 | Title: Silence Author: Michelle Sagara Series: The Queen of the Dead #1 Cover Art: Cliff Nielsen Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail
  Sexual Content: N/A Rating:   Okay – A few good points, but with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want. |
Beautiful covers and intriguing descriptions are really all we as readers have to go on with new books. In the case of SILENCE, it had both looks and a solid premise to hook readers, unfortunately, I found both to be misleading.
The initial character development is very good, especially for Emma’s friend Michael who is described as “a high functioning autistic.” I really took to his character and the subtle ways his autism was incorporated into the story. It felt very real and extremely believable. I also liked how Emma’s friendship with Michael revealed a fierce protective side of her personality that helped to explain some of the decisions she made later on in SILENCE.
As the start of the new Queen of the Dead series, there is a lot of groundwork that needs to be established. The character work is for the most part done well, but the mythology and worldbuilding is frustratingly scant. There are ghosts and there are necromancers. That is about all we are told. Not why or how or what it means to be one or the other. There are necromancer hunters too for some reason, but we are told almost nothing about them. When Emma meets them and is told they might have to kill her, she just accepts this and asks zero questions. That’s pretty much the pattern for all the supernatural things that happen in this book. People see them or learn about something and don’t question anything. I can’t remember a time I read a book where all the characters without exception were so content with their own ignorance. It was unbelievably frustrating.
Beyond that, there was something about the writing style that I didn’t connect to. It was a little choppy and tended toward long winded conversations. But really is was the confusions and lack of explanation in regards to the worldbuilding that really kept me from engaging with SILENCE. I don’t think I’ll be picking up the sequel.
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I'm looking forward to this book. I like the cover and the blurb was interesting, sucks that you didn't enjoy it though :(
ReplyDeleteTell me about it. I thought it was going to be great. Really bummed it didn't work for me.
DeleteI felt the same way. There was just so much untapped potential. I think even just a small amount more world building would have made a huge difference. In the end I felt too left in the dark. I do think I'll give the next one a chance, but if things aren't made clear then I'm done.
ReplyDeleteMore worldbuilding, absolutely...I seriously don't understand why she didn't explain at least a little bit. Totally frustrating.
DeleteI haven't read this book yet, but I've read all 7(?) books in her other fantasy series. I also find her writing hard to get into. Not sure why I read all 7 of the other books. It's probably because I'm interested in the characters and where they're going, but I'm finding the path tedious. .
ReplyDeleteI've only read one of her other books and noticed the tedious nature that you pointed out. I was hoping a YA from her would be different, but the tediousness is here too.
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