“The Gods made their Words into flesh, giving privileged individuals the powers of creation...”
In Eden City, a member of the illiterate wordless class would never dream of meeting the all-powerful Words ... much less of running away with one. So when a gorgeous girl literally falls into his lap during a routine trash run, seventeen-year-old Tavin Barnes isn’t sure if it’s the luckiest or worst day of his life. That girl is Khaya, the Word of Life, who can heal a wound or command an ivy bush to devour a city block with ease. And yet she needs Tavin’s help.
By aiding Khaya’s escape from the seemingly idyllic confines of Eden City, Tavin unwittingly throws himself into the heart of a conflict that is threatening to tear the world apart. Eden City’s elite will stop at nothing to protect the shocking secret Khaya hides, and they enlist the other Words, each with their own frightening powers, to bring her back.
***
This book is surprisingly good. I have quite some hopes for this book and it exceeds my expectations. I'm so glad that this is a book in which the boy is the narrator, and has done a damn good job about it (because let's face it, some of the male narrators are just boring as hell). Tavin Barnes is full of wit and relatable language, even though he curses sometimes. Despite being a wordless (which most of the readers... aren't), his behavior is very lively and very... teenage-boy. Like the why-the-heck-are-you-messing-with-my-life-but-oh-well-I-will-get-along-with-it attitude. Kinda hard not to like this guy.
Khaya, however, is much harder to relate. She is a strong character - physically and mentally. But in terms of characteristics, she's somewhat flat. I know it's because she's a Word and they are suppressed for life, but her attitude is not as friendly as Tavin's. It takes much longer to grow accustomed to her, and I'm not sure if she has that much potential to develop into a badass character. We'll see.
The concept is very unique here. It blows me away, actually. It's a great combination of survival element (which sounds like something from a pre/post-apocalyptic novel) and mystique. Commanding elements is always a fascinating ability to me. Especially when you can call upon darkness and light (and now it sounds like The Grisha trilogy). But even more, those who have the power to command elements are only puppets. The big bad is a classic villain. Normally I don't like classic villains because they only show the bad side of them. But when they are bad enough, it gets interesting. It's the case in Wordless. Despite my deep hatred towards this big bad, I'm so excited to see what they are up to in Lifeless.
This is certainly one of the better books I've read this year. I really want the next book now, because the cliffhanger is almost unbearable.
Rating: 8/10
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