Wow, just wow! This novel is a magnificent fantasy built around a wonderful premise in a brilliantly built world. Following an apocalyptic historical event, the “silence” nearly destroys the world. Slowly language returns, but the process is corrupted when Committees strangle its growth and disenfranchise those considered “Other.” People dream monsters into being; ghosts are slaves; railroads loom large. Ends with a soul-satisfying rebellion.