Review: The Whisper that Replaced God Part II (A Silent Duology #2) by Timothy Wolff

Ruling as king does not suit a man like Mute. The boredom. The monotony. The permanent stagnation…

Until he arrived. The one with the Gift of Silence. The one wielding a dagger. The one who would mold Balewind into a temple to the Silent Almighty. Lord Deaf intends to be the scream that replaced a whisper, offering one final message to the realm before it never hears again:

Bestow upon me your pain, your illness, your sorrow. Silence will absolve them all.

Another stunning novella from Timothy Wolff, The Whisper that Replaced God Part II builds upon everything that I loved about the first book and gives us so much more.

I’m thrilled to tell you that the sequel to Timothy Wolff’s The Whisper that Replaced God is just as fun as the original. It begins several years after Lord Mute has ascended to the throne, where we see his conflicting desires and moods. Mute does not wish ill upon his people, he simply does not understand them, and when he attempts to do so he often draws the wrong conclusions. Governing does not suit him well, and he knows it.

As with the first book, Mute is a highly unreliable narrator, but that’s part of what makes the story so entertaining. He even seems somewhat aware of his own faults, even as he vehemently argues against others. There are a few moments where Mute even breaks the fourth wall for the sake of a joke, which was always a bit jarring in the best way.

Mute’s reign, and the arrival of another who can commune with the silent god, set up a number of fascinating scenes. My only complaint is that I wish we had more time to dig into everything that happened, because several chapters felt rushed to me. This novella could have been a short novel, or at least had another thirty pages to linger in some of these moments more. There was certainly no shortage of political machinations, religious instability, or personal battles that I would have liked to spend more time on.

I highly recommend The Whisper that Replaced God Part II. Wolff has absolutely mastered this character’s voice, and Nick Cracknell’s narration of Lord Mute continues to impress. The sequel builds upon the original novella in some ways that I very much enjoyed, as well, without losing what I loved about the story so far. The duology is a fantastic accomplishment, and given how short each book is they’ll be easy to work into your TBR.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.