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hmerwin13's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I truly could not put this book down! It was so good!! Loved the characters so much! Kaii has my absolute heart and Mila is such a fun heroine!
beastreader's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The author did a lovely job of building a fantastic fantasy world. I was instantly pulled into this magical world. The fact that Mila could not speak added a unique element to her as a character. I had a friend when I was a young girl who was deaf. I learned sign language to communication with her. So the fact that Mila could only communicate through sign language was intriguing. In addition, that we need more unique heroines that all types of readers can relate to.
The relationship between Mila and Geb was great. I felt the love they shared with one another. The rest of the characters brought something different to the story with their talents. To be honest, I can't pick a favorite as I did like them all.
As I was so caught up in the story and the characters, I found myself reading multiple characters at a time. Fantasy readers will want to pick up a copy of this book for themselves.
The relationship between Mila and Geb was great. I felt the love they shared with one another. The rest of the characters brought something different to the story with their talents. To be honest, I can't pick a favorite as I did like them all.
As I was so caught up in the story and the characters, I found myself reading multiple characters at a time. Fantasy readers will want to pick up a copy of this book for themselves.
elisa_menz's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is my first time reading anything from this author, so I had no idea what to expect. Personal spoiler alert: I really enjoyed it!
This book has a magnificent world-building that doesn't resemble anything I've read before. From the vastly different landscapes; to the fantasy races and cultures and the magic system, you can tell the author put a lot of effort and love into this story.
While I can understand Mila's need to go to such lengths to unlock her magic and move on with her life, some of her choices seemed selfish at first. She put herself and her friends in mortal danger with a levity that sometimes felt anticlimatic. But in the end, it was all for the greater good and I could root for her success.
OMG... is this a sign I'm no longer of age to read YA novels???
I believe this is part of a series, but this book is self-conclusive. I recommend this if you're looking for a different (very different) version of a fantasy world and magic system.
This book has a magnificent world-building that doesn't resemble anything I've read before. From the vastly different landscapes; to the fantasy races and cultures and the magic system, you can tell the author put a lot of effort and love into this story.
While I can understand Mila's need to go to such lengths to unlock her magic and move on with her life, some of her choices seemed selfish at first. She put herself and her friends in mortal danger with a levity that sometimes felt anticlimatic. But in the end, it was all for the greater good and I could root for her success.
OMG... is this a sign I'm no longer of age to read YA novels???
I believe this is part of a series, but this book is self-conclusive. I recommend this if you're looking for a different (very different) version of a fantasy world and magic system.
zmai's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars. Loved this story, only a few things pulled it down for me.
Liked:
- The characters and their dynamics
- The magic
- the world-building
- the action
- everything except….
Disliked:
- The constant witty banter in life and death situations
- The never-ending horny flirting while in dangerous circumstances
- Did I mention the CONSTANT and NEVER-ENDING HORNY AND WITTY BANTER IN LIFE-THREATENING, TIME-SENSITIVE, SERIOUSLY NOW IS NOT THE TIME GUYS, THAT’S ENOUGH, PEOPLE COULD DIE, SITUATIONS
Liked:
- The characters and their dynamics
- The magic
- the world-building
- the action
- everything except….
Disliked:
- The constant witty banter in life and death situations
- The never-ending horny flirting while in dangerous circumstances
- Did I mention the CONSTANT and NEVER-ENDING HORNY AND WITTY BANTER IN LIFE-THREATENING, TIME-SENSITIVE, SERIOUSLY NOW IS NOT THE TIME GUYS, THAT’S ENOUGH, PEOPLE COULD DIE, SITUATIONS
caro25001's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntaruly.
I really loved the concept of this book. The atmosphere was amazing. I had great fun getting to know the world and its characters and also had to smile very often. The book definitely brought me out of my reading slump.
However, the love story moved too fast for me. I found a lot of the action here rushed and it detracted a lot from the rest of the story or weakened the parts that were very gripping.
But all in all, it was a good book that keeps you hooked.
I really loved the concept of this book. The atmosphere was amazing. I had great fun getting to know the world and its characters and also had to smile very often. The book definitely brought me out of my reading slump.
However, the love story moved too fast for me. I found a lot of the action here rushed and it detracted a lot from the rest of the story or weakened the parts that were very gripping.
