestly, I can't even put my finger on why.
Maybe I needed more character development? Or more action? More reason to want to read about these people? Besides the powers, they were all pretty flat.

The guys were: the typical psycho who's obsessed with the main character, the emotionally constipated one, and the 'normal' one with hidden traumas.
Then the best friend? A snarky character who's hard to impress. Pretty damn typical.
The main character is the always and forever traumatized girl learning to be herself again and gaining her spark and 'fire' by trusting the people around her. Oh, and don't forget everyone says she's super powerful, but she just doesn't know it herself. Small yawn.

And I'm actually annoyed I feel this way because it wasn't bad!! I liked the plot line, I liked reading it, I enjoy all the tropes and supernatural powers in an academy/prison setting, hiding powers, blah blah blah, it just wasn't unique in any way at all.

But usually I EAT those tropes up, so idk why I'm complaining. Maybe I need something special and more unique. Maybe I'm hurting and trying to find something to blame it on.
Hope you enjoyed my rant review on a book that was really not half bad, which I read in 2 sittings, will probs read the sequel because I love finishing series, and read while I'm suffering.

[EmotionallyBooked · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ (DNF @ 62%)

This one started strong and then just…slowly lost me.

I actually was into it at first. The vibes were there, the premise had potential, and I was even kind of liking Ash (he’s weird, but like…intriguing weird at first). The relationship with him and Dev also came together really easily, which I didn’t really mind in the beginning.

But then things just started getting…random??

Now she suddenly has a ghost AND a dragon and I’m just sitting here like—why? Where did this come from? What is happening?
The warden trying to set her up also felt super weird and out of place, and nothing was really being explained enough for me to stay grounded in the story.

The constant POV switching didn’t help either. It was happening so often that I never felt connected to anyone. And that’s kind of the biggest issue overall—there just wasn’t enough character building. I didn’t feel attached to the relationships, the characters, or honestly the stakes.

Also…the FMC. She’s written like she’s strong and capable, but I just wasn’t seeing it. It felt like I was being told she was powerful without anything actually backing it up, which made it hard to root for her.

I made it to 62% before finally calling it. It just wasn’t pulling me in anymore.

It’s not that it was terrible—it just felt underdeveloped and confusing, and I needed more depth to stay invested.

⸻

🌶️ Spice: low (so far)
💔 Angst: mild
🔥 Tropes: paranormal, multiple love interests, ghost?? dragon?? (still confused lol)

[Annelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the gothic vibe of this book. Seph is an interesting character with an awful past and terrible powers.
The end of the book opened a new chapter of the story as betrayals and secrets were uncovered.
I already hated Sable... and Kieran🙄😡
Looking forward to watching them grovel...

[Bent Letters · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Jenny P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm excited to see where this series goes. It was pretty entertaining despite the errors.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Seph and Jess. I love a tsundere character. Ash was also my exact kind of crazy.

[Marilyn Formosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Love, hate, abuse, discrimination, revenge. Interesting characters. Looking forward to the next book.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
first of all why was the writing so juvenile?? this felt like AI to me tbh. There were hardly any full sentences- just always 5 words and one of them had to be an adjective and repetitive. I didn't notice at first but it got really bad after 100 pages.
None of the characters had a strong foundation. FMC is told to reclusive and already assumes no one is gonna choose her but suddenly she's willing to entertain ash's crazy. I mean she had a steady development with JESS for god's sake.
And all the whiplash of emotions felt like even the author wasn't sure what they're feeling. One minute she's been angry at K and the next she goes to his suite and chats with him like old friends?? like what?? And don't get me started on Ash and Seph's insta-love. It was cute.....he was cute but I need atleast SOMETHING for it to believable. Dev is just there as a mediator...he has his moments but otherwise there's nothing going on.
ALSO WHY TF DIDN'T THEY KILL WARDEN WILD??? the most stupidest thing that happened in the book. Ash could've just snapped her neck and there would be one less evil in the world but NO we HAD to let her escape..cuz yk PLOT?? made me so angry omg.
And I better see enough grovel from K and Sable cuz both of their behaviour has been quite condescending towards seph and PLEASE don't make her forgive them so easily (I can just see it happen in 2nd book...). Anyways I just learn that this FMMMM soo that's not for me!! im out

