The Language of the Birds by K. A. Merson ~ a Review

by MK French

Arizona’s mother goes missing on a family trip, and a note in their ransacked Airstream indicates she was kidnapped. The kidnappers believe Arizona’s dead father took a secret to his grave, and it's up to her to solve the puzzles, codes, and riddles left throughout the Western US to find her mother. She is only seventeen, but is very comfortable going through pages of ancient texts and forgotten corners of U.S. history looking for a centuries-old prize. She had never been comfortable on her own before, and now realizes that finding other people who understand her isn’t so impossible after all.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

May 2025; Ballantine Books; 978-0593874523
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); mystery

Arizona isn't good with people, loves puzzles and cryptography, and misses her father, who just recently died. Her mother is threatened, and Arizona gets messages to decode. We see the ciphers and get explanations for her thoughts; if you've ever loved secret messages and codes before, this aspect of it will be loads of fun and suck you in as quickly as it did for me. The clues reference literature and historical figures in Nevada, and point to different locations. As she travels and begins to bond with two of the people she meets while hunting for clues, we see the ties between those messages and alchemy, which had once also been called the language of birds, or the fundamental language of god and knowledge itself.

Arizona is still very much herself throughout the book, afraid of being mocked and not able to trust easily. With her father's death, her dog Mojo and her mother are her only remaining family. She feels incredible responsibility to save them herself; the glimpses we see of her mother show us exactly where that resilience comes from. I was enthralled by the poetry clues, the way historical figures and locations were woven into the story, and how Arizona was able to dive down multiple avenues to chase down clues. I enjoyed her story and getting to know her. She's smart enough to figure out the language of birds and is an excellent guide while taking us along for the ride.

Buy The Language of the Birds at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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