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Whisper Court #1
The First Dark Sorcerer
An awkward wizard. An aspiring ballerina. And a dark god with a wicked vendetta.
Clyde Blitzkurr is devastated. Rejected by every reputable magic academy in the realm, this seventeen-year-old aspiring wizard resolves to make his sister’s dream come true. But things take a turn when a demon tries to kill him.
Aylee Blitzkurr’s deepest desire is at hand. Accepted to the most prestigious dance academy, this sixteen-year-old ballerina is a breath away from becoming a principal dancer. But when her brother’s life is threatened, and ghosts start leaving cryptic messages, fighting for Clyde’s wellbeing takes precedence.
The siblings begin to uncover dangerous secrets connecting them to a vengeful god. Neither is safe. Clyde must grasp the untapped power he possesses. Aylee must discover the courage to face her darkest fears. If they do not, they will lose more than their lives … they will miss their destiny. And the realms are counting on them.
Phantom of the Opera meets Cassandra Clair’s Clockwork Angel in this young adult steampunk fantasy!
Escape to a world imbued with magic and the paranormal. Find mermaids, demons, dragon shifters, elves, wizards, sorcery, and a healthy dose of fantastical ballet. This exciting book for teens is for boys, girls, and everyone in between.
- GenresFantasy
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2023
24 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Abby Arthur
12 books20 followersAbby Arthur spends the majority of her time lost in an imaginary world of glowing magic and dastardly dragons. She started winning writing contests and getting published in newspapers when she was just sixteen. She loves giving readers an escape from reality and is constantly creating new stories. Her magic portal is located in small town Iowa, protected by herself, her husband, and their son. Her first book is Twins of Shadow.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 14, 2023
Abby Arthur's book, The First Dark Sorcerer follows siblings Clyde and Aylee as they navigate their new home. Aylee is a new student at the city’s famous opera ballet school and Clyde is a wizard with broken magic who is working there as a janitor. They find themselves having to face their fears and uncover secrets that link them to a god.
I found myself very quickly absorbed in the story of Clyde and Aylee as the book has a way of sucking the reader in from the first few lines. This is definitely one of those books that I couldn’t but down and found myself often saying, ‘just one more chapter.’ The pacing is perfect for the story and the plot is engaging and exciting. There is enough mystery to keep the audience guessing and their interest all the way to the final pages of the book.
Arthur writes in a way that is extremely readable and engaging. The world building in the book is also spectacular as she manages to find a way to balance packing in a lot of description and information while still keeping the story moving at a good pace. Her dialogue is never awkward, allowing the audience to simply get lost in the story, and she navigates the duel point of view with ease. Clyde and Aylee had distinct voices and it comes across beautifully in the writing of the book.
I absolutely adored the characters in this book. Aylee is a breath of fresh air who the audience can connect with very quickly as she tries to settle into the life she always dreamed of at the ballet school. Clyde has a heartbreaking backstory as to why his magic is so very broken and I loved watching his journey throughout this first installment. The supporting characters are also so incredibly interesting and diverse. Arthur blends well known fantasy races with new ones to bring the Whisper Court its realm to life in a seamless manner.
Overall I very much enjoyed this book and gave it a 5 out 5. There is a little romance sprinkled in the pages, with the potential for more as the story continues, but this installment focuses mostly on plot and world and relationship building. If you like an interesting fantasy that draws its influence from Phantom of the Opera with a steampunk flavor this is a great option for you!
I found myself very quickly absorbed in the story of Clyde and Aylee as the book has a way of sucking the reader in from the first few lines. This is definitely one of those books that I couldn’t but down and found myself often saying, ‘just one more chapter.’ The pacing is perfect for the story and the plot is engaging and exciting. There is enough mystery to keep the audience guessing and their interest all the way to the final pages of the book.
Arthur writes in a way that is extremely readable and engaging. The world building in the book is also spectacular as she manages to find a way to balance packing in a lot of description and information while still keeping the story moving at a good pace. Her dialogue is never awkward, allowing the audience to simply get lost in the story, and she navigates the duel point of view with ease. Clyde and Aylee had distinct voices and it comes across beautifully in the writing of the book.
I absolutely adored the characters in this book. Aylee is a breath of fresh air who the audience can connect with very quickly as she tries to settle into the life she always dreamed of at the ballet school. Clyde has a heartbreaking backstory as to why his magic is so very broken and I loved watching his journey throughout this first installment. The supporting characters are also so incredibly interesting and diverse. Arthur blends well known fantasy races with new ones to bring the Whisper Court its realm to life in a seamless manner.
