The Naming Song explores a world where meaning has vanished and the boundaries between dreams and reality have dissolved. Monsters from nightmares haunt the waking world and ghosts roam, unable to find peace. The rise of the Committees of the Named—Maps, Ghosts, Dreams, and Names—restores some semblance of order by building borders and naming what was once nameless. Only by controlling the power of language can people keep the terrors at bay.

The story follows an unnamed courier from the Names Committee who is tasked with delivering new words to preserve her place in a world that fears her. However, when a series of attacks on the name force her to flee, she embarks on a journey to find her long-lost sister. Along the way, she is joined by a patchwork ghost, a fretful monster, and a nameless animal, each with its secrets and purposes.

As her quest unfolds, the courier uncovers the truth about her past and the power of the words she carries. The book raises questions about the control of language and the unnamed forces that shape the world. In a society where naming grants power, what remains nameless is free to wreak havoc.

The Naming Song is a captivating fantasy that blends strange adventures, deep secrets, and profound themes of language, power, and identity. The world Berry creates is both magical and unsettling, where the supernatural elements feel almost ordinary, yet their significance is deeply tied to the character’s struggles. For fans of immersive, thought-provoking fantasy, this book invites readers into a world where the very act of naming could reshape the future.

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A strange book, I'm still not so sure that I liked it. The world is beautifully filled with fascinating people (and ghosts and monsters). It was an interesting concept and perhaps I might have been happier if I knew more about what had caused the silence and what something fell from the something tree. Of course if that was told in the book it would have negated the whole tale and the whole point of the book would be lost. I found it compelling and immersive but did I like it ? Still not sure.

This book was so unusual and so good. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a beautifully written book that evokes its world so vividly. I found this utterly immersive and could visualise this so clearly.

This book centres around language and specifically naming. There are diviners who find new names, and couriers who deliver them. Our main character is a courier and is unnamed themselves. This is a core pressure throughout the book that they are expected to and people try to coerce them to take a name. However they are resistant and keen to maintain their own sense of identity. They find themselves having to leave their home (a train) and go on the run, uncovering a conspiracy and historical wrong in the process.

This is wonderfully imaginative and so vivid! The train was such an incredible opening setting for the early chapters of the book due to the enclosed spaces, the constant sense of movement, the rigid structures and the linear progress through carriages. We encounter some marvellous characters, monsters and ghosts and animal companions. There is a constant sense of movement throughout this book, at a speed that almost feels out of control delivering such a ferocious tension to this book.

I found this beautiful and absolutely fascinating.

The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry is a lush, imaginative, and deeply moving novel that blends elements of fantasy, folklore, and magical realism into a story about identity, memory, and the transformative power of art. Set in a world where names and songs hold profound significance, the novel follows a wandering musician known as the Singer, who embarks on a quest to restore a village’s forgotten name and, in the process, uncovers truths about their own past and purpose.

At its core, The Naming Song is a meditation on the ways we define ourselves and the stories we tell to make sense of the world. Berry’s prose is lyrical and evocative, with a musical quality that mirrors the novel’s central themes. The writing is often described as poetic, with vivid imagery and a rhythm that feels almost like a song itself. This stylistic choice immerses readers in the story, creating an experience that is as much about the beauty of the language as it is about the plot.

The world-building is one of the novel’s standout features. Berry crafts a setting that is both fantastical and deeply rooted in human emotion. The villages, landscapes, and characters are richly detailed, yet the world retains a sense of mystery and fluidity, as though it exists on the edge of a dream. This balance between the concrete and the ephemeral adds to the novel’s sense of wonder and makes it a place readers will want to linger in.

The Singer is a compelling protagonist, whose journey of self-discovery resonates on a universal level. As they navigate the challenges of their quest, they grapple with questions of identity, belonging, and the weight of responsibility. The supporting characters are equally well-drawn, each contributing to the novel’s exploration of community, memory, and the power of connection.

Themes of loss, resilience, and the enduring impact of art are woven throughout the narrative. Berry explores how stories and songs can preserve what might otherwise be forgotten, and how they can help us make sense of our lives. These ideas are handled with nuance and depth, making the novel both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

While some readers may find the novel’s dreamlike pacing and abstract style challenging, those who embrace its rhythms will be rewarded with a rich and rewarding reading experience. At 371 pages, The Naming Song is a substantial and immersive work that takes its time to unfold, allowing readers to fully absorb its world and themes.

The Naming Song is a unique and beautifully crafted novel that will appeal to fans of literary fantasy, magical realism, and stories that explore the intersection of art and identity. Jedediah Berry has created a work that is as haunting as it is hopeful, a testament to the power of stories to shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

A lyrical, if lengthy, and evocative exploration of memory, music, and meaning,

Climb aboard the Number Twelve train to visit a land. A land of ghosts, of monsters made from dreams, of performers, of secret committees and stowaways, of stories passed down, of a battle brewing between named and nameless. A land in which a nameless courier must set out and discover the truth.

Dreamlike, imaginative and enchanting, The Naming Song is a superb meditation on the power of language, the wonder of words, the essence of storytelling.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to Titan Publishing and Net Galley for a free DRC of 'The Naming Song' by Jebediah Berry.

I loved this book! It was such an interesting premise - following 'the courier' who delivers new words in a setting where many old words were lost after 'the silence' - and diviners and couriers create and deliver new words.

I was a bit worried when starting the book that this premise and the unique way of writing that was required to deliver it at times would be a bit hard for me to understand, and it was a bit difficult during the first chunk of the book, but Berry created a really detailed and atmospheric world and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

There were many twists and turns that I didn't see coming and had me exclaiming out loud when I realised what had happened. My absolute favourite thing about this book was the people (and monsters and ghosts!) that the courier meets along the way (I'm a sucker for found family and this book really delivered!). Without spoiling anything, the ending had some really heart warming parts - I would have read a book based on the last couple of chapters alone. But the rest of the book made them that much more significant.

There were also so many parts of this book that I would love to have seen fleshed out a bit more - I wanted to know and explore more about the silence, the ghosts and monsters, the courier's family, and most importantly 'when something fell from the something tree'!

The novel describes a future world after a disaster The dystopian event is Described as “something fell from the something tree .”
The book inhabits and inventive world where after a dystopian event people have lost the words for every day objects and are gradually rediscovering them add to this a huge population of ghosts unable to move on after death and monsters conjured from the unconscious dreams and you have a very complex alternative world
.The story follows a young girl whose occupation is to search for and name unnamed objects. A lot of the book is set on a series of different trains that travel around the world giving the novel a at time rather claustrophobic feeling rather like the Snowpiercer films or murder on the Orient express.
The story starts rather slowly as there’s quite a lot of setup required in order to understand what’s going on and I found these sections rather a challenge to read however it does speed up about a third of the way in and I started to enjoy the read more
My first impression of this is a weird book whether or not it’s good weird or bad weird I’m sitting on the fence to begin with But I’m willing to give it a go
There are some very exciting battle sequences that are beautifully described and cinematic in their quality
I think this would make the most beautiful movie. The descriptions of the travelling theatre are so beautiful and their shows would look great on the film. As would the ghosts and monsters.
This book is probably more along the fantasy genre than I would normally read however I’m glad that I stuck with it. It’s a memorable book even if I do admit that I find it found it rather challenging to read.
I originally copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for a unbiased review. The book is published in the UK on the 25th of March 2025 by Titan books.

This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph and my book blog bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com
After publication, it will also appear on Amazon UK

Sadly this book isn't formatted for my Kindle. It's not a problem with the story, but I can't access it after downloading, or even on the app. Sorry!