Soundless by Richelle Mead

Summary:

From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Laini Taylor and Sabaa Tahir.

“Fans of characters like Rose Hathaway and Sydney Sage will flock to this impressive stand-alone novel.”
—Booklist

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever….(https://books.google.com/books/about/Soundless.html?id=GDwWrgEACAAJ&hl=en)

Spoiler Free Review:

I loved the premise of this book. I am a hearing person that knows sign language, and it was fascinating to read a story about a society where everyone is deaf. There are thing that you don’t think about that have to be changed or done a different way simply because everyone around you can not hear.

Along the same lines, the way Mead describes Fei getting her hearing is very creative. How do you explain something to someone that has no experience with it. It reminded me of The Giver by Lois Lowery, where all of the characters are color blind and the main character gets the ability to see color. Both of these characters have to learn the words to describe what they can now hear/see. 

I also loved the world the story was set in. It combined the traditional Asian traditions found in other books, with spectacular imagery. At points you could close your eyes and see yourself standing at the edge of Fei’s village, looking down the cliff side with her.

The characters were also developed well. Although Fei does have a romantic interest, it is not her main driving force throughout the journey. I liked how she could go through all the trials that she does, diven by something other than her love for this boy. It is rare that we get a story where the main character is smart, strong, and not boy-obsessed. It is a welcome change.

The writing is easy to follow and the book is short enough that I read it in under a week. It is a page-turner, you always want to know what happens next.

Although I did find the ending to come out of no where. That was the one problem I had with this book. The ending was good, don’t get me wrong, I just feel like there was no backing for it. Almost like Mead needed a way to resolve the conflict and she took the easy way out.

4 out of 5 stars.

What were your thoughts?

 

~Maddie