Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Other World, It Whispers

Rate this book
From the secrets of the forest, to the magic of the sea, these nine stories tell of what happens when passion, desire, loneliness and imprisonment lead us on a search for freedom and empowerment – no matter what the cost.

A woman makes a deal with gods and goddesses in order to bring a slanderous town down to its knees, a man who has lost everything finds himself in the graveyards of Paris, turning to dark magic to ensure success, an opulent masked ball becomes the stage of spite and revenge, a teenage boy who believes he is in the wrong body calls out to mermaids to enchant him.

With strands of classic fairy and folklore weaved through, the unknown – the silent and dark – is explored. Where spirits, deities and witches lurk, but also where the beauty of life and renewal can be found.

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2016

3 people are currently reading
288 people want to read

About the author

Stephanie Victoire

6 books3 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
19 (24%)
4 stars
21 (26%)
3 stars
30 (38%)
2 stars
7 (8%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Alison.
396 reviews2 followers
November 4, 2016
I don't usually like short stories, but the gothic, fairy tale-like quality of these stories was enchanting. I felt like I was reading something ancient but with very modern themes. I really enjoyed them!
Profile Image for Kalyne.
84 reviews10 followers
February 12, 2018
Amazing collection of short stories. My favourite by far was "The earth-bound express "
Profile Image for Nisha Vyas-Myall.
59 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2016
This is an interesting collection of short stories. Some are brilliant (Bouquet Witch), others poignant (Shanty) and others weird and unexpected (Dark Arts and Deities). A couple of the stories seemed a bit lacklustre but overall, I enjoyed this collection.
Profile Image for Hannah Rae.
239 reviews29 followers
July 14, 2019

This collection of shot stories were absolutely mind blowing! A part of me loved every single one of them, every single story invoked an emotion, a thought, a feeling. This collection of gothic, fairytale-esque stories filled my gothic fanatic heart with love. My favourites are: The Bouquet Witch, The Earth-Bound Express (this one made me SOB), The Animal Ball, and Dark Arts & Deities. Stephanie Victoire’s narrative was so uniquely excellent that I felt as though I was actually inside these short stories, experiencing everything the Protagonist is.
This truly an amazing collection, please, go read it now.
Profile Image for Beachesnbooks.
641 reviews
May 2, 2020
I really enjoyed the fabulism and fairy tale elements in this short story collection, which were reflected both in the content of the stories and the almost old-fashioned, fairy tale style of writing. Would definitely recommend to any other short story fans out there. My favorites in the collection were "Time and Silence," in which a mysterious girl is discovered in the show by an abused young boy; "The Bouquet Witch," in which a lonely young woman joins forces with a local witch to avenge the brokenhearted; and "Shanty," a powerful exploration of gender identity and mermaids.
Profile Image for Jessica Healy.
144 reviews16 followers
December 12, 2016
I definitely wanted to like this more than I did. It was... like a very, very rich chocolate cake. You think you want a whole slice, but, actually, two bites is enough. Though I admit my judgement may be impaired by mood and illness.
Profile Image for M-L.
284 reviews4 followers
February 15, 2018
This short story collection debut from Stephanie Victoire is full of magic, trickery, malice and darkness. My absolute favourite has to be The Bouquet Witch, but all 9 stories in this collection offer a contemporary twist to some dark fairytales from a new, haunting perspective.
Profile Image for Kate.
34 reviews4 followers
June 26, 2018
I picked this up for €3 on a whim after spotting it on a clearance shelf while on holiday in Ireland. If all my impulse buys turned out to be this good I'd be a very happy bunny! Sometimes frustrating, sometimes haunting, sometimes heartbreaking, always beautiful.
63 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2017
I am new to the short story genre, having only really read Stephen King short stories in the past. I really enjoyed this collection, but didn't love every story. There were a few i really enjoyed, but there were also a few i know i will eventually forget about. It is a good place to start though i think if like me you're new to short stories.
Profile Image for Eleanor.
1,137 reviews232 followers
November 21, 2016
Fabulism isn’t a literary mode that I have a particularly easy time with. The discomfort that I often feel when reading something with an overtly “magical realist” tinge is, I’ve discovered, the same as the discomfort I get from “contemporary” translations of texts from classical antiquity. It’s a form of register clash. Reading a translation of Virgil’s Eclogues that includes the phrase “Put up or shut up” (as I once did) is jarring, a yank out of the clearly established classical context into a slangy modernity that feels false. In the same way, reading a story obviously set in a world like our own becomes bewildering when elements of fantasy creep in: witches, spells, sculptures that come to life, but also Paddington station, a bar called the Red Oak, Paris’s Sacré Cœur glimpsed from an apartment window. More often than not, when stories like this work, it’s because the author has planed her prose smooth, every word chosen to encourage and nourish the reader’s belief.

Read the rest of the review here: https://ellethinks.wordpress.com/2016...
Profile Image for Lorna Victoria.
378 reviews22 followers
February 7, 2017
3.5 Beautiful writing with a definitively fairytale-esque style of simplicity. Elements of a mature Francesca Lia Block worshipping at the feet of Tales from the Darkside, but in a kind predictable sort of way. I enjoyed all the stories, but some just went too long and sacrificed their edge. Still, this will sit nestled in amongst my favourites shelf for future readings.
Profile Image for samogie.
35 reviews
January 28, 2020
2.5 stars

There are a couple stories with extremely interesting concepts that I had so much reading and others where the whimsical fairytale writing style was a bit forced, a total struggle to get through.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.