Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a sweeping, epic, Asian-inspired YA fantasy. Although the pages will fly by with action, the author artfully is still able to create two pillars that elevate this novel into a higher class of fantasy. First, there is a well-developed world and magic system that holds together pretty well without a lot of gaps. Second, the two protagonists have deep souls and each are given almost equal weight throughout the novel–which is refreshing. Lan is a little bit spunky and scrappy, which fits her background. Zen’s soul is so beautiful it is impossible to not be drawn to him as a reader, but this makes his journey achingly painful at the same time.
The title actually doesn’t resonate until the end of the book when a lot is pulled together. The first book in a series, this is a fresh, must-read recommendation for YA fantasy lovers, and it will be hard to wait for the next installment.
Review of Digital Advance Reading Copy provided by Delacorte Press
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 6 religious exclamations; 1 religious profanity; 2 derogatory names; 4 scatological words; 1 anatomical terms.
Violence/Gore: Many references and reports throughout the book to past wars, slaughters, conquests with deaths of families and pillaging; character recalls witnessing at the age of 6 the death of her mother at the hands of invaders, bloody and long death, some details and description; character comes upon a destroyed shop, mention of shop being drenched in blood, corpse of elderly shopkeeper; character grabs arm and hurts the person intentionally; character makes an obscene gesture; character is slapped in the face; scene in which man chokes girl, forcing her against wall and begins groping her with intent to rape (not a lot of details)but is stopped; character is killed; soldiers begin to tear clothing and grope a girl but are stopped (non-detailed); fight with magic, injuries and casualties; man ruthless kills a girl with magic, splitting her down the middle mention of blood, some description; pain inflicted with magic; character is wounded and another cleans his wounds; mention of using blood to inscribe magic characters; many references to supernatural creatures, ghosts, and demons; nightmare with petals turning to blood; character shot by an arrow; character recalls being tortured in experiments when he was a young boy and references to this throughout the book; verbal threats; threat at sword point; mother slaps daughter across the face; sparring; frightening corpse inhabited by a demon; fighting of demons with magic, sword; scene with skeletons from long ago dead where a battle occurred; magic used to inflict pain and incapacitate; torturing someone with needles to get answers; character stabbed in chest; character finds out from another there has been a massacre of everyone at an outpost by someone possessed by a demon; report of a demon taking an eye and an arm; character beat with ferule as punishment; knocking someone unconscious; care for a man’s wounds on his back; sword fight, injury; demon magic used to wipe out large group of people; character runs a former friend through with a sword, mention of blood; character is seen bleeding; mention of blood running down someone’s hands as they are treating another; stab another with a knife; character knocked unconscious; character pushes another off a high cliff; general views the bodies after a battle, disrespect being show to the dead; passing reference to tales of people eating human flesh and drinking the blood of children; a couple of extended battle scenes with weapons and magic.
Sex/Nudity: Girl hides figure under baggy clothing to avoid attention of soldiers (innuendo); man looks at 18-year-old girl and she feels violated by his eyes; girls work at a tea house where customers can purchase a single night with a girl and then she would be cast out unless the customer purchases her; mention of concubines; male and female are attracted to each other and notice each other’s physical appearance throughout course of book; young woman says it is her time of the month to get sympathy and this makes a man uncomfortable; character removes clothes to bathe in a lake and someone comes upon her; male character leans head on other male’s shoulder, later in book it becomes clear that they are a couple; verbal expressions of romantic love; embrace, touch on face, kiss; character does not know who her father was.
Mature Subject Matter:
Abandonment of boy with a harelip, death, discrimination/oppression, war, conquest of a country by foreigners, death of a parent, supernatural (in context of magic system), torture, experimentation on children.
Alcohol/Drug Use:
Medicinal drugs.
