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A War of Whispers #1
If Light Above
The kingdom's only hopes are a wounded soldier, a dead-beat noble, and a killer.
Osmund Benwickery, former captain general in the king’s army, burdened by a useless left arm and a dwindling sense of self-worth, has been hired for the most important job of his life. The young queen is dead, the newborn prince is missing, and the king has narrowly survived assassination. Osmund must solve the treacherous plot before either the infant prince is lost forever or the king’s assassins return - and succeed.
Phrai, a hired blade with a bloody reputation, wants nothing more than to numb the pain of the past. Tamrion Kinto, an idealistic young nobleman with a clever tongue, can’t seem to stay out of trouble. When their paths intertwine, Phrai and Tamrion find themselves dragged into dangerous complications that will change the way they view the world, themselves, and each other.
Shinowyn Alva, castle seamstress and dressmaker to the late queen, slips among the shadows, watching the deadly game of power unfolding in the capital city. But what secrets does Shinowyn hide behind her peculiar smile and mismatched eyes? Is she simply another pawn, or will she have the nerve to play?
The game is conspiracy and the pieces are set. As Fate weaves these four lives together, events unfold that will threaten their kingdom and challenge their very beliefs. Can they put aside their differences and band together long enough to hold back the darkness?
If Light Above is the compelling first fantasy novel in Lily Anne Crow's series A War of Whispers.
Osmund Benwickery, former captain general in the king’s army, burdened by a useless left arm and a dwindling sense of self-worth, has been hired for the most important job of his life. The young queen is dead, the newborn prince is missing, and the king has narrowly survived assassination. Osmund must solve the treacherous plot before either the infant prince is lost forever or the king’s assassins return - and succeed.
Phrai, a hired blade with a bloody reputation, wants nothing more than to numb the pain of the past. Tamrion Kinto, an idealistic young nobleman with a clever tongue, can’t seem to stay out of trouble. When their paths intertwine, Phrai and Tamrion find themselves dragged into dangerous complications that will change the way they view the world, themselves, and each other.
Shinowyn Alva, castle seamstress and dressmaker to the late queen, slips among the shadows, watching the deadly game of power unfolding in the capital city. But what secrets does Shinowyn hide behind her peculiar smile and mismatched eyes? Is she simply another pawn, or will she have the nerve to play?
The game is conspiracy and the pieces are set. As Fate weaves these four lives together, events unfold that will threaten their kingdom and challenge their very beliefs. Can they put aside their differences and band together long enough to hold back the darkness?
If Light Above is the compelling first fantasy novel in Lily Anne Crow's series A War of Whispers.
- GenresFantasyYoung AdultEbooks
447 pages, ebook
Published January 28, 2022
33 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 9, 2023
I read this book as part of my allotment as a judge for SPFBO9, so the star rating will be withheld until a later phase.
Compelling characters. Conspiracy. Murder. Intrigue. Magic.
IF LIGHT ABOVE is the first in the fantasy series, A War of Whispers. There have been 3 books published so far and are written as duets, meaning the first 2 books make a complete story and the next 2 will be another completed story that take place 3 years after the first set. After reading the first one, I am happy for as many of these as the author will write!
The Queen goes into early labor - as she lays there hemorrhaging, the infant prince is stolen. Meanwhile, the King and his guard are fending off an assassination attempt. The Duke of Aigelle hires former Captain General Osmund Benwickery to investigate and reveal those involved in the conspiracy against the royals of the kingdom and find the prince while he's at it.
Think of Sherlock Holmes playing a game of CLUE in a fantasy setting and you're on track!
I adored so many of the characters we meet throughout this fantastical whodunit. The story unfolds through the perspective of Osmund Benwickery as he investigates the conspiracy, Shinowyn - a castle seamstress who seems to be doing her own form of investigating...or is it spying? Tamrion, a young noble with a silver tongue who is trying to find his path in life, but only seems to find trouble - including crossing paths with a deadly assassin named Phrai. There are so many moving parts and plotlines involving all of these characters, I was constantly entertained. Besides the mystery of the attack on the royals, there's the mystery of all of these characters and their motivations. These are just our primary players - there are many other secondary characters that I enjoyed immensely, one being the street urchin, Pight, who becomes apprentice to Benwickery.
