Whimpers of the Light

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The world has ended.Alek knows this well. He’s one of the last few, aimless and broken; part of those who roam the silent ruin. Part of those who carry the weight of the past. Until one day, he finds a house. And through a simple game of chance and choices, he is set upon a path he never intended to walk.Elsewhere, at the same time, Victoria escapes the place that raised her: an underground bunker where humanity's "lucky ones" clung to twisted ideals. Bloodied but unbroken, she steps into a land she knows nothing about. A land that can't be worse than what she left behind... right?For when a world that made little sense collapse, what's left in its wake is nothing short of madness. So what happens when the end is caused by something worse than human?

Status:Part 1: [Ended and Revised]Alek and Victoria realise that the worst thing in this world doesn't come from the past. Meanwhile, a lonely child wanders around the wasteland.Part 2: [Ended and Revised]A blast awaken new threats. Old ennemies cross path.

Part 3: [Ended and Revised]Factions fall and rise. And communication becomes the key.

Part 4 - Finale: [Ended and Revised]Destinies meet in the craddle of mankind.

Volume 2: Programmed but not yet planned (expected 2027)

* Chapters oscillate between 2000 and 3500 words (average 2500)* Violence, Difficult topics (But not over the top)* Fiction cover made by the talentedx_luminous-x* Cover for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 made by the wonderfulWandering Brain Spasm* Cover for WOTL Four Seasons made by me on Figma using a Flickr Commons picture.

NOTICE: If you've come to this story from anywhere other than Royal Road, you're reading a stolen copy. Please help support myself and Royal Road authors by heading over tohttps://www.royalroad.com/fiction/96383/whimpers-of-the-light-post-apo-psychological-horrorand reading there. Thank you!

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Author: ElectrikBlue

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 195
Views: 51,646

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

B.M SmithRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm not sure where to begin. It's just so magnificent.
The title? Poetic and beautiful, as a reader who loves description and swaying words, it's just enticing to see what it means within the context of the book.
Firstly, the description. The way in which the writer tells the story, its almost lyrical in how well it flows. Its gorgeous and (as forementioned) I just love this style of 'romantical play with words'. It's very good at describing what's going on and our landscape.
The storyline? Dark and grisly. I've seen a few comments on how it breaks the mold and it does ! I personally like how there's a dark and eerie theme to this post apocalyptic world. But it's not charged with sporadic characters with fantastical OP powers. But it's action, the characters fight, really fight. I'm not normally big on action scenes but it was kept interesting.
The characters, I believe are well fleshed out, they struggle and you can build quite a connection with them because they're so human? They all unique in the regards to their character and emotions so its quite refreshing from the copy and paste of the dark hair powerful characters that are floating around right now. I can't offer much on addition of multiple MCs, because I'm not a big fan of multiple MCs.
The grammar. I think from the comments I've seen they must've changed them because I didn't spot as many. But for English being their second language? The book is VERY well done !
I also like how you put a little tease about the next chapter at the end of the chapters. It's makes the reader excited to read on.
BeomJunKooRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Whimpers Of The Light follows several groups of people in a TLOU-esque apocalypse potentially driven by something far greater than human comprehension - the humanly flawed Average Joe survivors, a lone child with nothing but a machine for a companion, the typical post-apocalyptic factions of violet people you don't wanna run into, and mysterious Lovecraftian entities watching it all unfold.
All the aforementioned characters play their part well in both showing many different aspects of how the apocalypse has affected what's left of humanity and giving us unique narratives that'll constantly keep you guessing as to how they might play out, or even converge with one another. So far my personal favorite is the child, Milo - his young innocence provides some very good emotional weight to the story due to how much it contrasts with the vicious world he's been left in.
Crafting such a story and characters is a writing style that's simple but immersive, with hardly any grammar issues. It really knew how to effectively ignite in me the best reactions and emotions during scenes warranting such things like any good story ought to (such as sending all sorts of shivers up my spine while reading about the terrifying abominations the apocalypse has to offer, or genuine "oh crap" moments guaranteed to catch you off guard as much as a horror movie jumpscare, etc.).
I honestly can't relay anything but praise for this review, but that's because the story deserves it, and I'm unable to find something to say otherwise on - well done!
CKJ5Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Disclaimer: This review is based on the opening chapter and may not reflect the story as a whole.
Whimpers of the Light is described as a post-apocalyptic story featuring grimdark, horror, mystery elements, and multiple leads.
The story opens with one of the protagonists scavenging for usable goods in a desolate world. The author’s prose excels at painting a vivid, bleak picture of daily life in this setting while also revealing glimpses of the protagonist’s hope and imagination for a world long gone.
Grammatically, the chapter is solid, and the writing is vivid and engaging. However, I had one issue with the introduction: I didn’t know who the protagonist was. The author doesn’t provide a name or much identifying detail for the point-of-view character, referring to them only as “he” throughout the chapter. While this could be a stylistic choice, it didn’t fully resonate with me. The lack of specificity made it harder to connect with the character, and each scene break left me briefly wondering if the perspective had shifted.
Overall:
Whimpers of the Light is a well-crafted story that paints a grim and evocative picture of survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Despite my minor critique about the protagonist’s introduction, I enjoyed reading this chapter and look forward to seeing where the story goes next.
MaloryRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I really enjoyed reading these chapters.
The opening of this novel is beautifully atmospheric, with a lovely blend of action and quiet introspection. The writing alternates between minimalist action and lush descriptions which create a vivid post-apocalyptic world. At times, the description might be a touch overdone - especially in the high-tension moment. Likewise, whilst the dialogue is natural and largely very well done, it occasionally lapses into exposition-heavy territory, slightly breaking immersion.
The characters are all very effectively realised, each bringing their own perspectives to enhance the narrative. Alek’s pragmatism and Victoria’s resilience anchor the narrative in survivalist realism which I think are my favourite bits. Their vulnerabilities and internal conflicts are compelling and their interactions could deepen as the story progresses.
The chapters weave together well, balancing character-driven moments with escalating external threats. The blend of personal stakes and overarching mysteries keeps the tension high. The worldbuilding is subtle yet effective, with enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing. However, clearer hints about the larger stakes—beyond immediate survival—would add narrative weight.
This is a gripping, well-crafted start that blends human vulnerability with a foreboding, dangerous world. Sharpening the pacing and refining character interactions could elevate it further. A great read!!!
Panda01Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Now, post-apocalyptic stories often get paired with systems or superpowers, but this one breaks the mold. It’s gritty, dark, and has a raw edge that could easily tip into horror, and I am absolutely here for it. The world the author has crafted feels tense and unsettling, pulling you right into the grit and darkness of survival. It’s amazing, and sometimes, as I read, I felt like I was right there in those haunting scenes.
Yes, there are some grammar mistakes here and there, but considering that English isn’t the author’s first language, it’s easy to overlook. The storytelling is that captivating. I’m rooting for Alek and Victoria, two characters who are not just “good”—they’re nearly human, which only adds to the intensity. They are flawed and complex, fitting seamlessly into the atmosphere and giving the story an almost realistic horror vibe.
The author’s world and characters drew me in deeply, and I was totally immersed in every page. This story has something unique and memorable about it—a post-apocalyptic journey that doesn’t just entertain but keeps you hooked in a way few others do.
