Dreamdark: Silksinger (Playaway Children) [Hardcover]

Laini Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 17, 2009 | Age Range: 10 and up | Series: Playaway Children (Book 2) | Lexile Measure: 870L (What's this?)

One faerie, the last of her clan, must fight to complete her sacred duty

Whisper Silksinger is the last of the secret guardians of the Azazel, one of the powerful Djinn who dreamed the world into being. Relentlessly pursued by bloodthirsty devils, she flees to the city of Nazneen to restore the Azazel to his temple. At the same time, Hirik Mothmage is also on a secret quest, to find the Azazel and restore his disgraced clan?s ancient honor.

And behind them all flies Magpie Windwitch, first champion of the new age of faeries, desperate to rescue Whisper and the Azazel alike before they fall in the clutches of a sinister hidden enemy.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–9—In this second volume in the series, the adventures of Magpie and the other fairies of Dreamdark forest continue as they quest to find the remaining five djinn that created the world. Two legendary clans with special magical gifts, the Mothmage and the Silksingers, both long-thought extinct, reemerge as Magpie and her followers search for the djinn Azazel in Nazneen. Evil is brewing there, and many surprises await the fairy heroes as they try to protect the world's tapestry from unraveling. Silksinger defies genre barriers. It certainly feels like fantasy, but it has elements of adventure and horror as well. With excellent world-building and deft pacing, this story is difficult to put down. The characters are well developed, and their close relationships and rapid-fire dialogue enhance the story. Make no mistake, these are not girly Disney-esque creatures. Taylor's fairies are tough and can take care of themselves. Occasional sword violence is offset by a rigid respect for all life in this fairy culture. While Taylor does a good job of weaving details from the first book into the second, Silksinger will be best enjoyed if it is read in sequence. This is series fantasy at its best: readers who loved Blackbringer (Putnam, 2007) will certainly gobble up this installment.—Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH END

Review

"...another ripping yarn, once again taking readers into an uncommonly well-articulated world...where the fairies are anything but the sugarplum sort." --Kirkus, starred

"This is series fantasy at its best: readers who loved Blackbringer (Putnam, 2007) will certainly gobble up this installment." --School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; 1 edition (September 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399246312
• ISBN-13: 978-0399246319
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.5 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #327,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laini Taylor is the author of the National Book Award Finalist Lips Touch: Three Times, as well as the novels Blackbringer and Silksinger. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtakingly Wonderful September 17, 2009

By Mary Kate TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I discovered the first novel in this series, Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer, in a used bookstore, picked it up, hesitated, read the flaps, hesitated again and then took a moment to read the prologue. I found it delightfully intriguing and happily, I made the choice to take it home. That moment of chance discovery and the choice to buy have proven to be lasting gifts. Blackbringer is one of my two or three favorite books of all time - and I'm over 50, so my `all-time' comprises quite a few years and thousands of books. I've been anticipating Silksinger like crazy; first, just to immerse myself once again in author Laini Taylor's gorgeous world and second, to discover if the second volume in this series could possibly live up to my (very high) expectations.

And, oh wow - it does that and more! Silksinger might, just might, be BETTER than Blackbringer. ** To my amusement, I feel a little disloyal even thinking that! Like maybe I should go stroke the cover of Blackbringer and assure it that I will never let another book usurp its place in my heart. I know, I know, I'm a little strange at times. :-)**

From the moving sacrifices of the opening chase to Whisper's gift of song at the close, Silksinger simply soars. Taylor's lyrical prose combined with her brilliant imagination, her ability to create unforgettable characters and her strong, solid plotting makes for a whole so magical it actually boggles my mind a little.

Silksinger has action and adventure and heroes of many different types - some quite unexpected - that are daring and determined. Some really nasty characters and the rather dark scenes they inhabit are balanced with humor and romance, magic, beauty, friendship and love. The story is involving and intricate, building beautifully on Blackbringer and hinting at what is to come.

In Silksinger, we are given the chance to revisit old friends and to meet a new group of fully developed and marvelously interesting characters. It would have been very easy for Taylor to make Whisper and Hirik only slightly altered clones of Magpie and Talon, but she avoids that, giving them their own personalities, suited to their back-stories. Whisper, in particular, is a somewhat non-traditional heroine and I think she (and her bravery) will appeal to many people, particularly children. Taylor's secondary characters continue to shine; I truly believe that a number of them could support their own books. (And the crows alone could have their own series!)

Taylor has also done an excellent job of developing a variety of different clans and societies in her stories, each with their own histories, which enriches the world of Dreamdark and gives it additional texture and depth. Happily, she manages to do this with a light touch, keeping the world building accessible to all ages.

As with Blackbringer, Jim Di Bartolo's illustrations - including his gorgeous cover art - enhanced my enjoyment. I also appreciated the "List of Plates" added in Silksinger. It makes locating the interior drawings quickly much easier.

Is Silksinger for kids? Yes. However, as mentioned above, IMO Silksinger is somewhat darker than Blackbringer which may affect its suitability for younger children. With only the smallest amount of editing, I read Blackbringer to my five year old granddaughter more than a year ago and she handled the scary parts just fine. I plan to hold off on reading Silksinger to her for another year or even two as I think she may find some of the scenes fairly disturbing. Kids in the intended age group of 9 - 12 should be fine with the more mature themes. As I often do, I suggest parents of younger children read the book first and use their own best judgment to determine if it suits their child's maturity level.

Is Silksinger for teens? Yes. It's a great story with stellar writing that will provide them with a break from the angsty romance currently so popular in young adult fiction. (Not that there's anything wrong with angsty romance!)

Is Silksinger for adults? Oh yes, most definitely yes. A novel this well-crafted is a delight for any age.

One note: If you haven't yet read Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer, I strongly suggest you do so before reading Silksinger. While Silksinger can certainly be enjoyed as a stand alone, I believe readers will take much more pleasure in it if they have knowledge of the history of Dreamdark as referenced in Blackbringer's pages.

My heart tells me this series is destined to become a classic. I know that, for me, it has already attained that status.

Very highly and joyfully recommended!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic January 3, 2010

By The Children's Book Reporter

Format:Hardcover

Whisper Silksinger is the last of her clan, the brave Silksingers who protected their Djinn and their city when its appointed guardians, the Mothmage, failed at their post...and her last mission is to set the Djinn once again on his throne.
Hirik is the first of a shamed clan to rise above his reputation and become a true champion...
And Magpie Windwitch is still at work, capturing devils, seeking out forgotten magic, and restoring the fraying tapestry of the world.
Evil forces work against all three...will the three of them together be able to overcome the most daunting of obstacles?

Laini Taylor is a rare find in an author: she has masterful plotting and world-building skills, she crafts every sentence with skill, fluidity, and subtlety, and her characters are unforgettable, lovable, and completely unique. Fans of epic fantasies would be more than remiss to overlook this amazing specimen; the omniscient narrative viewpoint may at times be difficult for a reader not accustomed to fantasy to follow, but it is well worth the effort it may take to "get into" the first few chapters. I can promise you that the action, intrigue, world-building and relationships will pull you into this fascinating story, whether you usually enjoy fantasy or not.

(Note: This is a sequel to DREAMDARK: Blackbringer, and will probably be more enjoyed if you have read that first book already. However, it does stand on its own as well.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars so sad there isn't more... April 15, 2012

By Jem TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was torn: five stars because it was so delightful? Or, three stars because it leaves the story unfinished with no further books in sight? I decided on five because despite not having resolved the full story arc, Silksinger was fast-paced and action-packed, with well-designed characters in a rich world full of wonderment. And the main plotline is resolved. I got lost in the story of Magpie and Whisper. I cared about them and their friends. The first Dreamdark book spent a lot of time setting things up. So, it took a while before the book got going. This one starts off with Whisper fleeing for her life as the last of her family dies protecting her and her sacred charge. And the story never let up from there. This is one of those "young adult" books that defies age classification. I'm 36, and I loved every minute of it.

In Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer, Magpie fulfilled her destiny by awakening the Djinn King and becoming his champion. Now, she must find the remaining djinn before the tapestry of creation unravels. But, evil is also looking for the djinn - to destroy them before they can be awakened. It is a classic tale of good and evil, but Taylor imbues her fantasy with unique twists, like the glyph based magic system, and a host of faery creatures which include sentient winds and imps with the power of serendipity.

Overall, I truly enjoyed my time in Dreamdark and have high hopes that the success of Daughter of Smoke and Bone will rekindle her publisher's interest in this series (she had planned five books). I would definitely return to Dreamdark. Highly recommended to all fans of fantasy, regardless of age.