Singer in the Snow (Singers of Nevya Series #4)

by Louise Marley

Overview

“Remember the first time you read Le Guin’s Earthsea novels or Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings? All that timeless magic and wisdom is just as powerful in Marley’s latest—an instant classic.”—Paul Goat Allen, Explorations
 
On Nevya, summer comes once every five years, and to be outside after nightfall is fatal. Its people rely on their Cantors and Cantrixes, men and women with the ability to channel psi energy through music, creating heat and light. Mreen is possibly the most talented Cantrix on Nevya—but she is unable to make a sound. When she travels to her first posting at the house of Tarud, she is accompanied by a younger Singer, Emle, who will help the Cantrix, teach Tarus’s Housemembers the Cantrix’s finger-symbol alphabet, and try to come to terms with her own flawed Gift, her inability to channel her psi. The two young women then find out about Gwin, a young girl whose abusive stepfather wants to exploit her psi-Gift talents—and in reaching out to help her, both Mreen and Emle learn how to help themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440695940
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	02/15/2007
Series:	Singers of Nevya Series , #4
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	287 KB
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Louise Marley, a performer of classical music, is the author of several novels including The Terrorists of Irustan and The Glass Harmonica, which was the co-winner (with Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Telling) of the 2001 Endeavour Award for outstanding achievement in science fiction or fantasy. She lives in Redmond, Washington, with her husband and son.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Almost ten years since the conclusion of her Singers of Nevya trilogy (Sing the Light, Sing the Warmth, and Receive the Gift), Louise Marley returns to the ice planet with a science fantasy masterwork about two unique young women struggling to realize their potential.

On the planet of Nevya -- a world without any advanced technology where summer only comes every five years -- simply being outside at the wrong time can mean certain death. The Nevyans depend solely on Singers ("Gifted" individuals with the ability to channel psi energy through music to create heat and light) for survival. Mreen is one of the most powerful psi channelers Nevya has ever seen, but she's completely mute. Emle, on the other hand, is an exceptional Singer who can't productively channel her energy. When the two are sent from the shelter of the Nevyan Conservatory to a distant outpost, they must rely on each other for strength. But once at Tarus, their problems become secondary, as the two become involved in a young Gifted girl's life-and-death struggle to survive a negligent mother and a violently abusive stepfather.

From the beautifully lyrical writing style and deeply heartfelt themes to the extraordinary cover art and design, Marley's Singer in the Snow is truly magical. While categorized as a young adult title, this novel can -- and should -- be read by science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. Remember the first time you read Le Guin's Earthsea novels or Tolkien's Lord of the Rings? All that timeless magic and wisdom is just as powerful in this instant classic. Paul Goat Allen

bn.com

Gr 7 Up-Set in the same sphere as the "Singers of Nevya" trilogy (Ace), this is an engaging tale of a world in which only the psionic powers of the Singers (those who use music to focus energy and light) can create enough warmth for survival. At the Conservatory, Mreen is a Singer who cannot speak but can communicate psionically. Emle is the opposite; she has a beautiful voice but cannot control her psi to produce warmth and light. When Mreen is assigned to be a Cantrix at Tarus, Emle accompanies her to act as her voice. There they meet Gwin, a girl with the Gift who is abused by her stepfather. In their efforts to help her, both come to terms with their respective issues. Astute readers will guess from the start that Emle's difficulty lies in a childhood trauma, and that Mreen's muteness may be linked to her shame about her mother, a Cantrix who broke her vows of celibacy. Nevya itself is a fascinating world, reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey's Pern. Some elements are not fully explained; for example, why summer only occurs every five years, or even how long it lasts. Still, the story should attract science-fiction fans and may inspire them to seek the "Nevya" trilogy.-Karyn N. Silverman, Elizabeth Irwin High School, New York City Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Intimate human dilemmas explored against the backdrop of a harsh alien world. The primitive ice planet Nevya is only habitable through the psionic Gifts of the Cantors, whose songs create light and warmth. But Singer Emle, despite her training and talent, is unable to channel even a spark; instead, she is sent to accompany Cantrix Mreen to the holding of Tarus. Despite her prodigious Gift, Mreen is mute, needing Emle to communicate. Emle befriends the stablehand Luke, himself rendered silent and powerless by his stepfather's abuse. These three young people must each overcome the scars of their pasts and find their hidden voices to save the children of Tarus from heartless exploitation. Marley returns to the setting of an earlier trilogy with this independent story less epic in scope, but far more personal and poignant. Even the most minor or villainous characters are portrayed with sympathetic delicacy, and the spare descriptive language keenly evokes the tenuous glow of human communities against Nature's indifferent grandeur. Music plays an integral role as the provider of life and joy, but one that demands discipline and sacrifice. Whether the Singers of Nevya are new to the reader or old friends, their voices will resonate gracefully. (Science fiction. 12+)

Kirkus Reviews