The Whisper of Stars is a romantic historical fantasy novel written by Cristin Williams, published by Gollancz. A richly imagined, high-stakes proposal set in an alternate 1920s Russia with a compelling and well-fleshed leading cast, resulting in an equally ambitious and emotionally powerful story that explores resistance, humanity and memory while also blending history with more fantastical elements such as witchcraft and folklore.

Our story centres around three characters whose paths cross together while hunting down a secret magical source that could change Russia, all while being imprisoned on Solovetsky Island, a labour camp (gulag) set on a dangerous frozen island.
The first (and most prominent) of our lead characters is Katya Efremova, a young anarchist poet; she's trying to understand the cryptic message left by her mother, a message that will guide her towards a labyrinth of codes and secrets. She hopes the power at the end will allow her to bring down the Bolshevik government, restarting the Russian Revolution and bringing back its ideals; Katya is scarred by the past, having serious problems of mistrust with others, but surviving in the gulag will require her to get along with more people, and even, during her search, we will see how unexpected alliances are forged.
The second of our characters is Dima Danilov, a former aristocrat; because of his origins, he knows he won't leave Solovestky alive. A charming and creative character that represents the rebellion through art; we quickly see how he cares about the rest, suffering on their behalf. He's quite empathic, and eventually, his search for clues of his ancestor's story will put him in Katya's path, creating a reluctant bond (especially from Katya's side) that eventually grows into something deeper. At some points, you feel Dima to be the ray of light when everything is dark, even bringing some initiatives destined to keep the humanity of prisoners through art.
And the third of our characters is Natasha, a rogue witch who acts as the antagonist; a sibylline and intriguing person, also searching for the same magical source as Katya. She aims to restore the tsarist regimen, restoring Russia to its old glory with her as the head; still a prisoner of the Bolsheviks, having to report to them, but she aims to recover her liberty, and even enslave her captors. Natasha needs Katya's lead if she wants to access the power.
The three leading characters are excellently developed, with a distinctive narrative voice; there's a conscious effort of giving them a past that is influencing their present, that has scarred them.

Williams has crafted a really immersive and atmospheric setting, transporting the reader to the frozen and unforgiving landscape of Solovetsky Island; the care of the historical details shows the amount of research behind this novel. The tension between political intrigue and supernatural elements is well balanced, adding more depth to this story.
It is also worth to mention two extremely cool details included in the novel: the ciphers (allowing the reader to be part of the investigation) and the calligrams (adding to the beauty of the story).
The pacing lands a bit on the slow side, but it's relentless; the pages pass as you are immersed in the story.

The Whisper of Stars is a gorgeously told story, an excellent novel that transports us to the gulag while making us care deeply about its characters; if you like historical-inspired fantasy with a romantic touch, you should read this novel. A remarkable adult debut by Cristin Williams.