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The Whispers of the Wind
She was told never to ask questions, but what about when murder is involved?
Emma Ambrose has lived a life of privilege and safety inside her father's arms ever since her mother mysteriously disappeared when she was a girl, leaving Emma bereft and lonely.
That is before he is dragged away on accounts for murder and treason. Out of loyalty, Emma tries to follow her father's final never leave home and never ask questions. Until she receives a letter from the powerful and intimidating - she might add - Clan Leader Summer Eyes, who forcibly demands Emma must come at once to pay back her father's debts. Torn but left without a choice, Emma agrees to the terms. Frightened but determined, Emma makes her way to Cupala, the Capital. She is confronted with threats much more extensive than she has from political games to starvation tactics. Emma scrambles to understand the world around her with only help from a stuck-up guard.
Even amongst the turmoil, she feels the bliss of freedom for the first time in her life, and she begins to question who is the real enemy, the influential dignitaries playing their dangerous games - or her father?
Emma Ambrose has lived a life of privilege and safety inside her father's arms ever since her mother mysteriously disappeared when she was a girl, leaving Emma bereft and lonely.
That is before he is dragged away on accounts for murder and treason. Out of loyalty, Emma tries to follow her father's final never leave home and never ask questions. Until she receives a letter from the powerful and intimidating - she might add - Clan Leader Summer Eyes, who forcibly demands Emma must come at once to pay back her father's debts. Torn but left without a choice, Emma agrees to the terms. Frightened but determined, Emma makes her way to Cupala, the Capital. She is confronted with threats much more extensive than she has from political games to starvation tactics. Emma scrambles to understand the world around her with only help from a stuck-up guard.
Even amongst the turmoil, she feels the bliss of freedom for the first time in her life, and she begins to question who is the real enemy, the influential dignitaries playing their dangerous games - or her father?
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 9, 2022
72 people are currently reading
2122 people want to read
About the author
Abigail G. Thompson
5 books262 followersAbigail is the teen author behind The Halcyon Epics and the poetry book Scrawled Out Timeline. Her mission is to write God-glorifying fiction that compellingly uplifts Biblical themes and promotes divine Truth through heart-pounding stories so lives can be transformed by the Gospel’s message of hope and inspiration. When she isn't writing the next epic fantasy book, you can find her reading her favorite books, hanging out with friends, being a gym rat, obsessively drawing, or serving her church.
Abigail is the founder of the social movement #ProtectCleanFiction, which aims to inspire and change the bookish culture around sexuality in books by providing a loving, thriving community of clean book lovers and educating others about the dangers of smut in fiction.
Stay updated on books, special announcements, and other things at www.abigailg.com
Abigail is the founder of the social movement #ProtectCleanFiction, which aims to inspire and change the bookish culture around sexuality in books by providing a loving, thriving community of clean book lovers and educating others about the dangers of smut in fiction.
Stay updated on books, special announcements, and other things at www.abigailg.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
March 29, 2024
I’ve learned so much in the last year of being an indie author.
To give a little background: I independently published my debut novel THE WHISPERS OF THE WIND when I was seventeen years old. But let’s back up a little further. I tried to publish it at sixteen years old. When I so eagerly tried to publish it without ANY edits my parents agreed to pay for editing. I was ecstatic and incredibly impatient for the process. I felt I had waited long enough. (Arrogant? Definitely.) So I went a round of developmental and line edits with my amazing editor Rachel Yurko who informed me that I needed to have a Beta reader look it over after she was done. I was nonplussed especially since I did not know anyone who could give me constructive feedback. I may have hundreds of people now willing to read and critique my work, but then I had to pay someone thirty dollars on Fivver. There is nothing wrong with this of course, but it just furthered my impatience. So, once my Beta Reader gave me the green light I rushed to get my book out in the world as fast as humanly- and cheaply - as possible (did I mention I had zero dollars.)
I cut corners in terms of cost wherever I could. However, because of this and my lack of experience things were sketchy. At first it didn’t really matter because not many people were reading my book. I could ignore the silly and cheap mistakes littered throughout. But then something happened.
People began finding me and the debut novel that - according to most debut indie authors - no one was supposed to read had 1,000’s of readers. Some all to eager to point out it’s flaws. Some just did not like me and thus did not like my book by proxy. I mean was seventeen and the odds that I was going to become successful were not my favor, but alas it happened.
There were many days and nasty messages later that I knew I needed to fix those mistakes. Suddenly, I could afford to fix those things and so in December of this year I contacted Caitlin and asked if she would be willing to proofread this book. She humbly agreed. So here we are with this amazing new “edition” Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble online.
This book proves redemption for anything is possible.
So those pesky editing flaws that kept people from loving this book have been fixed. The terrible formatting is gone and replaced with professional looking formatting.
Please be warned, that some, not all, of these ratings are real. People think it’s fun, to tank review ratings so, please take that into mind when considering the high one star review numbers, most are not real and are by people who have never read The Whispers of the Wind.
To give a little background: I independently published my debut novel THE WHISPERS OF THE WIND when I was seventeen years old. But let’s back up a little further. I tried to publish it at sixteen years old. When I so eagerly tried to publish it without ANY edits my parents agreed to pay for editing. I was ecstatic and incredibly impatient for the process. I felt I had waited long enough. (Arrogant? Definitely.) So I went a round of developmental and line edits with my amazing editor Rachel Yurko who informed me that I needed to have a Beta reader look it over after she was done. I was nonplussed especially since I did not know anyone who could give me constructive feedback. I may have hundreds of people now willing to read and critique my work, but then I had to pay someone thirty dollars on Fivver. There is nothing wrong with this of course, but it just furthered my impatience. So, once my Beta Reader gave me the green light I rushed to get my book out in the world as fast as humanly- and cheaply - as possible (did I mention I had zero dollars.)
I cut corners in terms of cost wherever I could. However, because of this and my lack of experience things were sketchy. At first it didn’t really matter because not many people were reading my book. I could ignore the silly and cheap mistakes littered throughout. But then something happened.
People began finding me and the debut novel that - according to most debut indie authors - no one was supposed to read had 1,000’s of readers. Some all to eager to point out it’s flaws. Some just did not like me and thus did not like my book by proxy. I mean was seventeen and the odds that I was going to become successful were not my favor, but alas it happened.
There were many days and nasty messages later that I knew I needed to fix those mistakes. Suddenly, I could afford to fix those things and so in December of this year I contacted Caitlin and asked if she would be willing to proofread this book. She humbly agreed. So here we are with this amazing new “edition” Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble online.
This book proves redemption for anything is possible.
So those pesky editing flaws that kept people from loving this book have been fixed. The terrible formatting is gone and replaced with professional looking formatting.
Please be warned, that some, not all, of these ratings are real. People think it’s fun, to tank review ratings so, please take that into mind when considering the high one star review numbers, most are not real and are by people who have never read The Whispers of the Wind.
March 19, 2023
This is a wonderful and entertaining debut novel from Abigail Thompson. I enjoy a good fantasy novel every once in a while and this one was everything I hoped for.
The two main characters, Liam and Emma were both easy to like and had depth and growth!
Liam would be hard not to fall in love with. He is such a gentleman, who is very tenderhearted. He has had a rough past, but had such a strong faith. There were times my heart just ached for him with all the guilt he has hung on to. He was also so caring towards his 3 sisters and that was so nice to see.
Emma was a little harder for me to get to know at first. She has hung on to the words “Questions bring answers and answers bring pain” since she was very young and her mother disappeared. She has been protected all her life and also closes herself off from others. She wants friends but doesn’t feel she belongs and she struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. As someone who also struggles with anxiety it was nice to see a real representation of mental health issues in this book.
One thing that drew me to this book were the Tangled vibes. Emma has been sheltered and protected her whole life much like Rapunzel and the tavern scene was one of my favorites in the book! It showed such a fun side to Liam and Emma and I just loved their banter. It was done very uniquely and put a huge smile on my face.
There is a very strong faith message throughout the book that I appreciated. God’s truth and love are beautifully shown. I love the message that God wants you and is there for you when you feel alone or like you don’t belong. It wasn’t done in a preachy way but more of a comforting way which gave me a feeling of peace as I read.
Lastly, I am a mom who enjoys young adult novels. This book does deal with some hard topics and real world situations but it is clean. I would feel comfortable passing this book along to my teens which is another thing I really appreciated.
This is a beautifully, well written book. It ends on a cliff hanger and left me excited to find out what happens next.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 12, 2024
I was given a free E-read of this book thanks to the author :)
I want to start this review off by saying how much I respect the author for how vocal she is about her salvation and her views in life. It takes a lot of guts to write a book as long as this one and finish it, and that's a huge step in itself.
However, the issue at hand is this book. I am sad to say that I DNFed this book at 46%. I was selected to be an arc reader for her second installment in this series, and because I hadn't read this book, she gave me both so that I would have an understanding of the story.
I was very excited when I got chosen because she advertises a lot of things that I look for in fiction, such as clean, no spice within the tropes that everyone knows and loves! Every trope she claims in this book is misleading. It hurts, but I'll start off with the most obvious things in my reading.
● Grammatical and spelling errors.
~ this book is so rampant with spelling and grammar issues. I wondered if I had been given an outdated copy. After reading some of the other reviews here on goodreads, I was shocked to find out that Abigail had indeed published a book with all of these very distracting problems. I don't know if it was because I had a digital version or what, but the formatting was AWFUL. Sometimes, paragraphs would be shoved together or other issues along those lines.
● Representation of Anxiety
~ Now, I've had anxiety before. And the way she writes anxiety is just... ack, it's not good. Other than Emma telling herself she's a piece of trash or Liam thinking bad things about himself, the only other way you could possibly know they have "anxiety" is because Abigail just... tells us they have it. There is no description other than Emma randomly throwing up at one point, which felt weird and out of place. It's honestly horrible, and it makes me so frustrated that it wasn't executed properly.
● Liam
~ Now, I understand he is a boy character written by a girl, but that doesn't mean that Liam needs to have emotional stability of one. Liam has more hormone problems than my 17-year-old sister does, which doesn't work well when he's trying to escort another hormonal girl to wherever they're trying to go. He bothered me a lot because he would berate Emma for cussing, even though he did as well. And they would have very long conversations about cussing, and I'm like?! Does it matter?
● Emma
~ Emma wasn't even close to being developed. She hates Liam, the first chapter they meet, and in the second chapter, they're having a nice conversation by a sunset on a hill (!?!?) Make it make sense. For being the daughter of a fricking pirate clan lord, she is so dumb. The excuse in the book was that her father was overprotective, but it doesn't make sense bc sometimes I got the sense that her father hardly looked at her and she has bitterness toward him for that or that he loved her and she loved him. I could NEVER understand the feelings she had toward her Dad. Emma is an emotional basketcase that apparently has anxiety and throws up and gets tummy aches bc of her anxiety. That's it.
