It took some time to get through this. Let me start by saying I loved the world, its characters, and the entire plot. Loved its treatment of the sensationalized creatures that are the dragons nowadays, the myths, and how the stories were important to the plot. I love me some story-based fantasy, in this case, song storytelling was an incredible addition. But all of it went crumbling down because the pace was off. The entire thing felt rushed, and we were fed reveal after reveal without the much-needed space to breathe; all the information was too much for how it was handled. I think it would've been convenient for the book to be much longer, let the characters grow in between all the horrors that they faced. All that being said, I'm looking forward to continuing the series, with special expectation for what the author can do with more experience.

A little side note, it has insta-love, let's see how their relationship will develop further in the series.

A Chord of Silver Moons is a coming of age novel following sixteen year old Aryam, who has been training her whole life to protect a princess she has never met and doesn't know while also desperately trying to gain her Oju (an ancient weapon given exclusively to guardians).

There was so much to love about this book including the world building and character development I've seen other reviewers describe the world building as being immersive and I completely agree. This has such a unique magic system and world, that it was hard for me to put the book down at times. From the diversity in cultures and the various other creatures and characters, I loved it.

I also loved the character development of not just Aryam but the other supporting characters. My favorite aspect of this book was the developing relationship of Aryam's chorus sisters and Princess Marelyn. The pacing of their friendships was perfect, it felt authentic for a group of girls who never met before and were kind of forced together. Each character has their own distinctive personality and I appreciate that so much as the characters really are diverse and not copies of each other.

My only issue is that the relationship between Aryam and her love interest doesn't quite make sense to me. He's not present for most of the story so we miss out on any real context to their relationship. I look forward to reading them together in the next book to really see their relationship flourish.

This book truly surprised me in the best way. While the pacing starts off a bit slow, once you're pulled into the story, it becomes incredibly hard to put down. The writing is vivid and beautifully descriptive; I could picture the world so clearly, and I loved learning more about it with each chapter. There's a quiet magic in how the world unfolds, and Washington does a wonderful job immersing readers in its atmosphere.

That said, I had two main issues that held this back from being a full five-star read for me. First, the book could use just a bit more polishing to elevate it from great to outstanding—mostly in tightening some of the pacing and transitions. Second, the romance subplot felt forced. The love interest is barely present for much of the story, so Aryam’s feelings by the end felt a bit rushed and hard to connect with emotionally.

Still, this was a beautiful and compelling read overall, and I’m genuinely excited to see what Tylisha Washington writes next.

This novel was so engrossing I read it in a single day. If you’re looking for a story overflowing with friendship, love, and royal politics with a dash of mystery, search no further. A glorious triumph.

Tylisha has created a beautiful world with so many elements and layers to it. With immersive world building and a story that keeps unravelling piece by piece, Aryam's tale is one that keeps you hooked from the start. I am very much looking forward to reading book two!

Actual rating 4.25⭐
WOW, it was so good. At first the pace was a bit slower, but the more you read, the more you don’t want to put the book down, and want to figure out everything . The writing was descriptive and you can picture everything. The world was beautiful and I love learning more about it.
I love the FMC Aryam, she was so brave. I really loved the twist and turns in the book. I also really love the other 4 girls, every girl had their personality and they were really likable.
I can’t wait to continue the story in the second book.

thank you to NetGalley and tylisha washington for a copy of the book (:

i will try to keep this review spoiler-free!!

i really, really enjoyed a chord of silver moons. i thought the writing was stunning. tylisha has such an innate ability to craft such a lush and imaginative world, filled with myths and creatures and folklore. what i realised, maybe during the halfway mark, was the use of musical language to build on this world— with music being such a core motif, tylisha’s use of words such as “score” to refer to years, “measure” for distance, “chorus-sisters” for the group of guardians, felt like a stroke of genius. it was so easy to slip into this world and get lost in the story.

the characters were absolutely to die for, especially aryam and the other guardians. following aryam’s journey felt like walking alongside a friend on their adventures. i just had this innate need to protect her. she’s clever and kind and there were such a well-rounded character. i’m excited to see where her story leads!

my favourite character though, has to be rae. i adored her snarky, no-nonsense attitude and i knew there was more to meet the eye with her. and sorry, maybe one spoiler, but that moment when aryam hugged her for the first time and she didn’t know what to do with herself was so funny and endearing. and later on in the story when she initiates a huge with aryam, i just melted!

i also adored chyou and i thought her oju was unique. she was also quite neurodivergent-coded to me, and i liked how she was written. i really liked maya and [redacted] too. the guardians had such a fun and entertaining dynamic and i can’t wait to see what happens next in their story.

i do think at times the plot became a little convoluted and a bit hard to follow. i also didn’t find the main love story that compelling, possibly because we didn’t spend enough time with the love interest. i do have very high hopes for the next instalment in the series, and i’m literally shaking with excitement to read it.

tylisha washington is a brilliant writer, and a chord of silver moons was a refreshing read full of adventure, dragons, children-eating bog-ladies, forest kings, water spirits and stories. what’s not to love, honestly?

thank you again for allowing me to read and review!

There's a lot to dive into so here we go.

This book throws you right into the world in such an immersive way. Time is measured in musical terms, which I thought was a unique element. There is a lot of world building with explanations that sometimes went over my head, but I trusted it would all make sense in the end. The last 20% flew by because it was full of action and revelation.

I had two main issues: 1) this could use just a little more polishing and make it outstanding, and 2) the love subplot feels forced. The love interest isn't even really present for most of the book, so it's hard to believe Aryam is in love by the end.

Overall, this is an enjoyable fantasy with tons of potential. Plus, it has dragons!

Thank you to NetGalley and author for the opportunity to read and review.

I enjoyed the book a lot, Especially when the rest of the characters join the story.
It felt at first like it was going to be slow, but it picked up pace. Had me all in twist and turns. Sometimes to much revealed to fast and sometimes not fast enough. I can't wait for book 2.
In the beginning I really was annoyed with the MC and then I remembered she is a teen and when I was a teen I'm sure I was annoying too. So I had empathy for her.
I really enjoyed the ensemble around her. I think they balanced out my annoyance for the MC.
I love the the way the characters where described, how everyone had their own personalities and lived experiences. How I couldn't tell what was going to happen next and who I could and should trust in the story.

I enjoyed this, especially the rich worldbuilding.

There was a lot to take in with this book, and it's a start of what I think will be a really good series. The idea of time being measured by music is really cool and unique. Time is measured in scores and beats and ticks. It's interesting how well thought out it is, although it takes some getting used to.

I liked the the main character and the four girls surrounding her. They each have their own personalities. I also like how the neurodiversity was handled and accepted by the others. That was definitely a strong point of the book.

There were some things I felt that could have been explained a little better throughout, like some of the backstory of the different kings, for example. Why did they rebel in the end? Also, I would like to know more about Anton and the Dragon King. I hope that there is more in the next book.

A CHORD OF SILVER MOOND by Tylisha Washington is very emotional to read so keep that in mind before you start.

The themes of duty, sacrifices, honor and self discovery are explored in a second world fantasy. The world building is rich and immersive. The action sequences were vivid and dynamic!

A Chord of Silver Moons by Tylisha Washington was a masterpiece! Tylisha is a genious! Such a good book, the characters are fantastic and the story is immaculate.

this book serves a gripping high fantasy with action, intrigue, and deep-rooted duty. the worldbuilding is immersive and the stakes are high—i loved the representation. a solid start to a new fantasy series!

In A Chord of Silver Moons, Tylisha Washington has created a breathtaking coming-of-age story full of magic and friendship. The book follows a girl called Aryam as she tries to find her oju (basically a power given to guardians, who are protectors of royals) while protecting Princess Marleyn, but ends up trying to save the people of Beldemar from an ancient threat.

There is so much to love about ACoSM! The immersive story, the way they track time, the lovely names...almost everything is perfect! Let us start with the story. Every step of Aryam's journey promised some new consideration, some new obstacle, resulting in a story that does not fail to be entertaining. Well, except for a small portion just before the middle. The pacing was off in that part, making it kind of hard to get through. That little pacing problem resulted in the book losing a star, but it stays a four star read since the rest of the book is so good! The story towards the end was fast paced and engaging, offering a hook for the sequel while finishing the story. Seriously, there are so many books that put a "cliffhanger" at the end, but it is just them being lazy and not bothering to actually close the story. ACoSM does not have this problem at all, instead offering a resolution while still providing more than enough material for a sequel.

The next thing worth praise is the way the characters refer to time. They measure time in "measures" (close to an hour, I think) and "scores" (maybe a year?) which was a bit confusing at first, until you realize that those terms are musical terms. The series is titled "Songs of Aryam." Songs. The story is a song, and the characters are referring to the passage of time in technical music terms! It just felt good to figure this out, but someone else has to find this interesting too, right?

Anyways...let's move on! The final thing to love is the names, or more specifically, the cultures shown. The names like Maya, Chori, and Kyrel are beautiful, but they are simply reflections of wonderful cultures. I loved the storytellers, called griori. I loved the stories shown. I loved the names of the kingdoms (Zehir, Jara, Gedra, and Marad). There was so much to love about the rich culture of these kingdoms, and learning tidbits of their history was fascinating! Again, there is simply so much to catch your interest, but if you are looking for a book with characters that grow, kingdoms rich in culture, and friendships strong as titanium, ACoSM is for you!

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me with this advanced reader copy in exchange for a review, but all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own!

Tylisha Washington’s A Chord of Silver Moons is a thrilling and emotionally charged fantasy that weaves together themes of duty, sacrifice, and self-discovery. Set in a world where ancient oaths and vengeful creatures shape the fate of kingdoms, this novel is a captivating journey of a young guardian’s struggle to find her place in a world on the brink of chaos.

Aryam Sinanan has spent her life preparing to fulfil her bloodline oath to defend the princess of Beldemar. However, Aryam has always questioned the necessity of her training, believing the akbarrin—vengeful creatures sealed away in a wasteland called The Shadows—to be a distant threat. On her sixteenth birthday, her doubts are shattered when the captain of the royal guard arrives with dire news: the king has been assassinated, the princess is in danger, and the akbarrin may be responsible.

Thrust into a role she never fully embraced, Aryam must leave behind her old life and join her sister guardians in battle. But there’s one glaring problem—Aryam doesn’t possess a spirit weapon, the very thing that gives her fellow guardians their power. As she struggles to prove herself and uncover the truth about the akbarrin, Aryam must confront her own fears and insecurities, all while the fate of Beldemar hangs in the balance.

Washington’s world-building is rich and immersive, blending the beauty of a fantastical realm with the tension of an impending war. The novel’s exploration of duty, identity, and the weight of legacy is both poignant and thought-provoking. Aryam’s journey is compelling, her growth from a reluctant guardian to a determined protector making her a heroine to root for.

The supporting cast, including the sister guardians and the enigmatic captain, adds depth and complexity to the narrative. The action sequences are vivid and dynamic, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Washington’s prose is lyrical and evocative, capturing the grandeur and peril of Aryam’s world with equal skill.

A Chord of Silver Moons is a story of courage, resilience, and the power of self-belief. It’s a tale that will captivate fans of fantasy and young adult literature, leaving them eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Aryam’s journey.