[Subdue] The Reader by Traci Chee ★★★

[Tien]

As they say, "the pen is mightier than the sword". In this world of The Reader, the written word is so very powerful, magically so, that it is hidden so well with only a certain group of people are trained to read and write.

Our protagonist, Sefia, has lived such a sheltered life, away from the world that she does not truly know what the world is like. And then each of her loved ones are ripped away from her and she's left somewhat floundering. The only thing she knows is that she must find and save her aunt. On this journey, she learnt and grew and saved and be saved.

A fascinating read as we journeyed with Sefia as she discovered the magic of reading (we all know just how magical that is!!) and parallel to her journey, we also saw her parents' and a certain swashbuckling pirate captain's stories. An easy and very engaging read, I'm keen to get on to the next book of the trilogy.