YA Weekend: Soundless by Richelle Mead
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Razorbill (11/10/15)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I’m glad I took a couple days to sit on my thoughts before writing this review, because not gonna lie, my initial impressions upon finishing Soundless were really negative. But now that I’ve had some time to really think about it with a clear head, I realize with a bit of grudging respect that I probably enjoyed it more than I thought. Sure, the book had its issues, but in spite of it all, it was a fun, sweet, and cute story. Sometimes you just can’t ask for much more than that. However, it just didn’t feel like a lot of thought was put into it, which left me extremely disappointed. It was like Richelle Mead started off with this amazingly great idea, but instead of working out from that, she opted instead to fill in the gaps with predictable plot elements and other timeworn trends.
First, the obligatory rundown of the book’s story sans spoilers in order to provide a frame of reference for some of my comments below. Soundless is set in a fantasy world “steeped in Chinese folklore”, featuring the tale of a girl named Fei who lives in a village where everyone has been deaf for generations. Long ago, their community on top of a mountain was cut off by a rockslide, leaving the people no way to farm for food. Instead, they mine the precious metals in the caves, which they then use to trade for goods with another kingdom in the lowlands via a zipline.
Mining therefore is a very important job in Fei’s village. Fei herself came from a family of miners until she and her sister Zhang Jing were able to rise above their station and become artists, tasked to write and illustrate each day’s events since this is the only way everyone in this soundless village can receive news. However, recently more and more villagers have started going blind. As less people are able to mine, they are unable to trade as much for food, and the entire village faces the threat of starvation. Then something horrible happens. Zhang Jing beings to lose her sight, spurring Fei to desperately search for a solution. The answer may come in the form of Li Wei, her friend who has decided to solve the village’s problems by taking matters into his own hands.
I was only thirty pages into this book and things were already starting to feel like déjà vu. A poor dystopic community where the only industry is mining. A girl forced to take drastic measures to save her sister. A place where people are pigeonholed into one of only a handful of vocational categories. In this case, Fei’s village is divided into two classes of people: Miners and Artists. What is up with the Young Adult genre and some of their strange dichotomies? Who do people go to when they get sick in this village? What do they do when a building needs fixing? Apparently you’d be out of luck, because there are only miners and artists, and possibly a serving class, but if you’re in need of a skilled trade, sorry, no help for you.
Also, it’s an interesting world, I have to give it that. But I still have a hard time buying into some of its circumstances. Even with the risk of avalanches, desperate people are going to be desperate people whether they can hear or not; the idea of a starving population impotently staying put where they are for generations while relying on a mysterious faraway kingdom as their only means of survival is just a little too convenient for my tastes. Also, why the hell would the people whose work required the most energy be getting the least amount of sustenance, while artists get to sit around in their pavilions painting all day and yet still get to eat better than the miners? Plus, you already have eight-year-olds working in the mine. Clearly, if the situation is so dire that children have to be subjected to those conditions, then seriously, every able-bodied person should be in that mine, digging their asses off. Have some artistic talent, do you? Too bad, everyone’s starving! Nobody will be giving a crap about the quality of art in their daily news.
Another thing, just because you throw in a couple Chinese sounding names and make a few mentions of chrysanthemums does not a story “steeped in Chinese folklore” make. Though, I did like how the author included the pixiu and incorporated their myth into the plot. However, “steeped” is probably still too generous a word. In reality, the amount of Chinese folklore and culture in this is actually quite insubstantial.
To be fair, I’m not completely panning this book because I did say there were a few redeeming factors. For once, I actually enjoyed the romance. It’s super sweet, mostly because you know Fei and Li Wei are meant to be together. I’m not really into shipping and getting hung up on stuff like which girl is going to end up with which guy (mostly because this usually involves infuriating love triangles) so a simple and straightforward love story suited me just fine.
And like I said, in spite of some of the problems I mentioned above, this book was still fun to read. It’s a cute little story, relatively short since I was able to blow through it in about one evening. It’s not complicated. I like the idea of a soundless village, and the people all communicating using sign language. The author cleverly conveys what a world might be like through the eyes of character who was born without the ability to hear, surrounded by others who are the same. It’s a brilliant premise, actually. Just a shame that it’s paired with such a humdrum plot.
