Books
Molly Gaines

The Whispering Groves

Nineteen-year-old Eliza Wren lives a peaceful life amongst the whispering groves of Lantern Grove, a village nestled in the ruins of a vanished elven civilization.  Her days are filled with tinkering, the gentle hum of whispering vines, and the fragrant aroma of Whisperwind Tea, a brew said to carry echoes of forgotten stories. But this tranquility shatters when Eliza restores an antique elven lantern, unleashing Fenn, a mischievous spectral being who reveals a devastating secret: the whispering groves, the source of Lantern Grove's magic, are dying.
A centuries-old feud between the ethereal Whisperwind Spirits has plunged the groves into silence, a stillness that threatens to consume everything. Eliza discovers a hidden legacy: she's a descendant of the Groveweavers, elven artisans who once maintained the forest’s harmony.  Guided by Fenn’s desperate pleas, Eliza embarks on a quest to mend the fractured magic, joined by Pip, a perpetually sarcastic talking cat with an encyclopedic knowledge of ancient magic and a surprising vulnerability.
Their journey leads them deep into the whispering groves, where they encounter the Whispering Caps, bioluminescent mushrooms whose cryptic tales hint at a shattered oath and a stolen artifact. A disgruntled river spirit challenges their wit with intricate riddles, while sky-sailing squirrels offer a breathtaking aerial view of the spreading blight. Eliza’s path, however, is one of empathy and ingenuity. Using elven crystals and whisper vines, she crafts devices to amplify the spirits' silenced voices, uncovering not anger, but a magical binding—the consequence of a broken oath.
At the heart of the conflict lies the Harmony Heart, a prismatic orb whose theft severed the spirits' connection, leading to the forest's decay. As Eliza draws closer to the truth, shadowy whispers, born from the spirits' discord, grow bolder, their menace echoing through the fading groves.
Time blurs as their quest culminates at the annual Festival of Lanterns. Under the soft glow of a thousand handcrafted lights, Eliza, Pip, and Fenn must reactivate the Harmony Heart and persuade the warring spirits to reconcile their past.  With the fate of the whispering groves and Lantern Grove hanging in the balance, Eliza’s quiet strength shines. Her empathy guides her in crafting a new oath, one that acknowledges the past while embracing the possibility of a brighter future. But can her quiet magic prevail against the rising darkness that threatens to engulf them all? Or will the whispers of
170 printed pages
Original publication
2024
Publication year
2024
Publisher
PublishDrive
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