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The Last Whisper of the Gods #1
The Last Whisper of the Gods
According to legend, there was once a time when wizards walked the lands of Ayberia. With powers so mighty that even kings bowed to them, they existed outside the common laws of men. But a thousand years ago, the gods, angry at their creations for giving adulation and worship to wizards, withdrew magic from the world. The wonders of a lost age faded from memory with history giving birth to myths and children's stories...
For one common stableboy, Sorial of Vantok, wizards are no more a real concern than the other long-gone creatures of legend: elves, wyrms, dragons, and trolls. There is only the immediacy of keeping the straw clean and the animals fed to avoid the wrath of his master, the innkeeper Warburm. But Sorial's mysterious past is about to impinge on his present. The secrets surrounding his birth are set to collide with a heretical theology decreeing that the gods are no more. With assassins lurking in the shadowy recesses of the stable, a relentless heat wave turning Winter to Summer, and a duke's daughter showing more interest in him than is proper, Sorial discovers that the "safe" world of his childhood is under assault. His destiny will not allow him to merely observe the disintegration of the social order; he must uncover his past so he can act to safeguard the future.
For one common stableboy, Sorial of Vantok, wizards are no more a real concern than the other long-gone creatures of legend: elves, wyrms, dragons, and trolls. There is only the immediacy of keeping the straw clean and the animals fed to avoid the wrath of his master, the innkeeper Warburm. But Sorial's mysterious past is about to impinge on his present. The secrets surrounding his birth are set to collide with a heretical theology decreeing that the gods are no more. With assassins lurking in the shadowy recesses of the stable, a relentless heat wave turning Winter to Summer, and a duke's daughter showing more interest in him than is proper, Sorial discovers that the "safe" world of his childhood is under assault. His destiny will not allow him to merely observe the disintegration of the social order; he must uncover his past so he can act to safeguard the future.
- GenresFantasy
451 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2015
68 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 27, 2016
Well this was an unexpected awesomeness I found in Kindle Unlimited. Not often am I please with the books there (the ones I find by accident), but this was a good surprise. Sorial is a very interesting kid, and I love the twists and turns that happen to him throughout the book. Alicia is also a great character, who is spoiled but is growing up quite nicely. I'm excited to see what happens in the rest of the series!
July 1, 2016
Horrible.
If I could return the ebook, I would. This book was everything that is wrong with self-published drivel available online.
If I could return the ebook, I would. This book was everything that is wrong with self-published drivel available online.
August 14, 2017
Enjoyable Story
This was a very interesting fast pace action packed entertaining story. The magic is unique, and the hero/MC was a indentured stable boy. His first love was a older barmaid who took his virginity, and his second love he never got to consummate. She is a Duke's daughter, and only if he can become a wizard may they be married. Great Story...
This was a very interesting fast pace action packed entertaining story. The magic is unique, and the hero/MC was a indentured stable boy. His first love was a older barmaid who took his virginity, and his second love he never got to consummate. She is a Duke's daughter, and only if he can become a wizard may they be married. Great Story...
April 22, 2016
I've read James Berardinelli's movie reviews for over fifteen years, and I've often aligned with his taste and enjoyed his story analysis and writing style. Not to mention that he really took to heart Brad Bird's comments on critics in Ratatouille (Anton's monologue). So I had reasonably high expectations from him with regards to creating a fantasy world that would be enjoyable as well as consistent. I've read all three novels, and as they are related to each other well enough such that they should be considered the same story, I'll review them all at once.
Highlights
-Overall, the story caught me and held me to its completion. What more do you want from a series of books than a good thirty hours of entertainment that keeps you interested and wanting to know the end? The writing is good, the characters are interesting and in general more broad than one dimension, and the story has a fast pace.
-The rules of magic, while simple, are well-developed and consistent. I've never really been a fan of elemental magic (earth, fire, water, and air) because of my background in chemistry; but there were several details that made the visualization of the magic reasonably feasible. I also appreciated how the powers were discovered and the variants that could be applied; many times in the story I wondered why Sorial wouldn't do this, and it turned out that he discovered it later. The combinations of magic were well-planned and executed too.
-While there were a few fantasy tropes, they were used sparingly and often with surprises attached.
