Genre: Publication Date: November 10, 2015 Pages: 266 Published By: Razorbill Series Standalone Review copy: Purchased
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In a village without sound…
For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so 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. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation.
One girl hears a call to action…
Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.
She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever…
And unlocks a power that will save her people.
For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so 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. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation.
One girl hears a call to action…
Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.
She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever…
And unlocks a power that will save her people.
Observing is not the same as experiencing.
I've waited a long time for that, he tells me. And I should have done it sooner. This is fate. You and Me.
No one responds right away. Mostly they seem to again be processing what I've told them. Hope rises in me, and I dare to believe that my people are taking heed and will believe me so that we can all find a reasonable course to save ourselves.
As it turns out, I am wrong.
Being such a huge fan of Richelle Mead I was excited for this book. Not only did it look to be something completely original, but it was a standalone. To me this screamed addictive with immediate satisfaction, meaning no waiting a year or more to feel complete. This was accented by the fact that it had a stunningly attractive cover. What I found between the pages was a beautiful, sometimes complex story that I found myself falling for.
Soundless has a lot going on, this is great at times and frustrating at others. I'm not sure if this is brought on by the fact that the book is written with such detail because rather than Fei everyone cannot hear, or if it is just feels different because of that. The best I can say is it was reading a painting. There is no true voice but it speaks volumes at the same time. Once I got into the swing of it though there was no stopping me. It was beautifully paced, and there was a lyrical quality once I really dug in. Really this is just a mess of words, I know. It's hard to describe the love and beauty I found in this book while struggling to start. So many times the words just come, but I find myself unable to adequately put the pacing and setting into a neatly described little box.
When it comes to Fei, I didn't see myself feeling any form of a connection or sense of kinship. The thing is though, that I did end up feeling that connection to Fei. I didn't relate to her circumstance, her heritage or anything specific, I just felt drawn to her. Fei has a fierce determination and sense of duty. She's a spectacular example of an admirable heroine. I'm not one to jump down a characters throat for making split decisions sometimes, but Fei wasn't like that at all. She has honour, a quick mind and believes in her heart that what she is doing is right. More than likely that is what it comes down to with Fei for me... She has heart. Fei is unique in her circumstance and unique as a written character. There is no denying that I can 't adequately describe my feelings on this heroine, but she was awesome to read none the less.
This beautifully crafted world and heroine, had a rather predictable romance. Now, before you jump that I am ragging on it or being nit picky; despite the predictability it was sweet. Li and Fei fell for each other when they were younger but a change in station for Fei changed everything for the two of them. This is what paved the way for them to agree to work together on their impossible task. Li was both bitter and sweet but not in the way that you would expect. He was bitter that they lived the way they did and that Fei was now 'above him' and sweet because no matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop caring. They had this forbidden thing going on, and yet nothing was going on. There was a spark that rested between them and yet quite often their tradition dictated that it wasn't okay. They managed but it was obvious from the start that something was building up.
Soundless may not have been what I expected, but by the end it was absolutely wonderful. Though I will admit that it is the kind of book that you have to be ready to dedicate yourself to. It isn't overly long, nor is it drawn out. It is simply thick in its vivid descriptions of everything. This is a world filled with silence that is brought to fruition with stunning clarity. It is seeing everything with so much more clarity because you can't hear it, and yet when you can... Well, that is its own type of wonder. Though I don't feel this book fits into what many would expect of Mead, I believe that fantasy lovers will have no problem picking up and devouring this book. Just be prepared to wait until the very end for everything to come to a head!
Soundless has a lot going on, this is great at times and frustrating at others. I'm not sure if this is brought on by the fact that the book is written with such detail because rather than Fei everyone cannot hear, or if it is just feels different because of that. The best I can say is it was reading a painting. There is no true voice but it speaks volumes at the same time. Once I got into the swing of it though there was no stopping me. It was beautifully paced, and there was a lyrical quality once I really dug in. Really this is just a mess of words, I know. It's hard to describe the love and beauty I found in this book while struggling to start. So many times the words just come, but I find myself unable to adequately put the pacing and setting into a neatly described little box.
When it comes to Fei, I didn't see myself feeling any form of a connection or sense of kinship. The thing is though, that I did end up feeling that connection to Fei. I didn't relate to her circumstance, her heritage or anything specific, I just felt drawn to her. Fei has a fierce determination and sense of duty. She's a spectacular example of an admirable heroine. I'm not one to jump down a characters throat for making split decisions sometimes, but Fei wasn't like that at all. She has honour, a quick mind and believes in her heart that what she is doing is right. More than likely that is what it comes down to with Fei for me... She has heart. Fei is unique in her circumstance and unique as a written character. There is no denying that I can 't adequately describe my feelings on this heroine, but she was awesome to read none the less.
This beautifully crafted world and heroine, had a rather predictable romance. Now, before you jump that I am ragging on it or being nit picky; despite the predictability it was sweet. Li and Fei fell for each other when they were younger but a change in station for Fei changed everything for the two of them. This is what paved the way for them to agree to work together on their impossible task. Li was both bitter and sweet but not in the way that you would expect. He was bitter that they lived the way they did and that Fei was now 'above him' and sweet because no matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop caring. They had this forbidden thing going on, and yet nothing was going on. There was a spark that rested between them and yet quite often their tradition dictated that it wasn't okay. They managed but it was obvious from the start that something was building up.
Soundless may not have been what I expected, but by the end it was absolutely wonderful. Though I will admit that it is the kind of book that you have to be ready to dedicate yourself to. It isn't overly long, nor is it drawn out. It is simply thick in its vivid descriptions of everything. This is a world filled with silence that is brought to fruition with stunning clarity. It is seeing everything with so much more clarity because you can't hear it, and yet when you can... Well, that is its own type of wonder. Though I don't feel this book fits into what many would expect of Mead, I believe that fantasy lovers will have no problem picking up and devouring this book. Just be prepared to wait until the very end for everything to come to a head!