Overall I very much enjoyed this book and gave it a 5 out 5. There is a little romance sprinkled in the pages, with the potential for more as the story continues, but this installment focuses mostly on plot and world and relationship building. If you like an interesting fantasy that draws its influence from Phantom of the Opera with a steampunk flavor this is a great option for you!
January 28, 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
•Dual POVs
•Sorcery
•Vengeful Ghosts
•Elves, Humans, and Fae
•Incredible World Building
•Plot Twists
•(Potential) Love Triangle
•Fun Steampunk Vibes
•Trilogy Series
•Spice Free
Basically, take all your favorite characters from Percy Jackson, add in a couple from your favorite Fae novel, and then make them powerful sorcerers! Sounds awesome, right?!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
An incredibly detailed High-Fantasy with enough sorcery to make a Harry Potter fan squeal in delight! (As a HP fan myself, I can confidently confirm this statement 👍🏻)
What is a High-Fantasy you might ask? Picture this: epic settings and world building, fantastical elements, broad range of characters, ghosts that want to take over the realm, and A LOT of incredible sorcery all told from the perspective of the two main characters! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
So, first we have Clyde, an awkward eighteen-year-old wizard whose magic never works when he needs it to… especially when he’s in situations that could get him killed. He’s also the sole provider for his little sister, at least he has been ever since his parents left for the war to fight the ghosts that are trying to invade their realm.
Sixteen-year-old Aylee is an extremely talented dancer who wows every audience she performs for. She also just got accepted into the Rosegold Academy, the most prestigious dance school in the realm. Even the owner of the academy is impressed with her skills. And to top it all off, she’s caught the eye of the owner’s handsome son!
So, Clyde and Aylee move to the big city where Aylee can start her lessons, and Clyde can start his new job to pay for Aylee’s schooling… as the academy’s new janitor.
Clyde begins to think he’s over his head very quickly when he finds out what his job REALLY entails. After all, no one told him that he’d have to keep hungry ghosts that want to posses you out of the academy… with magic that’s practically useless to him.
If you’re still not convinced to read this masterpiece, then there’s nothing more I can say except, trust me and take the plunge! You’ll be hooked from the first chapter!
•Dual POVs
•Sorcery
•Vengeful Ghosts
•Elves, Humans, and Fae
•Incredible World Building
•Plot Twists
•(Potential) Love Triangle
•Fun Steampunk Vibes
•Trilogy Series
•Spice Free
Basically, take all your favorite characters from Percy Jackson, add in a couple from your favorite Fae novel, and then make them powerful sorcerers! Sounds awesome, right?!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
An incredibly detailed High-Fantasy with enough sorcery to make a Harry Potter fan squeal in delight! (As a HP fan myself, I can confidently confirm this statement 👍🏻)
What is a High-Fantasy you might ask? Picture this: epic settings and world building, fantastical elements, broad range of characters, ghosts that want to take over the realm, and A LOT of incredible sorcery all told from the perspective of the two main characters! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
So, first we have Clyde, an awkward eighteen-year-old wizard whose magic never works when he needs it to… especially when he’s in situations that could get him killed. He’s also the sole provider for his little sister, at least he has been ever since his parents left for the war to fight the ghosts that are trying to invade their realm.
Sixteen-year-old Aylee is an extremely talented dancer who wows every audience she performs for. She also just got accepted into the Rosegold Academy, the most prestigious dance school in the realm. Even the owner of the academy is impressed with her skills. And to top it all off, she’s caught the eye of the owner’s handsome son!
So, Clyde and Aylee move to the big city where Aylee can start her lessons, and Clyde can start his new job to pay for Aylee’s schooling… as the academy’s new janitor.
Clyde begins to think he’s over his head very quickly when he finds out what his job REALLY entails. After all, no one told him that he’d have to keep hungry ghosts that want to posses you out of the academy… with magic that’s practically useless to him.
If you’re still not convinced to read this masterpiece, then there’s nothing more I can say except, trust me and take the plunge! You’ll be hooked from the first chapter!
April 21, 2023
An awkward wizard. An aspiring ballerina. And a dark god with a wicked vendetta.