● Tropes
~ if you go to Abigails' profile on Instagram right now and look at all the tropes she has advertised under this book, be warned that they aren't true. Let's start with the most obvious ones, Enemies to Lovers and Slow Burn. Liam and Emma find each other attractive after having 2 conversations together, and in chapter 9, while Emma is passed out, Liam kisses her forehead and doesn't feel very slow burn to me. The only reason I think this is even remotely marketed as Enemies to Lovers is because Emma and Liam have 0 chemistry, and they clash all the time, so they fight and argue. But you know they love each other bc their internal diologue tells us. How about the supposed mystery? In the 46% that I read, there was none.
Okay, how about this one? Clean? I don't know what Abigails definition of clean is, but in my vocabulary, it means no language or smut. There isn't any smut, but there is a part where Liam like... starts to imagine Emma's shirt slipping off or something, idk it was gross for his character, especially. Now language... she has told people that there is no swearing in this book, and yet Emma calls Liam an a-hole, not once, but twice, and Liam calls someone a B*st*rd. For someone trying to write books that bring peoples attention and focus to God, it really broke my heart. Now, even if I wanted to (I won't), I couldn't recommend this book to anyone just because of the language!
As a side note: using 'crap' as your go to expletive in a fantasy novel just doesn't work and I had to read that word probably 20 times. I'm sorry, if you're going to do world building, pls make up some made up swears so it actually feels like the genre it's supposed to be.
● Biblical representation
~ As a Christian, I'm greedy to get my hands on any book that is considered Christian fiction. For the reasons stated above, I will not purchase this book, but I want to talk about her spiritual aspect that Abigail threw in.
Abigail needed to put her full focus onto the story and plot and writing of this book before integrating a Christian theme. Not to mention that it's done in such a cheesy fashion. When Liam saves Emma from a flock of crows and the entire time he's like quoting scripture and praying, it felt very cringe. Because it didn't feel natural. My favorite example of Christian fiction is the Out of Time series by Nadine Brandes because it feels natural. Like a natural growth in a spiritual journey. I had no clue where Liam was on his journey bc one minute he's quoting scripture and praying and the next he's swearing behind closed doors. It bugged me bc he's simultaneously trying to be a mentor and witness to Emma? Not cool.
In the end, I hope that Abigail will heed some of the reviews that are up here and learn from them rather than be offended by them...
I want to start this review off by saying how much I respect the author for how vocal she is about her salvation and her views in life. It takes a lot of guts to write a book as long as this one and finish it, and that's a huge step in itself.
However, the issue at hand is this book. I am sad to say that I DNFed this book at 46%. I was selected to be an arc reader for her second installment in this series, and because I hadn't read this book, she gave me both so that I would have an understanding of the story.
I was very excited when I got chosen because she advertises a lot of things that I look for in fiction, such as clean, no spice within the tropes that everyone knows and loves! Every trope she claims in this book is misleading. It hurts, but I'll start off with the most obvious things in my reading.
● Grammatical and spelling errors.
~ this book is so rampant with spelling and grammar issues. I wondered if I had been given an outdated copy. After reading some of the other reviews here on goodreads, I was shocked to find out that Abigail had indeed published a book with all of these very distracting problems. I don't know if it was because I had a digital version or what, but the formatting was AWFUL. Sometimes, paragraphs would be shoved together or other issues along those lines.
● Representation of Anxiety
~ Now, I've had anxiety before. And the way she writes anxiety is just... ack, it's not good. Other than Emma telling herself she's a piece of trash or Liam thinking bad things about himself, the only other way you could possibly know they have "anxiety" is because Abigail just... tells us they have it. There is no description other than Emma randomly throwing up at one point, which felt weird and out of place. It's honestly horrible, and it makes me so frustrated that it wasn't executed properly.
● Liam
~ Now, I understand he is a boy character written by a girl, but that doesn't mean that Liam needs to have emotional stability of one. Liam has more hormone problems than my 17-year-old sister does, which doesn't work well when he's trying to escort another hormonal girl to wherever they're trying to go. He bothered me a lot because he would berate Emma for cussing, even though he did as well. And they would have very long conversations about cussing, and I'm like?! Does it matter?
● Emma
~ Emma wasn't even close to being developed. She hates Liam, the first chapter they meet, and in the second chapter, they're having a nice conversation by a sunset on a hill (!?!?) Make it make sense. For being the daughter of a fricking pirate clan lord, she is so dumb. The excuse in the book was that her father was overprotective, but it doesn't make sense bc sometimes I got the sense that her father hardly looked at her and she has bitterness toward him for that or that he loved her and she loved him. I could NEVER understand the feelings she had toward her Dad. Emma is an emotional basketcase that apparently has anxiety and throws up and gets tummy aches bc of her anxiety. That's it.
● Tropes
~ if you go to Abigails' profile on Instagram right now and look at all the tropes she has advertised under this book, be warned that they aren't true. Let's start with the most obvious ones, Enemies to Lovers and Slow Burn. Liam and Emma find each other attractive after having 2 conversations together, and in chapter 9, while Emma is passed out, Liam kisses her forehead and doesn't feel very slow burn to me. The only reason I think this is even remotely marketed as Enemies to Lovers is because Emma and Liam have 0 chemistry, and they clash all the time, so they fight and argue. But you know they love each other bc their internal diologue tells us. How about the supposed mystery? In the 46% that I read, there was none.
Okay, how about this one? Clean? I don't know what Abigails definition of clean is, but in my vocabulary, it means no language or smut. There isn't any smut, but there is a part where Liam like... starts to imagine Emma's shirt slipping off or something, idk it was gross for his character, especially. Now language... she has told people that there is no swearing in this book, and yet Emma calls Liam an a-hole, not once, but twice, and Liam calls someone a B*st*rd. For someone trying to write books that bring peoples attention and focus to God, it really broke my heart. Now, even if I wanted to (I won't), I couldn't recommend this book to anyone just because of the language!
As a side note: using 'crap' as your go to expletive in a fantasy novel just doesn't work and I had to read that word probably 20 times. I'm sorry, if you're going to do world building, pls make up some made up swears so it actually feels like the genre it's supposed to be.
● Biblical representation
~ As a Christian, I'm greedy to get my hands on any book that is considered Christian fiction. For the reasons stated above, I will not purchase this book, but I want to talk about her spiritual aspect that Abigail threw in.
Abigail needed to put her full focus onto the story and plot and writing of this book before integrating a Christian theme. Not to mention that it's done in such a cheesy fashion. When Liam saves Emma from a flock of crows and the entire time he's like quoting scripture and praying, it felt very cringe. Because it didn't feel natural. My favorite example of Christian fiction is the Out of Time series by Nadine Brandes because it feels natural. Like a natural growth in a spiritual journey. I had no clue where Liam was on his journey bc one minute he's quoting scripture and praying and the next he's swearing behind closed doors. It bugged me bc he's simultaneously trying to be a mentor and witness to Emma? Not cool.
In the end, I hope that Abigail will heed some of the reviews that are up here and learn from them rather than be offended by them...
December 10, 2023
It's always awesome when you know the author who wrote your current read, especially when they have a similar mission as you: to spread God's Word in a non-sugarcoated way.
The Whispers of the Wind by Abigail Thompson was a great book! The story was fresh, unique, and not bogged down by heavy exposition like many fantasy novels are.
My favorite thing about this book was how it presented the lives of both believers and non-believers. Many Christian novels nowadays tend to shy away from the gritty aspects of life. They present believers as sweet, kind, loving, and consistently prone to do the right thing, whereas they present non-believers as cruel, wicked, and downright incapable of kindness.
That portrayal isn't just wrong, it hurts the truth of God's Word. Christ calls us to come as we are, and says it doesn't matter what we've done or who we were. He says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9). Of course, that doesn't give one license to keep sinning after salvation, but to portray non-believers as inhumane and cruel is going to turn potential believers away, especially if that's how they think believers perceive them.
This book doesn't do that. In fact, the protagonist herself is a non-believer (though I presume that will change in the coming books). Still, some powerful biblical messages were woven throughout this story, which I absolutely loved.
There was some cursing (sh*t and pr*ck were the strongest and used a few times each), a gay side character, and some violence. However, as Abi says in the acknowledgments, she doesn't condone any of this and is simply trying to portray a realistic view of sin that we all deal with.
I gave it four stars instead of five due to wonky editing, inconsistent formatting, and repetitive phrasing. These issues pulled me out of the story quite a few times, especially since I had to go back multiple times and ensure I read things correctly. But this is a debut novel, so it's easily forgivable.
And. That. Ending.
I'm so excited to read Book 2 when it's released! Fantastic job, Abi!
The Whispers of the Wind by Abigail Thompson was a great book! The story was fresh, unique, and not bogged down by heavy exposition like many fantasy novels are.
My favorite thing about this book was how it presented the lives of both believers and non-believers. Many Christian novels nowadays tend to shy away from the gritty aspects of life. They present believers as sweet, kind, loving, and consistently prone to do the right thing, whereas they present non-believers as cruel, wicked, and downright incapable of kindness.
That portrayal isn't just wrong, it hurts the truth of God's Word. Christ calls us to come as we are, and says it doesn't matter what we've done or who we were. He says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9). Of course, that doesn't give one license to keep sinning after salvation, but to portray non-believers as inhumane and cruel is going to turn potential believers away, especially if that's how they think believers perceive them.
This book doesn't do that. In fact, the protagonist herself is a non-believer (though I presume that will change in the coming books). Still, some powerful biblical messages were woven throughout this story, which I absolutely loved.
There was some cursing (sh*t and pr*ck were the strongest and used a few times each), a gay side character, and some violence. However, as Abi says in the acknowledgments, she doesn't condone any of this and is simply trying to portray a realistic view of sin that we all deal with.
I gave it four stars instead of five due to wonky editing, inconsistent formatting, and repetitive phrasing. These issues pulled me out of the story quite a few times, especially since I had to go back multiple times and ensure I read things correctly. But this is a debut novel, so it's easily forgivable.
And. That. Ending.
I'm so excited to read Book 2 when it's released! Fantastic job, Abi!
November 28, 2023
A beautiful debut that lets us inside the head of an imperfect girl!
4.5 Stars!
I think one of my favorite aspects of this story was the fact that unlike most heroes and heroines these characters were super flawed. Emma legitimately had no idea what she was doing and I related to that a lot...lol...I have no idea what I'm doing 90% of the time.
Characters:
Emma was cute, spunky, and sarcastic. I enjoyed her character, her flaws, her brokenness...she was nice to read about and I'm excited to see where she comes in book 2!
Liam, I'm a sucker for guy characters, I lived for each of Liam's chapters, like reading as fast as I could so I could get to him. I loved how fearful he was, yet he tried to be brave and his realization at the end!! Gold! I loved it!
There were a lot of nice side characters...Liam's sisters, King *I'm blanking on the spelling of his name* and more! The mystery and twist...and the portrayal of an imperfect world like our own.
