In short, I liked this book but it's rough going in the beginning. The payoff feels almost not worth it, but ultimately it was enjoyable, entertaining, & fresh.

The characters don't feel as fleshed out as I'd like (I feel like I don't really know Aeyun beyond surface level and I felt some character, like Davah to be forgettable) and for something tagged as fantasy I felt there wasn't enough worldbuilding in the beginning.

The story and plot did feel fresh & new compared to other fantasy books I've read recently, so I really liked that! I know it's an ARC and the final version might have this but I think a character list (along with pronunciations would be super helpful!

I found this a little hard to get into, but I am SO glad that I persevered. This was an amazing start to a series of books, and I cannot wait to read the rest. Emery’s writing style is beautiful and although I didn’t warm to the characters initially, this changed after the first few chapters.

Where Silence Sings
By Emery Blaine

This one was 4 stars by the end.

The beginning was a bit rough. Mainly because I was just so confused. As a fantasy reader I’m used to a level of confusing when learning a new world/magic system, but this was a step beyond that. By about halfway (?) it all started to really come together for me. The main confusion in the beginning were all the flashback tidbits at the beginnings of each chapter. I feel like now that I understand the characters/world better I need to go back and reread those.

Part of the confusion is because the magic system is complicated and our MC is trying to figure things out about it himself. I liked the magic system, especially some of the musical comparisons, I’m just still a bit confused.

The world building and characters, though, I thought were top notch! We have different Realms (worlds) interconnected by giant, ancient sea gates that transport between them all. Our MC is flawed. Has a very different reputation depending on who you ask, but not in a contradictory way, one that makes sense with his character. His main three companions are all interesting and mysterious in their own rights.

If you decide to pick it up, be prepared to be floating at sea for a bit, but I thought it was worth it in the end.

Thanks to @netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to Wild Door Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of Where the Silence Sings.

Aeyun’s latest heist is interrupted by the devastating news of Raenaru’s leading family befalling a grim fate at the hands of one of their own.
Aeyun and his crew – including mercenary Sakaeri – have to navigate the fallout of Aeyun’s choices from his time before the ore-smuggling.
With any luck, they’ll figure out what happened to Raeyu, get a hold of seemingly untouchable ore, and decode the mystery behind Seraeyu’s brutal rise to power.

Emery Blaine is a master of words with lyrical prose and painterly depictions. Lush worldscapes come to life throughout Where the Silence Sings, and it’s a joy to be immersed.

The camaraderie between Aeyun and his crew resonates found family. Especially Davah. His entire journey hinges on the support he receives from those who he has placed around him. Blaine has truly succeeded with the relationships the characters have with one another, as well as the characters’ own qualities that make them tangible to the reader.

While I enjoyed the characters, the prose, and the lore peppered throughout the novel, I did find it difficult to be fully engaged with the plot. There was a sense that I had stepped into the second book of a series and had missed the establishing world-building that comes with it.

With such complex political aspects paired with wholly unique magical physics, there needed to be more cushioning for me as the reader entering the narrative. We’re dropped right in the centre of action. It can work, don’t get me wrong. But the entire time I was craving more context.

The abrupt introduction to the narrative also meant that the pacing felt slow the second the perspective left Seraeyu. The insight into his character was perhaps the wrong place to begin the story. I wasn’t able to fully appreciate the information provided until much much later. It gave me the sense that I would need to read the story a second time to really appreciate all the details.

Where the Silence Sings is a whopping big tale in a futuristic and fantastical realm. I think Emery Blaine is an artful writer and has promise: Blaine has the hallmarks of an author who could produce an auspicious classic.

Aeyun’s journey has just begun – it’ll be an epic tale yet, I’m sure.

While Emery Blaine’s writing style is very good, I found it hard to connect with the characters and the story. This was unfortunate as, based on the description, I thought I would love this book. There was very little world building which did not help with the understanding of what was going on and there never seemed to be any resolutions to anything that was going on. Overall, it was a decent book. I just felt like it was lacking depth.

I struggled somewhat with Where the Silence Sings by Emery Blaine. The book caught my attention on NetGalley due to its interesting sounding premise. However, once I got reading I found it all a little too confusing. We were launched straight into the story, which is fine, but for chapters I kept waiting for there to be more world building explaining the world, its peoples, and their powers, yet no such explanation was forthcoming. As such, rather then getting answers as I continued reading, I only ended up with additional questions. This made it hard for me to fully engage with the story. On the plus side, the characters seemed interesting, and I think there was a lot of potential that just wasn't quite realised. I believe this is the author's first book and I can see the ideas are good, so I hope the execution will improve as the author continues writing. I am giving this book three stars as I did like the premise even if the world building and prose needed some work.

This was a strong start to the Symphonic Masquerade series, it had everything that I was looking for based on the description. The characters were what I was hoping for and thought it was a great futuristic fantasy element to it. Emery Blaine has a great writing style and I can't wait to read the next book and from the author.