This is the first book I’ve read by Richelle Mead, and in retrospect I probably should have started out with one of her established series. I just couldn’t help but to be drawn to Soundless though, by that gorgeous cover and intriguing description. Regretfully, the book felt rushed and didn’t reach its potential, but it had a couple high points and at least it was a very quick read.
The BiblioSanctum 
I haven’t picked up a Mead book since Vampire Academy, which was meh for me. I have been eyeing this one, but I will wait it out a little longer. Sorry this wasn’t great for you.
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I’m actually very curious about Vampire Academy…but hmm, maybe I should go with her Age of X series then.
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“Also, why the hell would the people whose work required the most energy be getting the least amount of sustenance, while artists get to sit around in their pavilions painting all day and yet still get to eat better than the miners?”
I’m with you on this, Mogsy. This doesn’t sound as sustainable system at all…
Cover is lovely, though.
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I maintain that just because it’s YA doesn’t mean that world building has to suffer, which is why little illogical inconsistencies like that PISS ME OFF so much!
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Oh no that’s sad, was expecting so much more for this one!
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Me too! Very let down.
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Yikes, sounds like a pretty disappointing read. I remember being really excited about the Chinese folklore elements when the cover and synopsis for Soundless were released, so it’s a bummer to hear that’s not really present. I can’t remember who said this, but someone was mentioning that they thought there was also some weird ableist stuff going on with the blindness plot line…what did you think of that?
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Yeah I think I saw a review mention that too, something about the main character being the hero that saves the day after being the only one to regain her hearing. I guess I had expected something like that was going to happen.
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Oh no. And this one actually sounded so cooL!
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I know! I was so disappointed.
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Oh well. That’s the way it crumbles I suppose. It’s a shame this one didn’t work out – it sounds like one of those novels where things are just not explained or justified – you’re just told ‘this is how it is’ so believe it.
Lynn 😀
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Yeah, good premise but very sparse world building. Too bad!
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Oh. That’s disappointing!
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Yeah, hopefully better luck for me next time.
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😦 That’s a bummer. Soundless had sounded like an interesting book to me, too. I’ll wait and see what other reviewers say about it, but if you weren’t impressed with the world-building or the plot, then I might skip out on it.
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The paltry world building was such a shame! Others seem to really like the book though, so I guess it all depends on how much you’re looking to get out of the story. It was all the things that made no sense that got to me.
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I love your reading your snarky YA book reviews! I often have big problems with YA for many of the reasons you list, I wonder why that is? I actually got a copy of this at SDCC but I may give it away:-)
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Oh oops was I snarky? 😉
Haha, I just can’t help it with some of these illogical inconsistencies in YA sometimes!
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‘Soundless’ does not sound like my expectations and definitely not like it’s full of Chinese folklore (as advertised). But I am still going to read it, since I can’t resist Asian inspired fantasies. Who knows, maybe with lower expectations I will be able to enjoy it more.
BTW Did you read Alyc Helms’ ‘The Dragons of Heaven’. If you are looking urban fantasy “steeped in Chinese folklore” then that’s it.
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If you like Asian inspired fantasies, then yes you definitely should read Soundless even if the Chinese folklore influences are minimal — there are just too few books like that out there to pass anything up 🙂
And thanks for the heads up about The Dragons of Heaven! I did have it on my TBR though I had no idea it was an Asian inspired UF. Good stuff!
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Oh, ouch! Will give this one a pass! And, yeah, love the point about who can they go to when they get sick?
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Maybe the artist can paint your portrait to make you feel better! 🙂
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Or maybe the miner just uses a pick axe to cut out whatever hurts? (I don’t recommend seeing him for neck pain)
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I was so looking forward to this one, but so far I haven’t heard many good things. It’s always a shame when such an original idea becomes such an average book.
Young adult books do have some of the strangest communities. Do they think teenagers have no logic? A cool world is all well and good, but if it’s not believable then it really loses something for me.
I’m glad that there were aspects that you liked. I don’t think this book is for me now though.
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