Upcoming Release Review: The Speaker
***Upcoming Release!***
by Traci Chee
Age Range: 13 & up
Release Date: November 7, 2017
G.P. Putnam Son's Books for Young Readers
9780399176784
A slew of spectacular Young Adult fantasy books hit the
shelves last fall, including quite a few strong debuts. One of the standouts
was called The Reader by Traci Chee.
With a gorgeous blue eye-catching cover and a synopsis to draw in any bookworm,
The Reader was a knockout. It
followed Sefia, an orphaned girl set out for revenge on the people who took her
family from her. Her most treasured possession was a strange rectangular object
previously guarded by her parents. An object called a book. In a world where
the written word is unheard of, books holds power. And with that power come
those willing to do anything to possess it. On her journey, Sefia rescues a
mute young man by the name of Archer, kidnapped and forced into fighting rings
for a ruthless pirate. Somehow, the notorious pirate Serakeen is tied into
Sefia’s search for those after the book, and The Reader left us with quite a cliffhanger on that topic.
The Speaker picks
up just days after these events. Sefia has a new task: to use the Book to track
those who kidnap boys and force them to kill one another. The life she rescued
Archer from. Along the way we reconnect with beloved characters of the past,
including the charismatic Captain Reed and his crew aboard the Current of Faith. As Sefia and Archer
free more and more boys, and more and more of them join the cause, Archer
worries about what he is becoming. He’s enjoying
killing these cruel men, and now that he remembers who he is and where he
comes from, the battles seem to be the only way to hold the memories at bay.
Sefia worries she is losing him, and soon she faces a choice: Protect Archer,
even if it means losing him forever, or let him fall farther into the
bloodlust.
It is rare that sequels live up to their predecessor. Second
books especially have a hard time holding up, but oh, The Speaker is the exception to this. It is just as well-paced,
just as riveting, just as fascinating
as the first. The world Chee has built really expands, and in more ways than
just places visited on the map. Archer in particular holds the spotlight in a
way he didn’t in the first. He may remember who he is, but he doesn’t feel the
knowledge meshes with who, or what,
he has become, and though we learn more about the mysterious boy, Sefia is
often left in the dark.
And speaking of Sefia, the Book appears to have a life of
its own, and Sefia dives in deeper and deeper in the effort to controlling it.
Along the way, she discovers more uncomfortable truths about the people her
parents were, and what actions of theirs led her, and the entire world, to
where they are today. The truths she uncovers are awful, but may be key in
turning things around. Finally, Captain Cannek Reed gets his due share of the
limelight, as we dive once more into life aboard the Current of Faith. Much is uncovered of the wily captain’s troubled
past, and more is yet to come.
As she so aptly did in The Reader, Chee expertly weaves several seemingly unrelated threads to come
together in the most unexpected of ways. This along with the pacing is done just beautifully. There are several times in the middle where, in the hands of
a less talented writer, things could easily begin to drag, particularly as
Archer and the boys liberate group after group of boys. But Chee never lets
this happen. Things move along at an extremely well-set pace, especially as
they are interspersed with scenes of her many other threads just waiting to be
connected.
If you were concerned about this highly anticipated
follow-up not living up to the first, have no fear. Traci Chee is a weavemaster
and knows exactly what she is doing. If you have yet to crack open The Reader, now is the perfect time to
do so. The setting just begs to be read as the autumn wind blows red and gold
leaves past your window, and you won’t have long to wait for the next, as The Speaker hits shelves November 7t h.
Happy reading!
Thank you to Colleen over at Penguin for the ARC!
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