Lovin' los libros

A dying realm.

The ancient evil of the Droch-Shúil has been unleashed.

The Orchids have been silenced… but for how long?

Daegan, elite of the Ferrishyn warrior tribe of Faeries, is charged with a mission to find the Sol-lumieth, a mysterious new power that could change the fate of all in the realm of Alandria. But he is conflicted by his purpose, and he cannot trust the motives of those he serves. He has too many questions and they must be answered.

Kaeleigh, a girl abandoned as a small child just outside Missoula, Montana, is now 18. She is trying to discover who she is and where she belongs. In her heart, she feels she has family out there… somewhere. Desperate to unravel the mysteries of her past, she embarks on a journey that will forever change her along with her two best friends, Finn and Chel—who have secrets of their own.

My Review:

 

Silent Orchids was a great start to the Age of Alandria series. Wylie does not hesitate to throw us right into this fantastical world, introducing us to the lore of the world she has created. In fact, some of it felt almost Lord of the Rings like describing the faeries, elves, and the other mystical beings. (And I'm a huge LOTR fan so this so worked for me!) She does quite a bit of world building in this novel, getting us acquainted with not only the realm of Alandria, but also with the characters.

 

We are first introduced to Kaeleigh, our main character, who is experiencing flashes and dreams that she cannot explain nor understand. She knows nothing of her heritage, only her true name (Kaeleighnna) and that the orchid has some kind of special meaning to her. She lives in Montana and while she may not have any family, she does have two best friends: Finn and Chel. Both are fiercely loyal to her and she considers them to be her family. Chel is fun, upbeat, and bubbly where Finn is more introspective. There are several occasions throughout the novel where we see just how protective Finn and Chel are of Kaeleigh and how the binds of friendship will not be broken, even when tested.

 

We then meet Daegan: angry, determined, stoic, he is a warrior who has been trained by the Ferrishyn, the elite warrior race of the Faeries. He lives with his great aunt and uncle who are the current rulers of Feraánmar (the Faerie dominion). It is clear his great aunt is the one with the power and I am eager to find out more about her in the next book, as she is powerful, manipulative, and not to be trusted. Her son Halister treats Daegan as a brother and he is the one who accompanies Daegan on a recon quest to find out if they are in danger from a distant threat. On this quest Daegan is accompanied to see the Elders, who inform him there is a human girl of great value that he must seek out and protect at all costs. After disclosing this information to his great-aunt, he unwillingly sets out to find this girl and to bring her back. Easier said than done.

 

Kaeleigh is a lot of fun to read about. She is actually a believeable protagonist. She is still an 18 year old girl and acts like one. She puts on a tough face, but is also vulnerable and frightened at everything that is beginning to happen to her. Slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) she begins to trust Daegan and does eventually accompany him (along with Finn and Chel) to Alandria.Watching them interact is fun, but frustrating at the same time. Daegan does not wear his emotions on his sleeve, but in those moments of vulnerability, Kaeleigh sees something more in him and I am excited to see where Morgan is going to take their relationship in the next installment.

 

Overall, fans of high fantasy will really enjoy this book, even though it does end quite abruptly. There is a pretty big revelation towards the end of Kaeleigh, so I'm eager to learn more already!

 

~Interview with Morgan Wylie~