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The Whispering Crystals #1-3
The Whispering Crystals Omnibus: Books 1-3 of a LitRPG Adventure
Ever wished a portal would open up and swallow you? Don’t. Trust me.
Slinging hotdogs may not be the most glorious side gig, but hey, if it paid for college, that’s all Emma could ask for. And let’s be real, of all the crowds in the world, what were the odds that Comic-Con would get Portalled next?
Emma really should’ve known better. Once again, the universe conspires against her, and now she’s stuck in a world where the laws of physics don’t seem to apply, and even the grass is trying to kill her. She better pay close heed to the Artificial Intelligence guiding her and make some new friends fast, because out here, it’s thrive or die.
And no amount of videogames prepared her for a world where you can actually gain Skills and level up. Or to face a series of trials that seem designed to kill her rather than teach her how to survive... What could possibly be the real goal of the mysterious ‘predecessors’ that built them?
What other people have to
"Not only one of the best LitRPG books I've read, but one of the better books in general." ★★★★★
"For the first time in years, I stayed up all night because I just couldn't. Put. It. Down." ★★★★★
"This story has one of the most interesting and intricate settings I have ever encountered." ★★★★★
"I lost track of time reading and suddenly time-skipped from 10pm to 5am I was soo absorbed in this marvel of work!" ★★★★★
"I have read a number of books in this genre. This is my favorite so far." ★★★★★
"From the title of the first chapter I was grabbed and it did not let go." ★★★★★
"I can't sing the praises of this book enough." ★★★★★
Slinging hotdogs may not be the most glorious side gig, but hey, if it paid for college, that’s all Emma could ask for. And let’s be real, of all the crowds in the world, what were the odds that Comic-Con would get Portalled next?
Emma really should’ve known better. Once again, the universe conspires against her, and now she’s stuck in a world where the laws of physics don’t seem to apply, and even the grass is trying to kill her. She better pay close heed to the Artificial Intelligence guiding her and make some new friends fast, because out here, it’s thrive or die.
And no amount of videogames prepared her for a world where you can actually gain Skills and level up. Or to face a series of trials that seem designed to kill her rather than teach her how to survive... What could possibly be the real goal of the mysterious ‘predecessors’ that built them?
What other people have to
"Not only one of the best LitRPG books I've read, but one of the better books in general." ★★★★★
"For the first time in years, I stayed up all night because I just couldn't. Put. It. Down." ★★★★★
"This story has one of the most interesting and intricate settings I have ever encountered." ★★★★★
"I lost track of time reading and suddenly time-skipped from 10pm to 5am I was soo absorbed in this marvel of work!" ★★★★★
"I have read a number of books in this genre. This is my favorite so far." ★★★★★
"From the title of the first chapter I was grabbed and it did not let go." ★★★★★
"I can't sing the praises of this book enough." ★★★★★
1341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2022
46 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
H.C. Mills
15 books35 followersH.C. Mills is a Dutch author, who dabbles in acting and singing in musicals, and even (play)writing them. He used to teach physics and chemistry, and once represented his country in the 2008 International Biology Olympiad, but please don't hold that against him.
As a physics-nerd, H.C. Mills naturally gravitates to hard magic systems, but he also enjoys writing comedy and romance.
Like most authors worth their salt, he is a true sadist who takes pleasure in the mental anguish of his imaginary friends/brainchildren--or better yet, in making them cause their own suffering. He refuses to give them anything for free, but will usually leave a window cracked open for them somewhere, to escape whatever peril he plunges them in.
He's also a big fan of Tabletop RPG's, and can even be watched every Sunday, playing on the Pathfinder Livestream 'Rules as Fun' here: twitch.tv/rulesasfun
(Pathfinder is like D&D but with more choices and flavour)
Check out the first episode of the campaign here: youtu.be/watch?v=a5Vo5AVA4IA
Or sign up for his mailing list on his website: hcmillsofficial.com
As a physics-nerd, H.C. Mills naturally gravitates to hard magic systems, but he also enjoys writing comedy and romance.
Like most authors worth their salt, he is a true sadist who takes pleasure in the mental anguish of his imaginary friends/brainchildren--or better yet, in making them cause their own suffering. He refuses to give them anything for free, but will usually leave a window cracked open for them somewhere, to escape whatever peril he plunges them in.
He's also a big fan of Tabletop RPG's, and can even be watched every Sunday, playing on the Pathfinder Livestream 'Rules as Fun' here: twitch.tv/rulesasfun
(Pathfinder is like D&D but with more choices and flavour)
Check out the first episode of the campaign here: youtu.be/watch?v=a5Vo5AVA4IA
Or sign up for his mailing list on his website: hcmillsofficial.com
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 4, 2023
It was ok. I did enjoy it enough to read it to the end because the storyline was good, the characters were detailed and seemed real. Some people might love it. I thought that the magic system was both too detailed (balancing flows and rate) but at the same time it felt like a soft magic system as well in the fact that new things kept getting added (secret communications, esper, charm). But again, it was decent, I thought about stopping after book 1 and 2, but I liked it enough to keep going.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2025
Gay panic and spreadsheets. With a dash of isekai adventure.
I really enjoyed the first book. Though the excessive spreadsheet tracking could be improved upon. At some point, I just started ignoring the numbers and the story doesn’t suffer for it.
What the story does suffer from is both the second and third books putting so much focus on the MC’s gay panic. At first, I was annoyed that she wasn’t just telling the other person how she felt. Then, I tried to think about it from her perspective and decided that she was allowed some confusion. But when her anxiety starts hurting everyone around her, it really really grated on my nerves. I barely remember anything else being discussed in the 2nd and 3rd books. The story does progress in between and the bouts of relationship drama, but it almost feels like an afterthought.
I’m trying to decide if I will be reading or listening to the audiobook for the rest of the story. The narrator did a good job, but listening to someone freak out is more stressful than reading it and I doubt she’ll be freaking out any less in books 4-6.
I really enjoyed the first book. Though the excessive spreadsheet tracking could be improved upon. At some point, I just started ignoring the numbers and the story doesn’t suffer for it.
What the story does suffer from is both the second and third books putting so much focus on the MC’s gay panic. At first, I was annoyed that she wasn’t just telling the other person how she felt. Then, I tried to think about it from her perspective and decided that she was allowed some confusion. But when her anxiety starts hurting everyone around her, it really really grated on my nerves. I barely remember anything else being discussed in the 2nd and 3rd books. The story does progress in between and the bouts of relationship drama, but it almost feels like an afterthought.
I’m trying to decide if I will be reading or listening to the audiobook for the rest of the story. The narrator did a good job, but listening to someone freak out is more stressful than reading it and I doubt she’ll be freaking out any less in books 4-6.
August 15, 2025
Do Me A Favor
Hands down one of the best series I've read, a true gem of this genre. The characters a deep and feel like people you've met. The world mechanics are totally unique and wild. The story is both fantastical and grounded. The pacing never faulters, three books flew by. I laughed, I sqealed, I cried, I've already downloaded the next omnibus. Do me a favor and read it now!
Hands down one of the best series I've read, a true gem of this genre. The characters a deep and feel like people you've met. The world mechanics are totally unique and wild. The story is both fantastical and grounded. The pacing never faulters, three books flew by. I laughed, I sqealed, I cried, I've already downloaded the next omnibus. Do me a favor and read it now!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews