Soundless

Soundless
author: Richelle Mead
published by: Razorbill
released: November 10th 2015
pages: 266
my rating: 4 out of 5 stars












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.

This book had me interested from the moment I heard about it. A fantasy stand alone book about Chinese Folklore? I definitely haven't ever seen something like that before. Also this book has gotten amazing reviews from a lot of people so I was really excited to start reading it. I didn't love this book like I hoped I would, but I still really enjoyed it.

My biggest problem with this book was that it was only 266 pages long. I really wished it would have been longer, because I loved reading about Fei's world and 266 pages weren't enough for me. Also the pacing in this book was a little of in my opinion. The book takes about 80 pages to really get going but the middle and ending sometimes felt a little rushed with some parts that have way too much information at a time. The ending wrapped up nicely, but a bit too perfect - at some point every problem was solved with hardly anything going wrong.

The fantasy part of this book is something I'm still conflicted about. It practically was non-existent in the majority of this book and I think it wasn't really necessary to bring it in at all.
As for the Chinese folklore: I've heard some people say it isn't like Asian culture at all, but since I don't know all that much about that topic I can't say if it was represented well in this book or not. I felt this aspect of the book was very interesting and well written, but once again I don't know if it's actually accurate.

I loved reading about Fei's romance with Li Wei but I had my issues with it in the beginning. The two grew up together and also already in love with each other but broke up, all before this book starts, which made it hard to me to understand the attraction Fei felt for Li Wei at first. After I learned more about Li Wei and their past however, I totally got it.

This is the first book of Richelle Mead I've read so far and I discovered that I absolutely adore her writing style. The way she describes Fei regaining her hearing and her and Li Wei discovering the unknown outside of their village was truly amazing. The fact that no one actually speaks in the entire book and only communicates in sign language didn't bother me at all but rather gave this book a unique touch I definitely enjoyed.

It may not have been as mind-blowing as I would have liked it to be, but it was still very good. I recommend it for everyone who is looking for an enjoyable read!