The Land’s Whisper

The Parting Breath Series #1

by Monica Lee Kennedy

The land itself is alive. It sees, it thinks, it speaks.

For the few who can communicate with it, a phenomenal power is granted. They see as the land does, acquire abilities and skills effortlessly, and perceive unimaginable secrets. Yet this connection also consumes them—once they feel it, they would do anything to keep it.

Darse returns to his home world with his surrogate son, Brenol, to discover that the boy possesses this special union with the land. The two travel through the strange world on a mission to save a young girl in peril. But will Brenol's newfound power destroy them all instead?

Genres: Fantasy

370 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 2016

About the author

Monica Lee Kennedy grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She married after college and has been traveling ever since. She is likely munching on German chocolate as you read this.

Reviews

[catherine ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to the author for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!*

Actual Rating: 4.0

Oh god, okay, so I got a copy of it all the way back in June, but I only had time to start reading it in August...BUT I'M FINALLY FINISHED AND I LOVED IT!

Anyways, The Land's Whisper takes place in a fantasy setting and follows Darse and his surrogate son, Brenol, as they return to a world that is teeming with power. They're on a mission to save a young girl, but along the way, Brenol finds out that he has the power to speak with the land, an ability that few are granted. The catch? This consumes people, takes over them, and makes them do anything to keep their powers. As Darse and Brenol journey through a mysterious land, Brenol's power gains strength. It can save them, but it can also destroy them.

Whew, this was a great read! Firstly, let me just say that I was extremely busy and was forced to read this book in intervals - averaging about chapter a day. But it was definitely a really engaging journey! Admittedly, I was a little lost at first - as I always am, when highly fantasized settings are involved - but the story and the setting definitely grew on me and I found that I was able to truly grasp the beauty of the world the author had created. Throughout the story, I really appreciated how the imagined setting tied together with the story; instead of making the location seem like a backdrop, it was part of the story, and there was a very delicate balance between dynamic movement and serenity that I really grew to love.

The characters were definitely three-dimensional and developed. I loved all of them, and it was beautiful to read about the internal conflicts that each character had to face and how they dealt with it in their own ways. Brenol's battle with the power that threatened to consume him was mesmerizing, and I loved reading about the tug of war that he felt and how his character would develop and grow to understand himself as the story progressed. Darse had his own demons to face as well, and after reading and seeing him as a sort of adult figure, it was heartbreaking, yet comforting, to see a different side of him that was emotionally raw and realistic. Even the side characters had their own stories, and I enjoyed reading about each and every one of them.

The writing in this book was definitely a very strong aspect - it was fluent and vividly descriptive, which really brought the book to life for me. The style itself had a surrealistic tone to it, and I feel like this mood really added to the reading experience.

All in all, I'd say that this book is definitely one I would recommend to people who love fantasy! It did take me a while to get into - while I loved the writing in the beginning, I was a little confused as to what was going on - but things are revealed as the story progresses and I think that anyone who reads on would grow to love the beautiful world and characters that Monica Lee Kennedy has created.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It’s rare to find good fantasy stories that balance reality and fantasy so that a reader can float along in imagination, un-jarred by false characters or settings. But to find one that also contains a sense of goodness and truth, of beauty and wonder—that is a real delight!

Massada is beautiful. Ms. Kennedy weaves new species and cultures around Darse and Brenol with care. It isn’t one of those novels where societies barely have a passing glance, nor is it one where you need a glossary in the back to keep up with all the intricacies. They are delicately woven into the story so naturally that I found myself wanting to respond in real life with some of the phrases from the book.

When I spend my precious time reading I want to be entertained, and not with cheap tricks or surface feelings. The Land’s Whisper accomplished this. But I keep wondering how it managed to keep making me think about it weeks later, and it comes back to the themes of sacrifice and love, of friendship and goodness. It is feeling deeply for characters in their struggles and seeing the same struggles in oneself. It is taking a journey that is not just frivolous reading, but somehow changes your perspective a little for the better. Something that pulls us toward a higher good will always remain when “fluff” stories fall away.

It’s nice that high-schoolers could read and enjoy this novel without being exposed to explicit material—another rarity in modern adult fantasy. It does have mature content, but over 15 is probably appropriate. Kennedy leaves us satisfied but itching for the next installment.

[Mamafence · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first began reading, I was immediately drawn into the life of one of the main characters, Darse. By the end of the book, Brenol and his story not only became the main story, but I am immersed in his development and transformation, so much that I eagerly await the sequel.

The Land's Whisper grew on me. Fantasy is not my first choice of genre, because I find it hard to imagine the new world, and in this case, worlds. Monica's rich use of language and description paint the worlds so that I could imagine them. I find her descriptions to be rich and beautiful. Masada, the foreign land to Brenol but the land his life is forever connected to, is mysterious and lovely.