-It is rather graphic, and in the vein of GRR Martin, people get punished. Two thirds of the way through the first book it starts to get brutal in service to the story; that by the way is when I committed to the story.
-Most importantly, it got better as it went a long. So many stories start with a great idea and then fizzle. If anything, the first half of the "Last Whisper" was the slowest, and the other two novels were more entertaining.
Nitpicks
As usual, it's his world and I'm just reading it, but these thoughts crossed my mind.
-If there are pistols, there is gunpowder. If there is gunpowder, there are cannons. If there are cannons, there are no castle walls. As far as I can tell, there was only one story element that required the gun , but this was not exactly the Meerenese knot, other ways could accomplish what was needed from the story. Pistols were not needed and they made a lot of the other story elements seem foolish.
-Frankly, the sex passages were too frequent and often didn't add value. I'm not prude, but like special effects in movies, sex should serve the story. Any more than that then it is simply a kid showing you his dad's Penthouse forums.
-A bit of the dialog was expository, and at times Sorial would wax poetic like a Victorian philosopher and then throw 'ain't' in there just to show his humble roots.
-It's a small world after all, one with almost no history--Throughout the entire set of novels, the loss of the gods is lamented, how the populace would respond to their loss was considered a tragic event. Yet not one god was named, not one story was told, not one miracle was explained. The history of the world served only to provide the minimum needed background. Also, there were only six cities, maybe two hundred thousand people, and just not a lot of reason to think so few people could have made so many advances in building palaces and such.
-Sorial, at times, is a complete idiot.
Overall, the critic took a shot at being a creator, and he did well. He wrote a good story with interesting characters, and to boot he gave it an ending that, while telegraphed, was a good turn and fun to resolve.
Highlights
-Overall, the story caught me and held me to its completion. What more do you want from a series of books than a good thirty hours of entertainment that keeps you interested and wanting to know the end? The writing is good, the characters are interesting and in general more broad than one dimension, and the story has a fast pace.
-The rules of magic, while simple, are well-developed and consistent. I've never really been a fan of elemental magic (earth, fire, water, and air) because of my background in chemistry; but there were several details that made the visualization of the magic reasonably feasible. I also appreciated how the powers were discovered and the variants that could be applied; many times in the story I wondered why Sorial wouldn't do this, and it turned out that he discovered it later. The combinations of magic were well-planned and executed too.
-While there were a few fantasy tropes, they were used sparingly and often with surprises attached.
-It is rather graphic, and in the vein of GRR Martin, people get punished. Two thirds of the way through the first book it starts to get brutal in service to the story; that by the way is when I committed to the story.
-Most importantly, it got better as it went a long. So many stories start with a great idea and then fizzle. If anything, the first half of the "Last Whisper" was the slowest, and the other two novels were more entertaining.
Nitpicks
As usual, it's his world and I'm just reading it, but these thoughts crossed my mind.
-If there are pistols, there is gunpowder. If there is gunpowder, there are cannons. If there are cannons, there are no castle walls. As far as I can tell, there was only one story element that required the gun , but this was not exactly the Meerenese knot, other ways could accomplish what was needed from the story. Pistols were not needed and they made a lot of the other story elements seem foolish.
-Frankly, the sex passages were too frequent and often didn't add value. I'm not prude, but like special effects in movies, sex should serve the story. Any more than that then it is simply a kid showing you his dad's Penthouse forums.
-A bit of the dialog was expository, and at times Sorial would wax poetic like a Victorian philosopher and then throw 'ain't' in there just to show his humble roots.
-It's a small world after all, one with almost no history--Throughout the entire set of novels, the loss of the gods is lamented, how the populace would respond to their loss was considered a tragic event. Yet not one god was named, not one story was told, not one miracle was explained. The history of the world served only to provide the minimum needed background. Also, there were only six cities, maybe two hundred thousand people, and just not a lot of reason to think so few people could have made so many advances in building palaces and such.
-Sorial, at times, is a complete idiot.
Overall, the critic took a shot at being a creator, and he did well. He wrote a good story with interesting characters, and to boot he gave it an ending that, while telegraphed, was a good turn and fun to resolve.
November 24, 2016
A Fantasy Novel Of Conspiracies, Politics, and Romance!
