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My
very first novel, Sing the Light, and the two novels that followed
it, are set in the world of Nevya, an ice planet where energy is generated
psychically, focused through music. It was a world that sprang
from my own long experience as a musician and singer, that expressed
my feelings about what it is to live and work as an artist, to make
sacrifices, to develop discipline, to commit fully to the life.
When the brilliant children's editor, Sharyn November, asked me for
a young adult novel, a book set in the world of The Singers of Nevya
was the perfect choice.
It was
lovely revisiting this romantic, challenging planet. Not only
is it a beautiful and intriguing world to spend time in, but my return
to it reminded me of my early days as a writer, not knowing if or when
I might be published, if anyone would care to read what I had written,
or if I had more than one worthy idea to explore! I'm delighted
to say that the early reviews of Singer in the Snow are all I
could hope for, and I also hope that the young adult readers who first
discovered Nevya, and who are now a bit older, will still want to read
about the Singers who live there.
Nevya
is an "ice planet" without technology, so cold that to be outside after
nightfall means certain death.The Nevyans rely on their Singers, who
are trained to channel psi energy through music to create heat and light.
Mreen is one of the most talented Singers at the Nevyan Conservatory—but
she is unable to speak aloud. Her companion and interpreter when she
is assigned to the community of Tarus is Emle, who, despite considerable
training, has never been able to channel her psi. The two young women,
so long sheltered by the Conservatory, face many challenges, including
learning how to relate to each other. They then find out about young
Gwin, whose abusive stepfather wants to exploit her psi-Gift talents—and
in reaching out to help her, Mreen and Emle also help themselves.
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From
Kirkus Reviews:
Intimate
human dilemmas explored against the backdrop of a harsh alien world.
The primitive ice planet Nevya is only habitable through the psionic
Gifts of the Cantors, whose songs create light and warmth. But Singer
Emle, despite her training and talent, is unable to channel even a spark;
instead, she is sent to accompany Cantrix Mreen to the holding of Tarus.
Despite her prodigious Gift, Mreen is mute, needing Emle to communicate.
Emle befriends the stablehand Luke, himself rendered silent and powerless
by his stepfather's abuse. These three young people must each overcome
the scars of their pasts and find their hidden voices to save the children
of Tarus from heartless exploitation. Marley returns to the setting
of an earlier trilogy with this independent story less epic in scope,
but far more personal and poignant. Even the most minor or villainous
characters are portrayed with sympathetic delicacy, and the spare descriptive
language keenly evokes the tenuous glow of human communities against
Nature's indifferent grandeur. Music plays an integral role as the provider
of life and joy, but one that demands discipline and sacrifice. Whether
the Singers of Nevya are new to the reader or old friends, their voices
will resonate gracefully.
(Science fiction. 12+)
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From Kliatt:
Marley
has written several books already about the world of Nevya, but this
is the first I have read. Her story of the singers who are so essential
to survival on this ice world completely captivated me, so I'm sure
this story could stand on its own for others too. Of course, it's so
intriguing, it will encourage us to find the other books about the Singers
of Nevya: Sing the Light; Sing the Warmth; Receive the Gift. In this
ice-bound world, music has evolved to alter the air and create warmth.
Little children who have the gift are separated from their families
and spend long years in training at the Conservatory, learning the music
and learning to use their psi to generate heat. When they are ready,
they are sent to outposts where they are healers, and where they create
the energy for heat. Marley then puts dramatic events and intriguing
characters into the setting. A young girl, Emle, who is a gifted singer
but for some reason lacks the ability to focus her psi to create heat,
is sent to an outpost as a companion to another Cantor. There Emle becomes
involved with a troubled family. An abusive stepfather is terrorizing
his wife, his almost-grown stepson, Luke, and his little stepdaughter,
Gwin.
This plot
has many ingredients of all successful YA novels: young people trying
to realize their potential; young people encountering evil and struggling
to prevail; young people with difficult family situations finding their
way to responsible adulthood. Marley "has degrees in music and
has sung professionally" and her familiarity with music obviously
gives this story added believability. Another successful book she has
written is The Glass Harmonica, which some of you may know. Mesmerizing,
just as the music must be.
--Claire
Rosser
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From
Barnes & Noble science fiction editor:
After almost 10 years, since the conclusion of her Singers of Nevya
trilogy (Sing the Light, Sing the Warmth and Receive
the Gift), Louise Marley returns to the ice planet with a science
fantasy masterwork about two unique young women struggling to realize
their potential.
On the planet of Nevya, a world without any
advanced technology where summer only comes every five years, simply
being outside at the wrong time can mean certain death. The Nevyans
depend solely on Singers - Gifted individuals with the ability to channel
psi energy through music to create heat and light - for survival. Mreen
is one of the most powerful psi channelers Nevya has ever seen: except
she's completely mute. Emle, on the other hand, is an exceptional Singer
who can't productively channel her energy. When the two are sent from
the shelter of the Nevyan Conservatory to a distant outpost, they must
rely on each other for strength. But once at Tarus, their problems become
secondary as the two become involved in a young Gifted girl's life-and-death
struggle to survive a negligent mother and a violently abusive stepfather.
From the beautifully lyrical writing style
and deeply heartfelt themes to the extraordinary cover art and design,
Marley's Singer in the Snow is truly magical. While categorized
as a young adult title, this novel can - and should - be read by science
fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. Remember the first time you read
Le Guin's Earthsea novels or Tolkien's Lord of the Rings? All that timeless
magic and wisdom is just as powerful in Marley's latest - an instant
classic.
--Paul
Goat Allen
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From
On
Spec
As with
all of Marley's novels, Singer in the Snow revolves around
strongly drawn characters and their problems. All the protagonists in
this book are compelling and realistic and it's easy to get swept into
their stories. And Marley's love of music gives a real depth to her
depiction of the cantrixes, their training, and the sacrifices they're
expected to make for their art.
I also
enjoyed the depiction of the summer that only comes every four years
when Nevya's second sun appears over the horizon, melting the snow for
a few brief weeks. . . . This is a young adult book but it's very readable
for an adult audience as well.
--Donna
McMahon
From School
Library Journal:
Set
in the same sphere as the "Singers of Nevya" trilogy (Ace),
this is an engaging tale of a world in which only the psionic powers
of the Singers (those who use music to focus energy and light) can create
enough warmth for survival. At the Conservatory, Mreen is a Singer who
cannot speak but can communicate psionically. Emle is the opposite;
she has a beautiful voice but cannot control her psi to produce warmth
and light. When Mreen is assigned to be a Cantrix at Tarus, Emle accompanies
her to act as her voice. There they meet Gwin, a girl with the Gift
who is abused by her stepfather. In their efforts to help her, both
come to terms with their respective issues. Astute readers will guess
from the start that Emle's difficulty lies in a childhood trauma, and
that Mreen's muteness may be linked to her shame about her mother, a
Cantrix who broke her vows of celibacy. Nevya itself is a fascinating
world, reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey's Pern. Some elements are not fully
explained; for example, why summer only occurs every five years, or
even how long it lasts. Still, the story should attract science-fiction
fans and may inspire them to seek the "Nevya" trilogy.
--Karyn
N. Silverman
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2005,
Viking/Penguin, Ages 12 up.
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VOYA CODES:
4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad
general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High,
definedas grades 7 to 9). 2005, Viking, 320p., Ages 11 to 15.
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