Popular Reviews of Whisperling

Whisperling appears at first glance like a fairly standard coming-of-age hidden-world fantasy story. Quinn is caught between two worlds, the mundane human one, and the faerie world that only she can see. Where Whisperling differentiates itself from the field is in the seriousness and care with which it handles the mundane half of the story. I felt genuine grief and internal conflict as I listened to Quinn talk to her deployed military father, and that storyline stayed strong through to its conclusion. Whisperling doesn't slack off on its fantasy elements, either -- far from it. A description of a moment of peace with a dragon that has become one with the Earth is the most lasting image of this story for me, even months after I've finished listening. Innovative audio design and strong voice acting round out Whisperling to make it a real treat!

Whisperling reminded me a lot of Pan’s Labyrinth, albeit with much less horror and violence. Like Pan’s Labyrinth, the faerie world in Whisperling interweaves with the mundane world in ways that leave you questioning what is real and what might be just Quinn’s fanciful imagination. Like Pan’s Labyrinth, Whisperling asks the audience to question the narratives that are presented to us. And of course, they are both about the courage of a young girl.Central to Whisperling is the question of narrative. Whose narrative should one believe? What motivates the creation of these narratives? In one of the most whimsically amusing scenes, an incensed art loving faerie makes Quinn argue with a museum docent about how a piece of art should be interpreted. The theme crops up in more sinister ways too. If a brave, authoritative colonel tells Quinn to be wary of certain creatures and characters, and asks her to help him kill a dragon that is hurting her friends, how much can she trust his word?It turns out Whisperling is also about growing up surrounded by the military and justifications for wars.There isn’t a clear thematic 1:1 between the mundane world and goings on in the faerie world. Ultimately, I felt that it worked because the didacticism of parables isn't always easy to apply to real life. Sometimes life leaves us with only bad options and regrets. I suspect I’ll be reflecting upon Whisperling for a long time to come.

Themes of narrative perspective and justifications for [military] violence link the two main plot threads of the story. Different characters challenge the protagonist's perspective on how threats should be handled. Over the course of the story, the protagonist displays her bravery and desire to help others. The unseen faerie world weaves with the mundane as the protagonist struggles to balance issues of increasing urgency. The arson plotline is left slightly open-ended and I would have loved to see a bit more of the fallout. Voice acting is overall pretty good and I enjoyed how the music/sound was used to build tension.