But all in all, it was a good book that keeps you hooked.
justgeekingby's review
4.0
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
Content warnings:
Speechless in Achten Tan follows Mila, a gnome, as she heads out of her people’s cavernous home and out into the big wide world. Alone, voiceless and armed only with a set of powerful potions, it’s obvious from the start that her quest to regain her voice and unlock her magic is going to be a bumpy road. From ghosts to a powerful bone magician, and a capricious new mentor, Mila has her hands full as she adjusts to life in Achten Tan, the notorious City of Dust and Bones that was built in the middle of a desert.
Despite her former mentor’s insistence that the answer to unlocking her magic, and her voice, could be found in Achten Ten under the mentorship of Gerwyn, nothing seems to work. It’s only when a chance encounter with some of the magical artifacts belonging to the town’s chief, a powerful Bone Master who no one dare’s challenge, that Mila senses a change. With the help of a band of misfits, including the chief’s own son, she hatches a plan to grab the staff. If they succeed, they could not only get Mila her voice and unlock her magic, but also overthrow the chief’s tyrannical reign of power.
It’s an all or nothing plan, a daring heist, and it’s so much fun to read. With a charismatic cast of characters, Iancu-Haddad leads us on a high stakes quest of found family and identity. Mila is a resilient and complex character, her life shaped by trauma and the weight of other people’s expectations. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t falter, and when she does one of her friends is there to pick her up, to help her, just as she is for them. We get to see how the bonds between the characters are forged, and then watch them grow and strength as they team up to take on this challenge. Each one of them is different with an interesting background, even the quiet scholar character who only has a small, yet crucial part to play.
I appreciated the amount of diversity in this book, especially the openly bisexual character who shamelessly flirted with both male and female partners in a couple. Kaii was a delightful rogue of a character who I fell in love with very quickly, and I was very pleased to hear that he’s the protagonist of the second book in the series. There is a fair amount of romance intermixed with the adventure, and there’s a good balance of very sweet moments and sauciness too with intimate scenes fading to black.
Throw in an amazing magic system and great world-building, and Speechless in Achten Tan has a bit of everything that you want in a good fantasy novel. It also has enormous tortoise-like creatures that swim in tar adorably called tar-tules and giant ants, which considering I have an ant phobia were not as terrifying as I thought, and I actually found quite cute. The gay love story sub-plot with a tar-tule rider and an ant rider was the icing on the top.
On a final note, as a disabled woman I didn’t read this as a book about a disabled character, rather I read it as a woman on a quest to get back something that magic had taken from her. In fantasy settings when powerful magic, especially potions and healing, are involved disabilities are only temporary. Magic has the power to take away, and it also has the power to fix everything. It’s a trope that has been overused many times in the fantasy genre, and while Mila uses a type of sign language to communicate, it is very important to note that she is not portrayed as disabled nor did I feel that this was the author’s intent. I feel that the emphasis was on other themes, such as helplessness and identity, not an attempt to write about disability.
Without a doubt this was one of the funniest novels that I’ve read this year, however, Speechless in Achten Tan deals with a lot of serious topics too. Iancu-Hadded does a marvellous job of weaving the complicated lives of her characters trauma and grief with their banter, witty comebacks and sassy retorts. This is a book about friendship, finding your people, doing whatever needs to be done and getting the job done. If that’s your kind of thing then Speechless in Achten Tan is the book for you.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
Content warnings:
Spoiler
This book contains some scenes of violence with on and off page deaths. At one point there is a storm that causes mass destruction and loss of life. There are references to ethnic cleansing and genocide by an outside religious faction. Scenes of physical and emotional abuse by a parent take place. Other themes in this book include grief, drugs, intoxication, loss of a child, loss of a sibling, loss of a parent, racial purity, racism, memory loss, torture, and death of an animal.Speechless in Achten Tan follows Mila, a gnome, as she heads out of her people’s cavernous home and out into the big wide world. Alone, voiceless and armed only with a set of powerful potions, it’s obvious from the start that her quest to regain her voice and unlock her magic is going to be a bumpy road. From ghosts to a powerful bone magician, and a capricious new mentor, Mila has her hands full as she adjusts to life in Achten Tan, the notorious City of Dust and Bones that was built in the middle of a desert.
