To Touch a Silent Fury by R.A. Sandpiper * * * * *
This is probably her longest book yet, and it’s set in a fresh new universe, separate from her previous series. The world is built around the number five—five seasons, lives measured in five cycles, five kingdoms tied to the five senses. It’s an imaginative, intricate system that feels coherent and alive.
The main character, Tani, is born Moontouched. She looks a bit like an albino; her skin is pale, hair white, but her eyes are completely white. Children like her are sent away around the age of ten to an isolated island, but she is special: she’s the only girl on an island full of men. When we meet her she awaits her Fate, they key to unlocking the full potential of her powers.
Lang’s chapters balance out Tani’s isolation perfectly. Where she is cut off and vulnerable, he is surrounded by politics, power, and expectations. He lives at the centre of everything, navigating court intrigue and preparing for a future as king. And he has a dragon, which makes his chapters even more fun. His perspective adds another layer to the world, and I never once felt like his voice and Tani’s blurred together; they’re distinctly different people with very different lives.
The story is told in dual POV, and it spans years (five of them, fittingly). What follows is not insta-love but a slow burn. Their relationship builds gradually as their worlds collide, and I appreciated that both characters grow and change over the course of the story. They’re not the same people at the end that they were at the beginning. Their priorities had shifted, their lives changed, and that transformation feels earned.
One thing Sandpiper has always excelled at is the environment. Each location feels distinct, with its own culture, history, and weight in the story. History itself is a recurring theme; shown not as one fixed truth, but as something that is a matter of perspective. Everyone has their own version of events, depending on where they stand and what their families lived through. That nuance gave the world a feeling of being genuine.
Overall, To Touch a Silent Fury is engaging, layered, and full of movement. Sandpiper writes fast (this is her second release this year), but her books never feel rushed. If anything, her skill keeps sharpening. I’m excited for the next instalment and highly recommend both this book and her earlier series.
And once again, thank you to R.A. Sandpiper for the ARC—I’m really glad I got to read it early.
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