The Whispering Glade: Book Two of the Skyborn Series

by Dalton Way

353 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2026

About the author

Dalton has always been drawn to the power of storytelling. After spending 15 years in the hair industry–where creativity and connection were daily essentials–he returned to his first love: writing. That rediscovery gave rise to The Enchanted Wing and its unfolding series, where mythic wonder meets emotional depth. Dalton lives in a small town in Texas with his loyal dog, Grey, who’s never far from his side during late-night writing sessions. His work explores transformation, memory, and identity, inviting readers into worlds that feel both magical and deeply human.

Reviews

[Marilynn]

Thank you to the author, Dalton Way, for this Advanced Reader Copy. This is a wonderful sequel to the first book in the series and it picks up right where the first book left off. This is a coming of age story for our main female character, Lirien. In this part of the story we have a lot of character growth as she discovers more about herself and learns more about those that she has shared her life with. There is an expansion of the lore in this book that I really enjoyed. There isn’t an information dump, rather the lore is skillfully parsed out to the reader in a way that made me feel like I was learning about life along side Lirien. There are still questions that I want to have answered about this world, and I cannot wait to read the third book in this series.

There is a beautiful found family in this book that shows Lirien again and again what it means to be cared for and welcomed in as one of their own. She is beginning to learn how to deal with her grief as well as how to help others begin to deal with theirs. Other characters are also skillfully introduced as she discovers more about the mystery of her past. This character is easy to believe in and root for. I wanted her to succeed against the different foes that she encounters and that kept me turning the pages and kept me engaged. I needed to know what would happen to her.

The author does a beautiful job creating a living, breathing backdrop for the characters you encounter and they will be living in my mind forever! The descriptions so good they helped me visualize the different locations as if I was there. The main story takes place within a beautiful glade where there are some tense, high stakes moments. Again, I could not put the book down. However, we also have some much needed slower moments that allows that character development and we even have of the beginning of a love interest. I am so curious to see where this relationship goes.

There is also a mystery of sorts that surrounds Lirien and her past. In this part of the story, we watch her as she begins to deal with the consequences of the choices that were made at her birth and the changes that occurred from them. We also are right there with her as she begins to make new choices and the outcomes these new decisions will have on her life and the lives of those she loves. Again I can not wait until the next book is out so I can continue my journey with this character.

[Alexx]

Unfortunately, just like in book 1, this was a lot of words that could have been a few chapters rather than an entire book. While I understand world-building.. this is just really redundant descriptors (in my opinion) and the stretched out describing of every detail makes it feel colder rather than warmer.

Most of the book is spent learning about the glade, the people living in the glade, and watching as Lirien comes to terms with her grief.

I cannot feel for any of the characters because the writing feels so detached. Paragraphs are spent on describing everything in ways that are so extra it's unnecessary, only for the same descriptions to come up again on the next page.

I wanted to love the story, but I just personally can't. Only a couple days pass in the entire book yet she's falling in love and is part of the family? Names of characters are given before they're introduced. Chapters end in one spot and rather than a continuation, it's treated like an episode of a show where the following chapter will get a slight recap of the previous page before catching up to where we left off, with slightly different wording.

I didn't enjoy the first book and that saddened me.. so I had really hoped I would like this one. Somehow, I disliked it more. It took me days to read this rather than my usual 1-2 days because the writing felt so incredibly emotionless.

I waited to review this because I HATE giving negative reviews, but after speaking with the author who wanted real reviews (good AND bad), I feel comfortable giving my honest opinion. I am so thankful for being given the chance to read this story early and only wish the idea hit the mark in my head.

I did receive an advanced copy of this story and chose to leave this review of my own free will.

[Merriann Wright]

Review of Advance Copy Received from the Author.

The second installment of the Skyborn series is a fantastic, refreshing follow-up that dives straight back into the action!

What I Loved:

Character Growth: Lirian is on a path of discovery. It was incredibly gripping to watch her continue to navigate her expanding powers, especially as she begins to face the real consequences that come with them.

Beautiful Imagery: The author's talent for world-building shines once again. The descriptions of the Glade are stunningly beautiful, drawing you completely into the setting.

Expanded Lore: We get to venture into the Glade this time around. I loved the introduction of new creatures-though be warned, they aren't all friendly!

New Dynamics:
The introduction of fresh faces added great energy to the story, and the author masterfully teases a potential new love interest for Lirian that has me eager to see where it goes.

The Stakes:
The danger escalates significantly in this book. With determined enemies coming after Lirian and everyone she cares about, the tension remains high from start to finish.

Final Verdict:
Despite the rising stakes, this remains a quick, refreshing, and highly entertaining read. It expands the world perfectly without getting bogged down. I am thoroughly enjoying this journey and highly recommend picking up this series!

[E.D. Yates]

I gobbled this book up in a 24 hour period. Lirian! Girl found her a handsome, strong love interest and what a great addition it was. The girl who was getting to know herself is still on a path of discovery in book two with a whole new host of interesting characters. The author takes you on a deep dive into the glade and all the amazing new creatures it has to offer. Everything about it is beautiful and the high stakes we learn will soon unfold just continues to build. I don't want to spoil things for readers but just know the world grows larger, the prophecy more foreshadowing and our FMC finds herself a family and someone who promises to be something more than just a friend!

[Alana]

This second book continues with Lirien’s journey into learning her powers and the consequences of actions against her.

Dalton continues with his stunningly beautiful imagery within the glade and the new characters that are introduced to us within this latest installment. But also, he teases a budding love for Lirien with a delicious slow burn.

Enemies are bound and determined to come after Lirien and those she cares for. And I’m excited to know what will come of them once she tracks them down. Maybe in book three?

[Sadie Knights]

The Whispering Glade was an amazing continuation of The Enchanted Wing! It still had the same beautifully immersive and detailed writing that made every scene play out so vividly in my head, but this book really kicked things up a notch. The pacing was faster, so much happened, and there were twists and revelations throughout that kept me completely invested. I loved seeing the story deepen and unfold in unexpected ways. Easily a five-star read!

[Daniella Marchand]

The second book was actually growing on me like Lirien. She's now in the Glade, with Elaris, a seer or so who knows her and the prophecy. Lirien learns some things from Virelle & therefore Elaris wants her to have a vision of the past cause apparently Elaris's past is fractured. Then comes her brother through the mist all bloody & bruised ......

Well written, I could feel all what Lirien is going through.
Thank you Dalton for this opportunity I hope to find you for the next one

[Hannah]

Thank you for the ARC of The Whispering Glade. This story picked right up from the first book - a fast paced start! Dalton Way’s writing is incredibly detailed, helping me picture everything so well. Lirien’s strength is admirable and I look forward to seeing how she becomes more confident and develop her newfound power more!

[Leah Marie]

The Whispering Glade is a continuation of the Skyborn series. This series is proving to be a great fantasy, coming of age series. There may even be a bit of love in this book. I love all the new characters that they introduced us to in the Whispering Glade, although not all of them are kind. This series would be great for younger teens looking for a new fantasy series to get into, as they are shorter books and are less intimidating than if published together in one huge book!