Dreamdark: Silksinger ~ Laini Taylor

One faerie, the last of her clan, must fight to complete her sacred duty

Whisper Silksinger is the last of the secret guardians of the Azazel, one of the powerful Djinn who dreamed the world into being. Relentlessly pursued by bloodthirsty devils, she flees to the city of Nazneen to restore the Azazel to his temple. At the same time, Hirik Mothmage is also on a secret quest, to find the Azazel and restore his disgraced clan’s ancient honor.

And behind them all flies Magpie Windwitch, first champion of the new age of faeries, desperate to rescue Whisper and the Azazel alike before they fall in the clutches of a sinister hidden enemy. [Summary from B&N]

I am in love with Laini Taylor’s writing. It began with Blackbringer and a very healthy crush. It shifted to lust, strong and heady, with Lips Touch: Three Times. And now, with Silksinger, it’s pure, joyful love. With each book, I found myself amazed, very nearly in awe, of Taylor’s talent; I am at once thrilled by it, insanely jealous of it, and entirely thankful that she has chosen to share it. Because, you see, her Dreamdark books have it all: characters that live and breathe, adventure that cares not at all for gentle sensibilities, and imagery that fills every sense to the brim. I have lost all sense of objectivity when it comes to her work; all I can say is go ahead, read it. See what you think.

So, Silksinger. I felt a keen pang of disappointment when I read, prior to the book’s publication, that it was to feature someone other than Magpie. Or rather, that Magpie would be sharing the spotlight with someone named Whisper. Magpie is such a fierce thing; defiant in the face of doubt, secure in herself and her family, willing to push up her sleeves to do what needs to be done. I loved her instantly. And then there was Talon, and…just don’t even get me started on Talon. Because he is all kinds of awesome. But this second installment of the Dreamdark series introduces Whisper and Hirik and, wouldn’t you know it, I love them almost as much as Magpie and Talon.

Where Magpie is fierce, Whisper is sweet. She’s a timid faery with a core of steel; she’d have to be strong to survive the attack that killed her family. And there’s something so appealing about her soft voice, her manners, her sense of responsibility. Basically what I’m trying to say is that it’s impossible to not want to see her do well, to root for her, care for her, to want to see her happy. She rouses up all kinds of protective instincts – espically in Hirik.

The plot of Silksinger carries on where Blackbringer left off. While it’s not absolutely necessary to read the first to read this one, I do suggest it. But mostly what I want to say is read these books period. Read anything of Laini Taylor’s. Because she is that good.

(And, yes, I absolutely cut this review short. I’m not doing the book justice. I loved it – that’s really the main thrust of all that came before.)

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