In this first installment of the series, Brenol and Darse find themselves on a journey to a land neither knows, on a mission that save a girl no one has seen for ages, and the mission is one they almost can't refuse. Throughout, Brenol wrestles with maturing and with choosing good in spite of himself and awful circumstances. His growth into a brave young man models the kind of growth I hope to see in my tween one day, growth in which goodness wins.

This novel is appropriate for teens and adults like. Parents of mature tweens may choose to preread or read with their child. I can see my advanced and mature reader appreciating this book around the age of 12 or 13, but more will be gained by an older reader! Even my vocabulary grew while reading this book!

[Kassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent The Land's Whisper by the author for an honest review so keep an eye out for that! It'll be up in the next couple weeks!

This was a 4-4.5 star read for me! I loved the writing, and the high fantasy was well explained in an easy going way so it didn't feel super dense while reading.

It took me so long to read because I was in school at the time, and did find that I only wanted to pick it up if i had a good chunk of time to sit with it because I didn't want to have to put it down, but that essentially left me with putting it down for long periods of time. Who won in my head? I don't know, life is hard.

[Jodi Woody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of "The Land's Whisper" in exchange for an honest review. This is a very well written fantasy. At first some of the language and names had me a little confused, however after a bit of reading I was able to work out what was meant. (in example measurements of miles and time were given fiction names). After finishing the kindle version I found the definitions in the back, so that might be a good place to start. The main characters are flawed and fleshed out. The story had me crying and laughing, and some places just plain cringing. There is no swearing or sexual content. There is torture and violence. It is after all a story of good versus evil. I give it five stars and can't wait until the next book is out. Though it is part of a series, it has a clear ending. I give it five stars. I loved it.

[Meg Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Land's Whisper" is a compelling fantasy that leaves you anticipating the next instalment of this three part series. Kennedy has created a unique world for even long-time readers of fantasy. However, you do not need to be a fantasy fan to enjoy this book. It is light on the descriptive language found in many fantasy stories, so many who shy away from fiction will find this refreshing as they are allowed to fill in the blanks without feeling bombarded by adjectives and over-embellishment. That is not to say that there are not powerful images within the book and some readers of high fantasy may find themselves wanting more. The story is the focus of this book and it is one that is appropriate for both young adults and older audiences alike.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book, and I recommend it particularly for readers of clean fantasy fiction. The first quarter was slower than I expected, but it was nonetheless filled with interesting characters in a fascinating story world. The writing is crisp and clean and uses original and powerful descriptions. There is head-hopping in POV among characters in many scenes. I prefer a single deep POV per scene, but I quickly adjusted and was not bothered by it.

This story has a prologue, which I typically do not read unless I get into the first chapter and feel that I'm missing something. However, because this prologue is lengthy, I thought best to skim it for character names. Then I jumped right into the main story, and it hooked me on the first page.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book for the second time. That alone is huge praise from me. I am rarely tempted to read a story more than once. I will read this one again. The characters are developed at a beautiful pace, allowing you to get to know them like you would a new friend. The true nature of each is revealed and tested throughout the story, leaving the reader fully invested in their struggles. The writer makes an utterly foreign world seem familiar and does a beautiful job of illustrating the interaction between people of different cultures. She has a true gift for crafting images through unusual turns of phrase. A thoroughly enjoyable read that will keep you up reading "just one more chapter" even the second time through.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gem!

The writing:

· Captivating

· Beautifully descriptive

· Rich vocabulary, skillful word choice

· Smooth, fluent, expressive



The story:

· Nicely paced, a reader wants to read on and on

· Memorable and authentic characters you’d love to meet

· Surprising characters you’d go out of your way to avoid

· None of those weak places that drive a reader crazy

· Imaginative and intelligent

· Intriguing



I enjoyed this book very much!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intricately crafted with meticulously chosen words to create the most incredible, fantastical world. Lightness and intrigue are balanced with the heaviness of authentic emotions and the reality of goodness and evil. A true pleasure to read, with so much redemption, as long as you can handle some moments of heaviness. I'm waiting eagerly for the upcoming release of the next in the series. To parents, I would recommend for mature young teens and up, as there are some scenes with graphic depictions of evil and injuries--but it is extremely clean compared to other fantasy.

[B. Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Land’s Whisper is a well-paced and exciting book that draws you in quickly but builds the suspense over time. The world it creates is vivid and interesting, and it feels complete and coherent, and more than that, it’s fresh and not a tired rehash of the same old tropes. I’m not much for fiction or fantasy but this book pulled me in and I couldn’t wait to finish it. It’s a great first entry in the series and I’m looking forward to the publication of the next book.

