I'll preface this review by saying that I really wanted to like the story. The author has gone to great lengths to create almost artistic scenes throughout the 80 pages I've read, and in almost every chapter, there are very immersive descriptions of this world. Unfortunately, a novel is not poetry, and beauty takes a back seat, well behind engagement. The first and foremost problem plaguing "Whimpers of the Light" is the absolute and harrowing lack of originality, as described below.
PR:
Some lab in China has created a TLoU-style zombie spore, and "the End" occurred. However, it's unclear how or why this happened. We know "the walls" failed to keep "the Evil" outside. What we do know from the first chapter is that an unknown character gets killed by a "pallid, bloated creature" off-camera, though the relevance of this event is doubtful. The author claims this character didn't actually die and appears later in the story, possibly referring to Alek, but I found no evidence supporting this.
Although it would've been engaging to see the "pallid, bloated creature" or zombie fungus spore in action, chapter two introduces an unnamed female character escaping an evil bandit camp. The only indication of their evil nature is a mention of "collecting women," implying rape, which I consider a lazy way to portray evil characters. Despite injuries, the outnumbered "bad men" act scared, and one gets killed in a clichéd moment when the girl suddenly teleports behind an NPC bandit, takes him hostage, and escapes. This miraculous escape hints at the promised Grimdark tone.
Before we can ask why, the third episode shifts focus to a character named Milo, who calls his dog "Dog." Not much happens in this chapter. Later, we learn the dog is mechanical, raising questions about its existence in this near-future world. The author introduces NPC bandits attacking the mecha-dog without reason, and Milo declares, "If no one else would help, he would have to be the hero," a cringe-worthy phrase.
Alek, seemingly present for plot convenience, heals the female escapee, Victoria, and explores dark tunnels, discovering the virus originated beneath a local hospital, reminiscent of Resident Evil. Four battles ensue, lacking sufficient buildup, feeling like mandatory action to quicken the pace.
The second major issue plaguing "Whimpers" is its disjointed narrative. I suspect the author decides chapter content via polls, which I recommend against. A story needs a clear beginning, middle, and end to ensure coherent scene placement. This theory is supported by the fact that chapters can be read out of order, except 7-8, without affecting the narrative.
Milo and his dog receive two chapters, but his relevance is minimal, and interest barely sparks due to the mechanical dog.
The naming convention is poor, with important plot events reduced to capitalized nouns, hurting the narrative. Non-descript titles also fail to engage.
I recommend the author focus on world-building and explore more original apocalypse scenarios beyond zombie viruses, making it challenging to appreciate the novel's positive aspects amidst dull plotlines.
3/10
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