Themes:
God is with us no matter where we are...no matter what we've done, how dark it seems. That we will never be enough, but He always is! We don't have to be strong all the time, because God is! There were so many beautiful themes and truths woven in through Liam and even the King's POVs!
Language:
I talked to the author and those were supposed to gave been removed and she's working on that now. So no language in future issues of the book. For those that saw my previous review. She is removing them. :)
Romance:
Mild romance...and just, my heart! I was so happy and heartbroken toward the end but in love with the decision and strength of a certain character who has my heart!
Magic:
There is a little, but not really touched on a whole lot in this book...and as the author has mentioned, it's more like spiritual warfare than anything.
Overall:
I enjoyed this debut! There were some typos, for those that are bothered by them, I'm not really...lol...I like to judge a book by the story alone. :)
The story is great, and the heart behind it is easy to see! I look forward to reading book 2!
Recommend ages 15+ because of some mentions of rape and homosexual individuals, not represented the right thing as we know the Bible is very clear on that topic. :)
4.5 Stars!
I think one of my favorite aspects of this story was the fact that unlike most heroes and heroines these characters were super flawed. Emma legitimately had no idea what she was doing and I related to that a lot...lol...I have no idea what I'm doing 90% of the time.
Characters:
Emma was cute, spunky, and sarcastic. I enjoyed her character, her flaws, her brokenness...she was nice to read about and I'm excited to see where she comes in book 2!
Liam, I'm a sucker for guy characters, I lived for each of Liam's chapters, like reading as fast as I could so I could get to him. I loved how fearful he was, yet he tried to be brave and his realization at the end!! Gold! I loved it!
There were a lot of nice side characters...Liam's sisters, King *I'm blanking on the spelling of his name* and more! The mystery and twist...and the portrayal of an imperfect world like our own.
Themes:
God is with us no matter where we are...no matter what we've done, how dark it seems. That we will never be enough, but He always is! We don't have to be strong all the time, because God is! There were so many beautiful themes and truths woven in through Liam and even the King's POVs!
Language:
I talked to the author and those were supposed to gave been removed and she's working on that now. So no language in future issues of the book. For those that saw my previous review. She is removing them. :)
Romance:
Mild romance...and just, my heart! I was so happy and heartbroken toward the end but in love with the decision and strength of a certain character who has my heart!
Magic:
There is a little, but not really touched on a whole lot in this book...and as the author has mentioned, it's more like spiritual warfare than anything.
Overall:
I enjoyed this debut! There were some typos, for those that are bothered by them, I'm not really...lol...I like to judge a book by the story alone. :)
The story is great, and the heart behind it is easy to see! I look forward to reading book 2!
Recommend ages 15+ because of some mentions of rape and homosexual individuals, not represented the right thing as we know the Bible is very clear on that topic. :)
January 30, 2023
Fantasy really isn't my genre, but I do like reading a good fantasy now and then, and this book is that.
The story didn't shy away from hard topics and gave an accurate feel of the real world. There is some cussing, a homosexual side character, and some other gritty issues, but the way it is portrayed doesn't support these acts or necessarily condone them either. In reality, we deal with all of this, and it is nice to read a book that doesn't show a squeaky-clean version of life, but I understand this might not be everyone's cup of tea.
I do want to say that the faith message is very strong, and God's love, hope, and truth is beautifully sown throughout. I would recommend this book just for that!
The characters were memorable and relatable, and I loved Emma and Liam's banter 😂 The cast did seem a little big and confusing at some stages, and I struggled to keep everyone straight at some parts, but it wasn't too bad.
The plot was exceptional, and that cliff hanger at the end!!! Give me the next book!!!
I'm excited to see what this author puts out next and join the characters again in future books.
The story didn't shy away from hard topics and gave an accurate feel of the real world. There is some cussing, a homosexual side character, and some other gritty issues, but the way it is portrayed doesn't support these acts or necessarily condone them either. In reality, we deal with all of this, and it is nice to read a book that doesn't show a squeaky-clean version of life, but I understand this might not be everyone's cup of tea.
I do want to say that the faith message is very strong, and God's love, hope, and truth is beautifully sown throughout. I would recommend this book just for that!
The characters were memorable and relatable, and I loved Emma and Liam's banter 😂 The cast did seem a little big and confusing at some stages, and I struggled to keep everyone straight at some parts, but it wasn't too bad.
The plot was exceptional, and that cliff hanger at the end!!! Give me the next book!!!
I'm excited to see what this author puts out next and join the characters again in future books.
June 5, 2023
I couldn't get past the 3rd chapter. The writing is terrible, the incorrect grammar makes it even harder to read and it's like she's trying to have a mix between a poetry book and a storybook. Some pages she has run on sentences and some pages she has incomplete sentences. It's an absolute mess. Regardless of all that, the plot is dull and I was not entertained at all. Even if the writing was better I don't believe I would have finished such a boring book. I think I'll stick to my dark romances at least those have correct grammar and bring joy and happiness to my life.
June 11, 2023
Five. Stars! I can’t imagine another fantasy fiction novel that’s as wholesome and inspirational on the market today as “The Whispers of the Wind,” (TWOW). This excellent read may have been written for teens and young adults, but as someone who’s middle aged, I found this novel to be unapologetically realistic, and its delivery profoundly creative in its genre. For the reader who wishes to think deeply and solve mysteries, he or she won’t be disappointed. For the reader who enjoys innocent romance, dive in. For the reader who is searching for superheroes and villains, look elsewhere. TWOW instead, espouses a protagonist who’s powered by his faith. Liam “vowed that never again will his happiness come first. Even if he must live in an absolute hatred of his job, he would do it because it wasn’t about him, it was about his sisters,” (p. 33). What an inspirational role model for true gentleman of honor, especially in today’s culture where males are depicted as weak and feckless. Themes of integrity, redemption, and the pursuit of truth are interwoven throughout the fibers of this novel. I absolutely plan to stick with this series. There’s much, much more to learn about Emma Ambrose before this tail is over. Dr. DW Thompson
January 28, 2024
I'll preface this by saying that I'm not Christian in the slightest. In fact, I bought this book because someone in some fandom or another was chatting about it and I just had to know. Nevertheless, I am confirmed Presbyterian and I have read the entire Bible (yes, the whole thing) and done Bible studies and have gone to Bible camp, and have a decent understanding of Christian theology and lore. I've also been reading for a long, long time and the bulk of my own writing work is based in the erotic and the taboo. That is to say that my mind is in the gutter and some of my interpretations of events in this book might be colored by that.
Full disclosure: I stopped reading after Chapter 6, but I did make notes and marginalia inside the book so I will be basing my review on the notes that I made up until that point.
The prologue immediately struck me as odd. Particularly two statements that occur back to back. Context: Our main character is a child and a gruff sailor gets down on his knees and receives a kiss from her. In a little bit of head-jumping, we get his perspective here and it was a little...weird. "The innocent peck always made the sailor blush. He almost felt ashamed to receive such affection from an innocent child." My immediate reaction was...why??? The next line clears this up: "He was dirty, done dirty things, and yet here was a pure child who loved him without hesitation." My impulse was to read this as an odd fascination (fetishization? [not inherently bad but out of place in a "Christian" story]) with the purity of youth and the impurity of a grown man. As many of us have learned from the Marquis de Sade, sometimes the disgust you feel for something is part of the allure...
The rest of the prologue was relatively uneventful and set up a lot of the expectations we could bring with us for the rest of the book: unreliable narrator, head-jumping, emotional whiplash, conceptual whiplash, general confusion, and insufficient narrative build-up/pay-off.
The inconsistencies and faulty logic of the narrative were rampant. If we do the math correctly, Emma, our FMC, is 19 years old but refers to other characters as "Adults" and she mentally seems to relate to young children running and playing. She is an adult. I think this is where some of the critiques come from when it comes to people accidentally believing that there's an age gap between Emma and the MMC, Liam but there's actually no significant age gap at all. It's just that Emma is ridiculously childish.
In fact, Emma's characterization is more than just childish. She's depicted as practically psychopathic. She has an inexplicable fear of men based on nothing (that we know of) that revolves around fantasizing that they'll commit violent sexual atrocities (this magically doesn't apply to the only guy she hates in the narrative, conveniently the MMC), she fantasizes about causing men pain, she pinches the MMC, she consistently disrespects authority, and she displays random bouts of rage and oscillates between tactless arrogance and meek anxiety. Her inappropriate laughter, lying, intrusive thoughts, and inability to properly prepare for expected outcomes all lead me to recommend a very very very highly-paid psychologist and maybe some Thorazine. Overall, she presents as profoundly unhinged. There's an instance in which she's being sassy toward Liam and states, "Oh, we women cuss. We just don't say so in front of men [...] otherwise, we might shake you men's sensibilities." A very interesting bit of dialogue for a girl who literally cannot interact with men without thinking about being raped and who throws up at bad news. Her inconsistent emotions and bizarre characterization make her sound scary.
Liam, our MMC and stand-in for Kylo-Ren (complete with scar on his face), is equally unhinged, mentally comparing drinking alcohol to molesting children while also having conflicting intrusive thoughts that make it almost seem like God is talking directly to him which was a little jarring. Similarly jarring is his insistence in Chapter 6 that his sister could not be seriously injured because "God wouldn't do that" when, as we all know by now: God let his other sisters experience horrors beyond comprehension and God invented childhood cancers...so... Anyway, I digress. He's a warrior who's afraid of blood and viscera, he's never hurt a soul in his life, and he's boo-hoo traumatized to the point where when his sisters go off to live their own lives, he acts as if they're abandoning him because he somehow failed them. They're your sisters, not your wife, buddy. This man desperately needs a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and he also needs to learn how to flirt with a woman because how he does so toward Emma is appalling. It's not flirting, it's negging, and it's inappropriate, unacceptable, and extremely ungentlemanly.
The lore and world-building is confusing. Magic exists but there are no definitive rules for it. "Magi" are a thing and so is prophecy despite both of these classically being prohibited from Christian theological histories. In fact, one of the secondary characters, Summer Eyes, is definitely going to the fourth Bolgia of Malebolge (Dante's Inferno reference for you) and her head is going to be twisted backward for all eternity. There's a reference to the story of Jonah and the Whale from Biblical histories which opens up a huge can of worms here because actual Christian lore exists in a completely made-up fantasy world. So what about the real-life actual place where Jonah lived? What about Jesus? Was Jesus still born in Bethlehem? Where is this fantasy map in relation to Nazareth? How does magic's existence alter the ways in which Jesus' miracles are perceived? What time period does this story exist within and...where are all the Jewish people? Was Jesus a Magi? Are there church services anywhere? Is magic bestowed upon certain people by God? If so, what made Jesus identifiable as His son? What is the difference between magic and miracle?