The First Dark Sorcerer is the first book in the Whisper Court series by Abby Arthur. The Whisper Court series is a young adult steampunk fantasy, which is a concept that I loved! Abby Arthur executed the mash up of genres wonderfully. If you are fan of plot based fantasy novels featuring wizards, and other magical creatures as well as cool steampunk elements, this is a series you should put on your TBR! I really enjoyed the descriptive world building. Though I was hoping for a bit more romance, there was a little and I think there will be some more in the next book in the series. I am really looking forward to book 2.
In The First Dark Sorcerer, we meet our main characters, siblings Clyde and Aylee. Clyde is a young wizard who is determined to become a great sorcerer. Except- he can’t seem to get accepted into any of the magical academies. Aylee is so close to becoming a principal ballerina she can taste it! I loved how determined these two siblings were- both so ready to try and and accomplish their dreams, when the unexpected throws their lives onto new paths! This was adventure heavy, and I really enjoyed that the main characters were siblings. They meet a whole bunch of different characters along the way, and I had a lot of fun with all of them.
Clyde and Aylee are both wonderfully fleshed out characters. I appreciated their growth throughout the novel and I found them really easy to root for. Overall, this was a great adventure style fantasy novel that young adult readers should really love. It was refreshing to see a male main character, and I really appreciated the detailed descriptions and world building throughout the novel. The First Dark Sorcerer was great and I am excited to see what is in store for us in the next installment of the Whisper Court series.
The First Dark Sorcerer is the first book in the Whisper Court series by Abby Arthur. The Whisper Court series is a young adult steampunk fantasy, which is a concept that I loved! Abby Arthur executed the mash up of genres wonderfully. If you are fan of plot based fantasy novels featuring wizards, and other magical creatures as well as cool steampunk elements, this is a series you should put on your TBR! I really enjoyed the descriptive world building. Though I was hoping for a bit more romance, there was a little and I think there will be some more in the next book in the series. I am really looking forward to book 2.
In The First Dark Sorcerer, we meet our main characters, siblings Clyde and Aylee. Clyde is a young wizard who is determined to become a great sorcerer. Except- he can’t seem to get accepted into any of the magical academies. Aylee is so close to becoming a principal ballerina she can taste it! I loved how determined these two siblings were- both so ready to try and and accomplish their dreams, when the unexpected throws their lives onto new paths! This was adventure heavy, and I really enjoyed that the main characters were siblings. They meet a whole bunch of different characters along the way, and I had a lot of fun with all of them.
Clyde and Aylee are both wonderfully fleshed out characters. I appreciated their growth throughout the novel and I found them really easy to root for. Overall, this was a great adventure style fantasy novel that young adult readers should really love. It was refreshing to see a male main character, and I really appreciated the detailed descriptions and world building throughout the novel. The First Dark Sorcerer was great and I am excited to see what is in store for us in the next installment of the Whisper Court series.
June 16, 2023
I give THE FIRST DARK SORCERER ⭐⭐⭐1/2!
This book is lively and a fun combination of Steampunk with fantasy. The story is told through Clyde, and his sister Aylee. Their parents are both gone, one died in the ghost wars and the other is still serving, which means Clyde raised his sister and supports her dancing career. He's a sorcerer that has trouble casting spells and has been rejected from all the magic schools. This dynamic and relationship between these two siblings are interesting to me because it reminds me of Manga storylines, where you question how close their relationship really is.
The action happens within the first two chapters where we meet many characters and learn about how dangerous it is to live in their world, which is full of demons who hunt them at night. I loved the wide range of characters and discovering each new realm.
While I enjoyed the story and epic battles there were some slow spots in the book that was tough for me to get through. But that could just be me. Also, I felt Aylee's character was a little cliche to me, a ballet dancer, who relies on her big brother to care for her. I wanted Aylee to be a little stronger, maybe use some of those dance moves to karate chop some demons. Maybe that's coming in book 2.
Overall, this was a great story with unique, interesting characters set in a beautiful world.
This book is lively and a fun combination of Steampunk with fantasy. The story is told through Clyde, and his sister Aylee. Their parents are both gone, one died in the ghost wars and the other is still serving, which means Clyde raised his sister and supports her dancing career. He's a sorcerer that has trouble casting spells and has been rejected from all the magic schools. This dynamic and relationship between these two siblings are interesting to me because it reminds me of Manga storylines, where you question how close their relationship really is.
The action happens within the first two chapters where we meet many characters and learn about how dangerous it is to live in their world, which is full of demons who hunt them at night. I loved the wide range of characters and discovering each new realm.
