A review by thebiasedbibliophile
Of Stormlarks and Silence by Constance Lopez

4.5

What a way to end the Indie Fantasy Addicts Summer Reading Challenge! If you read my review of The Wicked Prince by Celeste Baxendell, then you know I was sincerely concerned that I would never find another book that made my heart so happy, but thankfully Constance Lopez came through with her debut novel, Of Stormlarks and Silence! It’s not often that I enjoy books that have a lot of hype, but I can honestly say that this book deserves all the hype it gets and more!

I didn’t even stop to take notes while reading this novel because I couldn’t put it down long enough to type even a quick note. So, please excuse the chaos that this review is going to be.

I have frequently heard this book described as romantic fantasy, and it is, but it is also so much more than that! The other details in the novel made the story feel so three-dimensional and made the romance that much better. Possibly my favorite aspect of the novel was the political intrigue and how it related to the world-building. The three kingdoms in the story feel unique and distinct, each with their own practices and cultures. That is something that I feel is rarely pulled off in fantasy, and Lopez did so flawlessly. I particularly think fans of the Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty would enjoy this element of the story.

Furthermore, I found the magic system intriguing. Usually I appreciate magic systems with strict and clear rules, and this one blurred the line a bit, but I ended up enjoying that feature. In many ways, it seems like almost any kind of magic is possible, which is a component that is typically seen in looser magic systems. However, there was order within the looseness of the magic system, which added a sense of clarity. It actually made me question my love of strict magic systems because I really admired the morphing of a looser and stricter system. 

Finally, the characters really made this book come to life. The main characters, Riona and Tristan, were wonderful, and their love story was adorably complicated. I felt like the supporting characters brought the story to the next level. Riona’s relationships with her Aunt Orla and Uncle Kent were phenomenally written. I have rarely come across such compelling character arcs in secondary characters, and I’m beyond impressed. Liam was also interesting, and I was overjoyed by his relationship with Tristan. Most often, in fantasy we see magical connections only between love interests, and it was so refreshing to see this type of connection between friends. I absolutely love it when authors portray unconventional or overlooked relationships, and this one certainly blew me away.

As a whole, there are so many other wonderful aspects about Of Stormlarks and Silence, and my review barely scratches the surface! This book truly has something for everyone, and I can’t wait to read the next one!