[˚₊‧✩ ryane ✩‧₊˚]

i had a good time and next book 2!! i enjoyed reading this cast of characters and can’t wait to see where it goes. it has been a while since a rh has sucked me in like this

[gangstareads]

MFMMM - DNF. the world building left a lot to be desired. Most of the fantasy elements still aren’t explained even 78% in. One of the MMCs hooks up with her sister in the flashbacks (while it’s indicated he’s in love with the FMC at that time) and I can’t stand that. He better have a good explanation for his betrayal but i can’t imagine one that I’d accept, even if he was “protecting” her, and I won’t be sticking around to find out. Also it was fairly instalove which is probably why I got bored

[•*•*•Erin•*•*• · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 Starts

What to expect
✨ Paranormal/ Supernatural romance
✨ Reverse Harem
✨ Forbidden Love
✨ Shadow Daddy
✨ Morally grey MMC's
✨ Bodyguard/ Protector
✨ Slow burn
✨ Hidden identities/ secrets

Holy moly... this book, I was hooked!

I loved all the MC's in this book.

We have our FMC Seph, this poor girl has been through it! She has been experimented on for her whole life then locked away from the world by her father.
She lost someone close to her and was then sent to Darkmoor Institute a special school for "problem students" here she meets the MMC's K, Ash, Dev & Sy.

K (Kieran) this man has so many secrets I don't know how he keeps track of them all. And I don't know if he can come back from the choices he made and the secrets, he kept from Seph.

Ash, he is the cutest psyco ever. He is bat shit crazy in the best way. He felt drawn to Seph straight away and now there is no going back for either of them.

Dev he is clever and closed off. He has feeling for Seph but doesn't know what to do about it.

Sy the shadow/ dragon guardian I love his character; he is mysterious and ancient. And very protective of Seph.

There are so many other side characters in this and I love what they brought to the book.
Jess our pyro "bestie"
Echo, guess you will just have to read to find out about her 😉

The plot of this book was crazy! Very fast paced and soo much action at the end of the book. Shit kept going down!

Love the dark gothic vibe we got with this book.

The reveals were so good. I did predict one of them but didn't take away from the book at all.

The ending left us ready and waiting or the next book! Its giving revenge! And I can't wait.

Highly recommend this book.

Thank you so much to the Author for sending me a copy of your book.

[TheVelvetHammer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but the writing was a disaster.

This book reads like it was written with AI - I'm not saying it was, but every single hallmark is there. And given that the cover looks like AI... well...

It's never even about *what* technique is used, but rather the frequency and pattern in which it's used.
The incessant choppy sentences? No one talks or writes like that. Not to this extent. When it's this copious, it feels incredibly unnatural and immature - like something being dumbed down and spoken slowly for a toddler.

Then combining the aforementioned chop with the virtual firehose of Rule of Three and "not this, but that", and it felt like trying to listen to a skipping record. Or a dripping faucet. Or some other sensory psychological experiment designed to slowly drive the reader mad.

Every page. Multiple times per page. Chop. Chop. Chop.

Not angry. Not frightened. Just… distant.

Amber. Huge. Ancient.

Real. Massive. Black as starlight.

His aura shone like black diamonds.
Brutal.
Ancient.
Powerful.

Soft. Certain. Not arrogant—simply a statement of fact.

SAME PAGE:

And something in my chest—small, fragile, half-dead—stirred.

I ran my fingers over the smooth skin of the apple and smiled—small, tired, grateful.

Meanwhile, the real "whispering void" is the little to no world building, very scant character development, and distractingly weak plot. Yet somehow the pages are chock full of fluffy prose - everything is very vague and flowery, but lacks actual structure and specificity in a way that would be additive for the reader and story. As if the author tried to somehow distract from their absence with clichés and a surfeit of rhetorical devices.

Unfortunately, the distraction didn't work for me, and I couldn't subject myself to the writing past the 50% mark.

[witchygirl97 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap! This was such a ride. I loved Sarah’s night the stars fell trilogy and had high hopes for this. She did not disappoint. Sarah excels at building her worlds but organically, no info dumps here. World building and magic mechanics are drip fed to the reader as needed to understand the characters, the plot, the stakes, letting the reader digest each new peace of information without being overwhelmed.