The world of Erlahain condemned the use of magic unless the caster had spent years of intense study and training in college. Those who did not attend the college and skipped the training were called "Recondants" - any magic they worked was considered illegal and foolhardy. Those who undertook proper training were known as Magisters and used crystals as conduits to focus their intent. I was very interested in learning about the different types/colors of crystals and how they were used to perform different branches of magic. I'm eager to learn more as I continue the series - I would like to learn more of why it was so important for casters to attend college and just what could happen without that training.
There was a few other types of magic that were performed without using the conduits of crystals that really has me curious - so you know what that means....yep, getting the next book in the series to find out more.
So we have great characters, an intriguing mysterious plot - there's more! It was fun. There were so many delightful characters that were humorous, loveable and clever. The writing style of Lily Anne Crow is so effortless to read - sometimes in these type of fast-paced plots of mystery and murder, if the prose is leaning towards the flowery, purple kind, I get a little held up by it. Not so here!
Whether you prefer YA or Adult Fantasy - IF LIGHT ABOVE has you covered. If you enjoy a good political mystery - again, you're covered. I was taking notes and doing my best to solve the case myself, but I never came close to hitting the mark. Ha! (Maybe I'll do better in the second book!)
If you enjoyed reading Rook & Rose by M. A. Carrick, The Drowning Empire by Andrea Stewart or The Risen Kingdom by Curtis Craddock, then A War of Whispers would be a great one for you to try!
You can find this review and many more on my website, https://www.thenerdynarrative.com or if you prefer video format, you can find those on my BookTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/thenerdynarra...
Compelling characters. Conspiracy. Murder. Intrigue. Magic.
IF LIGHT ABOVE is the first in the fantasy series, A War of Whispers. There have been 3 books published so far and are written as duets, meaning the first 2 books make a complete story and the next 2 will be another completed story that take place 3 years after the first set. After reading the first one, I am happy for as many of these as the author will write!
"Son, politics is war, and gold is the deadliest weapon in the realm."
The Queen goes into early labor - as she lays there hemorrhaging, the infant prince is stolen. Meanwhile, the King and his guard are fending off an assassination attempt. The Duke of Aigelle hires former Captain General Osmund Benwickery to investigate and reveal those involved in the conspiracy against the royals of the kingdom and find the prince while he's at it.
Think of Sherlock Holmes playing a game of CLUE in a fantasy setting and you're on track!
I adored so many of the characters we meet throughout this fantastical whodunit. The story unfolds through the perspective of Osmund Benwickery as he investigates the conspiracy, Shinowyn - a castle seamstress who seems to be doing her own form of investigating...or is it spying? Tamrion, a young noble with a silver tongue who is trying to find his path in life, but only seems to find trouble - including crossing paths with a deadly assassin named Phrai. There are so many moving parts and plotlines involving all of these characters, I was constantly entertained. Besides the mystery of the attack on the royals, there's the mystery of all of these characters and their motivations. These are just our primary players - there are many other secondary characters that I enjoyed immensely, one being the street urchin, Pight, who becomes apprentice to Benwickery.
The world of Erlahain condemned the use of magic unless the caster had spent years of intense study and training in college. Those who did not attend the college and skipped the training were called "Recondants" - any magic they worked was considered illegal and foolhardy. Those who undertook proper training were known as Magisters and used crystals as conduits to focus their intent. I was very interested in learning about the different types/colors of crystals and how they were used to perform different branches of magic. I'm eager to learn more as I continue the series - I would like to learn more of why it was so important for casters to attend college and just what could happen without that training.