Anywho, the whole first six chapters are littered with spelling errors, grammatical mishaps, and bizarre inconsistencies. I can't really give you any spoilers because there's nothing to spoil as Emma and Kylo--I mean, Liam, are just being whiny little directionless babies. You wanna read a trainwreck of a book? This one's for you. I really do hope that Abigail keeps writing because there's really no way to get worse than this so she can only go up from here.
Full disclosure: I stopped reading after Chapter 6, but I did make notes and marginalia inside the book so I will be basing my review on the notes that I made up until that point.
The prologue immediately struck me as odd. Particularly two statements that occur back to back. Context: Our main character is a child and a gruff sailor gets down on his knees and receives a kiss from her. In a little bit of head-jumping, we get his perspective here and it was a little...weird. "The innocent peck always made the sailor blush. He almost felt ashamed to receive such affection from an innocent child." My immediate reaction was...why??? The next line clears this up: "He was dirty, done dirty things, and yet here was a pure child who loved him without hesitation." My impulse was to read this as an odd fascination (fetishization? [not inherently bad but out of place in a "Christian" story]) with the purity of youth and the impurity of a grown man. As many of us have learned from the Marquis de Sade, sometimes the disgust you feel for something is part of the allure...
The rest of the prologue was relatively uneventful and set up a lot of the expectations we could bring with us for the rest of the book: unreliable narrator, head-jumping, emotional whiplash, conceptual whiplash, general confusion, and insufficient narrative build-up/pay-off.
The inconsistencies and faulty logic of the narrative were rampant. If we do the math correctly, Emma, our FMC, is 19 years old but refers to other characters as "Adults" and she mentally seems to relate to young children running and playing. She is an adult. I think this is where some of the critiques come from when it comes to people accidentally believing that there's an age gap between Emma and the MMC, Liam but there's actually no significant age gap at all. It's just that Emma is ridiculously childish.
In fact, Emma's characterization is more than just childish. She's depicted as practically psychopathic. She has an inexplicable fear of men based on nothing (that we know of) that revolves around fantasizing that they'll commit violent sexual atrocities (this magically doesn't apply to the only guy she hates in the narrative, conveniently the MMC), she fantasizes about causing men pain, she pinches the MMC, she consistently disrespects authority, and she displays random bouts of rage and oscillates between tactless arrogance and meek anxiety. Her inappropriate laughter, lying, intrusive thoughts, and inability to properly prepare for expected outcomes all lead me to recommend a very very very highly-paid psychologist and maybe some Thorazine. Overall, she presents as profoundly unhinged. There's an instance in which she's being sassy toward Liam and states, "Oh, we women cuss. We just don't say so in front of men [...] otherwise, we might shake you men's sensibilities." A very interesting bit of dialogue for a girl who literally cannot interact with men without thinking about being raped and who throws up at bad news. Her inconsistent emotions and bizarre characterization make her sound scary.
Liam, our MMC and stand-in for Kylo-Ren (complete with scar on his face), is equally unhinged, mentally comparing drinking alcohol to molesting children while also having conflicting intrusive thoughts that make it almost seem like God is talking directly to him which was a little jarring. Similarly jarring is his insistence in Chapter 6 that his sister could not be seriously injured because "God wouldn't do that" when, as we all know by now: God let his other sisters experience horrors beyond comprehension and God invented childhood cancers...so... Anyway, I digress. He's a warrior who's afraid of blood and viscera, he's never hurt a soul in his life, and he's boo-hoo traumatized to the point where when his sisters go off to live their own lives, he acts as if they're abandoning him because he somehow failed them. They're your sisters, not your wife, buddy. This man desperately needs a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and he also needs to learn how to flirt with a woman because how he does so toward Emma is appalling. It's not flirting, it's negging, and it's inappropriate, unacceptable, and extremely ungentlemanly.
The lore and world-building is confusing. Magic exists but there are no definitive rules for it. "Magi" are a thing and so is prophecy despite both of these classically being prohibited from Christian theological histories. In fact, one of the secondary characters, Summer Eyes, is definitely going to the fourth Bolgia of Malebolge (Dante's Inferno reference for you) and her head is going to be twisted backward for all eternity. There's a reference to the story of Jonah and the Whale from Biblical histories which opens up a huge can of worms here because actual Christian lore exists in a completely made-up fantasy world. So what about the real-life actual place where Jonah lived? What about Jesus? Was Jesus still born in Bethlehem? Where is this fantasy map in relation to Nazareth? How does magic's existence alter the ways in which Jesus' miracles are perceived? What time period does this story exist within and...where are all the Jewish people? Was Jesus a Magi? Are there church services anywhere? Is magic bestowed upon certain people by God? If so, what made Jesus identifiable as His son? What is the difference between magic and miracle?
Anywho, the whole first six chapters are littered with spelling errors, grammatical mishaps, and bizarre inconsistencies. I can't really give you any spoilers because there's nothing to spoil as Emma and Kylo--I mean, Liam, are just being whiny little directionless babies. You wanna read a trainwreck of a book? This one's for you. I really do hope that Abigail keeps writing because there's really no way to get worse than this so she can only go up from here.
January 12, 2024
“The Whispers in the Wind”
First off I want to say thank you to the author for sending me a free E-Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited about this book and was so excited to read it, but I’m so sorry to say it was SUCH a disappointment 😭
In reading other low star reviews everyone is right in things they are saying.
The character development, awful. The characters where just all over the place random vomiting here and there, one minute they are talking about Jesus the next minute they are cussing. The two main characters didn’t match at all. Liam seemed sooooo much older than Emma. Also Emma was a very annoying and weak character.
This book is labeled as Christian fiction… but there were SO many cuss words. DO NOT label your work as Christian fiction if you are going to have cuss words in it. Also… the characters at times thought very inappropriate things about each other at times.
There were soooooo many spelling errors… like so many. It was very very annoying. Also there were way to many modern day saying for this book that is supposed to be set in a medieval time period.
The book in general just did not make sense to me, the plot and writing were just all over the place.
I hope that Abigail realizes she has some things she needs to work on and works on them ❤️
First off I want to say thank you to the author for sending me a free E-Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited about this book and was so excited to read it, but I’m so sorry to say it was SUCH a disappointment 😭
In reading other low star reviews everyone is right in things they are saying.
The character development, awful. The characters where just all over the place random vomiting here and there, one minute they are talking about Jesus the next minute they are cussing. The two main characters didn’t match at all. Liam seemed sooooo much older than Emma. Also Emma was a very annoying and weak character.
This book is labeled as Christian fiction… but there were SO many cuss words. DO NOT label your work as Christian fiction if you are going to have cuss words in it. Also… the characters at times thought very inappropriate things about each other at times.
There were soooooo many spelling errors… like so many. It was very very annoying. Also there were way to many modern day saying for this book that is supposed to be set in a medieval time period.
The book in general just did not make sense to me, the plot and writing were just all over the place.
I hope that Abigail realizes she has some things she needs to work on and works on them ❤️
July 9, 2025
This was an amazing Christian romance book with a hint of fantasy. The banter was top tier. My only complaint is that it’s written in 3rd person and each chapter is about multiple people so most of the time I didn’t know who it was talking about. Another side note, I didn’t know there was a second book till I read the cliffhanger ending to this book.
dnf
April 16, 2024I’m sorry I couldn’t do it, I tried I did.
December 29, 2023
I attempted to read this book on kindle unlimited and could not get past the first couple pages. I was extremely excited to read this book and upon opening the book was met with severe typos. Words such as "Desert" was misspelled as "Dessert." Even in the prologue I was met with a sentence that was evidently missing words. In my attempt to push through the typos, I was met with confusing speech and overall just did not enjoy the way the book flowed. This book ended up being a DNF for me sadly. This book most certainly had potential, but it just wasn't executed quite as well as I had hoped.
Read
August 21, 2023I'm marking this as a DNF at chapter 10, which is 21% and 110 pages in.
I really, truly, did try to like and get into this story, but it just isn't for me, and that's ok.
I believe at the heart of this book there's a good story, but sometimes the whiplash of emotions and some of the sentence structures get in the way of it.
I really, truly, did try to like and get into this story, but it just isn't for me, and that's ok.
I believe at the heart of this book there's a good story, but sometimes the whiplash of emotions and some of the sentence structures get in the way of it.
July 10, 2025
This Christian fiction book was so good and refreshing to read! I loved how Abigail included Bible passages and questions about faith throughout this book. She also did a great job portraying anxiety and the struggles of guilt. The book really put into perspective the internal struggles of people and the words they want to say, but don't because of fear. It was also neat to see the growth and maturity of the main characters. I really look forward to reading the next book!
November 20, 2023
This book is valiant first effort from Abigail, with charming and likeable characters and a plot that kept me reading for more. However as is somewhat expected for an Indie published book it is riddled with technical mistakes. Mistakes that would have made this book go onto my DNF pile if it were not for the good it had. I read this as an Ebook through Kindle unlimited.
I want to note that why these critiques of the technical aspects may seem like alot these are some of the easiest thing to improve going forward. As the first book for Abigail this is an incredible first effort and I applaud her for her dedication and determination to finish this one. She has completed the hardest thing for anyone who wants to write (myself included), actually finishing a book. That is an incredible achievement by itself. I have a background in editing so when I read it is impossible to not see the technical mistakes. Her story and characters kept me reading even through all errors I saw and missed. For anyone who is a fan of clean light fantasy, with a good heap of snark and banter, I give a full recommendation.
-Plot and characters 4/5
The plot and characters are what kept me reading throughout the whole book. As someone who deal alot with anxiety and has had panic attacks Abigail did a very good job showing those and how it feels to be in the middle of one and how your mind just goes haywire. The characters were very likeable and showed growth and progress through the book.
-Worldbuilding 2/5
World building is a week point in this book. It is far more focused on the characters and their development. I'm including this in my rating because I consider it to be a core foundation of fantasy world. Abigail frequently references direct characters, passages, and events from the Bible. This weakens the Fantasy and Worldbuilding elements for me personally.
- Fantasy and Magic 3/5
There is magic on both the good and evil side which I greatly appreciate. So many time in Christian fantasy it end up very much on the evil side of things. There isn't alot of it, but I'm very interested to see if she brings more into coming books.
- Technical details 2/5
This book is riddled with technical mistakes, from formatting issues with the Kindle book, to grammar and spelling errors.
One of the biggest drawbacks to the whole story is the paragraphing around the dialog. For example dialog from multiple speakers being in the same paragraph, tagging the opposite person after the speaking, and whole conversations tagging before the person speaks or sandwiching the conversation between actions. There were many conversations I had to read through several times to try and track who was saying what. And there is one conversation between Liam and the king that I'm not 100% sure who said what.
Beyond the paragraphing there many many instances of the wrong word being used
Bail instead of Bale (in referring to hay), Dessert (like a cake) instead of Desert (sandy dry place) [it is pretty much wrong in every instance i noticed including the map]. Indolence instead of Insolence. Etc., I have a whole list.
