Hush

The Belles meets The Handmaid's Tale in this sweeping new fantasy set in a world where those in power have the magic to control-and silence-the truth. 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 convinced of foul play. 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 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. Break the silence, shatter the dark.

The thrilling sequel to Hush Shae’s entire world has been turned upside down, and everything she’s ever believed is a lie. More determined than ever, she sets out to the mysterious land of Gondal—a place forbidden to mention and resigned to myth—in search of a dangerous magical book that could alter the fabric of the world. Following the trail of Ravod, the boy she thought she knew and trusted, Shae discovers there is far more to the young man who stole the Book of Days than she ever realized. Together, with her friends, Mads and Fiona, and a newfound ally in her fierce former trainer, Kennan, Shae crosses the borders of the only home she’s ever had and into a world ruled not by magic, but technology and industry — one fraught with perils of its own. In a world shrouded in lies, Shae is desperate for answers and to restore peace, but who will lift the veil?