I hope the author keeps on writing as I cant wait to see where this story goes
ZacheasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story follows several characters struggling to servive in a post-apocalyptic world. A global pandemic, zombie like mutants, world conflict and the break down of society leaves the world as a desolate wasteland. The remnants of humanity has devolved into small factions struggling for control over what little they have and just trying to survive another day.
The zombie Apocalypse story isn't new but it is popular and has many ways it can be told. This story has as unique take on the general concept and it is well written.
Grammar and spelling: The story had no major grammar or spelling issues. The author clearly takes great care in editing his or her work. They are also quick to makes fixes.
World building: The world building is experty delivered through creative use of different POVs, flash backs, and descriptive language mixed with relevant actions by the MCs
Characters: The characters are very well writen, multi-dimensional characters with defined and distinct personalities. Their interactions seemed natural and logical in context.
Style: The writing style is very dense and packs a lot of creative descriptions and important symbolism and references. If you don't read carefully to get the most out of the story. It might make the story difficult for younger readers.... but this story is not at for kids. On account of all the violence abd death.
Pacing: This story does a great job of managing tension and using ver dynamic scene choices to keep the story moving at steady pace while still leaving room for emotional character development.
Overall this was a great story. Iook forward for the 3rd phase.
mitspeilerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is truly one of the better stories I've read on this website, if not the best. Normally I try to arrange m reviews in a sort of compliment sandwich format but I have very little bad to say about this story so I'll just freestyle it. Overall score is 5/5 despite minor quibbles that I'll get to later. if we were grading it like in school it would be something like 98%. A+
Style: Rich and sumptuous prose like something I would read in a hardback professionally published book, and indeed better than some of the traditionally published books I've read. There are a few artistic choices that I myself would not have made, such as waiting so long to reveal our main characters' names. But I can't make myself deduct points for those changes when I consider that if this *were* traditionally published I would have definitely knocked the existing chapters out in an afternoon, which would make the slowburn of it all less noticeable.
Grammar: not much to say here, it's perfectly grammatical. You can tell it was edited strictly, every line pored over until perfect.
Story: I can't award full points here not due to any fault of the writer but because the story has just not really progressed very much in these few chapters that are up. I also can't really perceive the shape of what's to come, other than that our three protags will certainly meet up in the future. I don't know if there is to be a quest or a hook, or if this will merely be a tale of survival. Whatever happens I am sure will be grand, and in the future I will adjust this score.
Character: The characters have a lot of interiority. While the plot progression lags, the inner world of our protagonists shines. That being said, I don't find our two adult protagonists quite as interesting as the delightful Boy, or rather Milo, and his Dog. I have a soft spot for precocious kid characters and he is very lovable and I am worried about him constantly. s the story progresses in the future I may adjust this score as well.
Overal
ThrillianRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a gripping and compelling post-apocalyptic tale, which follows a trio of survivors making their way through the wasteland.
The first thing I noticed was how effective the prose was. The whole story drips with dark and foreboding atmosphere, transporting you to the ashen ground of this particular post-apocalypse. The grim styling really adds the overall feel of the story. There are also several particularly effective metaphors which help solidify the imagery in this dark tale. It’s extremely well-written.
The narrative also works because so few of the characters start with names. This adds a faceless anonymity to their actions, and we aren't particularly sure if they are going to survive from one chapter to the next.
The story is just getting going, but there's still plenty to love in the opening chapters. I like the interactions between Alek and Victoria, as well as the mysteries surrounding the other character - a young boy traveling with an unusual companion.
The grammar works well and I didn’t spot any mistakes.
Overall, this really feels like the opening of powerful and gripping journey, and one I'm very excited to see progress. I definitely recommend this for any fans of post-apocalypse storylines!
SwimberlyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Within the first three chapters of the novel, the writing is what sticks out particularly to me. The author has a style that is descriptive and atmospheric. I could practically feel the environments around me and had no issue at all imagining myself in this apocalyptic universe. Skillful descriptions help us to visualize a world that has fallen to a fungal infection that is very reminiscent of the Last Of Us, which happens to be my favorite video game :).
The characters are introduced in each of the first three chapters. The Man, The Woman, and the Boy. I'm sure names will be given later, but that is what I will refer to them for now as. I am particularly intrigued by the woman's story. All of these characters feel very fleshed out and react realistically and smartly in their dangerous world. The boy and his dog are precious, and I loved the image of a young boy surviving on his own in an abandoned library.
There are no grammar mistakes to note, and the only critique I would give the novel is that there are an awful lot of page breaks. It is not a major issue and maybe a nitpick, but it halts parts of the story that I feel could still naturally flow together. Other than that, the story is excellent and has more than earned a follow from me.
finchinkRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
*This was part of a review swap*
Style Score- excellent prose in my opinion. The author has a STRONG focus on building atmosphere and tension. Simply read the first chapter and you'll see I'm right. I'm a fan of a lot of traditional horror novels and this would fit right in there with them.
Grammar- no grammar mistakes stood out to me. If you find some congrats to you but for me the story looked like it had gone through several edits to help it.
Story- for what I look for in a story this has pretty much all of it. Clean understandable action, great tension, and a couple of sweet moments.
Character- I think character introductions could be better here understand he's trying to build intrigue/mystery and as the story goes on we do get to know them better. My personal favorite so far is the kid and his dog who do add some joy in this grim tale.
Overall, I certainly do recommend this story for those who want an atmospheric, tension-filled, post-apocalyptic story. Although it does feel that the story might be hopping around in the first couple of chapters he does tie everything together well.