There are cases of wrong tenses being used, and words missing. However the writing does improve significantly throughout the book. Formatting and paragraphing does not. Conversations only get moderately better, one of the hardest to track was later in the book.
I would give a 3.5/5 stars but I rounded down because of the technical issues.
I want to note that why these critiques of the technical aspects may seem like alot these are some of the easiest thing to improve going forward. As the first book for Abigail this is an incredible first effort and I applaud her for her dedication and determination to finish this one. She has completed the hardest thing for anyone who wants to write (myself included), actually finishing a book. That is an incredible achievement by itself. I have a background in editing so when I read it is impossible to not see the technical mistakes. Her story and characters kept me reading even through all errors I saw and missed. For anyone who is a fan of clean light fantasy, with a good heap of snark and banter, I give a full recommendation.
-Plot and characters 4/5
The plot and characters are what kept me reading throughout the whole book. As someone who deal alot with anxiety and has had panic attacks Abigail did a very good job showing those and how it feels to be in the middle of one and how your mind just goes haywire. The characters were very likeable and showed growth and progress through the book.
-Worldbuilding 2/5
World building is a week point in this book. It is far more focused on the characters and their development. I'm including this in my rating because I consider it to be a core foundation of fantasy world. Abigail frequently references direct characters, passages, and events from the Bible. This weakens the Fantasy and Worldbuilding elements for me personally.
- Fantasy and Magic 3/5
There is magic on both the good and evil side which I greatly appreciate. So many time in Christian fantasy it end up very much on the evil side of things. There isn't alot of it, but I'm very interested to see if she brings more into coming books.
- Technical details 2/5
This book is riddled with technical mistakes, from formatting issues with the Kindle book, to grammar and spelling errors.
One of the biggest drawbacks to the whole story is the paragraphing around the dialog. For example dialog from multiple speakers being in the same paragraph, tagging the opposite person after the speaking, and whole conversations tagging before the person speaks or sandwiching the conversation between actions. There were many conversations I had to read through several times to try and track who was saying what. And there is one conversation between Liam and the king that I'm not 100% sure who said what.
Beyond the paragraphing there many many instances of the wrong word being used
Bail instead of Bale (in referring to hay), Dessert (like a cake) instead of Desert (sandy dry place) [it is pretty much wrong in every instance i noticed including the map]. Indolence instead of Insolence. Etc., I have a whole list.
There are cases of wrong tenses being used, and words missing. However the writing does improve significantly throughout the book. Formatting and paragraphing does not. Conversations only get moderately better, one of the hardest to track was later in the book.
I would give a 3.5/5 stars but I rounded down because of the technical issues.
July 24, 2023
Dnf 17%
It seems like he's much older than her, but that aside, he's sooo whiny..
Besides the writing style is exhausting, the layout (e-book) isn't quite right and the typos make it difficult to read.
It seems like he's much older than her, but that aside, he's sooo whiny..
Besides the writing style is exhausting, the layout (e-book) isn't quite right and the typos make it difficult to read.
July 30, 2023
I’m sorry to give this such a low rating. I respect this author and love the content she’s pushing. However, this plot just felt insubstantial and boring to me. It couldn’t keep my attention at all, and I think Christian fantasy is strange when it’s not allegory. It’s a fine line to walk. Although this book was not for me, I can see some enjoying it, but I really was not a fan of the plot.
January 21, 2024
I had very low expectations going into this book. And I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome!
Liam is literally a gem. A perfect soul. Protect him at all costs.
The writing was better than I was expecting! What makes or breaks a book for me is the dialogue and this has such good dialogue!
(Liam asking Emma if she wanted a hug about 50 times did bug me slightly. But it fits his character so I get it.)
The plot of this book was interesting enough. I do think book two will be a lot better plot wise! It felt a little rushed but overall I really liked it! As far as a debut novel goes, this one is definitely better than most! The plot is fast paced so you never get bored, but I do feel like some plots were kinda brushed over/resolved a little too quickly.
The Christian element of this book was so refreshing! The way Liam struggled with truly giving all his anxieties up is so relatable. I loved how it was a focal point of the story, but isn't what it's all about.
I'm very excited to see how the plot thickens and the characters grow in book 2!
(I did receive an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review)
Liam is literally a gem. A perfect soul. Protect him at all costs.
The writing was better than I was expecting! What makes or breaks a book for me is the dialogue and this has such good dialogue!
(Liam asking Emma if she wanted a hug about 50 times did bug me slightly. But it fits his character so I get it.)
The plot of this book was interesting enough. I do think book two will be a lot better plot wise! It felt a little rushed but overall I really liked it! As far as a debut novel goes, this one is definitely better than most! The plot is fast paced so you never get bored, but I do feel like some plots were kinda brushed over/resolved a little too quickly.
The Christian element of this book was so refreshing! The way Liam struggled with truly giving all his anxieties up is so relatable. I loved how it was a focal point of the story, but isn't what it's all about.
I'm very excited to see how the plot thickens and the characters grow in book 2!
(I did receive an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review)
January 7, 2023
“Questions bring answers, and answers bring pain.”
The above quote guides much of Emma Ambrose’s journey in this first book of a new series by Abigail Thompson.
When Emma is very young, her mother disappears. All she knows is life with her very protective father who sees Emma as his very loyal and obedient daughter.
Suddenly her father is arrested on charges of murder and the debts he owes to Clan Leader Summer Eyes are due. With no on else to pay them, Summer Eyes insists Emma take the place of her father. To do this will require Emma to go against the wishes of her father. How else can she truly find out what really happened to her father unless she takes on this demand?
William Mather is assigned to get her to the meeting with the king, to make requests on behalf of Summer Eyes, all in fulfillment of the debts owed by her father. Along the way, Emma faces challenges, both external and internal, and starts to learn things about herself, including whether or not asking questions, regardless of the possible pain, are actually a necessary part of the journey, of anyone’s journey.
This book has a great Christian message. Emma has decided that God does not care about her or anything and refuses to ask Him for help. Through her interactions with Liam and even the King, she is shown that God does in fact care about her and about everything in her life. He doesn’t expect perfection, just an open heart willing to seek Him and follow His purpose for her life.
Emma gets some answers to her questions regarding her father, but in the end is left with even more. As a result, so is the reader. In fact, after finishing the book I am left with more questions than I had going in. I am curious to see where the next book in the series goes as the reader journeys with William and Emma.
This story opens up the potential for a great series. There were parts that I felt could have been clearer to help the reader see where the story was going. At times there were several characters and many things going on that made it difficult to keep track of what was going on. In all, it serves to make the reader want to see what will happen in the rest of the series.
I voluntarily received an advance copy of this novel from the author. All views are my honest opinion.
The above quote guides much of Emma Ambrose’s journey in this first book of a new series by Abigail Thompson.
When Emma is very young, her mother disappears. All she knows is life with her very protective father who sees Emma as his very loyal and obedient daughter.
Suddenly her father is arrested on charges of murder and the debts he owes to Clan Leader Summer Eyes are due. With no on else to pay them, Summer Eyes insists Emma take the place of her father. To do this will require Emma to go against the wishes of her father. How else can she truly find out what really happened to her father unless she takes on this demand?
William Mather is assigned to get her to the meeting with the king, to make requests on behalf of Summer Eyes, all in fulfillment of the debts owed by her father. Along the way, Emma faces challenges, both external and internal, and starts to learn things about herself, including whether or not asking questions, regardless of the possible pain, are actually a necessary part of the journey, of anyone’s journey.
This book has a great Christian message. Emma has decided that God does not care about her or anything and refuses to ask Him for help. Through her interactions with Liam and even the King, she is shown that God does in fact care about her and about everything in her life. He doesn’t expect perfection, just an open heart willing to seek Him and follow His purpose for her life.
Emma gets some answers to her questions regarding her father, but in the end is left with even more. As a result, so is the reader. In fact, after finishing the book I am left with more questions than I had going in. I am curious to see where the next book in the series goes as the reader journeys with William and Emma.
This story opens up the potential for a great series. There were parts that I felt could have been clearer to help the reader see where the story was going. At times there were several characters and many things going on that made it difficult to keep track of what was going on. In all, it serves to make the reader want to see what will happen in the rest of the series.
I voluntarily received an advance copy of this novel from the author. All views are my honest opinion.
August 27, 2023
This book was near impossible to read.
I love what the author is trying to do here, and I admire that she admits her mistakes of this book, but I truly can’t recommend a book that is more of a chore to finish than anything.
On a simple level, the writing is poor quality. The dialogue is forced with every other sentence a cliche saying “curiosity killed the cat” “threw me under the bus” *its a medieval tale without technology like buses* The characters aren’t consistent. They are a roller coaster of broken emotions and silliness without a real stable individuality. There are whole chapters without a clear setting. All these little things add up into a disjointed story with major plot problems.
I would love to see where this authors writing goes as she grows into it, but this book is not it. It isn’t a worthy representation of what she is capable of or what she aspires to.
I love what the author is trying to do here, and I admire that she admits her mistakes of this book, but I truly can’t recommend a book that is more of a chore to finish than anything.
On a simple level, the writing is poor quality. The dialogue is forced with every other sentence a cliche saying “curiosity killed the cat” “threw me under the bus” *its a medieval tale without technology like buses* The characters aren’t consistent. They are a roller coaster of broken emotions and silliness without a real stable individuality. There are whole chapters without a clear setting. All these little things add up into a disjointed story with major plot problems.
I would love to see where this authors writing goes as she grows into it, but this book is not it. It isn’t a worthy representation of what she is capable of or what she aspires to.
April 16, 2024
Uh, I loved following Emma's story and getting to know her and Liam. Each character had their own unique challenges to overcome and I adored the theme of overcoming fear, anxiety, and manipulation. Thompson delves into these hard topics with such grace and poise that I couldn't put this book down. I found myself relating to every struggle and cheering the characters on from the sidelines.
March 9, 2024
I accidentally deleted the review and I don't have a backup, so it will take a little until I will post it again.😩
January 10, 2025
Very rarely do I read a whole book in one sitting. Typically I would get that “omg I’ve been sitting here for hours I’m so lazy” feeling but with this one I genuinely didn’t care because I could NOT put this book down.
There’s snow outside and I’m sitting inside for hours and hours, only getting up to eat and even then I’m shoving spoonfuls in my mouth with my kindle in my hand.
I’m not a brilliant and witty reviewer but I do have a lot of opinions.
First of all, FINALLY. FINALLY I HAVE FOUND CHRISTIAN FICTION THAT ISN’T CRINGEY AND DOESN’T ACT LIKE SIN DOESN’T EXIST.
I don’t read a lot of Christian fiction, FOR the sole reason that it is VERY rarely GOOD. Sure, it gets its message across, but it often feels like a dated VBS (vacation Bible school for those who don’t know) video or Sunday school lesson. The Bible is SO interesting and intense, even to those who don’t believe. So WHY should we limit our entertainment and art to cheesy little videos where they say “oh oops I’m gonna be good now!!” NO!!! THERE IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE. ANXIETY, ADDICTION, LUST, HATRED, REVENGE, DEPRESSION, HOMOSEXUALITY, LONELINESS, FEAR, DOUBT. WE DO NOT STRUGGLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD. Even the STRONGEST of us Christians struggle with these things at some point and degree. What I love about this book is that that is made very clear.
Even someone like Liam, a strong warrior and Christian man, dealt with so many lies that were pummeled into his mind. He was strong physically but was relentlessly attacked spiritually.
There are appearances of many different kinds of sinful things, TAKE A GOOD LOOK CHRISTIAN KARENS!!! IT IS NOT OKAY TO IGNORE THE TRUTH OF THIS LIFE! In fact, I respect the author incredibly for making an effort to show us this side of the walk. Emma being a doubter and struggling with the idea that God would “let” bad things happen is a VERY GOOD way to tell a story AND teach us.
THIS, MY FRIENDS, IS HOW WE REACH THE LOST. NO MORE FEAR MONGERING! This is plain, blatant truth.
The author incorporated scripture and prayer throughout the whole book and it was relatable. All of it was. I think any Christian could read this and relate to it to some degree.
The way Emma’s anxiety was described was clearly from experience. Yes, there are DARK themes in this book so if you are a SAD SNOWFLAKE WHO IGNORES BROKEN PEOPLE then maybe this book isn’t for you. Or maybe it is, if you look at it like a learning experience.
I apologize, I am rambling. I could talk about this topic for hours but now I want to get to the fact that the romance was wholesome, real, and most importantly, NOT PORNOGRAPHY!
I’ve had the pleasure of finding this author on Instagram, her reels were what convinced me to read her book. What she strives to get across to readers is that modern romances are for the most part, simply porn. And that is SO true. At some point, we, as daughters of the King of all things, HAVE to start saying NO to the nastiness that is being normalized in fiction, YA or otherwise.
Liam is a gentleman. He is chivalrous, protective and respectful. He honors Emma and her femininity. But most importantly, he loves Jesus and consistently follows and obeys the Word.
Emma may struggle with the idea of Christianity but I’m READY to see an encounter between her and Jesus in this second book, hopefully! Seeing testimonies of not only Liam but his sister and King Donovan was uplifting and so wholesome to see. The reality of the spiritual struggle when you reject the idea of Christ is jarring, Emma is in almost constant spiritual confusion and conflict, but she slowly starts asking the questions she needs to. That human thirst for the truth is relatable to us all, and that answer is Jesus. I’m very excited to read this second book.
The story is also GRIPPING. It leaves you excited and rooting for the main characters. The angst is FOR REALSIES and any teenager is gonna get these characters and thought processes.
This story may not be the most genius work of literature but it is RAW and UNAPOLOGETICALLY TRUE. It is so obviously written from the heart of someone who KNOWS what it’s like to be afraid and doubt, even in the precious promise Jesus Christ gave to us. There are so many lessons to learn in this book. So many conversations that can be had after reading it. All in all, The Whispers of the Wind is a beautiful contribution to Christian art and I’m RUSHING to buy The Silent Screams of the Sea. Abigail, your book is inspiring, especially to those like me who are kind of scared to write books like these. It’s encouraging me to step up and write one too❤️
There’s snow outside and I’m sitting inside for hours and hours, only getting up to eat and even then I’m shoving spoonfuls in my mouth with my kindle in my hand.
I’m not a brilliant and witty reviewer but I do have a lot of opinions.
First of all, FINALLY. FINALLY I HAVE FOUND CHRISTIAN FICTION THAT ISN’T CRINGEY AND DOESN’T ACT LIKE SIN DOESN’T EXIST.
I don’t read a lot of Christian fiction, FOR the sole reason that it is VERY rarely GOOD. Sure, it gets its message across, but it often feels like a dated VBS (vacation Bible school for those who don’t know) video or Sunday school lesson. The Bible is SO interesting and intense, even to those who don’t believe. So WHY should we limit our entertainment and art to cheesy little videos where they say “oh oops I’m gonna be good now!!” NO!!! THERE IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE. ANXIETY, ADDICTION, LUST, HATRED, REVENGE, DEPRESSION, HOMOSEXUALITY, LONELINESS, FEAR, DOUBT. WE DO NOT STRUGGLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD. Even the STRONGEST of us Christians struggle with these things at some point and degree. What I love about this book is that that is made very clear.
Even someone like Liam, a strong warrior and Christian man, dealt with so many lies that were pummeled into his mind. He was strong physically but was relentlessly attacked spiritually.
There are appearances of many different kinds of sinful things, TAKE A GOOD LOOK CHRISTIAN KARENS!!! IT IS NOT OKAY TO IGNORE THE TRUTH OF THIS LIFE! In fact, I respect the author incredibly for making an effort to show us this side of the walk. Emma being a doubter and struggling with the idea that God would “let” bad things happen is a VERY GOOD way to tell a story AND teach us.
THIS, MY FRIENDS, IS HOW WE REACH THE LOST. NO MORE FEAR MONGERING! This is plain, blatant truth.
The author incorporated scripture and prayer throughout the whole book and it was relatable. All of it was. I think any Christian could read this and relate to it to some degree.
The way Emma’s anxiety was described was clearly from experience. Yes, there are DARK themes in this book so if you are a SAD SNOWFLAKE WHO IGNORES BROKEN PEOPLE then maybe this book isn’t for you. Or maybe it is, if you look at it like a learning experience.
I apologize, I am rambling. I could talk about this topic for hours but now I want to get to the fact that the romance was wholesome, real, and most importantly, NOT PORNOGRAPHY!
I’ve had the pleasure of finding this author on Instagram, her reels were what convinced me to read her book. What she strives to get across to readers is that modern romances are for the most part, simply porn. And that is SO true. At some point, we, as daughters of the King of all things, HAVE to start saying NO to the nastiness that is being normalized in fiction, YA or otherwise.
Liam is a gentleman. He is chivalrous, protective and respectful. He honors Emma and her femininity. But most importantly, he loves Jesus and consistently follows and obeys the Word.
Emma may struggle with the idea of Christianity but I’m READY to see an encounter between her and Jesus in this second book, hopefully! Seeing testimonies of not only Liam but his sister and King Donovan was uplifting and so wholesome to see. The reality of the spiritual struggle when you reject the idea of Christ is jarring, Emma is in almost constant spiritual confusion and conflict, but she slowly starts asking the questions she needs to. That human thirst for the truth is relatable to us all, and that answer is Jesus. I’m very excited to read this second book.
The story is also GRIPPING. It leaves you excited and rooting for the main characters. The angst is FOR REALSIES and any teenager is gonna get these characters and thought processes.
This story may not be the most genius work of literature but it is RAW and UNAPOLOGETICALLY TRUE. It is so obviously written from the heart of someone who KNOWS what it’s like to be afraid and doubt, even in the precious promise Jesus Christ gave to us. There are so many lessons to learn in this book. So many conversations that can be had after reading it. All in all, The Whispers of the Wind is a beautiful contribution to Christian art and I’m RUSHING to buy The Silent Screams of the Sea. Abigail, your book is inspiring, especially to those like me who are kind of scared to write books like these. It’s encouraging me to step up and write one too❤️
May 11, 2025
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First off, huge respect to Abigail for writing a Christian-themed book—such stories can be controversial, and it takes courage to put them out there.
💛 I love her ‘dedication’: It’s vulnerable, honest, and God-honoring.
‘Tthe ONE that never leaves me no matter the adventures I go on. LORD, You’re the only answer to my loneliness and for that I’m thankful.’
📖 Tropes & Structure:
✅ Multiple POV
✅ Unbeliever curious (yet hesitant) about God
✅ Clean read
⏳ Slow-paced
[image error]
Two key things I loved most: The characters’ flaws and deep inner monologues made them feel real. The way the different POVs were written meant you could understand them. There are real-life, kind of awkward conversations that made the story feel raw and candid. In a way I liked that there was no ‘smooth, making pretty’ filter on the conversations. (If that makes sense__)
On the writing, and overall descriptions of the book, I would say that sometimes there was more telling than showing (ex. describing anxiety). There’s also a lot of crying😢 (from both MFC & MMC). It’s a bit excessive, but the reason for it came through within the story- real men cry too (Jesus wept!). And sometimes it felt a bit preachy. I would have navigated the story better if I had a clearer structure on the plot/ world building (ex. To elaborate on the formality on the meeting customs with the king; what would possibly happen if things don’t go as hoped? What are the plans to investigate her father’s case?)
There’s room set out for character growth, as Emma is very dependent on Liam during this unfamiliar time.There’s also a fluctuating protectiveness and overall care between Emma and her father. I would have liked a more gradual exploration on how their relationship changed. And what exactly happened that caused her father to go to prison? I suspect these points will all be explored in the sequel.
Liam is weighed down by his thoughts and judged by his family for his choices. But he judges himself the harshest.
_- What he sees and what Emma sees are two different versions of each other and themselves._
📌 “Em, you do realize I don’t hold you to the same standard as I do myself? I don’t hold to the same level because it would be unfair. I know mt rules seem overbearing, but they are what kept me alive, and I realise not everyone needs them.”
💙 I loved Emma & Liam’s banter which lightened the overall mood. There are some unexpected friendships- the king and Liam. Kings are depicted as corrupt or having a secret agenda and its refreshing that this POV on the king is different. I also sense more to come between the king and a certain woman cough * *cough.
Something that stood out was how Emma compares herself to Liam. There’s a “I’m not like them, and I’d have to change everything about myself to be around them” kind of mindset. That mindset reminds me of how people might approach God—trying to "fix" themselves first, when in reality, God wants you to come and get to know him.
✨ Spoiler Alert: Favorite moments! ✨
.
.
.
When the MMC challenges the MFC about the “peace” she feels around him.
During a dance with the king, Emma brings up a very important topic.
Themes tackled:
⚡ Anxiety & panic attacks ⚡ Abandonment issues ⚡Approaching God ⚡ Guilt & blame
⚡ Reconciliation
In her ‘acknowledgements’ she is very straight forward and addresses some interesting points which can be controversial: ⚠️ Some reviews suggested that Christian books shouldn’t contain swear words, but I disagree. As Abigail says in her acknowledgments, she’s portraying real life, not condoning it. Fiction isn’t just for “righteous” people—people swear in real life, and that doesn’t suddenly make a book not Christian.
First off, huge respect to Abigail for writing a Christian-themed book—such stories can be controversial, and it takes courage to put them out there.
💛 I love her ‘dedication’: It’s vulnerable, honest, and God-honoring.
‘Tthe ONE that never leaves me no matter the adventures I go on. LORD, You’re the only answer to my loneliness and for that I’m thankful.’
