You know when you read a character journey that just makes you shiver? That gets under your skin and you want to scream it from the rooftops? That is me and Song of Silver, Flame like Night – except I can’t scream because it’s somewhat spoiler-y! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart. An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.
Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.
The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.
Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.
When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.
Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.
Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: attempted rape
In Song of Silver, Flame like Night there are secrets simmering in the air and on our skin. I was instantly drawn to our heroine, Lan. In many ways she’s on a quest alone and is searching for knowledge and answers. Is there anything any more universal? Plus the action immediately sweeps us away. I was left reeling wondering, “who are all these baddies?” I knew I wanted to follow Lan’s quest until the end. At the same time, I greatly enjoyed the magic all the way from the metal magic to the MAGICAL TRAINING SCHOOL!
But I think what ended up captivating me – predictably so – were the themes. How do we question authority? There’s this almost intoxicating power of silence around authority. Around obedience and speaking out. Song of Silver, Flame like Night asks us these questions. Asks us what society expects in terms of sacrifice. In terms of what we will do for power and for those ethical decisions. And the characters we love will all have to grapple with these questions in their own ways.
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Because when our own values, our own ideas about how the world works, are questioned, it ends up revealing hidden pieces of ourselves. It requires us asking ourselves what is worth victory? A won battle in the midst of a war lost? When we have the power, or a possibility of power – a glimmer – we begin to ask ourselves what is worth it. If monstrosity and ethics are just a tad bit overrated. Song of Silver, Flame like Night is a solid series starter to kick off 2023! Find Song of Silver, Flame like Night on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.