If Light Above is a fantastic mystery and political fantasy novel, first book on the A War of Whispers series, written by Lily Anne Crow, and which has achieved semifinals on SPFBO9. A character driven story, told using several POV with different origins, trying to unravel the different clues behind the disappearance of the just-born son of the Queen, which has died while giving birth.

The Duke of Algelle hires Captain General Osmund Benwickery to investigate the truth behind the disappearance of the future prince, and reveal the conspirators behind it. The story will be told mainly from his perspective, crossing his paths with the rest of POVs, but still remaining the focus.
Osmund is a complex character, a so-called war hero who is still dealing with the sequels of that last one battle that earned him the title. From low origins, the authority of the Duke will open him the castle's doors, entering in contact with a mysterious seamstress, Shinowyn who seems to be doing her own investigation, a bit suspicious. Despite being treated with contempt by part of the nobility, he will put the best of him in the investigation; Osmund is a compassionate man, a generous man who will also adopt a family of street urchins, taking one as his apprentice, Pight.

As secondary characters, we are spectators of two different paths that get woven with Osmund's one, becoming a subplot by itself. Tamrion is a young noble, trying to find his path in life, only landing in problems; and all his steps bring him to finding Phrai, a mysterious assassin. More questions are raised around these characters and their environment, also acting as a way to show parts of the world that we wouldn't see through Osmund's eyes.

Erlanhain is a rich world, well developed, and personally, limiting the action to a relatively small area, allowing the author to focus better on the details of the city and surroundings, is something I found enjoyable. Magic is regulated and banished, unless you have a formal education for years in a mysterious college (hopefully we visit it on next books).

Crow's prose lands a bit on the purple side, but it works well when paired with this world; it is marvelous how easy is to visualize this book in your mind. The pacing is in a great spot, as I was really hooked with the mystery and the political intrigues, which I would compare in level with Game of Thrones.

Honestly, I loved reading If Light Above, it's exactly the kind of plot that keeps me reading until late because I want to uncover the truth behind. It's an excellent book, and if you are looking for a great political fantasy, give it a try!