📖 Tropes & Structure:
✅ Multiple POV
✅ Unbeliever curious (yet hesitant) about God
✅ Clean read
⏳ Slow-paced
[image error]
Two key things I loved most: The characters’ flaws and deep inner monologues made them feel real. The way the different POVs were written meant you could understand them. There are real-life, kind of awkward conversations that made the story feel raw and candid. In a way I liked that there was no ‘smooth, making pretty’ filter on the conversations. (If that makes sense__)
On the writing, and overall descriptions of the book, I would say that sometimes there was more telling than showing (ex. describing anxiety). There’s also a lot of crying😢 (from both MFC & MMC). It’s a bit excessive, but the reason for it came through within the story- real men cry too (Jesus wept!). And sometimes it felt a bit preachy. I would have navigated the story better if I had a clearer structure on the plot/ world building (ex. To elaborate on the formality on the meeting customs with the king; what would possibly happen if things don’t go as hoped? What are the plans to investigate her father’s case?)
There’s room set out for character growth, as Emma is very dependent on Liam during this unfamiliar time.There’s also a fluctuating protectiveness and overall care between Emma and her father. I would have liked a more gradual exploration on how their relationship changed. And what exactly happened that caused her father to go to prison? I suspect these points will all be explored in the sequel.
Liam is weighed down by his thoughts and judged by his family for his choices. But he judges himself the harshest.
_- What he sees and what Emma sees are two different versions of each other and themselves._
📌 “Em, you do realize I don’t hold you to the same standard as I do myself? I don’t hold to the same level because it would be unfair. I know mt rules seem overbearing, but they are what kept me alive, and I realise not everyone needs them.”
💙 I loved Emma & Liam’s banter which lightened the overall mood. There are some unexpected friendships- the king and Liam. Kings are depicted as corrupt or having a secret agenda and its refreshing that this POV on the king is different. I also sense more to come between the king and a certain woman cough * *cough.
Something that stood out was how Emma compares herself to Liam. There’s a “I’m not like them, and I’d have to change everything about myself to be around them” kind of mindset. That mindset reminds me of how people might approach God—trying to "fix" themselves first, when in reality, God wants you to come and get to know him.
✨ Spoiler Alert: Favorite moments! ✨
.
.
.
When the MMC challenges the MFC about the “peace” she feels around him.
During a dance with the king, Emma brings up a very important topic.
Themes tackled:
⚡ Anxiety & panic attacks ⚡ Abandonment issues ⚡Approaching God ⚡ Guilt & blame
⚡ Reconciliation
In her ‘acknowledgements’ she is very straight forward and addresses some interesting points which can be controversial: ⚠️ Some reviews suggested that Christian books shouldn’t contain swear words, but I disagree. As Abigail says in her acknowledgments, she’s portraying real life, not condoning it. Fiction isn’t just for “righteous” people—people swear in real life, and that doesn’t suddenly make a book not Christian.
December 3, 2025
Ok imma do a semi short review with good points then bad points:)
** disclaimer ** Thompson is in high school…HIGHSCHOOL. (Or was in high school:) when she wrote this… and she did amazingly well for her (what I think is) her first novel- like extremely well for her age!
Keep that in mind as you read the rest:)
Good points:
I first off really like how different Emma and Liam with, in regards to their own personal struggles. Emma has panic attacks and worries about being alone and having no one to love her
Liam on the other hand fears letting people down and not being good enough to keep everyone happy.
I see this a lot where characters are just kinda… there. They have no flaws and just go and save the day- which honestly is really boring. So I appreciate her character development and design
Also I love that she weaved God into every chapter and didn’t make it (too much) seem like she just randomly finished it off with a mention of God. Lots of ‘Christian fiction’ just adds God on a little side note and I’m please Thompson didn’t do that:) Kudos to you!
Not so good points:
Number one! The grammarrrrrr. I’m sorry but, as a teachers daughter, little grammar mistakes bug me… and there were plenty of grammar mistakes in here. Words misspelled, incorrect tenses, and spacing really threw me off.
I do get that sometimes editors miss things especially when they and the author are more focused on the plot line than mechanics buuuuut it still annoyed me
Secondly, the plot itself was… a bit strange structure wise. It was like I ended the book and had to think and ponder what the book was actually about.
I feel like she tried to focus on the characters and romance more than the actual plot itself, which made for great characters buuuut a slightly confusing storyline. To me I felt as if there were just too many elements in the plot to fit together. Romance, development, murders, her father in prison, fighting the Ruslkan, catching the actual murderer…
At first I thought this book was about the murders her father may or may not have committed but it seemed more focused on the romance of Emma and Liam than the plot line of the murders. I still don’t even know who was murdered and why! Maybe I misread or read too fast but I don’t remember Emma talking about it at all in the story. The last, maybe 50 pages is dedicated to finding rhe killer but it felt like
First 15% - Emma’s backstory, mother disappearing, father going to jail (idk why) and suddenly we are 5-10 years in the future
Second 30% - seeing Summer Eyes, getting the news of the debt she owes, meeting Liam and boom they are out of camp and on the road
Third 30% - traveling to castle, getting attacked, healing, meeting Lindsey, more traveling
Fourth 15 % - getting to know court, pleading to king about starting a Ruslkan war, fighting with Liam (which is every. single. interaction. :(
Last 10 % - “Oh yea the murders my father may or may not have committed… I guess the assassin is still free…” *takes precautions*, more fighting with Liam, *attacked by random member of court* “this is the murderer guys!”
Anddddd that’s all folks (yes it adds to 100% I checked:)
I just felt that there should have been more focus on the murders and maybe some flashbacks to Emma by herself at her house (cause we never got that) or more of her interacting with her father
Anyways that’s enough rambling:)
All in all Abigail Thompson did a good job… there were just a few things that disappointed me:)
** disclaimer ** Thompson is in high school…HIGHSCHOOL. (Or was in high school:) when she wrote this… and she did amazingly well for her (what I think is) her first novel- like extremely well for her age!
Keep that in mind as you read the rest:)
Good points:
I first off really like how different Emma and Liam with, in regards to their own personal struggles. Emma has panic attacks and worries about being alone and having no one to love her
Liam on the other hand fears letting people down and not being good enough to keep everyone happy.
I see this a lot where characters are just kinda… there. They have no flaws and just go and save the day- which honestly is really boring. So I appreciate her character development and design
Also I love that she weaved God into every chapter and didn’t make it (too much) seem like she just randomly finished it off with a mention of God. Lots of ‘Christian fiction’ just adds God on a little side note and I’m please Thompson didn’t do that:) Kudos to you!
Not so good points:
Number one! The grammarrrrrr. I’m sorry but, as a teachers daughter, little grammar mistakes bug me… and there were plenty of grammar mistakes in here. Words misspelled, incorrect tenses, and spacing really threw me off.
I do get that sometimes editors miss things especially when they and the author are more focused on the plot line than mechanics buuuuut it still annoyed me
Secondly, the plot itself was… a bit strange structure wise. It was like I ended the book and had to think and ponder what the book was actually about.
I feel like she tried to focus on the characters and romance more than the actual plot itself, which made for great characters buuuut a slightly confusing storyline. To me I felt as if there were just too many elements in the plot to fit together. Romance, development, murders, her father in prison, fighting the Ruslkan, catching the actual murderer…
At first I thought this book was about the murders her father may or may not have committed but it seemed more focused on the romance of Emma and Liam than the plot line of the murders. I still don’t even know who was murdered and why! Maybe I misread or read too fast but I don’t remember Emma talking about it at all in the story. The last, maybe 50 pages is dedicated to finding rhe killer but it felt like
First 15% - Emma’s backstory, mother disappearing, father going to jail (idk why) and suddenly we are 5-10 years in the future
Second 30% - seeing Summer Eyes, getting the news of the debt she owes, meeting Liam and boom they are out of camp and on the road
Third 30% - traveling to castle, getting attacked, healing, meeting Lindsey, more traveling
Fourth 15 % - getting to know court, pleading to king about starting a Ruslkan war, fighting with Liam (which is every. single. interaction. :(
Last 10 % - “Oh yea the murders my father may or may not have committed… I guess the assassin is still free…” *takes precautions*, more fighting with Liam, *attacked by random member of court* “this is the murderer guys!”
Anddddd that’s all folks (yes it adds to 100% I checked:)
I just felt that there should have been more focus on the murders and maybe some flashbacks to Emma by herself at her house (cause we never got that) or more of her interacting with her father
Anyways that’s enough rambling:)
All in all Abigail Thompson did a good job… there were just a few things that disappointed me:)
January 4, 2024
This book was a little bit of a whirlwind to read.
I was excited to read this book because I've followed the author on Instagram for a while, and thought highly of her as a person for all that she stands for and believes.
I hate to say that I was slightly disappointed.
This story was quite character-driven. I felt that the plot faded into the background when that's what we needed to see, and the whole story was simply the character's interactions and development. I love a good backstory and friendship, but not at the expense of losing sight of what's going around them. I was also starving for details about the setting and world. I get not revealing too much and avoiding info dumps at the beginning, but I felt like I knew absolutely nothing about the land Emma was in, even in the end.
As a self-published author myself, I understand the expense of editors and proofreaders and that sometimes you can't invest in that, but the formatting, spelling, and grammatical mistakes were prevalent. I feel like many issues in this book would be improved by simply an outside eye coming in and pointing out what didn't make sense, was unclear, or poorly formatted.
Now, the relationship between Emma and Liam was...I hate to say...a little gross/cringy. It was very unnatural in the beginning and seemed like they suddenly were BFFs when they knew absolutely nothing about each other. I wish there was more substance to their friendship than their trauma and mental health issues (my opinion, but not necessarily a problem). Also, the way it was written was that physical contact (frequent hugging, caressing, and general touching) was platonically normal between men and women (who don't even know each other well). One of my biggest issues was that in one scene they sleep in the same bed and throughout the book in very close proximity like that's normal and okay. I think a finer line needs to be drawn between what's normal but wrong/unwise/sinful, and what is hard but right and pure (it's YA, teens need to be encouraged to do what's godly). I think that there is still hope to make this better in future books, and I would be disappointed if the characters didn't address that that was unwise to do as they grow.
I was disappointed by the amount of cursing in the books. I would have been appalled if I hadn't been warned by other reviewers. The problem I had was that the author markets the book as "clean" which many trust to mean without profanity. I think that readers should be warned about that and not misled. If the author is ashamed to admit online to possible readers that there is cursing, then maybe she shouldn't put it in her books.
Now, I really began to enjoy the book during the last quarter---when the plot was moving and we were actually getting some info. However, I felt like there were so many things I was supposed to understand but I just didn't. Maybe we aren't supposed to know, or maybe she said, but I don't remember. Readers forget easily and need to be reminded, and sometimes we need to be told straight what is going on. Overall, the plot was lacking and very confusing. All this said, I would rate the last few chapters 4.5 stars.
I love the author's heart to write Christian fantasy to uplift young people. I really do. I think that she did a decent job with the spiritual lessons in this story. The author has a bravery and fearlessness to tackle tough subjects that I don't have, and I commend her for it. There is just much room to grow here.
