Imagine a world defined by stories. Stories that repeat over and over again, giving power and life to the land that they play out on. That is exactly how it works in the world of Tasha Suri’s The Isle in the Silver Sea. The characters of tales are reincarnated over and over again, they find each other, and they act out their stories. But not all incarnates are happy about this. Some just want to live their own lives, their own ways, without the dictates of an ancient tale. Simran and Vina are two such incarnates. Both want to live life on their own terms, but their tale demands differently. Maybe they can escape their fates and write their own tale, their way.
[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Orbit for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of The Isle in the Silver Sea contains some spoilers!]
A land of stories and magic in The Isle in the Silver Sea
The Isle is defined by stories. The stories create the land, and by playing out over and over again, they maintain it. Nothing is more important than tales, and the incarnates that live the tales for the Isle. Incarnates are revered by the inhabitants of the Isle. But no one asked Simran if she wanted to live one of these magic tales. And it turns out she doesn’t.
Simran is supposed to be the Witch in the ancient tale ‘The Knight and the Witch.’ She has known this for a long time now, but she hides it because she doesn’t want a tale to define her life. And being from Elsewhere, and not an Isle native, hiding it is easy. No one believes that people from Elsewhere can be part of the tales.
Vina is the Incarnate of the Knight from the same tale. And she’s just as out of place in the tale as Simran because the Knight is supposed to be, well, a knight. As in male. Just like Simran, she isn’t who is expected for her tale, but she hasn’t hidden her fate. She has been groomed since she was young to play her part, and she will, even if she too isn’t very happy about it.
Then the two meet, and the power of their tale begins to ensnare them. Despite their best attempts, the two start to follow their tale. But they’re determined to change things. Can the two find a way to escape fate, or at least make it their own?
Danger is everywhere
Simran and Vina know what is expected of them. They are supposed to meet, fall in love, then Vina is supposed to kill Simran at her Queen’s behest. That seems like plenty of trouble to be getting on with. But there is someone else looking to cut their story short. Someone is killing Incarnates, and Simran seems to be the next victim on their list. Vina and Simran set out to find out just who is killing Incarnates and why. Can they stop these two from stopping the killer before the killer finds them and before their tale catches up to them?
And the mysterious killer isn’t the only thing hunting Vina and Simran. The Queen is none too happy that they’re trying to change their tale. She wants them found and forced into their fates. And there’s the Eternal King who may help them or may prove just as dangerous. The Isle in the Silver Sea questions just what free will and self-determination are, and what that freedom is worth.
A love story on repeat
Simran and Vina are the reincarnation of lovers who have met, loved, and died countless times over the years. They never have a chance when they meet in this life; the connection is instant and intense. While the two are fine with loving each other (eventually), the whole dying part isn’t all that enticing. Simran, especially, is determined to find a way out of the destructive loop. At first, she wants nothing to do with any part of the tale.
After meeting Vina, though, she isn’t concerned with the love part. In fact, she wants the love to stay. It’s the ending that Simran wants to change. Of course, changing the tale will have huge impacts beyond her and Vina’s lives because of how the Isle is tied to the tales. Is their freedom worth it? Is there a way to save the Isle without having to sacrifice themselves? Those are the questions that Simran and Vina try to answer in The Isle in the Silver Sea.
The Isle in the Silver Sea creates the world through stories, and so do we
In The Isle in the Silver Sea, the world is literally created through stories. I would argue that that is how all of reality is created. Maybe forests don’t spring into being when we tell new tales, and mountain ranges don’t wink out of existence because a story is forgotten, but the way we view people and the world around us is shaped by the stories we share. The way we feel about situations, the way we interact with others, and our whole outlook on the world are highly impacted by what we think has happened in the past. Indeed, the past is what creates our present and shapes the future. And what is the past other than a story that we tell ourselves? Suri might take the idea to the extreme by having stories shape the actual land of her Isle, but the idea that stories create the world around us is far from new. An important message of The Isle in the Silver Sea is that telling the same tales over and over again leads to stagnation and even death. Telling new stories is essential to life. It’s why new books are written every day; storytelling is necessary for human life. Feel the truth of that message in The Isle in the Silver Sea.
Rating: 7/10
The Isle in the Silver Sea is now available to purchase at your retailer of choice.
Learn more about the book at the official website for the title.
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