Hush

A Novel

By: Dylan Farrow

Narrated by: Emily Shaffer

"[Narrator Emily] Shaffer gives an outstanding performance of this story with exciting character voicing variations and creating a memorable character in Shae." (Booklist)

A stunning and timely debut from activist Dylan Farrow, Hush is a powerful feminist fantasy full of surprising insights, that casts a ray of light into the shadows of a society based on silencing and lies.

How do you speak up in a world where propaganda is a twisted form of magic?

In the land of Montane, language is literal magic to the select few who possess the gift of telling. This power is reserved for the Bards, and, as everyone knows, the Bards have almost always been men. Seventeen-year-old Shae has lived her entire life in awe of the Bards - and afraid of the Blot, a deadly disease spread by ink, which took the life of her younger brother five years ago.

Ever since, Shae fears she’s cursed. But when tragedy strikes again, and her mother is found murdered with a golden dagger - a weapon used only by the Bards - Shae is forced to act. With a heart set on justice, Shae journeys to High House in search of answers. But when the kind, fatherly Cathal, the High Lord of Montane, makes Shae an undeniable offer to stay and train as a Bard, Shae can’t refuse.

Through this twisty tale, Shae endures backbreaking training by a ruthless female Bard, tentative and highly forbidden feelings for a male Bard with a dark past, and a castle filled with dangerous illusions bent on keeping its secrets buried.

But sometimes, the truth is closer than we think. We just have to learn to listen.

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books

"Narrator Emily Shaffer creates nuanced characterizations of the townsfolk and Bards.... This compelling production will leave listeners eagerly anticipating the next installment." (AudioFile Magazine)

"Farrow carefully crafts a layered world hiding dark secrets and gives us a fierce protagonist determined to unearth the truth-no matter the consequences. A compelling tale that's bound to grab your heart." (Swati Teerdhala, author of the Tiger at Midnight series)

©2020 Dylan Farrow (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

if you can stand the narration...

The narrator's voice is pleasant enough. It's her reading style that I find lacking. Everything gets read at a 10, leaving her nowhere to go when the action actually warrants reading it at that level. Not every sentence needs to be read as though something dreadful is just around the corner.

Otherwise it's a solid YA novel. Somewhat predictable but a few mild surprises tucked in here and there. I feel confident that even though I'm not likely to get the sequel the main character and her squad will save the day.

Best fantasy of 2020

This is the best fantasy I've read this year.

If you are a fan of strong female heroines and intricate fantasy worlds, this book is for you. The world building is wonderful. The characters are easy to relate to. There are twists and turns galore. Dylan's writing is reminiscent of Tamora Pierce and Sarah J Mass. I can see this series becoming an obsession. I cannot wait for the next book

Good read

Good read for YA, my young adult/teenagers patients enjoyed it and told me about it.

loved

I loved it I couldn't put this book down I usually can't get into books but this one i did

trite, clueless, boring

I'm a completionist and I will generally finish even very mediocre books. I could not finish this book - the prose is awful, the characters are flat and uncompelling, and the world building is so poorly executed that it's distracting. Descriptions of pretty basic rural domestic work/life are written by someone who not only has clearly never done anything like that but has also never really even talked to anyone who's ever done that kind of work

Predictable, for kids

i like YA but i found this to be slow and predictable. I couldnt finish, found myself bored. Had lots of potential but geared for a much younger audience. Not a narraration problem for me. Just not enough story to sink my teeth into.