20 January 2016

Review #322: Soundless by Richelle Mead



My rating: 3 of 5 stars



“What chance combination of shadow and sound and his own thoughts had created it?”


----Patricia Highsmith, an American novelist




Richelle Mead, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, has penned a Chinese-themed young adult fantasy tale, Soundless, that portrays the story of a young girl trying to help the people of her village specializing in mining, who are all deaf, from the injustice done to them by a kingdom despite of the dangers lurking outside the village.




Synopsis:

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.


Honestly, I was quite enchanted after reading the blurb, mainly because I got a clear idea that the story has an oriental backdrop with a strong villain saving her whole village, maybe somewhere I got a Hunger Games kind of feel- a teenage girl trying to save her land all by herself especially when her sister lost her sight. Unfortunately, the story did not click at all, even though the story line was quite authentic.

Well let's then talk about the negative aspects that made the book a dull one.

Firstly, forgot the fact or shake off the idea that you got after reading the blurb that it has an oriental backdrop or maybe a Chinese one. Since neither the backdrop, nor the characters, nor the language, nor the culture or any aspect is inspired by the Chinese theme, expect the names of the character, hence it was a huge let down for me, as I was expecting some Oriental feel through this story.

Secondly, the village or the customs of the village are not explained properly, in short, the world building part is completely missing. If there is no world building, then how can a reader comprehend or feel accustomed with the setting or with the world of the heroine. The village where our main character resides in with her sister which is divided into three classes: artists, suppliers and miners. There is a scarcity of food in this mining village where everyone is deaf, hence in exchange of metals, the villagers receive rations, but not every one receive it in equal amount. That's all we get to know about the village. Now to help the villagers from injustice, our heroine tries to fight the injustice by finding out the truth. Also the characters are not laid out perfectly, meaning which they are lacking any character growth. In fact the characters are all very bland with whom it is so difficult to connect.

Thirdly, there is little or no romance in the book. This book features a love triangle which is also not highlighted ideally with that emotion or passion. This is a major drawback for me in YA books, if the story is centered too much around the romance rather than the main plat than it doesn't workout for me, and even if the romance if not played out nicely, then also it doesn't workout for me. And this book falls in the latter category, hence the story could not make me fall for it.

Lastly, let's talk about the writing quality, which is also not very polished. The narrative style is tremendously boring. The flow of the story is not good, as I could not comprehend what the heroine was actually trying to do. Overall, the major elements of the story could make the story an interesting one.

Okay now about the positive aspects. The heroine is a fine one, thoroughly inspiring who is exceptionally brave and strong willed. And the second thing is the quest which is portrayed with a bit of action thus keeping me hooked somehow. Lastly, the cover is terrific and very alluring with an oriental feel.

Verdict: Look out for other YA fantasy books!

Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publicist for giving me an opportunity to read and review a copy of this book.
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Author Info:
Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.
A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.
Visit her here


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