There was a few other types of magic that were performed without using the conduits of crystals that really has me curious - so you know what that means....yep, getting the next book in the series to find out more.
So we have great characters, an intriguing mysterious plot - there's more! It was fun. There were so many delightful characters that were humorous, loveable and clever. The writing style of Lily Anne Crow is so effortless to read - sometimes in these type of fast-paced plots of mystery and murder, if the prose is leaning towards the flowery, purple kind, I get a little held up by it. Not so here!
Whether you prefer YA or Adult Fantasy - IF LIGHT ABOVE has you covered. If you enjoy a good political mystery - again, you're covered. I was taking notes and doing my best to solve the case myself, but I never came close to hitting the mark. Ha! (Maybe I'll do better in the second book!)
If you enjoyed reading Rook & Rose by M. A. Carrick, The Drowning Empire by Andrea Stewart or The Risen Kingdom by Curtis Craddock, then A War of Whispers would be a great one for you to try!
You can find this review and many more on my website, https://www.thenerdynarrative.com or if you prefer video format, you can find those on my BookTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/thenerdynarra...
September 29, 2023
Review originally on
JamReads
If Light Above is a fantastic mystery and political fantasy novel, first book on the A War of Whispers series, written by Lily Anne Crow, and which has achieved semifinals on SPFBO9. A character driven story, told using several POV with different origins, trying to unravel the different clues behind the disappearance of the just-born son of the Queen, which has died while giving birth.
The Duke of Algelle hires Captain General Osmund Benwickery to investigate the truth behind the disappearance of the future prince, and reveal the conspirators behind it. The story will be told mainly from his perspective, crossing his paths with the rest of POVs, but still remaining the focus.
Osmund is a complex character, a so-called war hero who is still dealing with the sequels of that last one battle that earned him the title. From low origins, the authority of the Duke will open him the castle's doors, entering in contact with a mysterious seamstress, Shinowyn who seems to be doing her own investigation, a bit suspicious. Despite being treated with contempt by part of the nobility, he will put the best of him in the investigation; Osmund is a compassionate man, a generous man who will also adopt a family of street urchins, taking one as his apprentice, Pight.
As secondary characters, we are spectators of two different paths that get woven with Osmund's one, becoming a subplot by itself. Tamrion is a young noble, trying to find his path in life, only landing in problems; and all his steps bring him to finding Phrai, a mysterious assassin. More questions are raised around these characters and their environment, also acting as a way to show parts of the world that we wouldn't see through Osmund's eyes.
Erlanhain is a rich world, well developed, and personally, limiting the action to a relatively small area, allowing the author to focus better on the details of the city and surroundings, is something I found enjoyable. Magic is regulated and banished, unless you have a formal education for years in a mysterious college (hopefully we visit it on next books).
Crow's prose lands a bit on the purple side, but it works well when paired with this world; it is marvelous how easy is to visualize this book in your mind. The pacing is in a great spot, as I was really hooked with the mystery and the political intrigues, which I would compare in level with Game of Thrones.
Honestly, I loved reading If Light Above, it's exactly the kind of plot that keeps me reading until late because I want to uncover the truth behind. It's an excellent book, and if you are looking for a great political fantasy, give it a try!
If Light Above is a fantastic mystery and political fantasy novel, first book on the A War of Whispers series, written by Lily Anne Crow, and which has achieved semifinals on SPFBO9. A character driven story, told using several POV with different origins, trying to unravel the different clues behind the disappearance of the just-born son of the Queen, which has died while giving birth.
The Duke of Algelle hires Captain General Osmund Benwickery to investigate the truth behind the disappearance of the future prince, and reveal the conspirators behind it. The story will be told mainly from his perspective, crossing his paths with the rest of POVs, but still remaining the focus.
Osmund is a complex character, a so-called war hero who is still dealing with the sequels of that last one battle that earned him the title. From low origins, the authority of the Duke will open him the castle's doors, entering in contact with a mysterious seamstress, Shinowyn who seems to be doing her own investigation, a bit suspicious. Despite being treated with contempt by part of the nobility, he will put the best of him in the investigation; Osmund is a compassionate man, a generous man who will also adopt a family of street urchins, taking one as his apprentice, Pight.
