Whispers From the Edge of the World
*ARC review* Release date: May 20th
3/5⭐️

Whispers From the Edge of the World by L.P. Nascimento is a second chance romance that takes place after a servant runs away with her nephew to seek refuge. I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I also felt there was not enough world building to fully understand the social structure and concept of the ten territories. I am also not a fan of the miscommunication trope, which happens more than once. The FMC and MMC had chemistry, which had me rooting for them. I of course loved Ana’s dedication to Gabriel as well as Jonah’s. The nickname of “Nan” was confusing cause I’m used to that term referring to a grandmother. Also Gabriel continued to use it and nobody else was picking up on it, which was strange. The ending also seemed a bit rush. This story had good ideas, but ultimately needed more development. Recommend: No

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and L.P. Nascimento for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Whispers From the Edge of the World coming out May 20, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I thought this would be a fun romance book. It wasn’t quite what I thought it would be. It wasn’t for me. I thought a lot of the same old tropes were used. I didn’t care for the ending. I would check out other books by this author though.

I was really intrigued by the world of this book when I first read the synopsis, and although I was disappointed that the setting and history of this political system were not fleshed out very much, I still enjoyed the love story and the emphasis on family throughout the book. I found myself wishing there was more explanation of the rules that governed this society or more insight into the other territories, though the ending was quite hopeful and perhaps left room for a sequel, which I would consider reading. I think there is so much potential historical and social significance and allegory within this story, and I just wanted the chance to dive into that more!

Thank you for the chance to review an ARC of this title!

I DEVOURED this book. I loved Ana & Jonah’s story so much. In dystopian world where those in indentured servitude do not have free choice, Ana and Jonah’s love story conquers all odds.

"Whispers From the Edge of the World" is a fast-paced romance with a forbidden romance/enemies to lovers. I would recommend this to fans of Bridgerton and other classical romance, as well as Romeo and Juliet. I loved the theme as it is one not used in romance novels that often it seems like. Nascimento is a wonderful writer and kept the story very engaging. I would recommend this book.

I was totally not expecting this book to be like this 🤯 I was so sure this would be a cute little romance and what did I just read??
The end almost killed me because what do you mean that all that happened throughout the book could have ended just like that!!!
Anyways I really liked this book!! The author has an amazing writing style and I was really invested in the relationship of this book! I loved Ana from the moment we met her she’s so so strong and I could not imagine myself in her position.
Jonah and Ana are sooo cute and I love how Jonah still remebered her even after being apart for so many years! I really really liked this book and if you’re looking for the most crazy ending i TRULY recommend this book 🩷

3.5 🌟
I found this to book to be a really easy read, despite some of the heavier themes throughout. I did expect the climax with Arthur to be more high stakes but still enjoyed it overall.

I really wanted to love this book but just felt like there was something missing. I liked the FMC and the MMC but I didn't *love* them. I agree that Jonah was sweet (he manages to get Gran there?! swoon!) but I got bored of hearing everyone say it - especially how his actions spoke loudly. Like i get it. I also felt maybe we were told information rather than shown, like the MCs feelings about each other. I will say that I loved Gabe and Ana's growth. Her relationships with the other women were so lovely to see, I love wholesome girl friends.

This is a debut book and I feel that came across as some of the writing was repetitive ('tone was nostalgic', 'the noose around his/her heart') and at times dialogue seemed forced and not natural.

Despite this, I think the author has created a really interesting world and would be super keen to read more of their books set here. I'd love to see the other 8 of the Ten states, as well as the Independent State and the rest of the world. The author has a lot of stuff to work with here and I hope they do! I'd also read a prequel set at the end of the world and how the Ten came together. I think it's interesting given the current situation of the world and the consequences of the power and control of a powerful few.

NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-Op provided me with a free version of this book for my honest review - thank you!

* 3.5 stars *

That, my friends, is how you write a dystopian romance.

