I have to say that if I were able, I would give this book a 3.75. It wasn't quite a 4 for me because there were some points that things were just a little too strange and a little too high fantasy even for me, and I love I fantasy. That being said, it was a good solid read. I don't want to say anything that will spoil the book, but I will say that it has some pretty cool twists in it that I didn't see coming, and I really love when books do that as long as it flows with the rest of the story and in this case, it did. It really is hard to explain what this book is about without spoilers, but I can say that they are in a land were Music is magic and connecting to the "Song" will cost you your life. I would recommend this book only to those that are really into high fantasy. ( )

I purchased this book from Half Priced Books to read. All opinions are my own. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 The Hush by Skye Kelli Wegner. An amazing fantasy written about two magical worlds that operates on Music. Three teens begin an outlaw gang that travels back and forth between good and evil parts of the world playing Robin Hood basically. Until they rescue an unlicensed songshaper that will lead them on the most impossible mission ever. His rescue and recruitment into their gang costs more than the impossible heist they have to pull off only no one realizes just how much until it's too late to make changes to their plan. Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Library Thing, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Amazon, Twitter @jason_stacie and my blog at readsbystacie.com ( )

I picked this book off the new teen books bookshelf in the library on a whim and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I had never heard of the author before but the story blurb sounded good so I decided to give it a chance without even checking it out on Goodreads!

The world the author creates is so unique. I haven't read anything similar. It is so interesting how eveything is based on music. It was thoughtful and richly described.

The characters were the best part of the novel though. They were each endearing in their own way and you just really wanted to join the Nightfall gang yourself. They had multiple layers that you slowly got to peel back as the book continued. I only wish there had been more about the Songshapers. I felt like they were just a categorical bad-guy.

The questions I had throughout the book about what had happened to the different members of the gang, and why only the rich could become songshapers were all answered by the end of the book in satisfying ways.

I would love it if the author based more books in this universe and with this cast of characters! ( )

At first I wondered whether I would connect with this book or not, but "The Hush" quickly turned into a very enjoyable read with a nice mix of fantasy, Sci-fi and music. The world Melki-Wegner created was vivid and detailed where music and magic were fiercely entwined. At the same time, this world was familiar as it had many Wild West elements including saloons, guns, cowboy boots, carriages, sacks of gold, griddlecakes, horses (although these ones could fly), sheriffs and cornfields.

I really liked the members of the Nightfall Gang. Each was a strong character with special talents, an interesting backstory and a quirky, unique personality, and all were united by their past associations with the Conservatorium. Their motto was similar to Robin Hood's: steal from the rich to give to the poor. However, unlike Robin Hood, Susannah and her gang were able to escape undetected by vanishing into a parallel world known as The Hush.

The biggest let-down was the romance between Chester and Samantha; it never felt real. Close friends definitely, but romantic involvement, no. It would have been more believable if Travis was the love interest, if there had to be one. Overall, though, a very enjoyable read.
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The Hush by Skye Melki-Wegner is a standalone (gasp!) YA fantasy by the author of the Chasing the Valley trilogy. It's set in a completely different world but fans of Melki-Wegner's style will find similarly appealing elements in The Hush. (Also, how pretty is the cover? I love it!)

Chester is on the road, searching every town for clues about his father and why he disappeared.

But when he's caught accidentally – and illegally – connecting with the Song as he plays his beloved fiddle, Chester is sentenced to death. Only a licensed Songshaper can bend music to their will. The axe is about to fall...

But there is someone else watching Chester. Someone who needs his special talents. Who can use him for their own ends. And who knows the secrets of The Hush, where there is no music, only deadly Echoes who will steal your soul.

Susannah is that someone. The young captain of the infamous Nightfall Gang, Susannah has plans for Chester. Finally, she will have her revenge.

The Hush was a pretty great read. The world is one where music is inexorably linked to magic. Anyone can sing or (learn to) play an instrument, but anyone who isn't Conservatorium-trained isn't allowed to stray into capital-M Music. Chester, our main character, of course, does so by accident and the story opens with him in mortal danger because of it.

What saves Chester from dying at the very start of the novel (which would have made for a duller read), is the Nightfall Gang, a gang of thieves who steal from the rich and give to the poor (in a world where the was never a Robin Hood). They've never been caught because they know a secret very few other people are aware of. There is a parallel world called the Hush, where darkness and danger reign, and through which they can pass practically unseen.

The members of the gang provide a nice cross section of the key worldbuilding elements. Often when there's an ensemble cast, it can be hard to get a feel for the more secondary characters, but Melki-Wegner does a good job of making them all distinct and unique. They may have overlapping backstories (if they didn't they probably wouldn't all be in the same gang), but I found their wildly different personalities refreshing.

I have a pretty good knowledge of music and there wasn't anything major in The Hush that made me think, "wait, what?" There were a few very little things that made me go "hmm" but nothing that threw me out of the story. The music magic also fed in nicely to the worldbuilding, allowing the society to have music/magic driven technology, such as guns and medicine. On a story level, I found the ending — resolution and reveal — satisfying, especially when all the hints dropped earlier in the story came together.

I really enjoyed The Hush. It's a pleasingly complex read set in a fleshed out world. I highly recommend it to fans of standalones in particular, since they are relatively uncommon. I personally would have been happy with more book set in this world — both the world and the characters were pretty great — but everything was tied off enough that it would be a challenge for the author to come back to it. I also recommend The Hush to fans of Melki-Wegner's other books and to fans of... I'm not sure how to describe this flavour of fantasy (musicpunk?). If you're at all unsure, just give it a go.

4.5 / 5 stars

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