As secondary characters, we are spectators of two different paths that get woven with Osmund's one, becoming a subplot by itself. Tamrion is a young noble, trying to find his path in life, only landing in problems; and all his steps bring him to finding Phrai, a mysterious assassin. More questions are raised around these characters and their environment, also acting as a way to show parts of the world that we wouldn't see through Osmund's eyes.
Erlanhain is a rich world, well developed, and personally, limiting the action to a relatively small area, allowing the author to focus better on the details of the city and surroundings, is something I found enjoyable. Magic is regulated and banished, unless you have a formal education for years in a mysterious college (hopefully we visit it on next books).
Crow's prose lands a bit on the purple side, but it works well when paired with this world; it is marvelous how easy is to visualize this book in your mind. The pacing is in a great spot, as I was really hooked with the mystery and the political intrigues, which I would compare in level with Game of Thrones.
Honestly, I loved reading If Light Above, it's exactly the kind of plot that keeps me reading until late because I want to uncover the truth behind. It's an excellent book, and if you are looking for a great political fantasy, give it a try!
February 7, 2022
I don't every write reviews, but in this case, I just can't ignore the greatness of this debut novel. I first thought this novel was geared towards YA. Was I ever wrong. If I were to compare the Author's writing style and overall presentation, it is on par with the "Maradaine" series by Marshall Ryan Maresca.
The flowing prose keeps the reader engaged chapter after chapter. World building, character development, engaging side stories, unpredictability, everything adds to the immersive plot. I could go on and say the usual, but I'll simply say "Wow". What a pleasant surprise. Finally a book I couldn't put down. I give this book 4.5 stars (I believe the perfect book hasn't been written yet).
In short, I didn't want Book 1 to end. If it was 200 pages longer, I'd still not be satisfied. Lily Anne Crow has a fantastic future. I await Book 2 with great anticipation.
The flowing prose keeps the reader engaged chapter after chapter. World building, character development, engaging side stories, unpredictability, everything adds to the immersive plot. I could go on and say the usual, but I'll simply say "Wow". What a pleasant surprise. Finally a book I couldn't put down. I give this book 4.5 stars (I believe the perfect book hasn't been written yet).
In short, I didn't want Book 1 to end. If it was 200 pages longer, I'd still not be satisfied. Lily Anne Crow has a fantastic future. I await Book 2 with great anticipation.
May 9, 2023
I can't say I was immediately immersed in this book, it took me a while to get to grips with it, for the characters to align within the plot but once I did I was fully immersed, so totally drenched, it seeped into all my pores, a story of an ex soldier tasked with the almost impossible, a story of strife and murder and attempted assassinations and kidnapping and yeah, a lot of ands! There are also a multitude of characters and from multiple POV's, which I personally enjoy. It allows me to "see" what each person is about.
Osmund, a retired disgraced soldier with a sense of duty and a heart of gold gets a chance to readeem himself, as the lead investigator to get to the truth of what happened. Pight, a young boy living on the streets, doing all sorts to keep his siblings fed, is offered a lifetime by Osmund. He's a terrific character, smart and sassy. Tamrion poor Tamrion a young man with no clear direction and at the whims of his rather emotionless parents, tries to forge his own way. Shinowyn a seamstress, who's much more than meets the eye and Phrai an assassin with a conscience. All these characters are involved, in one way or another, all of them with some sort of baggage and when their paths meet, well, the outcome is extremely surprising. It takes one on s very interesting winding path, in beautifully written prose, to an ending that leaves s need to find out, what next?
It took a while, as I mentioned, for the characters to crystallise, no pun intended, as their characters, motives and intentions are fully explored. It's not a fast paced book, it plods along at a nice steady rate, giving one the chance to appreciate the rather convoluted plot, which I did. This is not only a "who done it" but a "why done it". A young Queen's death and the abduction of the new born Prince sets off this cascading tale, which reads like an Agatha Christie type of mystery/murder but with the awesome addition of magic.
Osmund, a retired disgraced soldier with a sense of duty and a heart of gold gets a chance to readeem himself, as the lead investigator to get to the truth of what happened. Pight, a young boy living on the streets, doing all sorts to keep his siblings fed, is offered a lifetime by Osmund. He's a terrific character, smart and sassy. Tamrion poor Tamrion a young man with no clear direction and at the whims of his rather emotionless parents, tries to forge his own way. Shinowyn a seamstress, who's much more than meets the eye and Phrai an assassin with a conscience. All these characters are involved, in one way or another, all of them with some sort of baggage and when their paths meet, well, the outcome is extremely surprising. It takes one on s very interesting winding path, in beautifully written prose, to an ending that leaves s need to find out, what next?
It took a while, as I mentioned, for the characters to crystallise, no pun intended, as their characters, motives and intentions are fully explored. It's not a fast paced book, it plods along at a nice steady rate, giving one the chance to appreciate the rather convoluted plot, which I did. This is not only a "who done it" but a "why done it". A young Queen's death and the abduction of the new born Prince sets off this cascading tale, which reads like an Agatha Christie type of mystery/murder but with the awesome addition of magic.
November 19, 2023
Really quite astounding! I was recommended this book to finish an alphabet challenge and reading the summary, I was thinking: well, sounds interesting but not too original. Probably YA fantasy. But no. It‘s subtle mystery, extremely well written (I have come to know different in self-published Kindle books) with great world-building and not too much romance. And I only realized it‘s the beginning of a four-part (or more?) series after I was halfway through so now I have three more books on my TBR. Because obviously I need to know what happened to that baby prince!
March 12, 2025
More people need to read this book.
Combining politics, murder, whodunnit, assassins, flawed and disabled protagonists.
It ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series.
Combining politics, murder, whodunnit, assassins, flawed and disabled protagonists.
It ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series.
August 3, 2024
Here's the thing about me: I'm a binge-reader, and I prefer reading books in a short span of time so that I don't lose interest. However, I had a very different experience with this book. It took me a while to finish due to my hectic work schedule, but everyday I'd wait to be done with work just so I could get around 45 mins of uninterrupted reading. I can gladly say that I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.
The best part for me were the characters. Each one was beautifully crafted and their storylines were masterfully interweaved throughout the book. I love how the author took her time with each one of them and explained their backgrounds, motives, abilities, thought processes and nature. My favourite was obviously Pight. Though he was a supporting character, I enjoyed his mischief as well as resourcefulness. The character interactions were also great and seemed natural.
Another thing I loved about the book was the secrecy. Everyone had something to hide and though I could see their actions, there was more than what was being portrayed. At this point, it's difficult to say whose side I'm exactly on and hence, I'm eager to read the rest of the series.
The worldbuilding was amazingly detailed. The locations, history, magical abilities, political situation were all covered well.
I believe this book deserves a lot more love because it's a masterpiece. I recommend it to readers who enjoy dark and epic fantasy with complex storylines, morally grey characters and mystery.
The best part for me were the characters. Each one was beautifully crafted and their storylines were masterfully interweaved throughout the book. I love how the author took her time with each one of them and explained their backgrounds, motives, abilities, thought processes and nature. My favourite was obviously Pight. Though he was a supporting character, I enjoyed his mischief as well as resourcefulness. The character interactions were also great and seemed natural.
Another thing I loved about the book was the secrecy. Everyone had something to hide and though I could see their actions, there was more than what was being portrayed. At this point, it's difficult to say whose side I'm exactly on and hence, I'm eager to read the rest of the series.
The worldbuilding was amazingly detailed. The locations, history, magical abilities, political situation were all covered well.
