Silent Night

The Guild Trilogy #1

by Emma K.C. Couette

Some say there's not much in Haven City left to fight for, but to the Resistance and the Assassin's Guild, the war is far from over.
In a future world, the skyscrapers of Haven City have crumbled and the government of today is no more. Death lurks around every corner and tomorrow is not promised. The Resistance and the Assassin's Guild fight for control of the city, but after decades of a silent war, no one expects victory. In this lawless city, enemies are abundant, but three people are feared above the Charger, Black Death, and the mysterious assassin called Silent Night. ​ Silent Night has spent her whole life clawing her way to the top of the assassin list and has reached second place at the age of 18. She is days away from becoming Agent One when the tables are turned and a horrible truth is revealed. The next day, Silent Night seeks out the Resistance, to aid in the destruction of the Assassin's Guild. Silent Night expects hatred and mistrust from her former enemies, but one boy will surprise her and that boy might just be the end of her.

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks

471 pages, Paperback

Published October 23, 2019

About the author

Emma is a Canadian wordsmith whose second passion is woodworking. She has written a few award-winning short stories and dabbles in poetry when the inspiration strikes her. Her dreams include travelling the world, being a mom, and owning a small library. Silent Night is her debut novel, the first of many adventures.

Reviews

[aliah ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“That’s all well and good, Silent, but what good is surviving if you never really live?”

Haven City has crumbled and the Assassin’s Guild and the Resistance fight for control. Silent Night is an 18 year old assassin loyal to the Assassin’s Guild until she finds that everything she once knew is built on lies. Silent Night is now determined to join the Resistance and take down the Assassin’s Guild.

I loved how fast this book picks up, but still paced enough to latch onto the story.

Silent’s character is so mysterious and cutthroat which is really cool to see as a FMC. Her trauma is so portrayed so vividly which helps get a feel for why she is who she is.
The friendships in this book were so real and showed the good, the bad, and the ugly. I loved the banter and the romance plot was really cute.

There were so many twists and reveals that kept this book so intriguing. And that cliffhanger!!

Perfect for fans of Divergent and Legend.

A great book to remind me how much I love dystopians.

4 Stars

[Robin Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a brilliant Young Adult adventure!

I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story had many elements that I was familiar with but also at the same time was very different from anything I’ve read in the past. The whole joining the resistance plotline has been done many times (think Divergent and Shatter Me) but it was very interesting to have such a young MC who was proficient with weaponry and subterfuge and yet not an annoying Mary-Sue. I think her characterization was really well handled in that regard.

The soft romantic subplot was far more compelling than in some other YA books I’ve read before and I actually like all the characters. Silent’s trauma and healing process was intriguing to watch and I really enjoyed seeing her build her relationships with the Resistance and grow her “found family”. There was plenty of action, suspense, plot twists, and reveals. So much to keep me hooked.

CONTENT WARNING: Violence, Gun Violence, Murder, Death, Death of a Parent, Confinement, Injury, Blood, Attempted Sexual Assault, Medical Content Body Horror, Alcohol Use, Mentions Death of a Child

*Received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[harureads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is such a pure delight to read. Silent is an Assassin, she has trust issues. The book is full of plot twists. She is crawling her way to the top of the list of Agent. Death lurks around her. She is one of the most feared assassin in the lawless city.

There is a big cliffhanger at the end which makes me want to get the next book in the series. The final book in the series, Solemn Vow, will be releasing on February 23rd, 2022. 🥺🤞🏻

[Amanda Muccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly intriguing!

I chose this book as the author is local to me and was pleasantly surprised at how captivated I was by the story! Off to purchase book 2!

[Ashley KW Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall this world and story is amazing. Emma built a world on top of our own without going down the dystopian path that quite honestly I don’t personally care for. The characters all feel real and well rounded they have pasts and fears and desires and it is apparent on every page.
I saw a lot of the twists coming (minus two small ones) and I personally had a dislike for how Silent treated people at times especially what seemed to be a bit of a pointless girl on girl hate but it’s clear from the beginning that Silent Night, this badass Assassin, is not someone we are easily supposed to like. I grew to love her and even when she made me mad and demand to know why she had to be such a (insert curse words) I still rooted for her. So for that alone I would say Emma is an amazing writer with great potential. I can’t wait to read book 2 but I must say I disapprove of cliffhangers makes me wish I could call up my good friend Silent Night..... jk
I definitely recommend reading this if you want a badass story with just enough violence, blood, romance, friendship, and redemption.

[Katt Faëhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very much a YA book. The writing style, just a lot of things. Don't expect 🌶️. Still has romance and I do love the relationship that developed between the main characters.

MC's are 18-19 yrs old.

Now I'm not a YA fan. If i find out a book is YA it's instantly a big NOPE. Buuuuut.. i do have some exceptions like this one when the book just sounds too interesting.

And i don't regret starting this series. I really did like the book. I couldn't stop reading. I HAD to know what would happen.


And that ending!? Major cliffhanger.. like wow.

Pretty rude leaving me hanging there...

Ohhh and Ajax.. If he we're about 7-10yrs older i would kiss him! He is so sweet.

At first I was going to give the book only 4 stars because the FMC was kinda annoying at times. But then i remembered that she is still a teenager and behaves like one during certain situations so it kinda made sense why she acted a like one sometimes.

A lot of the times with YA books we get a FMC that's still a teenager but is written like someone who would rather be in their 20s. So sometimes when Silent annoyed me and was being a brat, I would remember that that's actually pretty normal behaviour for most teens. Don't get me wrong she was still very mature in most ways but the teenager did come through sometimes.

And fine I'll admit it i still love Silent. She's like a younger sister. You love her but sometimes ...

But besides Silent's mood swings.lol. i really did like the book. It is so interesting and i lloooooovvve assassins. We also love bad ass women.

So for me.. kind of a perfect YA book. I would definitely recommend.🌼

So i would like to point out.. my reviews are not the best i know. But the things i mention are stuff that stood out to me(what i didn't really like) and what i would like to know before reading a book.

[Merrit Townsend (always1morebook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I have not been compensated for my review and all opinions are my own.

This book follows Silent Night, an Assassin that has worked her way up to the top in the Guild of Assassins. The warring faction of the Resistance is her enemy and wild everything she can to eliminate them. She takes her orders and assassinates people without remorse. Silent is a very complicated person who knows nothing but what she has been taught by the Guild. She was brought there after her mothers murder and taught that the people she is killing are the ones responsible for all her pain. Silent finds out the truth and goes to the Resistance to get revenge.

This book is the debut novel from the author and I truly enjoyed every second of this story. Silent has a lot of issues that she has to deal with internally because if she lets her guard down, that can get her killed. When she starts making friends at the Resistance, she is unsure of herself and deals with the inner turmoil of unknown feelings. She knows only how to kill and has a difficult time trusting. I loved how the author wrote such a complicated character and I found myself rooting for Silent. The romance is a very slow burn and doesn't take over the plot. The only issue I had was that the relationship between Silent and her friends sometimes felt disjointed but that could be the way the author intended. There is one heck of a cliffhanger at the end and I look forward to where the author takes us. I give this book 4.5 stars.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

For her whole life, Silent Night, stalked, trailed and killed Resistance members. Hiding in the shadows and becoming the monster the Master Assassin wanted her to be, doing it all in the name of avenging her mother's death.

🗡️

But when a mission goes south, she learns a truth that turns her entire life upside down. 

🗡️

The lines between enemies and allies begin to blur. And the only way she might extract her revenge now is by joining hands with the enemy. 

🗡️

REVIEW:-

At its core, Silent Night is a very emotional story. It's a tale of love, loss and grief. It's a tale of second chances, a reminder that no matter how far you might think you've gone, there is still a way for you to get back into the light. 

🗡️

It's a fast paced and action packed novel with complex characters, sweet romance and internal conflict that made it impossible for me to put this book down.

🗡️

Can't wait to see what the author has planned next for the series. 

🗡️

*I was sent this book by the Author to review but all the opinions are my own*

[Anjali]

This is the beautifully narrated story of the badass YA assassin - Silent. There's adventure, plot twists, and romance woven into the narration. Silent's character arc was just so traumatically realistic, and the found family trope is one of my favourites. An amazing debut novel that ended in a cliffhanger that will compell the reader to pick up the next book.

[Alena Paddley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read from a young writer who is also a local in my hometown. I am very proud of Emma for writing such masterpieces. She aspiring that is for sure. I have known her father for almost 8 years now and as soon as he told me she had written her first novel I had to go out and get it when it was released. I have finished book 1 and 2 in this trilogy and am currently onto book 3. I love how she leaves us with a cliff hanger at the end of each book making sure you buy the next to find out what happens. I am usually not one for cliff hangers but I loved these. I cannot wait for what she gifts us book lovers and aspiring writers to read next. Keep up the amazing writing Emma.

[Jess Knaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read and am genuinely gobsmacked that this is a debut!! I loved the action, energy, attitude, relationships between characters and the overall storyline. The last third of the book is an epic page turner where you just get blown away by incredible story details, told so well. Would recommend this to anyone who loves action, a bit of sci fi with some romance sprinkled in too.

[Allie's Reading Wonderland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Emma did a great job at creating this dystopian world with a strong female main character. I'm looking forward to reading the second installment to find out with happens next because the ending left me wanting more.

[Penny Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been trying to read more outside my usual genre, which is typically high fantasy or retellings, so I signed up for an ARC of this book in anticipation of the release of the last book in the trilogy. This book had some interesting concepts, but ultimately wasn’t my cup of tea. I couldn’t get the hang of the prose style, found myself able to predict most of the plot points, and being almost thirty makes it hard for me to relate to teenage characters anymore. I learned a lot from reading this book, though, and enjoyed having conversations about it with friends and family. My rating takes into account that this is a debut novel and also outside my preferred style/genre. I wanted to do a more in depth review but life has been nuts lately, and I wanted to get this review out before the release of the third book. If you want to chat, feel free to send me a message!

DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Deb Mohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This young author is amazing. Emma is an associate, multi-talented and destined for great things with her writing. Much more than teen-lit, this is a rollicking start to a futuristic trilogy. #1260.

[Emma Couette]

Just rereading my own book. Loved it!

[J Kap · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start by saying that given this is the author's debut novel, I'm immensely impressed with the clear amount of work she put into it. There are very few spelling or grammatical errors, she managed to weave together an interesting plot line, and she clearly has an idea for how worldbuilding works.

Unfortunately, that's where it stops for me. I'll preface this all by saying that I am not a fan of first person narratives in the first place. I find them extremely hard to do well and there are a lot of details that easily get left out, which is what I think happened here. The author clearly had an idea of what kind of world, story, and cast, she wanted to share, but all of it fell short. There is a lot of telling in this book when it needed more showing, again something I chalk up to the first person narrative.

I struggled with trying to understand the laws of the universe. We're in a civil war, there's no technology left (no computers), everyone uses swords...and guns?... but what does the world outside this war look like? What do normal people do everyday? Is the entire city wrapped up in this brawl between Assassin and Resistance? Who makes the food they receive on the trains? What's the government like? I have so so so many questions, which is great because obviously she created enough interest for me to want to ask these questions...but it would help a lot to have them answered.

The harder part for me as a reader was how difficult it was for me to relate to Silent, the Main Character. I never understood or empathized her split second decisions, her flares of anger, or her overall goal. Despite being in first person, I never felt like I was in her head, seeing the world through her eyes. And because I didn't understand her decisions, it was difficult to follow along with why things happened the way they did. She had plenty of flaws, as any good character should, but she had very few redeeming factors. And even one of the other characters mentions it at one point: she has to want to help herself.

So, overall, I want to reiterate that this is a helluva lot of work. I can see the passion and the hours and the thought that went into this, and for a debut novel, again, I am extremely impressed. It just needs more polish (and probably a different POV.)

[Erelah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally just finished this book so it’s gonna take a second for me to get all my thoughts together.

I really liked the concept for this. Silent is an angry, mean character and I’m glad to have her like that. I’m sure it will change of course, but it was refreshing. I like that Couette gave her trauma, let us explore Silent’s anxiety. I feel like too often people forget to give their characters trauma after making them go through horrible things.

I enjoyed all the twists we got at the end. I didn’t see most of them coming but I definitely understood them when they were revealed. I feel like there were a few things that need to be explained, but that’s what the second book is for.

It definitely helped that this book is around the “perfect size” range. At least, in my head. It’s 460 pages long and I really like that about it. It gives us more room to explore.

My favorite character altogether was Blake. I have some theories that ended up not being true but I liked learning about her either way. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen in the next book, and I can’t wait for the last of the series to come out!

It’ll be nice to have this entire aesthetically-pleasing series on my shelf.

Update: forgot to mention that I keep calling Ajax Soap. It’s fitting in too many ways.

[Donald Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book a 5 star rating for many reasons. It keeps you wanting keep reading after every chapter. The book is filled with so many emotions, love, resentment, revenge, sadness, joy. It also keeps you on the edge of your seat as you never know when the plot will twist, which it does so many times. I am looking forward to the second book in the Trilogy, Sacred Ruse. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read filled with everything a good book can offer.

[Daniel Moggach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Great to see characters evolve.