NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of The Vampire Academy series comes a breathtaking fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore where, in a village without sound, one girl begins to hear a call to action and unlocks a power that will save her people.

“A thrilling mix of taut storytelling, majestic Eastern magic and a richly imagined world.”—Alison Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of Eon and Eona

'Wholly original—and as every bit as delicately carved as one of Fei's beloved chrysanthemums.”—Margaret Stohl, co-author of the internationally bestselling Beautiful Creatures novels

For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation.

Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.

She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever. . . .