It began in the graveyard…
Ever since her boyfriend Nathan had died in a tragic accident, Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. For Emma, life had stopped with Nathan’s death. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death….
Emma was not quite like others teenagers. It was true that other girls had experienced grief. Other girls had also lost their fathers, or had their boyfriends die in a senseless accident. But though she hadn’t known it till that night in the graveyard, unlike those other girls, she could see, touch, and speak with the dead. In fact, Emma could draw upon the essence of the dead to work magic. That was what Necromancers did. But Emma had no desire to be a Necromancer. She just wanted to help the ghosts who walked the streets of Toronto, unable to escape from the land of the living. And that was just as well, because had she chosen the path of the Necromancer, Eric would have had to kill her.
Instead, Eric and his fellow Necromancer hunter Chase found themselves violating every rule they were sworn to follow, becoming part of Emma’s group, helping her to stand against those who preyed upon the dead. But whether Emma and her friends could survive such a battle was anyone’s guess. And whether Emma could learn to use the magic of the dead against her enemies without herself falling victim to the lure of such power remained to be seen. Eric seemed to think she could, and her living friends would never abandon her. But only time would tell what Emma’s true destiny was….
"Brilliant storyteller Sagara heads in a new direction with her Queen of the Dead series. She does an excellent job of breathing life into not only her reluctant heroine, but also the supporting players in this dramatic and spellbinding series starter. There is a haunting beauty to this story of love, loss and a teenager’s determination to do the right thing. Do not miss out!"
First things first, why oh why does Silence not pop up when you search for it on GoodReads? So not cool because this was a great start to a supernatural series. I loved that Emma was allowed to be smart and caring, and that while she admits Eric is cute…there’s no insta-love in sight. Emma is still dealing with the death of the boyfriend, as well as the general drama of a teenage life.
I liked that Sagara had different supporting characters. We have the smart but shy bff, the teen queen, and an autistic boy named Michael. What’s so cool about this mix of people is what brings them together…not Emma, but Michael. The girls decided early on in school to band together and help Michael navigate the torturous world High School can be for a person who is autistic.
And Michael was such a smart addition to the story. As Emma and her band of misfits get deeper and deeper into the world of necromancers Michael’s ability to see and intercede in situations that freeze other characters (literally) is an obvious plus. Because Michael only understands logic (and not the gray area most of our reasoning occurs in) he becomes this walking truth indicator for the group. If Michael sees it, believes it, accepts it…it must be true. Helps to bring a lot of the characters into the paranormal loop fast.
But, supernatural aspects aside, why I enjoyed this book so much was because it reminded me of Deadly Cool in its feel. Romance was not the central focus of the story. A girl learning who she is, what she is capable of is the point of the tale. Emma is allowed to be cool and smart, and not necessarily a sex symbol. It was a breath of fresh air in the YA division. I’ll definitely be sticking around for the rest of the series because this first installment leaves you with questions!…
Why is Emma a Necromancer?
Why is she so powerful?
How the heck could she open that door?!
Who is the scary lady?/The old man?
What the heck was ____ going to tell her?!
So not fair I have to wait months to get my answers!!
Rating: 4/5 For a smart, normal girl mixed up in a ghost ridden paranormal series.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved this plot idea. It is fresh and something that I have never read before!!!
The plot is amazing. The reader meets Emma who can see the dead. Not only can she see them but she can gain power from them. And on top of that, she is wanted. Necromancers like her are to be killed. Most of the time when I read books about necromancers they always help people. Never had I read where they are to be killed! So awesome.
The characters of the book is out of the loop. Emma doesn't even realize what she can do. When she comes into her power it's mind blowing. Each time she experiments with a ghost she just grows stronger and stronger.
The love interest begins with a hottie that is her....wait for it...her assassin! I know! He is sent to kill her and BAM! He falls in love. Great new plot twist with every new chapter. Not to mention the complications when he fails to kill her.
There is another character named Michael that really caught my eye. He has autism. I liked seeing Emma friendship with him. Since my son is now in the process of being diagnosed, learning more about his everyday life and routine with friends is great.
Silence is an great book with a fresh plot. With ghost hanging around every corner, Silence is nothing but silent. Engrossing and fun, Silence is fabulous!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Icecream18JA
Posted May 5, 2012
What would it be like to see and be affected by ghosts? How would you react to your dead boyfriend? Emma is one of the few characters who could answer those questions. Emma used to be a regular teen girl...until she started seeing ghosts and may be hunted down due to this newfound power.
Emma must face the fact that she may be a necromancer and that she may be in danger. There are those that specifically hunt necromancers, believing them to be evil, and Emma must discover a way to avoid them at all costs...but what if she walked right into their paths?
Emma is the main character and the reader will view the story through her eyes. Emma's character is sympathetic, she is new to the world of necromancers and scared from the threats. Her character is brave and genuinely kind overall. Her friends add a lot to the plot. The reader will get to know each friend quite well, they will be a huge help to Emma later on. The love interest gives the book a slightly romantic feel, but is not overly focused upon. Those who do not enjoy romance can still love this book! The author has many twists and turns embedded in the novel that will both surprise the reader and leave him/her wondering. This is the first book in a series that I do not plan on missing! This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 19, 2012
Sagara writes well. As in real life, the characters and reader are left in the dark on what will happen next. Fun.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 13, 2013
Book was well written. But I was disappointed as this was no where near as good as her other series.
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Posted April 7, 2013
@@$$%%&&**--++((!!"''''::;;//,,))
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Posted March 25, 2013
I want to read this so bad! I read all the reveiws and think this will be a great read. I am 11 so would this be appropriate? I read a lot of young adult books.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Other than the hero's all being high school students there is no other indication that this was a YA. It was beautifuly written, thoughtful, and lovely.
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Posted August 12, 2012
I understand.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 12, 2012
Im srry *hugs you* i gtg take shower, i'll be at sl when i get back
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 21, 2012
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Posted May 27, 2012
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Posted June 23, 2012
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Overview
It began in the graveyard…
Ever since her boyfriend Nathan had died in a tragic accident, Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. For Emma, life had stopped with Nathan’s death. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her ...