Despite her former mentor’s insistence that the answer to unlocking her magic, and her voice, could be found in Achten Ten under the mentorship of Gerwyn, nothing seems to work. It’s only when a chance encounter with some of the magical artifacts belonging to the town’s chief, a powerful Bone Master who no one dare’s challenge, that Mila senses a change. With the help of a band of misfits, including the chief’s own son, she hatches a plan to grab the staff. If they succeed, they could not only get Mila her voice and unlock her magic, but also overthrow the chief’s tyrannical reign of power.
It’s an all or nothing plan, a daring heist, and it’s so much fun to read. With a charismatic cast of characters, Iancu-Haddad leads us on a high stakes quest of found family and identity. Mila is a resilient and complex character, her life shaped by trauma and the weight of other people’s expectations. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t falter, and when she does one of her friends is there to pick her up, to help her, just as she is for them. We get to see how the bonds between the characters are forged, and then watch them grow and strength as they team up to take on this challenge. Each one of them is different with an interesting background, even the quiet scholar character who only has a small, yet crucial part to play.
I appreciated the amount of diversity in this book, especially the openly bisexual character who shamelessly flirted with both male and female partners in a couple. Kaii was a delightful rogue of a character who I fell in love with very quickly, and I was very pleased to hear that he’s the protagonist of the second book in the series. There is a fair amount of romance intermixed with the adventure, and there’s a good balance of very sweet moments and sauciness too with intimate scenes fading to black.
Throw in an amazing magic system and great world-building, and Speechless in Achten Tan has a bit of everything that you want in a good fantasy novel. It also has enormous tortoise-like creatures that swim in tar adorably called tar-tules and giant ants, which considering I have an ant phobia were not as terrifying as I thought, and I actually found quite cute. The gay love story sub-plot with a tar-tule rider and an ant rider was the icing on the top.
On a final note, as a disabled woman I didn’t read this as a book about a disabled character, rather I read it as a woman on a quest to get back something that magic had taken from her. In fantasy settings when powerful magic, especially potions and healing, are involved disabilities are only temporary. Magic has the power to take away, and it also has the power to fix everything. It’s a trope that has been overused many times in the fantasy genre, and while Mila uses a type of sign language to communicate, it is very important to note that she is not portrayed as disabled nor did I feel that this was the author’s intent. I feel that the emphasis was on other themes, such as helplessness and identity, not an attempt to write about disability.
Without a doubt this was one of the funniest novels that I’ve read this year, however, Speechless in Achten Tan deals with a lot of serious topics too. Iancu-Hadded does a marvellous job of weaving the complicated lives of her characters trauma and grief with their banter, witty comebacks and sassy retorts. This is a book about friendship, finding your people, doing whatever needs to be done and getting the job done. If that’s your kind of thing then Speechless in Achten Tan is the book for you.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
scriptrix's review against another edition
3.0
This book has some excellent, original fantasy worldbuilding that's worth the price of admission. However, the plot didn't pull me along as much as I'd hoped. At many times I found myself wondering what the characters were supposed to be doing and why--there wasn't much of a sense of urgency as the events unfolded. I'm all for romance, but I honestly found the romantic subplots slowed down the story rather than adding tension.
katherineshawwrites's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The world of Achten Tan and the characters that live within it feel very unique and intriguing, and I enjoyed learning about them as the story progressed. The world-building never felt in the way, but was woven through the plot extremely well, which is a testament to the high quality writing throughout. I liked the characters a lot, especially Kaii, who subverted the traditional YA 'love triangle' in an interesting way. The mute main character was interesting and was done extremely well, and the magic system feels different to what else I've read in this genre. A couple of the surprises were easy to guess, and some of the motivations of the MC and resulting plot felt a little unbelievable to me, but overall it's a great read and I will be happily continuing the series.
eliseswritings's review
5.0
A main character who cannot speak, yet can communicate effectively with a combination of carefully selected tattoos and her mastery of pointed looks directed at certain persons who are definitely asking for it. I loved the characters and the dynamics that develop between them as this story progressed. This is a rich fantasy world, in which characters from different backgrounds find acceptance in their relationships, and band together to aid Mila in her struggle to unlock her magical powers and regain her voice. This is an entertaining story that pulled me in right the way through, and included some exchanges between characters which had me laughing out loud. I look forward to spending more time with Mila, Kai, Geb and co. in book 2.