Conspiracies, politics, and romance? Those three things don't go together. Two of them might fit together easily enough, but all three? You, like myself, might think the three things cannot fit together, but, if you read this surprising gem of a novel, you may find yourself as pulled into trying to decipher who is manipulating Sorial's life, who's trying to protect it, and who is trying to end it. In case the title doesn't give it away before you even start reading, it isn't the Gods--because they are all D E A D, Dead! There is absolutely no deus ex machina in this novel. In a radical departure from the typical fantasy novel; there are no gods, no battles, few fights and little magic throughout the story. This might lead you to suspect this book is a serious sleep inducer. And, the slow pacing of the early chapters might lead you to think your suspicions well founded, but if you have an investigative turn of mind, the continuous, seemingly unrelated, and unlikely events that impinge on Sorial will have you trying to solve the mysterty
Conspiracies, politics, and romance? Those three things don't go together. Two of them might fit together easily enough, but all three? You, like myself, might think the three things cannot fit together, but, if you read this surprising gem of a novel, you may find yourself as pulled into trying to decipher who is manipulating Sorial's life, who's trying to protect it, and who is trying to end it. In case the title doesn't give it away before you even start reading, it isn't the Gods--because they are all D E A D, Dead! There is absolutely no deus ex machina in this novel. In a radical departure from the typical fantasy novel; there are no gods, no battles, few fights and little magic throughout the story. This might lead you to suspect this book is a serious sleep inducer. And, the slow pacing of the early chapters might lead you to think your suspicions well founded, but if you have an investigative turn of mind, the continuous, seemingly unrelated, and unlikely events that impinge on Sorial will have you trying to solve the mysterty
May 19, 2016
I've been reading Mr Berardinelli's reviews for years, and I've always enjoyed them--I consider his prose to be simple but clear, and never uninteresting. That's why I decided to start reading his literary fantasy trilogy, and I was pleasantly surprised by they first entry: The Last Whisper of the Gods.
In general, it's quite a good novel. Maybe it's a little slow to start, but once things get going, it becomes a really gripping book, full of adventure, action, sex and a little gore. Some of the latter was exaggerated during the last third of the novel--I deemed this to be unnecessary, quite frankly. But apart from that, i really enjoyed the book--Sorial, the main character, is likeable and well developed, and his love interest, Alicia, has quite the character arc. I just hope the more fantastic elements of this world as further developed in the next two books. Nevertheless, I recommed The Last Whisper of the Gods--it turns out Berardinelli is both a talented movie reviewer AND a talented fantasy novel writer!
In general, it's quite a good novel. Maybe it's a little slow to start, but once things get going, it becomes a really gripping book, full of adventure, action, sex and a little gore. Some of the latter was exaggerated during the last third of the novel--I deemed this to be unnecessary, quite frankly. But apart from that, i really enjoyed the book--Sorial, the main character, is likeable and well developed, and his love interest, Alicia, has quite the character arc. I just hope the more fantastic elements of this world as further developed in the next two books. Nevertheless, I recommed The Last Whisper of the Gods--it turns out Berardinelli is both a talented movie reviewer AND a talented fantasy novel writer!
December 10, 2015
I’ve been enjoying James Berardinelli’s movie reviews (http://www.reelviews.net/) for years since I discovered him at rotten tomatoes. He has ventured into fantasy with a tale of The Last Whisper of the Gods (ebook). The Gods got bored and wished themselves out of existence. A thousand years before they removed wizardry from Ayberia, but their last gasp restored it. We meet Sorial of Vantok, as a simple stable boy who works hard and doesn’t know why the Duke keeps bringing his daughter near. As expected, Sorial was bred for his ancestral talents for wizardy and he must eventually quest to a portal in an abandoned city to either face death or become one of the four wizards (earth, air, fire, or water). The Wizard of fire has brought global warming, making Soriel’s home town slowly uninhabitable. The tale takes its time to get started, but the characters are fun and the ending left me wanting the sequel due in January. Review printed by Philadelphia Weekly Press
May 31, 2016
A world-class epic fantasy for adult readers
Anyone who is a fan and avid reader of fantasies, knows how most are written with a censorship of all things adult, such as language and sex. This book does not shy away from such subjects, but doesn't shine a light on them either. This is an epic fantasy whose only draw back, is that the story is a cliffhanger, where in order to find out what happens next, requires the reading of the next book of the series. But if the subsequent books are as good as the first, then that will be a pleasure. Fans of George R.R. Martin, Rothfuss, Terry Brooks Terry Good kind, and R.A. Salvatore will find this book highly entertaining.