'Whispers From the Edge of the World' was a good book, perfect for a reading slump or for when you're feeling a bit of romance.
The romance was done nicely ; you understand why the characters love each other. The master/servant dynamic was very well done, with the power imbalance not being too much, thanks to Jonah's values and actions.
The dystopian element was not just a background for the romance to play out, but was an intricate part to it. The romance was resolved and, at the same time, the social problems of the world ; we love to see it.
I really liked that the book started in the middle of Ana's run for freedom ; it was refreshing to not see the horrors that she lived, but to get her perspective when she compared how she was treated in Avati to back in Mandyju.
However, I must point out that this book reads like a YA book, even a younger YA. I don't know if it was intended that way or not.
I found the dialogues weird : I don't know if they were just not realistic or if the characters just didn't speak like their age "require".
I have a bit of a bone to pick with the writing : sometimes feelings are a bit overexplained and repetitively so ("this thing gives us a clue about this person's feelings). Also, the narrator's pov was a bit all over the place : you would see a scene through a character's perspective, then next sentence it was described as being from afar.

Overall, it was a nice book, quick to read, and tackling important topics.

3.5 stars rounded up! What I liked - Ana’s relationship with her nephew, and her strength + willingness to do whatever was necessary to give him a better life. I thought the romance was very sweet, and it kept me fairly hooked because I think the two main characters are good people, even though some of their choices were iffy. Seeing Ana grow and build friendships outside of her relationship was great too!

I wish the world was a little more fleshed out. There are some references to tell us this happens in the future, but not a ton of information on how we got to this point. I also didn’t understand at all why indentured servitude was the thing holding society together. The social structure could have been more defined too - it seemed like the options were you were one of the Ten families, or a “servant”, and it seems odd that those would be the only two levels. Even with a breakdown in society, I can’t imagine ten families demanding to be in charge and everyone else is just like, “yeah sure, sign me up for committing 40 years of my life to you!”

I received an advance reader copy of this book, and all opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this book but I felt that there was something lacking. The beginning really gripped me and I thought that the book was going to be quite high stakes tension throughout but then it resolved itself quite quickly. I loved the main characters and their love story but I wanted a bit more of world building as it is set in a place where there are ten different lands but I don't think even all of them were named! Overall a good book with potential for more books being set in the other lands

The beginning of this book was extremely hard to get into and it didn't remotely get interesting until about 40% of the way through. I found it was very confusing at the beginning and there should have been more world building to help explain the servant-master aspect, as I found this made little sense. Also the fact that Gabriel kept calling Ana "nan" when she was his aunt but acting as his mother was an extremely confusing concept as "nan" where i'm from means grandma.... Going off of this Ana also made a point to tell Gabriel multiple times not to call her nan in front of others but he continued to do in front of people and yet somehow no one suspected a thing and were shocked she wasn't his biological mom ??? Seems like a bit of a plot hole in my opinion. I also found that resolution at the end to be a bit of a band-aid solution and seemed a bit like a YA concept with little thought behind it. The last issue to arise in the story regarding Jonah also somehow fell flat as there were barely any pages left so the conflict and resolution was done extremely fast and thus, seemed to be a forced trope thrown into the storyline to drag it out.

This book has potential but it needs to be made more interesting at an earlier point and the solutions to issues needs to be more creative and dragged out longer....it's very uninteresting to have a whole book's plot be based on one thing just for it to suddenly be solved in one chapter with little actual build up to a solution prior. It's like watching a movie trailer and it's only the good parts highlighted in it so when you finally get to watch the movie and see it, it's a let down. That's how I felt reading this. I had high hopes and it was quickly squashed in the beginning, with a bit of hope rekindled in middle and then squashed again to never again be ignited.

"Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review. Everything that is stated is my own opinion.

I do think the storyline itself is an interesting idea and explores a bit of a dystopian world.

Whispers from the Edge of the World is a cosy, second chance romance that showcases hope, compassion and humanity in a post-apocalyptic South America where indentured servitude is the life for many including our heroine Ana.

