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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-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:
Complicated
This novella did almost everything I want in a story like this (and spoiler, book 2 did do everything), despite me going into it with almost no clear idea of what it was about.
Silver in the Wood is a story but the grumpy embodiment of a sentient slightly spooky woods and a perky happy little prince who kinda maybe like each other (blushes) amidst a treacherous (and yet somehow soft) battle for magical dominance. Part fable, part romantasy, part spooky forest book, this was a delightful jumble of things that maybe shouldn’t work together except that they did.
I was absolutely kicking my heels and giggling reading this and was so invested in the love story between Tobias and Henry - a love story that I had 0 inclination about btw! I immediately read the second book in this duology and I loved it even more!
I highly recommend this sweet yet powerful little story and will defs be seeking more work from Emily Tesh now as a result.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a gorgeous little story that makes me want to wander the woods and wonder what else is out there with me
emotional
mysterious
I suspect most people who pick this up are going to enjoy it immensely, but although it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year...this one's just not for me.
Minor, non-explicit spoilers below.
Unhappy endings, I get (although I dislike them). Happy endings, I get. Unhappy endings that pose as happy ones? For some reason I find those deeply upsetting. I can't see how to put the 'why' of it into words, though, so I'm just going to hope that you can make sens of that.
Although the opening was wonderful, and Silver and Tobias' first meeting was utterly delightful ('now that's just slander' will be making me laugh for a while!) I was not at all convinced by their almost-romance. The revelation that comes when Tobias meets Silver's mother suddenly reframes all of Silver's behaviour in a very different light, and I'm not sure if I was supposed to find it cute or funny or what - but instead it just felt manipulative, needless and awful. It also makes absolutely no sense to me why Silver chose to behave in the way he did; the only vaguely believable motive I can come up with is that he enjoys messing with people, or else that he was...constantly and consistently lying? For his own enjoyment, or for no reason at all? I have no idea. But it certainly didn't make me see him in a good light, and that wouldn't be so much of an issue if I thought the writer had intended for me to feel that way. Instead, it just feels like weak writing.
I wonder if this might have done better as a novel rather than a novella; defeating the Big Bad, for example, seemed much, much simpler than I would have expected, and his actual defeat seemed to happen so easily. It feels rushed, as does the fateful year (or half-year? I only read this about an hour ago and I'm already losing details, that's how an impression it made on me) when Tobias is on his own. Being able to spread the story out across more pages and add a lot more details might have made this into something really special; it might just not have had the room it needed in a novella to tell the story properly.
I suspect I won't be looking up this author again.
Minor, non-explicit spoilers below.
Spoiler
The major thing for me is that this is what I've seen called a HFN ending - a happy-for-now ending instead of a happy-ever-after one. In particular, it's a HFN ending with an implicit very unhappy ending to follow sometime after the books is over. Unless there's a sequel which resolves the issue - and to be honest I'm not sure I want a sequel - one member of a couple being immortal, and the other one not? The mortal is eventually going to die and leave the immortal one alone. So having your characters walk off-screen holding hands feels like a slap in the face; the immediate threat has been resolved, but the story isn't over - despite the fact that the way it was written does make me think no sequel is intended.Unhappy endings, I get (although I dislike them). Happy endings, I get. Unhappy endings that pose as happy ones? For some reason I find those deeply upsetting. I can't see how to put the 'why' of it into words, though, so I'm just going to hope that you can make sens of that.
Although the opening was wonderful, and Silver and Tobias' first meeting was utterly delightful ('now that's just slander' will be making me laugh for a while!) I was not at all convinced by their almost-romance. The revelation that comes when Tobias meets Silver's mother suddenly reframes all of Silver's behaviour in a very different light, and I'm not sure if I was supposed to find it cute or funny or what - but instead it just felt manipulative, needless and awful. It also makes absolutely no sense to me why Silver chose to behave in the way he did; the only vaguely believable motive I can come up with is that he enjoys messing with people, or else that he was...constantly and consistently lying? For his own enjoyment, or for no reason at all? I have no idea. But it certainly didn't make me see him in a good light, and that wouldn't be so much of an issue if I thought the writer had intended for me to feel that way. Instead, it just feels like weak writing.
I wonder if this might have done better as a novel rather than a novella; defeating the Big Bad, for example, seemed much, much simpler than I would have expected, and his actual defeat seemed to happen so easily. It feels rushed, as does the fateful year (or half-year? I only read this about an hour ago and I'm already losing details, that's how an impression it made on me) when Tobias is on his own. Being able to spread the story out across more pages and add a lot more details might have made this into something really special; it might just not have had the room it needed in a novella to tell the story properly.
I suspect I won't be looking up this author again.
Sad and beautiful and wonderfully woven. Filled with moss and mushrooms and dappled sunlight through the trees. Deeply imaginative details.
Can’t wait to see what the second book has in store.
Can’t wait to see what the second book has in store.
Rep: Queer MC, m/m slow burn romance, (romance is a subplot).
This was DELIGHTFUL!
Sometimes you’re a big man living in a cottage in the woods with your cat, and best friend who happens to be a badass Dryad, crushing on the new young owner of the woods, who likes to read you books and has pretty curls, when your past comes back to haunt you and now, you need the help of your crush’s badass mother to kick some ass.. and that’s okay.
Anyways, read Silver in the Woods because it’s brilliant and beautiful and, so, so sweet.
Also I am SIKED for the sequel. I mean the ending was perfect but I’m totally down for more Silver and Co.
Content warnings: References to past hangings, murder and violence.
This was DELIGHTFUL!
Sometimes you’re a big man living in a cottage in the woods with your cat, and best friend who happens to be a badass Dryad, crushing on the new young owner of the woods, who likes to read you books and has pretty curls, when your past comes back to haunt you and now, you need the help of your crush’s badass mother to kick some ass.. and that’s okay.
Anyways, read Silver in the Woods because it’s brilliant and beautiful and, so, so sweet.
Also I am SIKED for the sequel. I mean the ending was perfect but I’m totally down for more Silver and Co.
Content warnings: References to past hangings, murder and violence.
mysterious