[Liesl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I very much want to give this novel a higher rating, because it is beautifully written. The author definitely has a gift for writing, and for creating a fantasy world. I was intrigued by the mystery of the Black Death proposed (which I should note does not get resolved in this novel as this seems to be the over-arching struggle of the trilogy).

However, the pace of this novel was entirely too slow for me. I was intrigued by the mysteries proposed but then these problems were ignored for chapters on end. I felt that we spent chapters just hearing internal thoughts/struggles or random conversations, and then few chapters actually moving forward in the journey. I honestly felt that much of the early to middle chapters could've been cut down significantly and combined, to help increase the pace of the plot - while the descriptors of the people and the world were beautiful, so many descriptions were over and above. The writing would include paragraphs describing a meaningless person or location that had no further place in the plot past being described. I think this is where an editor would have been helpful to trim the extraneous parts to make this novel more readable.

There were many times I almost put this book down to leave it unfinished, but I ultimately decided to power through because it was linguistically well written. I am still deciding if I will continue the series so that I can find resolution to the overall struggles.

[Lemon Bytez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this book and it is just as lovely as I remember it being. I adore the imagery in this book, and the concept of speaking with the land so directly is beautiful.

[Beth Ruggiero · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of fantasy. With the exception of the more classic fantasies like the “The Chronicles of Narnia”, “The Lord of the Rings”, and “The Harry Potter Series”, I generally steer clear of the imaginary worlds invented in others’ heads. I have also found that more modern fantasies reduce themselves to including a lot of sex and violence to make the story more captivating. (“Game of Thrones” anyone?) I am happy to say, that when I read “The Land’s Whisper” I was pleasantly surprised.

The story involves a man named Darse and his “adopted” son, Brenol, and follows their adventure in the land of Massada. This fantasy world has much beauty to it and the descriptions by the author are incredibly vivid. The two embark on a journey to rescue a princess who has been missing for years. Brenol is gifted with the ability to speak to the land and the desire to keep this communication is much like a drug. It calls to him and he often wishes to keep the connection, however he knows that when he finds the princess, this connection will be gone. This creates an underlying dilemma for the young boy throughout their adventure.

Without giving too much away, Darse and Brenol struggle through many dangers to find the princess and deliver her from a disgusting evil that has kept many captive. The two rely on the help of many natives of the different lands of Massada who are fascinating and again, well described by the author.

I found that the beginning of the novel was slow to draw me in, but this exposition was necessary to the novel and I know will be important for the rest of the trilogy. Once I got past the beginning, I found the story kept my interest the rest of the time. By the time I got to the end I just had to know what was going to happen to these two characters I had grown to love.

Here are some things I loved about the novel:

The vocabulary is higher level and will challenge readers and the descriptions are intense which will captivate many readers.

Because Ms. Kennedy is a Christian writer, her story avoids graphic sex and scenes of exaggerated violence. Her story has intense moments and is recommended for older readers, but it avoids exaggerating these scenes for shock value.

The story demonstrates a strong moral man and the development of a young boy who struggles with internal demons who then grows into a man of character and determination. Again, this is refreshing to be given strong, moral male characters as leads and it shows young boys that they can become men despite the struggles they may be dealing with.

Christian imagery permeates the story. There are many descriptions of “the spirit” who is pure evil and is reminiscent of the devil and his ways. There are “healing waters” for Darse and mentioned for others. It is mentioned that “forgiveness is a sign of freedom” and there are countless other examples of this type of writing throughout the story.

The good characters say “It has been bountiful” when they say good-bye to each other. They recognize that everyone has something to give and share with everyone, and we can all learn from each other.

I recommend the book, especially for those who enjoy fantasy literature. I think Ms. Kennedy has a bright future and I am excited to see what the rest of the trilogy holds.

[Kasey Giard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning was a bit confusing to me as it started with events significant to the story but from the point-of-view of characters that didn't appear in the story after the first couple chapters.

Once I got as far as Bren's POV, I was pretty intrigued. I was fascinated with the way his quest jeopardized the thing he considered most valuable and watching him struggle with really negative feelings and wanting to be a better person than his gut would lead him to be.

There are some creepy elements - creepy bad guys and that sort of thing. Also, trigger warning to those who've suffered sexual abuse. I found a couple passages tough to read, but I'm pretty sensitive to that sort of content.

Something about the otherworldliness of the story reminded me of The Waterborn by Greg Keyes. If you like that very outside-the-box storytelling in a coming-of-age tale, this might be a great book to check out.

[Rebecca Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read! Held my interest, kept me up too late at night and left me excited to read the next book in the series. A great weaving of the struggles of human morality into a fascinating new world. I've got to admit that I'm a lover of fantasy books getting turned into movies (Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc) and I imagined how cool several scenes in the book would look on the big screen.