CW: Death of loved ones, violence, suppression of women

Well it took a while to get there but I ended up enjoying the last section.

In a futuristic Gotham, where the superheroes are long gone and women have been silenced, Dinah seeks the power to bring true justice back to the city. This was a really really slow burn. There was a lot of wondering and talking about the wonderings and slow unveilings of truths that span the first half of this book. The action doesn't really ramp up until the last quarter. I thought the world building was good but a little bit under developed. Given that Dinah sought to overthrow the controlling regime it warranted a bit more detail. The last quarter definitely saved this from iminent twodom. A solid addition to this series. I am also going to have to say that in my opinion, the books in this series featuring female superheroes are so much more engaging than the others. Just saying. ( )

Content Note: cissexism/gender plague

Plot:
Dinah Lance lives in Gotham City under the rule of the Owl Council who have made sure that the women in Gotham City don't have a voice - figuratively, but also literally: singing is outlawed for women, and has been made physically impossible, much to Dinah's chagrin. She dreams of singing, and of the one time she is sure she remembers hearing a girl sing when she was a child. When she and her friends Ty and Mandy try to find out more about the female singers of the past, Dinah gets in deep trouble though, drawing the attention of the Owl Council, with worse consequences only avoided through the intervention of her cop father Larry. Dinah should be keeping her head down under the circumstances, but with an old friend of her dead mother, Barbara Gordon, making an appearance, and new and very cute student Oliver Queen arriving at her school, Dinah can't help but continue to question the way things are. And maybe she can find her voice after all.

Black Canary: Breaking Silence takes a very different approach from the other novels in the DC Icons series so far, setting its story decades in the future in an dystopian version of Gotham. While that's interesting, a lot of it seems a little half-baked and not quite thought through, making it a little disappointing despite its obvious(ly) feminist mission.

Read more on my blog: https://kalafudra.com/2022/04/20/black-canary-breaking-silence-alexandra-monir/ ( )

I must first admit that I had never heard of Black Canary. I'm mainly familiar with the "standard" DC heroes: Superman, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, etc. What really interested me is that those heroes are all dead for this story. I've always had the idea that once the heroes "did their thing," all was well. Alas, no. In addition, I had never heard of the Court of Owls. Boy--this novel was an education!

In this novel, the Court of Owls controls Gotham City. I do mean, control. Female rights no longer exist. Girls can attend school, but their clothing is regulated as are their classes. They attend sewing classes and other classes that they need as women. Only the males can attend gym and leadership classes. Years ago, the mayor of Gotham created a serum that removed women's voices from having the ability to sing. [I found this odd. I don't see women's power as coming from their singing voices. Voices, yes. Singing, no.] Dinah Lance remembers hearing a female singer and chafes under the regulations imposed on females. She stands outside the choir door just to listen to the music. When she attends class, teachers laud the Court of Owls and how they "saved" Gotham from "divorce rates and plummeting birth rates." Dinah refuses to do nothing believing, "the world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."

Families who support and serve on the Court of Owls receive special attention. One of the famous families is the Queen family. So, it's surprising when the heir, Oliver Queen, moves to Gotham and finds Dinah attractive. Dinah feels mutually, but she can't tell him about her life. Dinah doesn't know anyone in the resistance, but she supports their efforts. She even tries to break in to the old Opera house in hopes of finding a rumored safe that may hold secrets. It's this attempt that calls attention to Dinah from the Court of Owls. She is labeled as questionable with a blood-dripping mask on her door. Everyone knows the Court is not happy with her. Life is now dangerous. If the Court feels Dinah threatens then, they can have her removed to Arkham Prison.

Dinah eventually discovers her mother's secret; she was a hero: the Black Canary. Despite her father's pleas, Dinah feels she must fight as the Black Canary. She needs her voice first, as the Canary's powers depend on voice. The novel shows Dinah's journey from powerful teen to powerful hero.

Overall, I found the novel okay. I wonder if I wasn't more "into" it because I didn't know the hero Black Canary? I just don't know. I also had trouble imaging the screams and music having power. I think I need to see this, so maybe I should find a movie? Also, I could easily put the book down and never stayed up reading past my bedtime. I liked that females wanted to regain their rights and worked together. ( )