I believe this book deserves a lot more love because it's a masterpiece. I recommend it to readers who enjoy dark and epic fantasy with complex storylines, morally grey characters and mystery.
Want to read
March 11, 2024This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBO9 contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
Charge! The Captain General Osmund Benwickery plunges into battle at the center of his cavalry line against the armored line of the Worgarren army and their braceletted crystal wielder’s unpredictable magic!
This is a roaring, active opening that plunges the reader headlong into the world of the story and the immediate necessity of its viewpoint character. We know exactly what we need to know to keep the pages flying by.
The scene and story builds and builds as the details expand our understanding of the conflict and its participants.
There’s a bit of whimsy to the prose that goes beyond the clash of steel and sudden terrible crush of magic. There is a playfulness here in the names and literary devices that makes this opening all the more charming.
I very much like reading about magic from the perspective of people who do not wield it themselves. It makes the power of the wielders seem all the more awesome and terrible and, well, magical.
This has a personality all it’s own. It’s easy for me to see already how this was chosen as a semi-finalist. I love that I’ve found it. And only 10 ratings on goodreads?! This needs many, MANY more! I'm getting my copy!
I’m in!
Charge! The Captain General Osmund Benwickery plunges into battle at the center of his cavalry line against the armored line of the Worgarren army and their braceletted crystal wielder’s unpredictable magic!
This is a roaring, active opening that plunges the reader headlong into the world of the story and the immediate necessity of its viewpoint character. We know exactly what we need to know to keep the pages flying by.
The scene and story builds and builds as the details expand our understanding of the conflict and its participants.
There’s a bit of whimsy to the prose that goes beyond the clash of steel and sudden terrible crush of magic. There is a playfulness here in the names and literary devices that makes this opening all the more charming.
I very much like reading about magic from the perspective of people who do not wield it themselves. It makes the power of the wielders seem all the more awesome and terrible and, well, magical.
This has a personality all it’s own. It’s easy for me to see already how this was chosen as a semi-finalist. I love that I’ve found it. And only 10 ratings on goodreads?! This needs many, MANY more! I'm getting my copy!
I’m in!
September 25, 2023
This book caught my attention from the beginning and didn't let go. Court intrigue, assassination, found family, animal companions, and magic. It has all this and more! My only minor complaint is that the first two books are certainly meant to be one book. The first book ends abruptly with no wrap up or even a minor stopping point and immediately starts back up in the next book. Of course together they are almost 900 pages so breaking them up is understandable. I am very much looking forward to diving into the next book in the series!
October 1, 2023
Murder Mystery/fantasy cross overs are one of my favourite sub genres of fantasy and this one certainly didn't disappoint. I was hooked early on into this book and read it in one sitting so the pacing was great. Enjoyed all the characters (loved Pight - he's a little mystery on his own!!) and
not knowing which characters to trust added an extra thrilling dimension to the story. I see book 2 is out and one must read these as a duology so I'm finishing here to download it.
not knowing which characters to trust added an extra thrilling dimension to the story. I see book 2 is out and one must read these as a duology so I'm finishing here to download it.
July 9, 2024
Ex-general becomes detective in dangerous royal case
Hmm. I like the story but the first half (roughly) felt different than the second, like it was evolving from one type of story to another. The main character keeps it held together. It took a while for secondary main characters’ storylines to merge with the first. Now that all that makes more sense, the next book should prove very interesting!
Hmm. I like the story but the first half (roughly) felt different than the second, like it was evolving from one type of story to another. The main character keeps it held together. It took a while for secondary main characters’ storylines to merge with the first. Now that all that makes more sense, the next book should prove very interesting!
October 23, 2024
Wow. This was written fantastically. I usually have a lot more trouble with so many characters but everybody is so well described that I don’t struggle as much as I thought I would. Can’t wait to find out the rest of the mystery in the next book!
October 23, 2023
I liked it, but it left too many open questions at the end of part one. I prefer a series where each book has some sort of conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews