[Review] Soundless by Richelle Mead

Soundless by Richelle Mead

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Series: N/A
Version: ARC

Release Date:  November 10, 2015

Goodreads synopsis:

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. 

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book; there was nothing that really "WOWed" me, but it was still enjoyable a nice, quick read. This is also my first Richelle Mead book and I have to admit that I'm not really a big fan of her writing style and it kind of left me a bit disappointed. 

One thing I really like about Soundless is that it's a standalone, and that's exactly what it should be. Any effort to make this into a duology or trilogy would probably not go well. Fei's story has been told, and in the end, readers feel content, but there is no urge to dive deeper into Fei's world or stay with the characters any longer.

I felt very little towards any of the characters. In fact, I was kind of indifferent towards all of them for the entire book. There are some books where the characters stay with you long after their story has concluded, but unfortunately, this is not one of them. They were all quite plain and boring, and I think that's one I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to.

That being said, however, I really did enjoy the plot and the setting that Mead has created in the world of Beiguo. The idea of a village where people cannot use their voices is certainly unique in YA literature and I like how Mead explored that. I found myself speed reading the end just to find out what happens, so the plot is definitely captivating.

If you've read any of Richelle Mead's other books and enjoy her writing style, you'll probably like this more than I did. If you want a quick fantasy standalone novel, try this one.