While I enjoyed the story and epic battles there were some slow spots in the book that was tough for me to get through. But that could just be me. Also, I felt Aylee's character was a little cliche to me, a ballet dancer, who relies on her big brother to care for her. I wanted Aylee to be a little stronger, maybe use some of those dance moves to karate chop some demons. Maybe that's coming in book 2.
Overall, this was a great story with unique, interesting characters set in a beautiful world.
April 14, 2023
I loved just about everything The First Dark Sorcerer had to offer!
Lets start with the maps... yes plural. There are two beautiful maps; one is the Realm of Aleunna and all its kingdoms, the second is all of Bratch'ed. In grey-scale they are beautiful, in full color they would be absolutely gorgeous!
The author included a pronunciation guide.. in the front of the book, you guys! I feel like this is one of very few that have the pronunciation guide in the front of the story, before I read and butcher everything they painstakingly scrambled their keyboards for. Honestly, I will do that even with the guide, but it's still nice for it to be included. ;)
The world building in this novel is great. It's so dynamic and vivid. The characters had fun, realistic dialogue. One of my favorite moments was when Clyde was essentially like "just say what you mean!" Because, yeah, I totally feel that sometimes too, Clyde.
I loved the steampunk meets fantasy magic vibes. I know that it's a hard thing to do, and Arthur pulled it off nicely. Oh! And the reincarnation thing going on, that was awesome too. It worked in perfectly.
You can read my full review, and others like it, at bookswithachance.com
Lets start with the maps... yes plural. There are two beautiful maps; one is the Realm of Aleunna and all its kingdoms, the second is all of Bratch'ed. In grey-scale they are beautiful, in full color they would be absolutely gorgeous!
The author included a pronunciation guide.. in the front of the book, you guys! I feel like this is one of very few that have the pronunciation guide in the front of the story, before I read and butcher everything they painstakingly scrambled their keyboards for. Honestly, I will do that even with the guide, but it's still nice for it to be included. ;)
The world building in this novel is great. It's so dynamic and vivid. The characters had fun, realistic dialogue. One of my favorite moments was when Clyde was essentially like "just say what you mean!" Because, yeah, I totally feel that sometimes too, Clyde.
I loved the steampunk meets fantasy magic vibes. I know that it's a hard thing to do, and Arthur pulled it off nicely. Oh! And the reincarnation thing going on, that was awesome too. It worked in perfectly.
You can read my full review, and others like it, at bookswithachance.com
December 8, 2023
I couldn't decide if this was a steampunk fantasy with very contemporary culture and language or a contemporary urban fantasy with steampunk vibes. So let's throw out the labels and call it a cross-genre young YA complete with dragons, ghosts, chosen ones who don't know their destinies (but everyone else does), mermaids, ballet, shapeshifters, odd inventions, elves, and magic keys.
Book could use some editing. Proofreader was on a mission to singlehandedly save the apostrophe from extinction.
It's a fun romp. Save it as a palate cleanser between grimdark series or introduce a tween or new teen to fantasy as a shared book buddy read or gift.
Book could use some editing. Proofreader was on a mission to singlehandedly save the apostrophe from extinction.
It's a fun romp. Save it as a palate cleanser between grimdark series or introduce a tween or new teen to fantasy as a shared book buddy read or gift.
April 13, 2025
A Gripping Tale of Magic and Adventure Awaits!
The First Dark Sorcerer: Whisper Court Book 1 is a captivating start to an enchanting series! The characters are richly developed, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down! A must-read for anyone who loves magic and adventure. I highly recommend it!
The First Dark Sorcerer: Whisper Court Book 1 is a captivating start to an enchanting series! The characters are richly developed, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down! A must-read for anyone who loves magic and adventure. I highly recommend it!
June 28, 2023
Excellent
Not an easy read. Took me couple of weeks to read.
Was enjoying. Good characters.
Just to many plots going which made it a tough read for me. Yet I came back and finished the book.
Have fun reading this one
Not an easy read. Took me couple of weeks to read.
Was enjoying. Good characters.
Just to many plots going which made it a tough read for me. Yet I came back and finished the book.
Have fun reading this one
June 13, 2023
The First Dark Sorcerer book 1
I've read many books but I really enjoyed this one. It was full of magic and action. What a wonderful read!
I've read many books but I really enjoyed this one. It was full of magic and action. What a wonderful read!
June 22, 2023
I really enjoyed this book, but you can tell it is just the beginning of a larger story. So glad I could dive right into book 2 when I finished this one. If it feels a little slow, stick with it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews