Silent Orchids Review

A dying realm.

The ancient evil of the Droch-Shúil has been unleashed. 

The Orchids have been silenced… but for how long?

Daegan, elite of the Ferrishyn warrior tribe of Faeries, is charged with a mission to find the Sol-lumieth, a mysterious new power that could change the fate of all in the realm of Alandria. But he is conflicted by his purpose, and he cannot trust the motives of those he serves. He has too many questions and they must be answered.

Kaeleigh, a girl abandoned as a small child just outside Missoula, Montana, is now 18. She is trying to discover who she is and where she belongs. In her heart, she feels she has family out there… somewhere. Desperate to unravel the mysteries of her past, she embarks on a journey that will forever change her along with her two best friends, Finn and Chel—who have secrets of their own

Review:

I have been yearning for a really good fantasy story to take me away from my never ending binge of contemporaries lately.  Silent Orchids has been my rescue. 

Wylie has taken great care to carve out her own niche in the faerie realm.  She creates a very vivid and detailed world, and takes time to create an immense back story that will definitely serve to create a very rich series. 

The point of view shifted from multiple characters, which gives us an overarching view of what goes on in the story.  The story opens up with a kind of prophetic setting, introducing us to characters we meet later on in the story.  Daegan was a character who really stood out to me.  His backstory is ver mysterious, and he keeps everything pretty close to him.  

Kaeleigh was someone who I easily got.  She didn't completely accept everything that was going on around her, but over time she became more ok with these huge secrets coming out, and ultimately grew to be a stronger character in my opinion.  Her friendship with Finn had me worried that there would be a potential love triangle, and while I think that would be weird on so many levels, it seemed that there were opportunities for that to develop.  Chel, who is Kaeleigh's best friend, I found completely endearing.  Their friendship is definitely till death do them part, and I think that is exemplified through both Kaeleigh and Chel. 

While I felt that the plot was a tad slow moving, I can see that Wylie is going for an episodic saga, and The Silent Orchids serves really well as a jumping off point.  There was some action, and a slight cliff hanger ending that won't have you tearing out your hair, but definitely will keep you wanting more. 

Overall, The Silent Orchids was a very satisfying read.  I definitely see this as a series I could become hooked on, and really can't wait for the second book to arrive.  A really strong start to a series and first book for Morgan Wylie. 

4/5 Oh Yeah I liked it a lot!