Soundless

Soundless tells the story of Fei, a young girl trying to rescue her village. Fei lives in a mountain village that is cut off from everything. The only way down is to descend the incredibly steep cliffside. The issue is that their entire village is deaf, so even if someone were to climb to the town at the base of the mountain, they probably won't make it when a rockslide happens. Their village relies on the town below to send food via zip line in trade for metal they mine from the mountain. Their situation is turning dire because some of the people are starting to go blind and with fewer workers less metal is mined which means smaller amounts of food is being brought up.

Fei's people are in a really bad situation and there is no help in sight. That is until Fei awakens one night and realizes she is able to hear. No one has been able to hear for generations, and it was interesting when she realized what was happening and her thoughts when it came to her new sense. Knowing she can now hear a potential rock slide and will be able to warn someone, Fei, and a miner from the village team up and their journey begins.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a YA book about a deaf village trapped up on a mountain, but I was intrigued so I had to snag it from the library. I found that I fell in love with the story as each chapter passed. Fei is young but has a good head on her shoulders. She wants to do the best for her village, even if that mean breaking the rules they survive by. I think that some readers will get a bit tired of some of the slower scenes, but I found the book is quite well balanced. If you enjoy YA or are looking for something a bit different, I highly recommend this book.

The cover is beautifully done. Who couldn't help but be drawn to it? But the book's plot had me intrigued when I first discovered it at BEA. Soundless is a fantasy novel based on Chinese mythology with Fei as our main character. Her people live in small mining community on top of a mountain and have been trapped their for a long time. They are deaf and can only communicate with sign language. The miners work tirelessly to mine priceless metals that are sent down to the village below so in return they get food. But some of the miners are becoming blind and when Fei's younger sister starts loosing her sight, Fei tries to find a way to save her and her village.

Fei is the perfect heroine for this books. She is a fantastic artist who only thinks of her sister since their parents died. One night Fei has a strange dream only to wake up with her hearing restored. The journey she takes is harsh but Fei's faith never wavers and she continues her journey with the help of Li Wei.

Li Wei is a miner and the love interest of Fei. He is a strong secondary character with skills as a wood working, that comes in handy later. Fei accompanies him to the town below the mountain to understand why the food has stopped and ask for help. It's a dangerous trek but with her hearing restored she helps them escape falling rocks and soldiers. There's a tension between the two since Fei became a high artist and miners are looked down upon, even thought they mine the metals needed for food. I loved their interaction together, you could feel the pain they have of loving each other from afar. It's so swoon worthy!

The way Richelle describes Fei's encounters with new sounds is so vivid and well done. I felt like I could hear everything that Fei heard. Richelle did a perfect job at allowing Fei to understand what she is hearing and we get to explore with her what those sounds are.

I loved the fantasy elements that appeared at the end of the book. Richelle did a wonderful job at world building and incorporating Chinese mythology into the story to wrap up everything nicely at the end. She always creates wonderful characters and action adventure. The ending had me at the edge of my seat!

Should you read it? Yes! A wonderfully unique story that brings adventure at the turn of every page. I couldn't put this book down and carried it everywhere with me

First Impression: A story of self-perseverance in the face of the unknown.

Second Impression: I liked how the story was written. It uses certain costumes and vaguely bases a fantasy world around it. I found it quite impressive. The people of a small village where Fei is from known only one way of life. They are split into different classes. The miners, mine for the metals that keep their village alive for the village is on top of a mountain with no way down and the only thing that keeps them fed is sending metal down through a line in exchange for food. The artists supervise the daily life of the village and return to report it in an expressive artistic way that will be displayed the next day for the whole town to witness. They must only observe and never intervene.

For you see, everyone in town is deft. Their only way of communication is through sign language and reading the painted word from the artists. Unfortunately the town is also suffering from people going blind, and no one known why this is happening. It’s interfering with the mining and thus causing the man managing the zip-line below to send them more food. When Li Wei’s (a miner) father dies in an accident in the mine because he was losing his vision, Li Wei sets out to try and climb down the mountain and have the lineman reconsider sending them so little food. Fei is forced to go with him when her own sister’s sight begins to fail, and the last thing she wants is for her to become a beggar. Especially in the world so scares of food.

The only thing is, Fei is the only one that can climb down the mountain because her hearing has returned and she is the only one in the village that can hear the rock slide and thus avoid getting killed.

When Li Wei and Fei make their way to the world below, what they discover not only stuns them, but the mystery and betrayal towards her people leaves them wanting the same salvation and pleasures of life the people in the township are experiencing. As they try to get back to their people and enlighten them of the deceiving lies, the danger follows them.

Third Impression: The book was okay. No, you must understand, I really enjoyed it. I must have if I finished it so damn quickly right? And I did. I like the underlying feel of the story, it felt diverse from the normal reads that keep popping up in my kindle lately. Fei was an interesting character, but where she was strong and brave, she was also a bit naive and weak. I know she wanted what was best for her people, but ultimately failed to see the bigger picture. The entire time I was reading this book, I was curious to how she was going to accomplish what she was set out to do.

Okay, I must say the ending was a bit of disappointment. I kind of expected that it was going to happen in such way, but it still left a bitter pill in my mouth. I wanted something more, I wanted to see the people stand up and rebel. I wanted to see them use that anger and sorrow that they had battled for so long and unleash it on the cruelty that kept them on top of the mountain. Yes, I admired the village folks for doing everything they can in order to survive under their circumstances, but I also envisioned some kind of a revolution for them. Not just become a sort of a fish out of the water and hope that a myth saves them.

There was also a bit of romance in the book and it was cute, but everything did end a bit too perfectly. Sure, the author did not take it to the extent of making your teeth ache, but Fei seemed to have literally got everything she could ever want. It left me wanting a bit more meat on these dry bones, so to speak and wishing that the story was not a stand-alone – maybe it would have been better for it. This is one time that I did not feel it had a strong ending and left me feeling a bit disappointed, but I guess it does bring closure to those that needed in light of the events and HEA.

I did enjoy the writing and the story telling. It had a folk book feeling, and even thought it wasn’t detailed, it was understandable. It did not bore me to tears with an influx of information, therefore I did not find the book dry. I enjoyed every minute of it, despite wanting a better, stronger, and possibly overall a different ending. Thought I liked it just fine, I felt that the story in general had a lot of potential. But, if it meant to feel like a folklore, in which it absolutely does, then it is understandable.This review was originally posted on Night Owl Book Café

Richelle Mead has always been an amazing writer. She floored readers with her great Vampire Academy and Bloodlinesseries. She is back to wow her audience again, this time with an entirely different idea; SOUNDLESS is a flawless take on a fantastical Chinese folktale.

SOUNDLESS takes place on top of the mountain, where there is a soundless mining town --- the inhabitants lost their hearing long ago. The only means of survival comes in the form of a zip line that goes down the mountain; they trade the metals they mine for food. However, the mines are depleting, and the village is beginning to starve. When protagonist Fei wakes from a fitful dream to noise, she knows she must use this mysterious new sense to embark on an adventure that will save her people and all she cares about.

In most books, dialogue drives the plot forward. However, with SOUNDLESS, the dialogue comes in form of sign language. It blends seamlessly into the plot, making SOUNDLESS very readable and fast. Readers dive right in to a world with no sound, a feature that makes them notice other, smaller details. When Fei regains her hearing, the world becomes noisy and bright. The audience is able to see the world through the eyes of a person who is experiencing something for the first time.

It would not be a work from Richelle Mead if there wasn’t a love that couldn’t be. She knows how to add the drama on thick, twisting readers’ emotions to their maximum.

With the romance, adventure and always-pending doom, readers are going to fly through SOUNDLESS. It is a retelling that forces readers to delve deeper into a soundless world, but the true focus is on the characters, with a strong female lead, a courageous sidekick and a quiet sister. The novel is not about a girl who regains hearing in a sea of quietness. It is about a girl who strives to better her people, to save them from a fate she wishes does not exist. You definitely do not want to miss SOUNDLESS. Even without sound, Mead creates a retelling readers will be making noise about for a long time.

Reviewed by Jeanna Michel

NOTE: Throughout the book, the word is presented as "deaf". In real life, I've also seen it as "Deaf" and "d/Deaf". This review goes along with the novel, because that's what I discuss.

SOUNDLESS is a standalone, and has a beautiful cover - the best art of any of the author's books. It's fewer than 300 pages, a quick read. Though I've seen mention of an embargo, the store Vine reviews were up before the novel's publication, so the publisher gave a good push. The story involves Chinese folklore and deaf characters. Everything in this paragraph is a drawcard.

We begin at the top of a mountain, in a village full of people who've been deaf for generations, though ancestors were once hearing. Fei has been deaf all her life - until now.

It's in the blurb (Australian edition), so it's not a spoiler: "Sound becomes her weapon."

And so one of the novel's drawcards...withdraws. This is not a story with a heroine who's deaf. This is a story with a heroine who's originally deaf, but then mysteriously acquires full hearing overnight without any science or technology involved. She remains hearing without aids for the rest of the book.

So what does this mean? Would this story be possible if Fei had remained deaf forever? Hearing rocks fall saves her life, as does hearing other danger before it arrives. Had she not been able to hear, what would it have taken for Fei to investigate how to save her fellow villagers?

This isn't as much of a story about a deaf person as it is about a hearing person.

Maybe I expected a feel-good story about a deaf person having adventures and saving the future. That could explain my somewhat disappointment that the novel's about a hearing person having adventures and saving the future.

I look forward to reading marginalised people's (deaf and/or Chinese) views on SOUNDLESS. Maybe I need further context to fully understand the novel, because as it is I'm kind of side-eying the story.

But even before I truly considered the book's concept, my interest was fading. If you're already skimming by Chapter 2, instead of properly reading, things aren't great. It only really grabbed me from about page 200, so a case of too little too late. The scenery is breathtaking, and I'd love to learn more about the Chinese folklore that inspired SOUNDLESS. But I couldn't stay focused and interested the entire time.

Richelle Mead brings us a brand new fantasy stand alone that is unlike any other that I have ever read! Soundless is the story of a young girl who was deaf all her life, until one day she woke up to a loud noise.

Fei lives with her small village on the top of a large mountain. There's basically no one but them up there, and in order to get their food they use an intricate pulley/zip-line system with a village below. In exchange for the precious minerals that they mine they receive food rations to sustain themselves. It's not an ideal life, but it's the only one Fei has known.

She herself is an apprentice to one of the elders, and that's pretty much the best position one can have. The worst is being a miner, for their life expectancy isn't very long. The one thing everyone has in common in the village is that they are deaf. It doesn't get further explained until later on, but for awhile we're left pretty much clueless as to how this happened. It's just the way it's always been.

Then one day, she suddenly can hear for the first time in forever. Fei struggles to understand the simple sounds we take for granted on a daily basis. I must admit Richelle wrote these passages very well. How do you describe sound? Fei doesn't understand such words as whispers, bells, bonging, banging...all those words we think nothing of, Fei doesn't even know them. So to see her hear a gong going off was a challenge in describing, even to herself. But Richelle does it very well! I enjoyed seeing Fei hear all these things for the first time. It was nice to see her delight in such simple things that we would likely never look, or listen to twice!

The trouble then begins when the minerals in the mine start to run out, the village starts to receive less food and panic begins to set in. Li Wei, a young man who was once Fei's best friend as a child thinks this needs to change. The village needs a better of way of life and the only way to get that is to talk to the one in charge of giving them food. Though "talk" isn't literal in this sense, as no one in the village speaks like we do, they all sign. Which also makes for interesting conversations to read about. We're so used to dialogue, but here we are reading sign language conversations.

Leaving the mountain is dangerous though, for no one can ever hear the falling rocks that happen regularly on the mountain. Until Fei that is. Convincing Li Wei to let her join him was a task in itself, but eventually the two set off to leave the mountain in hopes to make life better for their neighbors, friends, and family.

This was quite the remarkable read. I've never read a book quite like it before. And while it is supposed to be a fantasy, I'd call it a very light one. The fantasy elements that I am used to seeing are very slim in this one. Fantasy does fit the setting though in its an unknown time period of way back when, when there was no technology or even indoor plumbing like we're used to! Though a larger fantastical twist does come in towards the end that made up for the lack of throughout the story.

Fei was an amazing heroine! She wasn't tough, but she wasn't soft either. She probably is best described as a girl who grows into who she needs to be to, literally, save her townspeople. She has moxie! And all the while she is trying to adjust to hearing things for the first time and even at other times, hiding that she can hear.

There was even a little bit of romance in this one between Fei and Li Wei. It was that sweet, first love kind of romance that makes all us reader smile and twitter! It was cute, but since it wasn't a key factor in the story it didn't have the depth we've come to love from Richelle's past series, but it was still done in a way to enjoy!

Pacing wise, I would say Soundless was reasonably well done. There were points when it seemed to drag here or there, for we never really get an idea of what Fei and Li Wei plan to do to help their people. They just want to help. And when it becomes clear that the village down below is filled with more danger than kindness, well...things take a startling turn!

Being a standalone the ending was the perfect kind! Filled with action and intense battles, secrets and mystery, this read pretty much has it all!

All fans of Richelle Mead will want to read this one, simply because it's Richelle Mead! And it's a new kind of story that we haven't seen from her before. It's a stunning and amazing fantasy that will definitely let readers see the power of sound in a whole new way!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

The great thing - one of many - about the Owlcrate is that I get book, I wouldn't have normally picked up.
"Soundless" by Richelle Mead is a book like that and I would have missed out on a fantastic read.
This book is like a painting - vibrant, full of colors and deeply fascinating.
Ms. Mead created a world so detailed and intricate, that the book played out in my head like a movie. A captivating, breath-taking movie.

Fei lives in a village on top of the mountain - cut off from the outside world except for a zipline. Life is hard in the village - poverty and lack of food wearing the people down.
To make matters worse, in addition to the deafness that has plagued her people for centuries, now more and more villagers are losing their sight.

One day, Fei gets woken up by a noise and this is the beginning of big changes.
When the situation in her village worsens, she sets out with Li Wei to find answers.
She has no idea of knowing what secrets will be revealed and how her life will change.

Fei is a fascinating character. Calm, controlled and dutiful, she takes her work as an artist seriously. But underneath all that obedience and good behavior hides a girl who is creative and passionate.
Passionate about painting, about making the lives of her people better. And she's passionate about the people she loves.
Not letting fear stop her, she faces all trials and tribulations head on, willing to risk her happiness and even her life for a greater cause.
I couldn't help but admire her. She was the definition of a strong heroine.

The story made me laugh and cry and it left me in awe.

5 full-of-color stars.

Richelle Mead has given readers amazing series like Vampire Academy, Bloodlines and Age of X. Soundless is her latest release, and the cover is gorgeous! Soundless has Chinese folklore, a strong heroine and really interesting fantastical abilities. Richelle has stopped by HEA to talk about Soundless and heroine Fei.

Jessie: Welcome to HEA, Richelle! Kim Mai Guest is your audiobook narrator and did an amazing job. Is her voice what you imagined for Fei?

Richelle: I actually got to listen to samples of potential narrators for Soundless and was able to choose her for Fei. She had the right vibe and tone for the character, so I feel really lucky that she was available! I never listen to my audiobooks in their entirety (it’s too strange for me!), but my husband’s been listening to it in his car, and he’s totally hooked by the amazing job she’s been doing.

Jessie: I can’t wait to listen to the entire book! So how did you decide on Chinese folklore?

Richelle: Fantasy books in Western culture are often heavily inspired by European culture — and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s what I grew up on, and I love it. But there’s so much potential out there in the rest of the world — an amazing wealth of culture and mythology that we often miss. I really wanted to tap into that. There are thousands of years of Chinese history that are full of rich and wonderful details that most people in the U.S. don’t even know about. I really only scratched the surface of it all in the world I created for Soundless, and I hope readers will be inspired to explore more about that region.

Jessie: I completely agree! Want to share any of the interesting things you discovered while researching?

**Head over to the HEA Blog to read more of Richelle's Interview**

Soundless is the latest book from bestselling YA author Richelle Mead, and it represents something of a departure for her. After two six-volume related series about vampires (the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series, both of which I really loved), Mead has written a stand-alone novel inspired by ancient Chinese legends.

Soundless tells the story of a remote mountain village. Avalanches have cut the village off from the neighboring towns, and the villagers are dependent on a distant city, which sends them food through a zip line. The villagers, who are all deaf from an unknown cause, must send the metals they mine in return for meager amounts of food. Life is rough, and some of the villagers are beginning to lose their sight as well.

Fei is an apprentice artist. She is in a relatively comfortable position in the village. Although no one has much food, the artists and their apprentices are spared the rough work of the mines. One day, Fei’s hearing returns, and she is scared and bewildered by the sudden rush of sounds. When the city below cuts off the village’s supply of food, Fei and her childhood sweetheart Li Wei join forces in an attempt to save their people.

There were a lot of things I liked about Soundless. I really liked Fei, who is a brave and intelligent heroine. I loved the setting, with its mysterious silent village, and the heavy influence of Chinese folklore. I really like that Mead wrote a fantasy based on a non-Western culture. There were also aspects of the book that I didn’t enjoy as much. At times, the story lacked excitement and the breakneck pace that I tend to expect from Mead. And I never felt much investment in the romance.

Soundless was 3.5 stars for me, but I’m rounding up to 4 stars, because I think Richelle Mead deserves credit for trying something different, and because I really enjoyed the non-Western inspiration for the story.

Ms. Mead has created a most enjoyable fairy tale. A community of people are isolated on top of a mountain and are divided in class by profession. Those without talent work the mines, those with talent are trained as artists who paint a daily history of the village that is displayed at the end of each day for all to review the events of that day. Precious minerals are sent to the bottom of the mountain by zip-line and food and other goods are returned based on the volume of the worker's output. The entire village has grown deaf and some are now going blind. No one has left the village to try to reach the town at the bottom to negotiate a better deal with those in control of the supplies. Until now. People are starving and something must be done. My thanks to the author and the Penguin First to Read program for a complimentary copy of this novel.

Soundless is very different from Richelle Mead's other YA novels. Both Vampire Academy and Bloodlines feature teen characters who are brave (and in Rose's case, brash) and behave older than typical teens most of the time because of their circumstances. The books also feature snarky humor and mildly steamy romance. Soundless however is bland in comparison. It's like expecting pancakes for breakfast and getting oatmeal instead.

While I felt bad for Fei, I couldn't really connect with her as a heroine. I liked her loyalty to her sister and her courage in climbing down the mountain and trying to help her people. She just isn't a vivid character. Her romantic relationship with Li Wei isn't inspiring either. I did think it was an interesting choice to portray a main character who couldn't hear and what it would be like to suddenly experience sound after a lifetime of silence. She doesn't even have the words to describe it and she obviously can't make sense of things when people talk.

The setting is interesting and has potential. Since people in the village can't hear they record everything by observing and painting what they see. Their way of life is hard but they still survive. The book has a historical fiction feel though there are some elements of fantasy. Fei's people have myths about creatures called pixiu that used to live on the mountain and according to legend the missing pixiu had something to do with the hearing loss.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Soundless by Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore.

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. 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 and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

What I Liked:

I LOVED this book... up until the ending. I kid you not. I was enjoying it (with the exception of a few small things) until I reached the climax and ending, and I didn't enjoy it much. It wasn't that the ending was BAD - the ending was satisfying! But in a very simplistic, unrealistic way. You'll see more of my thoughts on that later in the review! This book is a Pili-Pushed recommendation, and I'm counting it for the month of September (I'm one book behind, oops!).

Fei and her village are all deaf, and slowly, some of them are going blind. On the top of a mountain, they are helpless and cannot feed themselves, so some of the villagers are miners, who mine precious metals and send them via a zipline to the base of the mountain, and food comes back up the zipline, just enough or sometimes not enough to feed the village. They have no concept of who is behind the zipline, who is at the base of the mountain, what lies in the world beyond the top of the mountain. When Fei's sister is demoted from artistry (she's discovered as going blind), and Fei's hearing starts to return, Fei knows that she needs to do something. And that involves scaling down the mountain.

While I was reading, I was so incredibly sucked into this book. I HAD to know what Fei would discover, who would be sending the food, what the world would be like. Fei and a boy from her past, Li Wei, scale down the mountains, discovering bit by bit as they go. When they reach the base, and keep walking, what they discover is both wondrous and terrifying.

But I get ahead of myself. Fei is an artist, one of the selected few who are the recorders, the ones that paint every day to record history in pictures. Since there is no spoken communication (they are deaf, and they do not speak either), paintings are how history is kept. Li Wei is a miner. Miners are starting to go blind, but and Li Wei's father is one of them. Somehow, Zhang Ling (Fei's sister and fellow artist) is also going blind. Fei and Li Wei decide to go down the mountain to see if they can convince whoever is in charge of sending the food to send more.

Like I said, I was dying to know what Fei would find out. And it's fascinating, as they climb down, and what they discover at the base. The world-building of this story is incredible, very rich and well-detailed. I've never read a Mead book, but I'm sure this is is a product of her talent and numerous published novels.

I struggled a bit with Fei, but I think it's because her personality and mannerisms are a product of her environment and lifestyle. She's naive and ignorant at first, but again, this is because she knows no better. Her ancestors knew no better than mining and painting and waiting for food via zipline. Li Wei has her seeing things differently, which is how she ends up going with him down the mountain.

If you haven't guessed, the unlikely romance is between her and Li Wei. Years ago, Fei made the choice to apply to be an artist, leaving Li Wei to be a miner. An artist must marry an artist, so she broke his (and her) heart that day. Hence, unlikely. The two of them care greatly about each other, and this blossoms as the book goes on.

I loved this book, overall. It should have gotten at least four, maybe 4.5 stars from me. The ending, why did the ending have to be the catch?

What I Did Not Like:

The ending. It was entirely too simplistic, too neatly done, too perfect. Things wrapped up way too ideally. I wish I could go into the specifics, but it really bothered me how la-de-dah and happy-snappy things were at the end. Just two or three months passed, and suddenly, class differences have been erased, everyone loves each other, blah blah blah. Are you kidding me? Do you see how long it's taking racial differences to be eradicated in the world? And this issue is STILL present. The same goes for social classes, class differences. If that makes sense. This is super general, trust me, I haven't spoiled anything.

It's things like that though, that seem way to ideal and cute and cherry-on-top. Not realistic enough, and very wtf. Not to mention, a lot of things don't change, at the end. That all by itself is so irritating.

Also, there is a HUGE deus ex machina factor at the end that REALLY bothered me. Using deus ex machina is such a cop-out for authors, and this usage was no different. Sure, it was slightly hinted at throughout the book, but the presence of the... deus ex machina things were not physically in the story until the very end of the book. Hence the deus ex machina. So annoying! Sure, it takes care of things (helping that ending become really neat and whatnot), and answers questions, but it's so annoying. It sticks out like a sore thumb.

Fei. I didn't always like Fei. Like I said above, it's a product of her environment and lifestyl, the way she is. But sometimes she is so selfish and stupid and ignorant, you can't help but be annoyed with her. But for the most part, she grows up.

Would I Recommend It:

I really liked this (despite the ending), and I would recommend it. I didn't really mention the folklore, but that was pretty interesting. The world-building was unique and well-written, and for the most part, I liked the characters (definitely the romance). This novel is very unique, fantasy like I've not read before. Definitely something I'd recommend!

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded down to 3 stars. The rating is deceptive though, because I really enjoyed the majority of this book. The ending could have been much more developed (the book was so short and hello, this is a standalone!), but it's something that most people would probably overlook. Not a bad experience for my first Mead book!

Soundless is an interesting, fast paced read that combines Chinese folklore and fantasy elements to create a story that is unique and exciting and sure to appeal to any young reader. The two main characters have great chemistry, making this novel particularly inviting for young middle schoolers looking for a bit of romance with their fantasy. Older readers might find themselves looking for a bit more. I found myself fascinated by some of the ideas presented and the society described in these pages, and felt that this story had the potential to be something truly epic. As is though, it is still a solid and enjoyable read.

I almost gave this book a three star rating because I did not like the ending at all. If felt rushed and contrived, leaving me feeling more than a bit disappointed. The author should have taken more time with the events leading up to the exciting conclusion. Instead, the reader is likely to turn the last page and wonder "where did all that come from?" Still, I loved the characters, and feel that this story will have great appeal for young readers, so it sneaks into a four star rating. Young fantasy fans need to check this one out, and although older readers will still enjoy it, they will likely need to manage their expectations, turning them away from the epic and more towards the light and fluffy.

Struggling a bit with this one.

I loved the writing of this book. Usually I think present-tense is far too trendy and useless, but it works here. Ms. Mead writes beautifully and makes some wonderful descriptions. I like the use of folklore, and Ms. Mead weaves in some great bits of Chinese legend.

And yet, in the end, I wasn't satisfied with this. Despite all the pretty words and nice folklore reference, the plot itself falls in the area of "just nice". It's the type of book teenagers, especially the girls, will probably love, but I don't see it getting a fan base beyond that. The characters are dull, and the whole set-up is just weird. What starts off as a nicely-paced plot and promising story descends into a sequence of various events that go along in a quick attempt to just finish the novel. Nothing bad, and there's enough to keep things interesting, but it is just not interesting enough to be memorable. Add in a very random ending of too neat a bow and it's just okay.

Ms. Mead is talented in writing and I wanted to love this story, but it's only in the "like" category.

Highlights: Very unexpected story, and one that has an intriguing concept. I loved Mead's Vampire Academy series because of the creativity and characterization, and so I had high hopes for this book. While it didn't come close to VA, Soundless still kept me hooked from start to finish. The world building is wonderfully done, and the story has this nice undercurrent of mythology running through the writing.

Lowlights: Very predictable. Sometimes, this isn't a problem, but I expected more from Mead (since I know she's capable of coming up with very unique plot points).

Overall: Worth a read, but I'd recommend Mead's Vampire Academy over this story. Soundless is ambitious and interesting, but it ultimately falls flat.

I just read Soundless by Richelle Mead and I really enjoyed it. It is about a village on the top of a mountain that depends on a town at the base of the mountain for food because there is no way to get down the mountain. They can't get down the mountain because all of the villagers are deaf, so they would not be able to hear if rocks started to fall. In the village their are three main categories or jobs: Apprentice, Miner, or shipper. This story is focused around a girl named Fei. Who is an Apprentice. In her job she needs to record everything that happens in their village. One day Fei's starts to be able to hear. She is the only one in her entire village who has regained their hearing.
I have never read any of Richelle Meads books, but I have heard about her because she is popular for her Vampire Academy books. I really enjoyed her writing style. She includes enough detail about what's happening to keep your attention but she does not overdo it to the point that it starts to get boring. I also thought that the plot was very unique. I have never before read a book that is based on Chinese folk-lore. At first I thought this book was dystopian but towards the end it seems to be more of a magical realism or fantasy book. It was not a very long book but I felt that it gave a complete story. I was very satisfied with the ending but I think that it is open for another possible book. As I said before, I really enjoyed it and I think I will probably read more of her books in the future. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The description of this story- a story about a girl who can miraculously hear in a village where no one else can hear is what first made this story catch my eye. I am glad to say I was not disappointed. Although I wish there was more about the fantastical elements in this book included in the story, I enjoyed reading it and loved the ending. The courage of the main character made me enjoy the book more than anything else. The suspense and action kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The ending made my heart soar along with Fei's.

I selected Richelle Mead's "Soundless" because the synopsis reminded me of an episode of Mushishi where there was a mushi that could eat sound. In this book, Fei is part of a village high in the mountains where there is no sound and supplies come in via a zipline as no one can travel in or out.

Then one morning, Fei wakes up with the ability to hear. As supplies start dwindling from the zipline and a new illness that is causing villagers to lose their sight, Fei is compelled to step it up and save her village.

The premise is so good and I give that to the author. There is so much going on for it in the premise, setting and plot. If there is a shakiness, it may be in the characters. On the one hand, I liked it because the coolness added to the setting; but on the other hand, it might be something that other readers may find difficult in connecting with them.

Soundless resolves very quickly in its last couple of dozen pages after spending the rest of the book building so slowly that I began to wonder if it was the beginning of a series. That said. I did enjoy it pretty well, and I think it is perhaps being a judged a bit harshly given the recent surge in high-quality highly developed and highly popularized teen and juvenile fiction.

I understand many of the complaints about the heroine begin a bit wooden, but, ahem, haven't we heard all that before about another girl in another juvenile book? I would have liked more of a connection between the main characters to be explored from a teamwork point of view versus almost immediate separation as plans are developed followed by a super quick resolution. I think this could be really interesting if we explored by the author as an adult fantasy novel versus this volume.

"Soundless" strikes me as a "princess" fantasy (obviously, our lead character Fei isn't a princess, but it just has a Cinderella-ish vibe throughout) that is more competently written and genuinely engaging that the majority of Richelle Mead's oeuvre. The book caught and kept my attention very well. The traditional folktale feel and richly imagined settings were very nice. The book succeeds at casting a good atmosphere most of the time, and overall I enjoyed it. I'll be reading the next one, which almost never happens with me.

"Soundless" is fairly standard YA with several refreshing aspects. The story is engaging and well-paced, and the characters, while not entirely original all of the time, are vivid. Four stars.

Original Review Link: http://asdreamsaremade.com/2015/11/book-tuesday-release-day-soundless/#more-2969

I almost didn’t read this because of all the mixed reviews it’s been getting, but I decided to take a chance and go for it.

Fei and the rest of her village have always been deaf for as long as they can remember. They’re situated on the top of a mountain where they mine precious metals and rely on the “line keeper” to send up food and supplies in exchange for whatever they mine. However, some of the villagers are now losing their site–a scary epidemic that can spell ruin for the entire village. One morning, instead of finding she can’t see, Fei wakes with the strangest sensation and discovers that she is no longer deaf. Along with her childhood friend, Li Wei, they strike out to climb down the mountain and find help for their village. What Fei discovers will forever change her destiny.

Ok. So overall I’m glad I read it. I did enjoy it. Was it amazing? Eh. Was it horrible? No. I think I was just expecting a bit more from this book and was a bit disappointed when it didn’t deliver.

Fei was a likeable enough character. She’s willing to sacrifice a lot for her sister and those she cares about. Her developing relationship with Li Wei was interesting. He challenged her to become a better person and think about the circumstances they’re forced to endure. The rest of the minor characters were just that–minor. They’re really not very developed; neither was Fei or Li Wei for that matter.

I think the main issue I had with this story was the plot was very rushed. Everything happened very quickly (it’s only 272 pages–I read it in a couple of hours). I would have liked to have seen some further development of certain points. The other village that they stumble across for instance. Or their culture. I feel that the resolving climax comes a little out of nowhere. I don’t want to get too into it because of spoilers, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more history behind it.

The ending gets resolved, but at the same time I’m left with a few questions. As of right now, I haven’t heard of plans for a sequel, but it’s there if Richelle Mead wants to do it. I hope she does because I feel she has the opportunity to flesh out some of the more interesting plot points with the King, the pixiu, and the other town villagers. Should you skip this one? No. I did enjoy it, but it was just “ok” for me. If you feel like something a little different, a fast read, and some fantasy thrown in, go for it.

Mead attempts to move from writing genre, to literature in this book. I can appreciate that, and love the premise of the story. But it is not a success. The text is filled with flowery language which sounds unnatural coming from the characters. In addition, the characters are in an ancient setting, but speak modernly in American idioms and cliches. Even more Mead breaks a cardinal rule of any story.

Throughout the majority of the book everything is explained with science and is completely plausible. The main character takes action and is our hero. However in the final chapters when all hope is lost, the day is saved by magic when there has been no magic in the preceding 90% of the text. Huge no no. I cannot reccomend this book, though I'd like to see her try again.

I love Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. She's one of my autobuy authors. So when I learned about Soundless and read the premise, my hype was unreal. I couldn't wait. When I was at SDCC this summer, I acquired a copy and actually cried a little.

The world building in this book was absolutely gorgeous. The whole world was wonderful. I loved the setting and the non-white characters.
I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of the novel. I loved where it was going but as I finished I reached the last third of the novel, I was beginning to wonder how it'd wrap up with all the possibilities running through my mind on how they were going to do what they had set out to do. The ending was so rushed. It held 80% of the action in the book and it was too quick.

Another problem I had with the book was the fantasy aspect. It wasn't fully introduced until very late in the book and it had very little build up. It just kind of came out of no where and was disappointing.

I had such high hopes for this book, and though I really enjoyed it, it was too short. It felt like some of the story was missing. It lacked the adventure I was hoping for and it makes me quite sad.

*Review may contain mild spoilers for some*

I know we aren't supposed to judge books on their covers, but Richelle Mead has always had the most god-awful covers. Seriously, the old Vampire Academy covers, then Bloodlines, Gameboard of the Gods (anyone even remember this book?), even Storm Born's cheesy cover; they all look like Stevie Wonder had the final say. Soundless is the first of Richelle Mead's book covers that is not only not bad, but absolutely gorgeous. So kudos to her for finally getting it right, since she refuses to not use girl's faces for her covers.

But let's talk about what's inside the book. The starting chapters made me feel so much sadness. These poor people are trapped on a mountain, all deaf, all going hungry, and now some going blind so they can live in darkness forever. I mean, talk about putting your life in perspective and gaining gratitude.

This book wasn't the best Richelle Mead book I've read, but it most certainly wasn't the worst. It had a lot of flaws; there wasn't any world building, hardly any character development, the "Chinese Folklore" was kind of misleading (I mean, they tried with the character's names and the pixius, but it still didn't feel like enough), and the ending definitely suffers from "perfectly wrapped up with a big bow" syndrome. But overall, the story did have me hooked. Sure, it was slow paced, but I was genuinely curious about this adventure down the mountain.

Our main character, Fei, lives in a village where all the citizens are deaf and many are starting to lose their vision too. They are also stuck on this mountain, and their only way to get food is by trading minerals from their mines down the mountain to a "line keeper" via a zip-line. Well, after the people of Fei's world ask for more food since they are starving, the line keeper gets upset and sends less to "teach them about respect". Unhappy with the way their world is going and with the developments in her sister vision, Fei and her childhood romance, Li Wei, descend down the mountain to see if they can rationalize with the line keeper. After they discover what's at the bottom of the mountain, they urgently need to find a way back up the mountain to tell their people.

Overall, it really wasn't a bad read just because it was different. I didn't love it, I might not even push myself to say I liked it, but I most certainly didn't hate it.

Once upon a time, a small village became isolated at the top of a mountain. The residents lost their hearing, and the frequent avalanches and blocked roads prevented them from leaving. In exchange for the precious metals the villagers mine from the heart of the mountain, food and supplies are sent up a cable from the kingdom of Beiguo, far below. But now blindness spreads through the village, and the miners can no longer meet the quota set by the linekeeper. As the deliveries shrink, a young woman named Fei fears for her village. One night, she is awakened from a nightmare and realizes that her hearing has been restored. Though she struggles to cope with the strange new sensations of sound, Fei knows that this gift may help her achieve what no one has attempted in living memory: descending the mountain to find help for her people.

Fei won’t make this journey alone; she’ll be accompanied by Li Wei. Once, they were sweethearts; but when Fei was offered the chance to work as an artist, recording the history of the village instead of toiling in the mines, she took it. Her choice meant a marriage between herself and Li Wei would be forbidden, but long-buried feelings are awakened during the arduous journey down the mountain.

A grand adventure and two hearts sharing an unbreakable bond – this is the stuff great tales are made of, and Fei’s story lives up to expectations. From the first page, as she helps her sister chronicle the history of the village, Fei’s compassionate and protective nature is revealed. It’s clear her life is privileged, as the village goes; artists don’t suffer the brutal labor of working the mines, and as the most talented painter in her generation she’s guaranteed the best of everything the village can offer. It would be so easy for her to turn a blind eye to problems, but she doesn’t. Instead, Fei takes on the burden of the village, and by drawing strength from her loved ones she finds courage and strength to do the impossible. It’s impossible not to admire and believe in her.

Fei couldn’t even begin her journey without Li Wei. He is passionate and strong, a young revolutionary in the making. The strength of his conviction that change must come to the village breaks through Fei’s reluctance to move against the status quo. His physical strength combined with her new hearing is the only reason they survive the struggle down the mountain’s cliffs. It’s a great partnership. Their sacrifice becomes all the more admirable because it would be so easy for the two heroes to abandon the village and stay in Beiguo, where they are free to marry and be together.

My favorite moments weren’t the romance, though. Instead, I appreciated the little moments as Fei experiences sound for the first time. I can’t imagine what it would be like to suddenly gain a new sense, a foreign new way of interacting with the world around me. With Fei, I think Mead does a good job of describing what that process would be like. Fei’s initial shock at sound, her inability to articulate the experience to others, and the way the new stimuli overwhelm her all felt extremely realistic. I also found the idea of an entire village of deaf people intriguing, and enjoyed how they communicated without speaking.

Throughout the book, the existence of a race of magical creatures called pixius is mentioned as an old folktale. In a classic deus ex machine, they appear at the end of the book to help save the day. There were short descriptions of the legendary creatures but there’s was no other indication of otherworldliness in the story. No magic, no other mythical beasts. I guess that’s not entirely true – Fei’s experienced unusual, possibly prophetic dreams throughout the book – but the pixius presence is still so sudden and strange that it’s jarring.

But no matter. I still loved this book. Soundless has just the right balance of adventure and romance, realism and fantasy. Once I started the book, I just couldn’t put it down.

An isolated village in ancient China where (apparently) hereditary deafness is being augmented by (apparently) hereditary blindness and punished by reduction in food supplies because of the reduced mining production. Enter (apparently) miraculous healing that equips the heroine to save her village if she's willing to undertake a dangerous journey. It really ought to have worked better.

For once a story that might have played out better over more than one book so the ending wouldn't seem so forced.

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**
To start off I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I really did enjoy this novel, however there were somethings I didn’t like mixed with the things I did enjoy.

I noticed that this novel had a more mature writing style than Richelle’s Vampire Academy series and I feel like that maturity worked very well for the novel and it’s plot. Personally, for me this book had a pretty slow start, however, as I’m thinking back to it that slow start was essential for the storyline and character development. Another thing I enjoyed was how the romance aspects of the novel didn’t over power the fantasy aspects that arrived later in the novel. Finally, this novel left me quite satisfied at the end and I didn’t feel like i needed a sequel and that is what more fantasy stand alones should feel like.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Soundless and while it’s not one of my all time favorite novels, it’s still a very enjoyable and epic story that I would still recommend to any YA fantasy lovers.

What if you were born into a society where absolutely everyone was deaf, including you? Gazing at the world around you with eyes that can see, but ears that cannot hear? Fei has never known what it's like to hear the sound of anyone's voice. The society she is raised in puts value only on those who are gifted with sight and can create news, art, etc. with true artistic ability. Those who are not gifted, are sent to the mines to work until they are blind - then become beggars on the street until they die from illness and/or malnutrition.
When Fei's sister begins to go blind, Fei begins to panic. Orphaned when their parents were forced to work in the mines until losing their sight, Fei is determined to keep her sister out of them. It is a daily struggle to remain at the top and receive just the right amount of food to stave off hunger. Miners receive much less and beggars none at all unless someone chooses to help them. To be artistic is life. Death is for those who are no longer "useful" to society.
Then one day Fei begins to hear sounds in the most peculiar way and the book really takes off. The mystery of why the people of her village lost their hearing generations back and why some fall ill and lose sight becomes very clear. War breaks out and Fei must learn to tap into her inner strength to protect those she loves.
This is a teen fantasy, so the normal unrequited love, love triangle, teen angst exists throughout the pages but doesn't detract from the perfectly woven story.

When reading Soundless one gets the impression that the author wanted so much to get the cultural aspects right that the telling of the story suffers a bit - the romance is chaste but familiar and the lessons are the sort you see in books for younger readers. The characters are perfectly likeable, just not the easiest to directly connect to in some ways. It's much more about the journey for the main character at times resulting in the peripheral characters being underdeveloped. The writing itself has a polished quality and it's obvious that much care was taken in the crafting of the world and story. Despite all that, the book on the whole just never feels more than a passion project that maybe should have gone back to the drafting board a few more times. I wanted to love Soundless but spent enough time feeling like there weren't many true surprises present to get there.

Note: ARC received via the store Vine in exchange for review.

I have read and enjoyed Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy Series; so that is why I was drawn to checking this book out as an the store Prime item. I am so glad I did! I read this book in under two hours!

Once again, she has formed a story where the plot and characters suck the reader right in! At this point, I think this may become my favorite series yet. She takes a little bit of real life experience, throws some fantasy and legend in, adds some romance and creates a recipe for success.

The story-line itself has to do with a young woman who is an artist in a deaf community. Each member of this community has a role that must be followed "just so". As she gains her hearing back, other members of the society start to lose their eyesight. She and a young man embark on a journey to save those they love. This comes at a great cost...but that is where I will let you find out what happens on your own.

After reading many of her previous books, I was thrilled to hear that she was releasing a new book. However, this is nothing like Vampire Academy or Bloodlines. I enjoyed it, however it was not memorable. I couldn't imagine myself picking the book up again to re-read it and am glad i borrowed it from the local library instead of owning the copy. Really no heart or spunk to any of the characters that were in this book, but either way. Hope she comes up with something a bit more than lukewarm novels with really no character.

Considering that this book is written by the amazing Richelle Mead, I expected it to be great from the start. However, it was very slow for the first third of the book. It wasn't until Fei actually decided to leave that it became interesting.
The characters are strong and in the end I very much liked them. The story itself is OK but not the authors best. I will continue reading the series but I won't be eagerly anticipating it.

I nearly stopped reading at the first chapter fearing this might be a little insipid. I am glad I continued; I enjoyed the story and it was far more developed than I feared it would be. It's a nice light read if you're looking for that sort of thing.

I was lucky enough to receive Soundless: A Sneak Peek by Richelle Mead. I have been looking forward to this book since it was announced. Fei and her sister Zhang Jing are apprentices in the art program. They get better lodging, food, and clothing. They take the news of the previous day and put it into pictures for the whole village to look at (they are stationed all around the village to observe only). The villagers all lost their hearing many years ago. Everyone speaks using sign language. Now some of the villagers are losing their eye sight. It is mostly the miners which means that less precious metals are coming out of the mines. What they mine is sent down the mountain (via zip line) to pay for their supplies (food). Their rations are being cut (because of less precious metals). Now Zhang’s sight is going (her observation post is in the mine) and Fei is afraid her sister will get thrown out of the program (which means she will be a beggar since their parents are deceased). Something needs to be done to help the people in the village (they live on a mountain that is impossible to climb up or down). Li Wei is a miner (and talented carver). He is in love with Fei (and Fei with Li) but they cannot be together (because Fei joined the artists). What is going to happen to the villagers? Is there a way to improve life for everyone? Why are people losing their sight (something in the mines)? Will Fei and Li ever be able to be together?

I just received a sneak peek of the book, but it was enough to tell me that I was not going to enjoy this book. The romance portion seems to dominate the book. I cannot believe that this is the same writer who wrote those other wonderful books. I was just disappointed. I can only give Soundless 2.75 out of 5 stars. Maybe it gets better. I just did not enjoy what I read. The story seems very simple and it lacks depth. The story reminded me of fairytales I read when I was younger. I think younger readers (tweens) will enjoy this novel more than the adults.

I received a complimentary copy of Soundless from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book is a decent sorry. It kept my attention and I enjoyed it. Although the editing was sloppy and the sentences sometimes were choppy and didn't flow well. It reads as many of her other books do. Slow and a bit tedious until the last 25% when the story picks up and really takes shape.

Am a huge Mead fan! Loved Vampire Academy and the concept of soundless was fantastic and something new I haven't read before which is becoming harder and harder to find but I am disappointed in the execution of the story.

I had high hopes for this book, mainly because the author is already established (though I haven't read her work) and I loved the idea of an Asian-themed work. Most, if not all, YA dystopias/trilogies have a white teen girl as the protagonist in a quasi-U.S.A. environment (or medieval European). I was excited to go to the Far East, and in a village where there is no sound. Is everyone deaf? How did it happen? The premise was intriguing. Only, I had a difficult time getting into the book - I kept putting it down.

As other reviewers have pointed out, the story is very simple without any layers. I wanted a rich tale wrapped in Asian folklore, with twists and turns. Instead I got a romance that was tied up in a neat bow by the end. The book isn't bad, I just don't think it has enough to lift it into the realm of YA books that can be enjoyed by adults.

Recommended for the advertised age set, but adults will likely be disappointed.

This book is Richelle Mead's first stand alone novel and it is brilliant. This book gives the reader a couple of different perspective into a different culture, how the world could appear to be if you were deaf, and into the past in someways. I went to the book signing for this amazing writer and she talked about how this book was challenging to write in some ways. She had to figure out how to describe sounds that someone would not be used to hearing without using the normal words one would use like chirping.

The book was just okay. Somewhat original but really lacking a good storyline. The Chinese culture was missing from the book, which was misleading. Main character was likeable but not very interesting. Romance was probably the best thing about the story but even that was just okay. It was readable but overall not very important. Needed more thought and world building.

Such an intriguing premise...but it didn't quite work for me as well as I'd hoped. See, that's the problem with loving an author and dying for her newest release. Sometimes, you build it up too big in your mind and there's no possible way it can live up to it. I did love that this was not your typical white-girl-saves-the-world premise. Diversity rules. Plus, Mead worked hard to build a respectful, interesting fantasy world. That, I loved. And I didn't hate the book at all. It was just kind of meh. Fei was an interesting character but her gaining the ability to hear and learning what it was/how to function with it, after her people had long forgotten what sound was, seemed too easy and pat. Fei's older sister and their relationship didn't really work for me, either. Alas. Still, an interesting enough read.

There wasn't anything incredibly noteworthy - for good or bad - in Soundless. I love Richelle Mead, but this book was actually pretty boring, and I didn't find myself caring about the characters or their relationships at all. I didn't really feel like there was a lot of personal growth in the characters either, which is a Mead trademark.

Introduction
This young adult fantasy book is written by Richelle Mead. And it addresses how greed can make humans do terrible things but hope still prevails….

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A good read, the chronic deafness and how the author described it was very interesting. I gave it 4 stars because I am in my 30's and the writing was geared for juveniles. Which is perfectly fine, just not for me.

Great book! I have yet to read anything by Richelle Mead that I didn't like. This fairytale - style novel showcases her amazing storytelling abilities, as well as her fine character development. Mystery, adventure, struggle, a little romance and a bit of magic make for a wonderful novel you will devour!