I was excited to read this book because I've followed the author on Instagram for a while, and thought highly of her as a person for all that she stands for and believes.
I hate to say that I was slightly disappointed.
This story was quite character-driven. I felt that the plot faded into the background when that's what we needed to see, and the whole story was simply the character's interactions and development. I love a good backstory and friendship, but not at the expense of losing sight of what's going around them. I was also starving for details about the setting and world. I get not revealing too much and avoiding info dumps at the beginning, but I felt like I knew absolutely nothing about the land Emma was in, even in the end.
As a self-published author myself, I understand the expense of editors and proofreaders and that sometimes you can't invest in that, but the formatting, spelling, and grammatical mistakes were prevalent. I feel like many issues in this book would be improved by simply an outside eye coming in and pointing out what didn't make sense, was unclear, or poorly formatted.
Now, the relationship between Emma and Liam was...I hate to say...a little gross/cringy. It was very unnatural in the beginning and seemed like they suddenly were BFFs when they knew absolutely nothing about each other. I wish there was more substance to their friendship than their trauma and mental health issues (my opinion, but not necessarily a problem). Also, the way it was written was that physical contact (frequent hugging, caressing, and general touching) was platonically normal between men and women (who don't even know each other well). One of my biggest issues was that in one scene they sleep in the same bed and throughout the book in very close proximity like that's normal and okay. I think a finer line needs to be drawn between what's normal but wrong/unwise/sinful, and what is hard but right and pure (it's YA, teens need to be encouraged to do what's godly). I think that there is still hope to make this better in future books, and I would be disappointed if the characters didn't address that that was unwise to do as they grow.
I was disappointed by the amount of cursing in the books. I would have been appalled if I hadn't been warned by other reviewers. The problem I had was that the author markets the book as "clean" which many trust to mean without profanity. I think that readers should be warned about that and not misled. If the author is ashamed to admit online to possible readers that there is cursing, then maybe she shouldn't put it in her books.
Now, I really began to enjoy the book during the last quarter---when the plot was moving and we were actually getting some info. However, I felt like there were so many things I was supposed to understand but I just didn't. Maybe we aren't supposed to know, or maybe she said, but I don't remember. Readers forget easily and need to be reminded, and sometimes we need to be told straight what is going on. Overall, the plot was lacking and very confusing. All this said, I would rate the last few chapters 4.5 stars.
I love the author's heart to write Christian fantasy to uplift young people. I really do. I think that she did a decent job with the spiritual lessons in this story. The author has a bravery and fearlessness to tackle tough subjects that I don't have, and I commend her for it. There is just much room to grow here.
January 18, 2024
It was so nice to start my year diving into a new, pure, version of my favorite genre, fantasy fiction!
(There is only one paragraph containing spoilers the rest is just my objective opinions)
I did not know what to expect going into this this. Quite frankly, my expectations were a bit low. I have not read much Christian literature, and as a Christian, I wanted to change that, but still, my bar is high when it come to incorporating the very real God and Savior of my life, and the not so real fantasy worlds I read to escape into imagination. So to be honest, this concept is very new to me, and it is still something I am just beginning to warm up to. I think it can be hard to put the true history of Jesus into a fictional novel, even so, that doesn't make the truth fictional and the fiction truth. One must be willing to embrace the two for what they are, completely separate yet used as a unique tool to simply tell a story of a lost girl searching for a love that can only be found in Christ.
I really enjoyed this story and all of its parallels of both society today and the love and truth of the Gospel. However, I found myself getting lost with the writing from time to time. I know this book is the first to a series (which I am so looking forward to reading), but it felt like the some loose ends are extremely loose and some tied ends are extremely tight. For example,
(SPOILERS) Water Breaker and the murder charges, this is was the first thing that grabbed my attention in the beginning of this book, yet I didn't really feel any closer to knowing the true why or how he got into that mess by the end of it, I felt like I was left in the dark. And then there's Emma's mother, she disappeared in the beginning and reappeared in the end. Was a surprised? Not really. It just felt like a matter of fact.
I am curious to see what the author does with that plot twist in the next book, but it almost felt too predictable. Furthermore, the story/plot itself wasn't anything spectacular, just real and honest, which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing (I feel like this review is harsh, but I don't mean it to be. I just want to be honest). Abigail has taken on a huge burden of going against what society craves from fiction today, and I applaud her for her bravery and creative imagination as she strives to offer readers something that is pure and true. Like I said before, this concept is something I still have not quite wrapped my head around fully, but I am excited to these stories grow and mature along with the author.
(There is only one paragraph containing spoilers the rest is just my objective opinions)
I did not know what to expect going into this this. Quite frankly, my expectations were a bit low. I have not read much Christian literature, and as a Christian, I wanted to change that, but still, my bar is high when it come to incorporating the very real God and Savior of my life, and the not so real fantasy worlds I read to escape into imagination. So to be honest, this concept is very new to me, and it is still something I am just beginning to warm up to. I think it can be hard to put the true history of Jesus into a fictional novel, even so, that doesn't make the truth fictional and the fiction truth. One must be willing to embrace the two for what they are, completely separate yet used as a unique tool to simply tell a story of a lost girl searching for a love that can only be found in Christ.
I really enjoyed this story and all of its parallels of both society today and the love and truth of the Gospel. However, I found myself getting lost with the writing from time to time. I know this book is the first to a series (which I am so looking forward to reading), but it felt like the some loose ends are extremely loose and some tied ends are extremely tight. For example,
(SPOILERS) Water Breaker and the murder charges, this is was the first thing that grabbed my attention in the beginning of this book, yet I didn't really feel any closer to knowing the true why or how he got into that mess by the end of it, I felt like I was left in the dark. And then there's Emma's mother, she disappeared in the beginning and reappeared in the end. Was a surprised? Not really. It just felt like a matter of fact.
I am curious to see what the author does with that plot twist in the next book, but it almost felt too predictable. Furthermore, the story/plot itself wasn't anything spectacular, just real and honest, which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing (I feel like this review is harsh, but I don't mean it to be. I just want to be honest). Abigail has taken on a huge burden of going against what society craves from fiction today, and I applaud her for her bravery and creative imagination as she strives to offer readers something that is pure and true. Like I said before, this concept is something I still have not quite wrapped my head around fully, but I am excited to these stories grow and mature along with the author.
July 2, 2024
Full content (sex, language, violence) review:
https://www.novelnotices.com/the-whis...
As a disclaimer, I am Christian but I do not normally read Christian fiction. I've been trying out new genres and looking to read more from indie authors lately. After seeing some of the author's more controversial opinions on her Instagram profile, I decided to give the book a try in order to form an opinion on her work. I also think I read the first edition of the book, which is apparently a much less edited version of the same story.
PROS:
- I believe the author wrote and self-published this at seventeen. Writing a book is really hard, so applaud her for that.
CONS:
- Unfortunately, it was a mess. For starters, the blurb tells you nothing about the story. The mentioned "starvation tactics" are brought up on one page and they are not discussed in relation to either MCs. There is also no real "murder" or "treason" plot.
- The basic grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors in every other paragraph made it impossible to be full absorbed in the story. It was insanely annoying and difficult to read.
- The writing style was choppy, long-winded, and juvenile.
- The plot itself was non-existent. The pacing was drawn out and seemingly important scenes were skimmed over or not shown at all.
- Both of the MCs are over-emotional, cringey, and completely unrelatable. Both struggled with anxiety, but the way it was written made it seem very gimmicky and served as the sole personality trait between the two of them. As someone who actually deals with occasionally crippling anxiety, I was extremely disappointed in the representation.
- The world-building was also baffling. There wasn't much—we're given a basic medieval-like fantasy world where there are things like Clan Leaders and Blood Bonds (I still don't know what either of them really are). Magi exist, but we have no idea what they do or why they have magic.
- I wasn't sure what to expect from a Christian fantasy, but finding actual quotes and verses from the real-world Bible was not on the list. They talk about Jonah and the Prodigal Son, pray to God and mention Jesus, but there is no explanation for how this religion makes sense within a fantasy world.
- Maybe this is true with all Christian fiction, but it felt like the only purpose of this book was to discuss the author's religious beliefs. The story was incorporated into the theme, rather than the theme being built into the story. And that's fine. But nowhere is religion mentioned in the blurb, or—from what I've seen—the author's marketing.
- In the end, the major conflict in the romance was the FMC's lack of belief in God and religion. Beyond that, the characters had no chemistry anyway, but it was still strange. They were even kind of toxic, honestly. All they did was fight, cry, and then run back to the other. The FMC also hit the MMC several times for refusing to kiss her back.
https://www.novelnotices.com/the-whis...
As a disclaimer, I am Christian but I do not normally read Christian fiction. I've been trying out new genres and looking to read more from indie authors lately. After seeing some of the author's more controversial opinions on her Instagram profile, I decided to give the book a try in order to form an opinion on her work. I also think I read the first edition of the book, which is apparently a much less edited version of the same story.
PROS:
- I believe the author wrote and self-published this at seventeen. Writing a book is really hard, so applaud her for that.
CONS:
- Unfortunately, it was a mess. For starters, the blurb tells you nothing about the story. The mentioned "starvation tactics" are brought up on one page and they are not discussed in relation to either MCs. There is also no real "murder" or "treason" plot.
- The basic grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors in every other paragraph made it impossible to be full absorbed in the story. It was insanely annoying and difficult to read.
- The writing style was choppy, long-winded, and juvenile.
- The plot itself was non-existent. The pacing was drawn out and seemingly important scenes were skimmed over or not shown at all.
- Both of the MCs are over-emotional, cringey, and completely unrelatable. Both struggled with anxiety, but the way it was written made it seem very gimmicky and served as the sole personality trait between the two of them. As someone who actually deals with occasionally crippling anxiety, I was extremely disappointed in the representation.
- The world-building was also baffling. There wasn't much—we're given a basic medieval-like fantasy world where there are things like Clan Leaders and Blood Bonds (I still don't know what either of them really are). Magi exist, but we have no idea what they do or why they have magic.
- I wasn't sure what to expect from a Christian fantasy, but finding actual quotes and verses from the real-world Bible was not on the list. They talk about Jonah and the Prodigal Son, pray to God and mention Jesus, but there is no explanation for how this religion makes sense within a fantasy world.
- Maybe this is true with all Christian fiction, but it felt like the only purpose of this book was to discuss the author's religious beliefs. The story was incorporated into the theme, rather than the theme being built into the story. And that's fine. But nowhere is religion mentioned in the blurb, or—from what I've seen—the author's marketing.
- In the end, the major conflict in the romance was the FMC's lack of belief in God and religion. Beyond that, the characters had no chemistry anyway, but it was still strange. They were even kind of toxic, honestly. All they did was fight, cry, and then run back to the other. The FMC also hit the MMC several times for refusing to kiss her back.
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