Review: Review of Silent Warrior
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 26, 2013
Let me preface this review by stating that I read Caged Warrior first, initially unaware that there was a prequel to the trilogy. Once I finished book one, I decided to go back and read the prequel hoping the story would provide more exposition and clarification about the mystical origins and existence of Dragon Kings. Furthermore, I wanted to learn more about humans' involvement with this secret race of people.The story opens in the middle of a fight between two Dragon King warriors from the Sath clan, dressed in armor with their choice of weapons. They use whatever skills they have to fight for a win.  Silence is a Caged Warrior from the Aster Cartel who finds herself struggling to outmatch Hark, whose debt forces him to fight for money.Silence and Hark's alternating point-of-views throughout the story are effective in providing greater insight into their motivations and vulnerabilities. Since volunteering to fight for the Aster Cartel, the woman known as Silence has never spoken a word to anyone.  Her persona is a direct contrast to the easy going, talkative Hark, who finds her silence unnerving. His goal besides winning is to make her say something. While Silence intimidates Hark by remaining wordless, he tries to throw her off balance with his excessive talking and atypical behavior.Although Silence and Hark have contrasting personalities, they manage to fall in love while running from enemies in Hong Kong.  Their contentious bantering along with their secret revelations make this story an engaging read.  Overall, this short work is packed with action and suspense and leaves you with an uncertainty about Silence and Hark's future. Because of the story's brevity, I accepted the "insta-love" between Silence and Hark, even though it is unrealistic, given the time frame.I already knew the outcome of this story because Silence and Hark continue to play a role in Caged Warrior. Still, I was glad to learn their backstory and the tenderness behind their union.  The sacrifice that Hark is willing to make for Silence is touching.On the other hand, I was disappointed to find that this prequel did not help me to better understand this fascinating world Piper has created.  In fact, I think I would have been more confused about the sequence of events if I had not already read book one.  The lack of explanation about the history and current existence of the Dragon Kings kept me from being fully immersed in this fantasy.