Soundless

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. 
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My thoughts:

I just love this description from the publisher, not because of what it says. I almost feel like it says too much. However, read the italicized words as a poem and discard the rest of the verbiage, and that is all one needs to sell this book!

In a village without sound. . .
          One girl hears a call to action . . .
      
                 And unlocks a power that will save her people.
(insert dramatic dunh dunh DUNH music here)

Seriously though, I have been trying to read fast because I have other things that I must do, but I just could not put this down. I kept checking the time on my Kindle because I had a meeting in the morning, but this was a must finish.

I read my fair share of YA so for me, originality of story is so refreshing. In a category of literature that seems to LOVE the trilogy as if it is a rule, I also like one and done books that leave you hesitant to leave that world rather than just being sick of the characters by the time the third book is done (Twilight, Divergent, Maze Runner, Iron Fey)

There is more to do in this world of Richelle Mead's, and I know she writes other serials with other kick ass female characters, but I hope she leaves Fei alone. The premise is so fantasy refreshing. There is just enough of a love story to make it appealing and placing it in a pseudo Chinese culture makes the magic realism seem natural if that makes any sense. After all this is not a contemporary novel, but the Chinese mythology, though not linked to any specific Chinese mythology, seems authentic in design. At the end of this, this quote is enough. It is not the last line of the story, but I think that's a great way to end.

“This is how we must always be—strong and resilient, no matter what’s around us.” 

It is more than enough.