Having escaped the horrific conditions in her home territory, Ana finds herself, and her young nephew, at the mercy of the man who once broke her heart.

It is a heart warming tale of star crossed love and challenging the system that was built to save a world on the brink of destruction but has become a cruel way of life for many. You can’t help but route for ana and Jonah as they find each other once again 12 years later.

Thank you to NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for sending an ARC of this. This was a pretty quick read. The relationship between a master and an indentured servant could have been done better. Our main characters are Jonah and Ana. They meet when they were younger then we had some miscommunication trope and things ending badly. They are then reunited years later, but not for happy circumstances. Ana is on the run with her nephew Gabriel and she ends up in Jonah’s territory. Jonah is considers a good territory masters because he isn’t harsh like the others. I feel like there was potential, but gone about a little wrong. Then we finally get to the good stuff towards the end and the endings rushed. We didn’t really get to see Ana come into her new role. I did love the relationship Ana had with Gabriel. She would do anything for him to keep him safe.

“Ana guessed if there was such a thing as a happily ever after, this surely was hers”

Thank you to NetGallery for providing me with this arc. I thought it was a somewhat easy read; it was clear and easy to follow. Jonah and Ana were both lovable characters, with the latter being so brave that she gives the audience someone to love and root for. However, I did feel like the ending could’ve been fleshed out just a little bit more, but it still gave us a happy ending, so I can’t complain.

I enjoyed the premise of this story, and I loved the relationship between the FMC, Ana, and her nephew. Ana's love for her nephew and her desire to ensure he was taken care of was overarching throughout the story.

There were some parts of the author's writing style I didn't love. I felt there was a lot of telling, and not a lot of showing - many of the character's emotions were clearly stated, such as "X character knew he would never break his trust" in a way that made it feel forced. I would've preferred more inferences from the dialogue and character interactions rather than the explicit statements.

The ending also felt a bit rushed - there was a ton crammed into the last 20% of the book compared to the first 80%. The author wrapped the story up nicely; however, I felt it could've been paced a bit better.

All together, it was an easy read and a good story from a debut author.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Whispers from the Edge of the World” offers a story with a warm, genuine heart, especially through the believable and touching relationships it builds. The bond between Ana and her nephew feels authentic, and her growing connection with Jonah is sweet and easy to root for. Both characters are relatable, drawing you into their individual journeys and shared moments. There’s a lovely balance of softness and quiet intrigue, with dialogue that often feels honest and true.
That said, some of the themes felt a bit simplified, leaning more into a YA tone than I expected. I found myself wanting more nuance at times. The beginning is also quite slow, so it takes a bit of patience to settle into. Still, the emotional core and strong character work make it worth reading—especially if you enjoy gentle, heartfelt storytelling.

Ana and Jonah are my new favourites!! I love their dynamic and the world. Please please please paperback this!! It did take me about 50 pages to really get into it, but when I did, I was IN!!

Thank you Netgallery and the publishers for the advanced copy!

This one was a bit tricky for me, it took awhile for me to get into. The concept and overall feel of the story is so cool and I liked the dialogue.

I was curious about the master and servant situation as this style of story had had a lot of traction/discussion within the book world lately. I'm admittedly a little stumped on how I wish it was handled, but I do think the relationship could've been set up differently or with more room for reassurance for the main characters. It reads a little more YA than adult to me but that didn't take away from the story!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for this advanced copy!
Whispers from the Edge of the World is a sweet post-apocalyptic story that details the forbidden love of Ana and Jonah, an indentured servant and lord of the territory. While the story was lovely and captivating, I would personally classify this as more of a YA novel than an adult novel.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Whispers From the Edge of the World is a second chance romance with a dual point of view. I really enjoyed this book and the complexities of master and endentured servant relationship. Ana's relationship with her nephew was very touching, I found their love story to be believable and I was invested in both of their characters.