The Whisper of Stars: A lush 1920s alternate history filled with magic and intrigue

— —

Cristin Williams

The Whisper of Stars

A lush 1920s alternate history filled with magic and intrigue

Cristin Williams

$55

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Gollancz
17 February 2026

Fantasy

A frozen island.

A monastery turned political prison.

A cipher inked in blood.

When anarchist poet Katya Efremova is transferred to the prison colony on Solovetsky Island, she finds an enigma among her returned possessions - a blood-stained book containing a cipher left by her murdered mother, written on the day she died.

Following her mother's clues, Katya begins to unravel a centuries-old mystery woven into the history of Solovetsky Island. Finding the island's legendary power might be the key to overthrowing the Bolshevik regime, but Katya wasn't sent to Solovetsky by chance. The head of the government's spy network is watching, and there will be no hope of a free Russia if he takes hold of the magic hidden beneath the White Sea snow.

Readers are loving THE WHISPER OF STARS

'The perfect blend of fantasy and historical fiction' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A magic infused sonnet to revolutionaries everywhere... for anyone who enjoys magic, who loves the underdogs, or is feeling overwhelmed with everything that has gone wrong recently, take a break and listen to the stars' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Good story, mega-great plot twists and i loved ?o much the evolution of the heroine' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This novel felt like stepping into a dream, beautiful, cold, and filled with whispers of light in the darkness. It is not a book to rush through but one to savor slowly, letting the weight of its themes and its quiet magic linger long after turning the final page' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This was such a cool story! I love a good follow-the-clues plot anyway, but I found myself so interested in the Russian folklore and history' ⭐⭐⭐⭐

By: Cristin Williams
Imprint: Gollancz
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 42mm
Weight: 680g
ISBN: 9781399621311
ISBN 10: 1399621319
Pages: 464
Publication Date: 17 February 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Cristin Williams was born to Russian-English translators working for the US military. She now lives in Belgium with her Flemish husband and four daughters. In 2010, she won the Paul Gillette award for historical fiction.