The Unwanteds: Island of Silence by Lisa McMann

406 pages

"The battle is over. The magical barrier between the dreary land of Quill and the fantastical world of Artime is gone. Now residents of both places are free to mingle, but tensions are high. The artistic warriors of Artime struggle to forgive those in Quill who condemned them to death, while the Quillens attempt to recover from the shock of Artime's existence, the loss of their leader, and the total collapse of their safe, orderly world.

Alex Stowe has recovered from his physical wounds since his death-defying role in Artime's victory, but his confidence is shattered. He battles self-doubt after Artime's beloved mage, Mr. Today, makes a stunning request, which is further complicated by the mysterious arrival of two silent orange-eyed teenagers. Meanwhile in Quill, Aaron is devastated by his fall from grace. Spurred by rage, Aaron devises a masterful plan of revenge that will return him to power...if no one gets in his way." -Back Cover

The first half of this book was just so-so for me. One of the things that I don't think is explained very well is why Aaron hates Alex so much. His vengeful attitude just doesn't seem grounded in anything significant before the battle at the end of book one. I think Aaron is the weakest character which is kind of a shame since he's the villain. The fact that this book is told almost totally from Alex's point of view doesn't help that. Aaron falls from grace and then in a matter of weeks, thanks in part to handing out stolen food to hungry Wanteds and Necessaries, begins his rise to power once again. Why adults would fear and trust a teenage boy who has no magical power is a bit strange. The adults seem to think he's the only one who can restore Quill...or maybe they're just biding their time. One thing I did like about Aaron's story is that he (and you) don't quite know who's on his side and who's playing him.

I did enjoy more of Mr. Today's back story. He restores the memories of the original founders of Quill and that creates an interesting dynamic. He sees a lot of potential in Alex and wants him to take over in part because of the twin connection that he and Aaron share, like Mr. Today and Justine did. But of course things happen before Alex fully commits and Mr. Today is able to share all of his knowledge because about midway through this book really picks up in intensity. Finally there was something to justify the "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter" tagline. Meghan, Samheed, and Lani go off on an adventure that puts them in a lot of danger and leaves their future a bit uncertain. This is the typical middle series book in that it acts like a filler between the first and third. It of course leaves you with a bunch of loose ends which hopefully the third book will tie up in a satisfying way. It was hard to put down once things started to get exciting and thank goodness the third book comes on in September. My teenage daughter picked it up as soon as I was finished and she's loving it.