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storm7's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
2.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Whispers From the Depths
Author: C.W. Briar
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Publication Date: February 19, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Uncommon Universes Press
Pages: 292
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Joyful and blessed are Voice-bearers, for the Heavens have set them apart.
As Whisperers gifted with the Voice, Betka and her people are enslaved. Only they can control the dangerous spirits that haunt the waters, but they are forced to serve under cruel taskmasters. Betka has little hope of freedom from her service or her own bitterness.
They toil for the goodness of others.
A powerful water spirit terrorizes the castle where Betka's sister is serving. Betka is assigned to the crew sailing to face the foe, and she fears for the only family she has left. There is no mercy for the Whisperer who fails in their task.
Rage is found nowhere in them.
In the beleaguered, flooded castle, a new threat awaits—a magic more powerful and horrifying than anything they have ever seen. Loyalties will be tested, and enemies will become desperate allies.
Betka is their only hope of escape—if she can subdue the wrath that endangers them all.
Review: I had to DNF this book as well. While I felt like this book started strong with a compelling plot, the books characters went in a direction and I couldn’t connect with them any further. The book is well written, with compelling characters and the world building was pretty good, but I couldn’t connect with it unfortunately.
Verdict: Not for me, but it might be for you!
Book: Whispers From the Depths
Author: C.W. Briar
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Publication Date: February 19, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Uncommon Universes Press
Pages: 292
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Joyful and blessed are Voice-bearers, for the Heavens have set them apart.
As Whisperers gifted with the Voice, Betka and her people are enslaved. Only they can control the dangerous spirits that haunt the waters, but they are forced to serve under cruel taskmasters. Betka has little hope of freedom from her service or her own bitterness.
They toil for the goodness of others.
A powerful water spirit terrorizes the castle where Betka's sister is serving. Betka is assigned to the crew sailing to face the foe, and she fears for the only family she has left. There is no mercy for the Whisperer who fails in their task.
Rage is found nowhere in them.
In the beleaguered, flooded castle, a new threat awaits—a magic more powerful and horrifying than anything they have ever seen. Loyalties will be tested, and enemies will become desperate allies.
Betka is their only hope of escape—if she can subdue the wrath that endangers them all.
Review: I had to DNF this book as well. While I felt like this book started strong with a compelling plot, the books characters went in a direction and I couldn’t connect with them any further. The book is well written, with compelling characters and the world building was pretty good, but I couldn’t connect with it unfortunately.
Verdict: Not for me, but it might be for you!
princessleopard's review against another edition
4.0
Preface: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'd give it 4.5ish stars.
The book throws you for a loop from the first page, beginning right in the middle of a religious uprising. The Whisperers, whose magical Voice allows them to commune with water spirits, are being attacked by proponents of another religion for their help in oppressing the common people. Violence ensues, as the Whisperers struggle to protect their most precious artifacts - and ultimately fail.
Then we fast-forward 90+ years to the present, where our main character, Betka, is being berated for a nearby river spirit not receiving her queen's blood sacrifice. We see how far the Whisperers have fallen, from being revered priests to mere slaves. Betka is, as one might imagine, highly resentful of this, and longs to strike back at her masters - but her own powers prevent her from doing so.
The novel dips into various other POVs as well, usually only for one chapter, or a handful. This actually ended up being really interesting, because one POV character ends up giving us sympathy for a town that was destroyed by a vengeful ocean spirit (the crux of the plot). We see the attack through his eyes, and when we find his body later, it's genuinely distressing. We also get to see what motivates certain characters, and more of the life of the character from the first chapter. They all have unique voices, so it's never difficult to tell them apart, and all of them have a purpose instead of merely being self-indulgent. It's really well done.
The central powers are interesting, too. The Voice is supposed to be a tool only for good - so much so that any pain inflicted by it rebounds on the user as well. The Voice is also wielded through vocal prayers in a foreign language, most of which isn't translated, which adds to its mystique. I do wish we got to see it used against water spirits more often (aside from the ocean, which is a special case). I would have been interested in seeing how communing works under normal circumstances.
The cast of characters is varied both in background and temperament. I don't want to go into too much detail, for fear of spoiling things, but many of the characters undergo intense development throughout the story. Several that initially seem like villains become more nuanced, and some that seem like heroes show a darker side. No one is wholly good or evil, which was great. Even the main character grapples with her darker impulses.
That being said - one flaw I found with this book was just how miserable it could be at times. The Whisperers are looked down on, fair enough, but the amount of abuse and suffering they endure was really draining, and at times hard to understand. The main two prove themselves to be on the rest of the cast's side many times, but don't get any credit for it, almost to the point of absurdity. It's somewhat justified with a few characters for spoiler-y reasons, but for some it just seemed like unnecessary mustache-twirling jerkishness. A few characters do come around in the end, but it does feel like it takes a little too long.
That being said, the themes of duty/compassion vs vengeance/justice are very interesting. In particular, the main character, Betka, longs for vengeance, while her fellow Whisperer, Asi, insists on servitude being the right choice. Ultimately Betka chooses between the two, in a way that is bittersweet but satisfying. However, at times the theme of serving becomes a little uncomfortable, mostly because of the above point - the Whisperers are treated /so/ badly, and Asi seems to think they should just lie down and take it. In reality, I would have liked to see more middle ground between the two. Standing up for yourself, but still being compassionate and helping others. The story seems to find that middle ground in the end, but didn't quite go far enough for my taste.
In the end, though, this was an enjoyable read. It's got an interesting magic system, a unique world, and strong, complex characters. I would recommend it.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'd give it 4.5ish stars.
The book throws you for a loop from the first page, beginning right in the middle of a religious uprising. The Whisperers, whose magical Voice allows them to commune with water spirits, are being attacked by proponents of another religion for their help in oppressing the common people. Violence ensues, as the Whisperers struggle to protect their most precious artifacts - and ultimately fail.
Then we fast-forward 90+ years to the present, where our main character, Betka, is being berated for a nearby river spirit not receiving her queen's blood sacrifice. We see how far the Whisperers have fallen, from being revered priests to mere slaves. Betka is, as one might imagine, highly resentful of this, and longs to strike back at her masters - but her own powers prevent her from doing so.
The novel dips into various other POVs as well, usually only for one chapter, or a handful. This actually ended up being really interesting, because one POV character ends up giving us sympathy for a town that was destroyed by a vengeful ocean spirit (the crux of the plot). We see the attack through his eyes, and when we find his body later, it's genuinely distressing. We also get to see what motivates certain characters, and more of the life of the character from the first chapter. They all have unique voices, so it's never difficult to tell them apart, and all of them have a purpose instead of merely being self-indulgent. It's really well done.
The central powers are interesting, too. The Voice is supposed to be a tool only for good - so much so that any pain inflicted by it rebounds on the user as well. The Voice is also wielded through vocal prayers in a foreign language, most of which isn't translated, which adds to its mystique. I do wish we got to see it used against water spirits more often (aside from the ocean, which is a special case). I would have been interested in seeing how communing works under normal circumstances.
The cast of characters is varied both in background and temperament. I don't want to go into too much detail, for fear of spoiling things, but many of the characters undergo intense development throughout the story. Several that initially seem like villains become more nuanced, and some that seem like heroes show a darker side. No one is wholly good or evil, which was great. Even the main character grapples with her darker impulses.
That being said - one flaw I found with this book was just how miserable it could be at times. The Whisperers are looked down on, fair enough, but the amount of abuse and suffering they endure was really draining, and at times hard to understand. The main two prove themselves to be on the rest of the cast's side many times, but don't get any credit for it, almost to the point of absurdity. It's somewhat justified with a few characters for spoiler-y reasons, but for some it just seemed like unnecessary mustache-twirling jerkishness. A few characters do come around in the end, but it does feel like it takes a little too long.
That being said, the themes of duty/compassion vs vengeance/justice are very interesting. In particular, the main character, Betka, longs for vengeance, while her fellow Whisperer, Asi, insists on servitude being the right choice. Ultimately Betka chooses between the two, in a way that is bittersweet but satisfying. However, at times the theme of serving becomes a little uncomfortable, mostly because of the above point - the Whisperers are treated /so/ badly, and Asi seems to think they should just lie down and take it. In reality, I would have liked to see more middle ground between the two. Standing up for yourself, but still being compassionate and helping others. The story seems to find that middle ground in the end, but didn't quite go far enough for my taste.
In the end, though, this was an enjoyable read. It's got an interesting magic system, a unique world, and strong, complex characters. I would recommend it.
kazemiko's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I met Mr. Briar while he was doing a signing at my local Barnes & Noble. I doubt I'd have heard of him any other way. He signed this copy of his book for me, and I read the whole thing in a few days.
I loved the way he told the story of Betka and Eder and how they learned the most important things in life and how to overcome the obstacles in their way.
I loved the way he told the story of Betka and Eder and how they learned the most important things in life and how to overcome the obstacles in their way.
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