Release date: November 6 2025
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 384
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis
Anarchist poet Katya Efremova has spent ten months imprisoned in a covert government laboratory. When an escape attempt goes terribly wrong, she’s transferred to a new prison colony being established on Solovetsky Island in the White Sea. She learns her arrest wasn’t due to her involvement in a magic-fueled resistance against the Bolsheviks—it was because of her murdered mother’s research into the legendary folk hero, Stenka Razin. Katya finds a clue her mother left for her the day she died, which may contain a cipher: Listen to the whisper of stars.
Given his title of nobility, imprisoned aristocrat Dima Danilov knows he’ll never leave Solovetsky Island alive. Dima finds a 250-year-old manuscript written by his ancestor which gives a first-person account of Stenka Razin’s rebellion against the tsar. Desperate for his life to mean something before it’s over, Dima decides to write an epic poem based on Razin’s life, hoping to encourage Russians to revolt against Bolshevik tyranny.
Natasha is a rogue witch who has been experimented on in the government laboratory for two years. When she’s offered her freedom in exchange for spying on Katya, she jumps at the chance, though she has her own reasons for wanting to solve the conspiracy surrounding Katya’s mother’s death.
As their goals intertwine, the three imprisoned Russians work together to uncover the secret behind Stenka Razin’s rebellion, a secret woven into the history of Solovetsky Island.
Review
The Whisper of Stars is a beautifully written fantasy tale that follows three prisoners who are sent to live on Solovetsky Island. Katya is attempting to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death and the secret message she left her about Stenka Razin’s rebellion. Dima is an aristocrat hoping to do something meaningful to help the Russians’ revolt against the tyranny they face, and Natasha is a spy sent to get close to Katya, but she has her own reasons for wanting to get close to Katya. Can the three work together to solve the mysteries surrounding Razin’s rebellion and the history of Solovetsky Island?
I really found myself swept up in this gorgeously written story, and I was so captivated that I ended up reading this book in just a few sittings. Williams’ prose is beautiful, and I thought the remote, frozen landscape particularly came to life in the story. This is a slower-paced story, but it’s full to the brim with mystery and political intrigue. It kept me gripped throughout, and I really enjoyed the complexity of the narrative. I thought the historical aspect of the story felt very detailed, and it was clear that lots of research has gone into bringing this story to life.
Williams has crafted some really fascinating characters in this story, and I really liked all three of our main protagonists. If I had to pick, I’d say my favourite was Katya, but I enjoyed reading all three POVs. I really enjoyed the way alliances shifted and mysteries were unravelled. I was never quite sure who was trustworthy and who wasn’t. Williams does a magnificent job of building tension, and I was particularly glued to the book for the last hundred pages. Overall, The Whisper of Stars is a thought provoking read, so if you’re looking for a historical fantasy book that’s full of puzzles, mystery, and magic – look no further than The Whisper of Stars.
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