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madisonrose1519's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This sequel to Silver in the Woods made me love the first book (and the duology as a whole) even more! I walked away from this one feeling so much more satisfied than after the first. I’m SO glad I picked up the second book and truly hope Tesh continues the series. The door was certainly left ajar for a trilogy, but on the other hand, loose ends were neatly tied and would make for a tidy finish.
Let me just say…THE. ROMANCE. IN. THIS. BOOK!!! Never have I read a more titillating love story. Henry and Tobias’s fluctuating interest in one another truly drives the story from the very start of the first book and throughout the second. Every ounce of information about their affection (or lack thereof) left me wanting more. Considering how there were almost no descriptions of physical intimacy in a book otherwise filled with so much descriptive imagery and beautiful prose, it was amazing to me how enthralling the romance and how obvious the acts intimacy still were. Tesh has a keen sense for just how much…and how little…is necessary to paint enticing pictures.
Just as I mentioned in my review of Silver in the Woods, Tesh’s ability to turn a phrase is enviable. Her prose is near perfect. Never too much, and always enough. Isn’t it lovely to marvel over the words you're reading without being distracted from the story?
I also can’t help but appreciate how this duology was a perfect little dip into magical fantasy. This isn’t my typical genre, so I was pleasantly not overwhelmed with verbiage that was hard to grasp.
Again, I’m hoping for a third book!
Let me just say…THE. ROMANCE. IN. THIS. BOOK!!! Never have I read a more titillating love story. Henry and Tobias’s fluctuating interest in one another truly drives the story from the very start of the first book and throughout the second. Every ounce of information about their affection (or lack thereof) left me wanting more. Considering how there were almost no descriptions of physical intimacy in a book otherwise filled with so much descriptive imagery and beautiful prose, it was amazing to me how enthralling the romance and how obvious the acts intimacy still were. Tesh has a keen sense for just how much…and how little…is necessary to paint enticing pictures.
Just as I mentioned in my review of Silver in the Woods, Tesh’s ability to turn a phrase is enviable. Her prose is near perfect. Never too much, and always enough. Isn’t it lovely to marvel over the words you're reading without being distracted from the story?
I also can’t help but appreciate how this duology was a perfect little dip into magical fantasy. This isn’t my typical genre, so I was pleasantly not overwhelmed with verbiage that was hard to grasp.
Again, I’m hoping for a third book!
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, and Animal death
theoldestbennetsister's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore
kal517's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gore
Moderate: Confinement and Kidnapping
Minor: Body horror and Sexism
quinnyquinnquinn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping and Confinement
Minor: Sexism
surdiablo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Definitely an improvement over the first book, with better pacing and insertion of flashback events without it being tiresome. Just like its predecessor, the prose is wonderful and the author is simply excellent at creating an immersive atmosphere. Things didn't feel abruptly rushed either, although I still feel like it could have benefitted from being stretched out further. However, romance novels aren't exactly my cup of tea anyway, so chances are I was never really gonna love this no matter how good it may have been, so don't let my rating stop you from checking this out if you are into comfy mythological romance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gore, and Toxic relationship
kate_arts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think the internal struggle that silver has of loneliness and selfishness is very relatable. It’s exciting to see more of the magical creatures and the world this series is set in. Plus Tobias is a bad ass.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Mental illness
sproutedpages's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, and Gore
Moderate: Kidnapping, Ableism, and Sexism
Minor: Toxic relationship and Emotional abuse
meganpbell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I revisited Emily Tesh’s deliciously atmospheric forest- and folklore-infused fantasy Silver in the Wood before embarking on its sequel, the eerie and otherworldly Drowned Country. I loved seeing how the weight of an eternal wood has altered Henry and Tobias’s relationship, the expansion of the world, and all the character development—plus fairies, vampires, a plucky new heroine, and more folklore studies!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Body horror, Gore, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
missanniewhimsy's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement and Gore
morganish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Drowned Country is a sequel to the fantasy novella Silver in the Wood. As such, this review will include major spoilers for that book, so don't read this is you don't want to be spoiled for the first one.
What Worked For Me
Revisiting this World: I tore through Silver in the Wood, and picked the sequel up literally the next day, so. Suffice it to say I thoroughly enjoyed the first one and wanted the experience of being in this world and these characters to keep going. There's nothing necessarily groundbreaking about how Tesh writes about The Wood, and the prose isn't more descriptive or purplish than the average book. But the world of the Wood is just... cozy and creepy and dreamy and eternal, and has such a place-sense. My only complaint is how much time in this short secondary novella we spent away from the Wood.
The Angst: Make no mistake this is an a n g s t y book. Potentially disappointing to some readers, the story begins after Silver and Tobias have had a falling out and effectively broken up. Silver is still stuck in the forest, sulking as his mother would say, and doesn't seem to be able to keep himself whole the way that Tobias was. As such, while Silver's POV is dry and witty and very much still human, there's an underlying sense of impending eternity which underlines Drowned Country, making it feel at times heavy and sad. But, I love angst and sadness, and this was done in the exact perfect way for me for most of the book. And I really enjoyed the contrast in perspective and tone between this book and the last, and between how Tobias dealt with his situation vs how Silver is now.
The Angst: Make no mistake this is an a n g s t y book. Potentially disappointing to some readers, the story begins after Silver and Tobias have had a falling out and effectively broken up. Silver is still stuck in the forest, sulking as his mother would say, and doesn't seem to be able to keep himself whole the way that Tobias was. As such, while Silver's POV is dry and witty and very much still human, there's an underlying sense of impending eternity which underlines Drowned Country, making it feel at times heavy and sad. But, I love angst and sadness, and this was done in the exact perfect way for me for most of the book. And I really enjoyed the contrast in perspective and tone between this book and the last, and between how Tobias dealt with his situation vs how Silver is now.
What I'm on the Fence About
Silver's Voice: In contrast to Tobias, Silver is quick-witted, sarcastic, and very much feels like a person tied to person things. There are times that he gets lost in the Wood, but most of the time it feels more like reading a character in a Victorian-era novel who isn't in the very unique position he's now in. Sometimes this worked well, and sometimes it felt incongruous.
What Wasn't My Thing
The End: The ending certainly isn't bad, and it is earned. Just for my taste, it seemed to wrap things up in a different direction than I personally would have gone in keeping with the concept of the Wood and its centrality to the duology. But I suspect I'm probably in the minority about this.
Who This Is For
As mentioned, Drowned Country is hugely spoilery for Silver in the Wood, and both books are very short. It's really a necessity to read Silver in the Wood first. In terms of people who've already read Silver in the Wood, I think it's best to read this if you have lingering questions about what might happen to these characters in the end, if you can handle a lot of angst and the characters being emotionally isolated for most of the book, or if you just really really loved Silver in the Wood and want more of that universe. Drowned Country is only a tiny bit longer than the first one, so it's really not that much of an investment if you're curious.
Content Warnings
I read this so quickly that it's hard to remember, but I feel confident there's gore and monstery stuff, and probably some aspects that are body horror or adjacent. The relationship between Silver and Tobias is still an age gap in the fantastical sense, despite their shift in circumstances, and I'd note that Silver does feel young reading from his perspective, while Tobias still reads as vaguely middle-aged to me. (I think the book says they're like mid-20s and mid-30s respectively? I don't entirely remember).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, and Gore