Synopsis:
She rides to claim her fate, he flies to burn it down.
As the only woman in the Moontouched Brotherhood, Tani studies on the haughty island of Eavenfold surrounded by men who see her as an ill omen at best. Her Fate Ceremony is only days away, offering five possible escapes from the storm-locked island, but each with their own consequences.
Lang, an insubordinate Crown Prince, holds the reins to one of the few true dragons left in the world. Sent to Eavenfold on a diplomatic mission by his warmongering father, he watches as the Brothers bestow a rare and unwanted Marriage Fate on Tani. Already her touch magic alarms him, but if she succeeds and marries the victor of the upcoming tournament, her power could topple empires.
They both arrive at the games. Her, to claim her Fate. Him, to destroy it by any means possible.
Review:
To Touch a Silent Fury is one hell of a book, one that I knew would be amazing based on its ratings as well as fellow friends’ reviews, but I guess I wasn’t prepared for how good this book would be. And that’s because I’m a moron. Listen, I’m friends with Sandpiper and I’ve also read her debut, A Pocket of Lies, so I already knew she was one talented writer who could create an instantly connectable and enjoyable main protagonist, but TTaSF really surprised me on how she not only made an even more undeniably amazing main protagonist, but then decided to add a second all the while crafting an excellent romance with a detailed world!
Those who are moontouched, aka born at midnight on a certain day, are sent to the island of Eavenfold, there they train in five paths. These white-haired, white-eyed children are then tested at age 20, where their capital F Fate is assigned to them, and until the conditions are met, their magic cannot reach its full potential. This is where Tanidwen (Tani) meets hers. Oh, she’s also the only woman ever. She is given a Marriage Fate, cue romance! But of course things go awry and before the book ends, she’s drawn into political machinations and baby dragon rearing.
I want to start by saying TTaSF might be one of the best uses of 1st Person POV I have ever read. Those who know me, know that I have a dislike for most 1st POV because I find the prose to be lacking dynamism or voice when it’s mostly “I do this” followed by “then I do this” “I…I…I”. If I am going to be in someone’s close 1st perspective, I want their voice to bleed through the page and it’s very rare I find that. Sandpiper created a masterclass with Tani’s and Lang’s dual POVs. The pronouns just disappear within the dynamic prose and deeply emotional voice. I found myself absolutely caught up within these characters’ journeys, glued to the pages. I never felt like I wasn’t viewing the world and plot arc outside of their vision. And even though each chapter has the POV’s name it it, I never once had to look at it to know who’s arc I was in, there was clarity from the beginning and you don’t see that often. Bravo R.A. Sandpiper, bravo.
For the characters themselves, Tani is utterly compelling. I will admit that Fated Mates is not a trope I genuinely enjoy, but Sandpiper gives plenty of agency to Tani, even when it feels like there isn’t any. Yes, for her to gain control over full magic abilities, she has to marry the winner of a tournament, meaning she needs a dude in her life. But because of plot things, she has to make multiple decisions, some with major reveals about her history that will alter her Fate. She is nothing if not determined. But we also feel every aching emotion about her loneliness as the only female moontouched, her anger at her Fate, her yearning for companionship. Sandpiper makes us feel so deeply for Tani, it was frankly rude to twist our emotions like that. And then Lang as the foil. A man feared and hated, but also one with a captivating backstory. He’s the Dragon Prince with all sorts of political scheming surrounding him. His arc was just as great as Tani’s. And even though they are Fated Mates, there is so much depth to their arcs, so much growth, it never felt forced.
The magic system is quite interesting, it’s based on the 5 senses. Hell, even the lands are called that, the Scentlands, the Touchlands, etc. And the cultures of these lands focus on honing their senses, ie those in the Soundlands have insanely perceptive hearing, and this plays into the moontouched’s magic. For example, Tani’s only moontouched friend (who’s also in love with her) Seth, he’s from the Sightlands, his Fate is to become an advisor because his magic gives him visions of possible futures. Tani is from the Touchlands and her magic allows her to read people’s emotions just from touching them. I found this magic system very fun in its low-key nature.
Did I mention there are dragons and wyverns in this book? Did I also mention there are dragon-bonded riders and wyvern-bonded riders? No? I probably should then as that’s a key element of the plot.
To Touch a Silent Fury is an incredible slow-burn romantasy with epic worldbuilding that never feels exposition-y. Yes, there is a Fated Mates aspect to this story, but how it unfolds and the twists/turns it takes to get there, plus an interesting cliffhanger, made for a very enjoyable read. Highly recommend this book and I eagerly await with the rest of this book’s many many fans for the conclusion to The Bride of Eavenfold duology!
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