We have a touch phobic, traumatized FMC shipped off to an institution to hide her family’s shame where she’s reunited with an old friend and were introduced to our eclectic cast of psychos.

Jess - the pyromaniac black cat bestie/roommate
Ash - Cinnamon roll psycho mmc with flowers and raw chicken gifts in tow (it’s a thing)
Dev - emotionally closed off coldly calculating genius mmc who’s softening but only for her
K - lead butthead with so many secrets I think he might choke on them if he doesn’t start explaining mmc
Sy - mildly stalkerish, ancient, knows everything, all about balance (yes he meditates) (yes he may roast your bones with his alter ego)
Echo - poltergeist unregistered roommate who will absolutely smite all Sephs enemies if she can get her hands on a pen and she’ll draw little smiley faces after (love her)
Steph - traumatized broken but hella powerful FMC that just wants to be able to touch someone without hurting them

There’s a cast of evil baddies that we have only just begun to scratch the surface of. I can’t wait to see how this shapes up and the answers we’ll get in book 2. 5 freaking stars!

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but...I DNF’d at 50%
1. The writing style is short, choppy and awkward (it honestly felt like ai)
2. There is ZERO world building
3. The characters are barely characters, they have no real substance, the insta love is used like an excuse to not have a proper story.
4. The plot is sorely lacking
5. The random introduction of a dragon and then a poltergeist….hated it. Figure out the main characters and story line before adding more.
6. In desperate need of an editor!!!

The first chapter I thought, yeah ok, this has potential.
It didn’t.

Seph is a great concept character but nothing feels fleshed out. We are ‘told’ things about her but it’s all so vague that I just couldn’t care. The love interests are even worse…cut and paste crazy, but really it was chicken and flowers before fizzling, dude in a suit, and old childhood crush who hooked up with her sister. That’s it, no depth, no personality, nadda.

I can’t even really talk about events or villains because once again we are given so little to work with. I just can’t be bothered to try harder than the writer to try explaining what is even going on because I honestly don’t know and the mental gymnastics of filling in the blanks on a book I have no intentions of finishing is crazy business.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ rounded to 5
🫑 slow burn, hoping for more 🌶️ in book 2 😍

Multi 1st person POV
Growing relationships
Touch starved/averse FMC
Tragic past
Reform school
Paranormal
No OWD

I don’t want to give too many tropes away because I don’t want to spoil anything! I really enjoyed this first instalment and can’t wait for book 2 to see where we go next.

I felt this book was fast paced, and very easy to read. We have our FMC who has a tragic past and some mysterious power that makes it so she can’t touch anyone. So far we have 4 MMCs identified, one is a blast from the past, so there is a lot of hurt surrounding that MMC. One is a psycho golden retriever, the other is a put together with a thing for blood. And the last one is a mysterious guardian.

This book involves magic and the balance of light and dark. There are twist and turns through out that kept me hooked the whole time.

There is no bullying or OWD with the MMCs which I really enjoyed. I’m a mood reader and this book hit me in my feels exactly when I needed it.

[Iulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest review (no smut, just emotional damage)
I came for the vibes, stayed for the emotional trauma—and honestly? Worth it.
The whole light vs dark powers in alternate universes thing is so my jam, and this book delivers a really intriguing setup. Do I wish we got more background? Absolutely. Did the author strategically hold back information to emotionally manipulate me into reading the next book? Also yes. And it worked.
The characters are actually memorable (shocking, I know). Each one has a distinct personality, which is rare lately—no copy-paste brooding men here. Ash is the only confirmed favorite so far, but the others definitely have potential to ruin my life later.
And the FMC? Powerful but completely shattered inside. You can feel it. It’s not just told—it hits.
Now, let’s be clear: if you’re here for spice, you took a wrong turn. This is plot-first, feelings-second, and your heart quietly suffering in the background.
A bit heavy, a bit painful, but I’m 100% signing up for book two.

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, Edgy, Fantasy!
Touch her and die
No Spice
Seph is a young adult who has been seen as worthless by her parents. She can never measure up to her older sister in their eyes. So much so that her dad starts experimenting on her to try to give her powers since she didn’t register on the scale. After her sister dies, Seph is sent to an institution, where her past and her future all collide, and secrets unfold that she could not have imagined.
TW:
Medical torture
Medical experimentation
Gore
Death
Assault
Torture
Violence
Mental Illness
Child Abuse

[Anna-Marie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. The main character is incredibly resilient—she has a core of steel that carries her through every challenge thrown her way, and watching her push forward made the story even more gripping. The plot is well‑paced, full of tension and heart, and it kept me turning the pages far later than I planned. It’s a compelling story with characters you can’t help but root for. I’m already excited for the next installment.

[azqt · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5⭐️ the vibes were there but it needs maaaaaajor editing/rewriting.

The beginning was promising, but as the story progresses there are too many underdeveloped plot points that end up feeling random and disconnected. theres also no world building or character development. the villains are just caricatures. i would also say there is no spice.

this was a bad vibe read tbh but for some reason im not mad.

[Doom Sunshine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was TERRIBLY written. Either the author is a 12 year old child or the story was "enhanced" with AI.
The premise of the story was good, but nothing could help the terrible formatting, countless grammar errors, syntax missteps, or the janky writing.
While I believe that everyone should pursue their passion, this author should stop until they can take SEVERAL classes/workshops on how to craft the written word.

[Simply Stina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could be biased.

I'm so tired of these over powered weak minded FMC. Like we get it, she had to go through something so she could have character development, but why do I feel like Seph's "development" will be extremely underwhelming?

I just don't feel like this first book intrigued me enough to want to find out. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I love Jess, Sy, Ash, and I kinda like Dev, but even their traits aren't enough for me to want to continue this series.

[Joy Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read. From the moment that I started reading this I knew that I was going to be in for a thrill of a read that would take me to another reality. It moves along at a great pace, has amazing characters and a story that will not disappoint. This is a book that needs to be on your TBR list, no doubt about it.

[Sarah Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so much more than just another RH trope-filled fantasy. It’s layered with characters who feel real — people with genuine pain, complicated thoughts, and emotional depth.

Seph is an especially compelling heroine. Given her background, her strength feels earned, not forced. What makes her stand out most is that she chooses compassion, even though it was never freely given to her. That choice makes her powerful in a way that goes beyond magic.

The MMCs are all distinct, each with their own voice, wounds, and motivations. None of them blur together, which is rare and refreshing in the genre.

The romance is a true slow burn, allowing the relationships to develop naturally rather than feeling rushed. The stakes are high, the world-building is immersive, and the emotional arcs feel intentional and well-crafted.

If you’re looking for an RH with depth, heart, and real character growth — please read this.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kind of Book!!!

This book drove me crazy in a good way lol..so awesome crazy dangerous world with the same kind of characters with crazy powers. SY and Ash are my favorites they really will tear the world down for Seph..but so many secrets and lies..I need answers can't wait for the next book!!

[Raelene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new world of cleverly crafted characters facing magical challenges. Drawn in from the first chapter. Take the journey to discover what is beneath the void and you'll find intriguing relationships, a complex world and a journey you'll need to continue.

[Moni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trochę to było smutne i przygnębiające, z uwagi na to co Seph przeszła. Dla równowagi na szczęście dużo się działo i pojawiły się fajne postacie. Koncepcja posiadania mocy jasności i ciemności, dodała na plus bo wszystko zrobiło się jeszcze ciekawsze.

[Stephanie Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story. Reminded me a lot of zodiac academy which I loved. Especially Ash. The power struggle between the two factions of light and dark is not what you would expect sometimes those with the purest magic are the most vile. Can't wait to see how the story continues.

[Alison Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Gothic Academia

Loved this dark gothic academia style story. It was so different from what I normally read. It has a FMC finding who she is and multiple broody dark love interest. Epic slow burn. And a dragon shifter.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This was so good!
So much happened.
The characters were so interesting and complex. The magic system so different.
The FMC so strong. I cant decide which MMC i like the most.
I enjoyed that it was multiple POV.
Going straight to book 2!

[Elizabeth Quiniano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Void

What a book. Neat magic structure.. Several potential love interests… still mad at her sister 😡. I hope she does not get forgiveness.. Her sister and her friend K. Just left Steph..read this book in less than a day.

[Belle McLaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

highly recommend 👍🏼

got to admit tried this book out because i loved the cover 😂… so was happy that it turned out to be a great read and a refreshing change from the norm …. can’t wait for the rest of the series ❤️