The Whisperer in White

"The good news," said the cat, "is that you've done such a terrible job that this will likely need to be redone in a few weeks."

"How is that good news?" asked Tal.

"You'll get the chance to do better next time."

I picked this book up after discovering it through the r/fantasy sale and I am incredibly glad.

I was invested from the first to the last chaptr. The story starts with Talia going hunting with her older brother for a festival in honor of the Thirteen Whisperers who basically saved the world hundred of years (centuries?) ago. Things take a turn when she accidentally shots at Morel, a Whisperar's cat-shaped companion, and she is forced to live with this Whisperer for a year as punishment.

The Whisperer in White starts with a light and humorous tone but gets serious when it needs to be. Books with a humorous tone all throughout tend to not work for me. I think my main problem is that, usually, there isn't a tone shift. In this case, the writing device contributed to the story's atmosphere.

The old Whisperer shot her a look. " I don't pay you to talk out of turn."

"You don't pay me at all!" protested Tal.

As for our main characters, we have Talia who is impulsive and, at times, reckless, but always well intentioned (side comment: she is a good character to discuss intentions vs outcomes); Morel is ironic but cares; and Fourth, our Whisperer may seem standoffish but is kind-hearted.

Besides the characters arc and the dynamic between them (it gives off found family), another highlight is Y. R. Liu's ability to write emotional scenes. I confess, I may have cried reading this book. I don't know how she does it but with a few sentences she can pack a punch. I reckon some of the passages would be great as conversation starters or wanderings. That's another reason why I loved The Whisperer in White.

I loved watching them grow up, but then I had to watch them grow old.

(chapter 14 has my heart)

I don't know if this is weird, but this reads, to me, as a cozy fantasy. I say weird because, as you can read in her author bio:

(...) she has a particular fondness for bittersweet sacrifices, pyrrhic victories, and otherwise less-than-happy endings.

I can attest all the above is true (RIP). However, what makes it my kind of "cozy" is the 50/50 balance between character-driven and plot-driven elements, the interactions between the main characters, and the almost low fantasy. Actually, I would also recommend the book to readers that like the idea of cozy fantasy but cannot get into it.

Although there were no big surprises for me plot-wise, that did not deter from my enjoyment as my takeaways were beside it. I will say that I would have liked if the way the Whisperers fixed the tears and all that was explained in more detail as that is kind of fuzzy to me.

Last comment: Love the cover and the fact it is tied to a specific scene.

Overall, highly recommend.