Anyone who is a fan and avid reader of fantasies, knows how most are written with a censorship of all things adult, such as language and sex. This book does not shy away from such subjects, but doesn't shine a light on them either. This is an epic fantasy whose only draw back, is that the story is a cliffhanger, where in order to find out what happens next, requires the reading of the next book of the series. But if the subsequent books are as good as the first, then that will be a pleasure. Fans of George R.R. Martin, Rothfuss, Terry Brooks Terry Good kind, and R.A. Salvatore will find this book highly entertaining.
April 21, 2016
Good book. Intriguing and full of action and adventure. If you're expecting high fantasy full of elves, trolls, dragons, and lots of magic... this book isn't it (gotta read book 2 for that). This book is more about a stable boy that has to journey far away to see if magic exists. Based on the cover, I assumed it would be about dragons... it's not lol. Do wish we had learned more about the gods, but we don't. Author sure likes to use sex scenes, though. Too many, in my opinion, and they add nothing of value to the story. Anyway, it was a good book. Give it a go.
March 4, 2016
Slow start fast ending
It took a little while to get into this book. Probably close to halfway thru before I was eager to read the next page. It got great reviews and the proved true but this is a book you have to stick with. It does pay off. Wish there had been more storyline about the gods and why the magic disappeared and less about the day to day actions (tedious reading) 'm getting ready to start the 2nd book and hope it is just as good.
It took a little while to get into this book. Probably close to halfway thru before I was eager to read the next page. It got great reviews and the proved true but this is a book you have to stick with. It does pay off. Wish there had been more storyline about the gods and why the magic disappeared and less about the day to day actions (tedious reading) 'm getting ready to start the 2nd book and hope it is just as good.
July 1, 2016
Good plot, well written
Sorial is a great hero and Alicia a great heroine. Their journey from stable-boy and noble girl is worth the whole time to read the book and the Prelate, king, enemies, and friends are excellent, with realistic presence, well planned in the setting of the story.
Sorial is a great hero and Alicia a great heroine. Their journey from stable-boy and noble girl is worth the whole time to read the book and the Prelate, king, enemies, and friends are excellent, with realistic presence, well planned in the setting of the story.
March 13, 2016
enjoyable read
This book was an enjoyable read about the gods leaving humans to fend for themselves. A little predictable with juvenile characters coming of age and having to deal with their destinies. Overall not a bad book.
This book was an enjoyable read about the gods leaving humans to fend for themselves. A little predictable with juvenile characters coming of age and having to deal with their destinies. Overall not a bad book.
January 16, 2016
I feel like this book is a bit of a tease. There's hardly any magic and the entire journey of the book is a bit too mundane.
February 25, 2016
Good overall
This book is pretty good at the start and the finish, but the middle has some pretty tedious parts that made me want to put the book away.
This book is pretty good at the start and the finish, but the middle has some pretty tedious parts that made me want to put the book away.
February 28, 2016
Good story!
A very good yarn . Fast paced and good plotting. Also characters that you can care about and hope for.
A very good yarn . Fast paced and good plotting. Also characters that you can care about and hope for.
March 22, 2016
Through Enjoyment!
This was a very easy read for both long time and novice fantasy readers. Hard to put down and easy to pick back up. Looking forward to the next book.
This was a very easy read for both long time and novice fantasy readers. Hard to put down and easy to pick back up. Looking forward to the next book.
March 28, 2016
I really liked this book and am on to book two. I would give it not quite 4 Stars but a good read it does pick up near the end making you want more
May 19, 2016
Satisfying
This story was well written and contained an intricately woven plot. I enjoyed it. Perhaps you will too if you enjoy world building fantasy as I do.
This story was well written and contained an intricately woven plot. I enjoyed it. Perhaps you will too if you enjoy world building fantasy as I do.
April 26, 2017
Just wasn't my thing mainly. I'll give it 3 stars, because the writing and editing was good and I only read 8 chapters and then stopped.
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September 3, 2017Couldn't hold my interest. Maybe another time.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews