Name: aleksandra's review of Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Item: Silver in the Wood
Rating: 4
Author: aleksandra

Emily Tesh

Winner of the 2020 World Fantasy Award! From Astounding Award and Crawford Award Finalist Emily Tesh An ALA RUSA Reading List Selection "A true story of the woods, of the fae, and of the heart. Deep and green and wonderful.”—New York Times bestselling author Naomi Novik There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads. When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart. Praise for Emily Tesh's Silver in the Wood "A wildly evocative and enchanting story of old forests, forgotten gods, and new love. Just magnificent."—Jenn Lyons, author of The Ruin of Kings At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The Greenhollow Duology: Book 1

Silver in the Wood

Freso

"A true story of the woods, of the fae, and of the heart. Deep and green and wonderful.”—Naomi Novik There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads. When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart. Praise for Silver in the Wood "Alive with old magic, Silver in the Wood made my hair stand on end even as it beckoned me to go deeper, and in the end I couldn't resist."—C. L. Polk "A wildly evocative and enchanting story of old forests, forgotten gods, and new love. Just magnificent."—Jenn Lyons "t is easy to praise flash and sparkle, but the beauty of the simple and lighter-than-air is more difficult to capture. Silver in the Wood's sparkle is that of clear water; its flash the snap of a crackling fire, and Tesh's prose reads like returning to a dream long-forgotten or a song half-remembered. It is, needless to say, excellent."—Alexandra Rowland “Tesh lured me into her rich fairytale narrative with the warmth and strangeness, then hooked me on her intricate characters. Silver in the Wood is a novella of quiet yearning and old secrets, gentle woodsmen and fierce dryads and mothers you really shouldn’t mess with.”—Kerstin Hall

aleksandra

4/5

This book felt like walking in the woods after the rain.

It was so beautiful, the writing, the characters, the vibes, everything. I don’t know why I never thought to read it sooner.

yaya

this made me feel a lot of things… i don’t really know what to rate it yet though but i loved it very much.

He put his big hand round the back of Silver’s head, into his mud-coloured curls, and kissed him. (...) “I’m charmed,” he said gruffly.

cries why isn't this a 400 page book

An atmospheric novella with beautiful prose. Haunting folklore with a male/male love story. Tobias Finch has been looking after Greenhollow forrest for centuries. In a rainstorm, a bedraggled Henry Silver appears on the doorstep of his woodland cottage. Thus begins this story. You are immersed in all your senses by the crunching leaves, damp smell of moss, and dripping rain. Then there is the warm fire in the cottage and the mohogany and leather in Henry's library. I soaked it all in and loved every minute of it. It is perfect for an afternoon cozy read, if that is your thing.

Cheryl Hedlund

Short and sweet! I wanted more romantic development between Tobias and Henry, and I think that’s where my rating comes in. I love the lore and the world of the book, and the characters are wonderful. Will be reading the second book for sure! 

Floofyflower

Aishling

Brittany Jenkins

Read this one about a year ago and didn’t really like the ending, but upon revisiting it and knowing what kind of book to expect, I quite enjoyed it this time around. Followed along with the audiobook narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies, whose voice and narration style was perfect for this book. Overall a lovely little atmospheric novella of the forest and folklore.

I really loved the premise/first part of the book: enchanted forest, cottage, dryads, rain and mist, mysterious and lots of potential. However, the second part immediately began to fall flat for me. History and events that deserved time to be explained and understood, connections that felt sudden and disjointed, lack of buildup needed to add weight and importance to what was happening for the reader, and even a little bit of unnecessary creepiness and briefly graphic violence that just felt out of place. The ending felt rushed and distant, and it certainly felt like a lot was missing.

This was a genuine delight. Highly reccomend!

Kerry McHugh West

Natalie

This was utterly charming and reminded me a fair bit of Mythago Wood, except with less body painting and pining for unattainable woman spirits who will nevertheless lead you into ruin.

sophia n

do you ever read something and are just struck with like, wow wait hold on, did this author reach into my mind and pluck out all the things i absolutely love, even things i didn't know i loved, and craft them all into a beautiful story? this feels so much like it was written for me specifically, i can barely believe it.

this is actually a quiet and somewhat softer fantasy in some ways, which isn't really what i expected from the cover. i try to not read summaries of novellas because i don't want to spoil myself or have any expectations for something that's, in nature, going to be short and contained. this has been on my tbr for a while because i saw some friends enjoy it, but i never read too much into the summary, and i'm sort of glad i didn't because the moment i realized what this was about, i was so beyond happy and excited.

i don't want to use this review to soapbox about novellas, but seeing as, to me, this one was perfect, i feel like i need to just say. if you don't like stories that don't expound on everything, explain everything, or delve into topics much deeper, in general novellas are probably not for you. i'm finding that while some are not always successful (just like some long ass doorstoppers are not successful either) i actually really adore novellas, where it's like a window into a larger world. and in a really successful one, i'm always left wanting more, but never left feeling like i NEED more. this one, for me, did that expertly.

also i can't explain it but at the 50% mark i literally sat back, put the book down, and was like. this is giving me all the feelings that the bedlam stacks gave me ..... and reminded me of my favorite parts of cabeswater in blue lily, lily blue somehow ............. aaaaaaa (dats me yellin)

emily

happy pride month to the true queer elders: 400+ year old tree men (?) who uproot and destroy the oak tree their life force is tied to for a guy they haven’t even kissed yet / 4 stars

this book is absolutely lovely, a very short read, it's heartwarming, and it's captivating. please read it. plus, the cover is stunning.

honey

Jolien De Landsheer

Incredibly atmospheric novella, I adore it.

nair

Tobias had thought and thought about it, for four hundred years, until he’d reached the conclusion that Fabian must have loved him, after all, in his own way. That was the worst of it. The thing that woke now every year was always glad to see him.

Jeremy Sheridan Wells

This could be the starting premise for a more realized world, and it certainly begins with an intriguing setting and an enticing romance.  But as the story moves on, the world-building seems rather poorly defined, but not intending to work with its ambiguity either.  

vins

This is another 3.5 star if I'm to be honest, but this novella has all the taurus sun sagittarius rising dispositions bared out in the open like it was written for ME specifically. 

definitely could do with more relationship building, though I already expected that knowing this book used to be an AO3 piece. The emotional stakes just fell flat because I couldn't invest myself in Tobias' and Silver's relationship. I knew if this was a fic for my ship I'd revere it to hell and back tho, since I looooove the lush and atmospheric prose. Will check out the sequel soon.

shelby

felt like a storybook - quick pacing and not much for us to be invested in. was very whimsical and lovely though !!

Jennifer

Brief review added on June 5th 2021:

This is going to be a pretty short review. I first read this in April 2021 but I don't remember the specifics from this novella. Emily Tesh Silver in the Wood is a queer-coded fae-inspired novella. I think it really had the ingredients for an enjoyable read: the fairyland concepts, a character-focused story, and figurative writing. But for some reason, I just couldn't get into the book. While I generally enjoy figurative prose, I think the writing here bogged down other aspects of the novella. 

N.B. Of the content warnings that I vaguely recall: grief / loss of loved ones

(2.5 stars out of 5)

Leni Bulat

dead line

Cat H

4.25
We discover the hidden magic and beauty within a forrest through the lens of the Greenhallow Man Tobias Finch and Henry Silver, both of whom are more than meets the eye. 

This was breathtaking. I loved every second in the forrest world. There was so much beauty and folklore explored. Myth and real world consequences. The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because of the pacing. Majority of the book is slow and deliberate, but then there is a section where a lot of information is revealed and some heavy emotional action takes place. I just don't think there was enough time to unpack all the revelations. I'm also just being selfish and would have loved this book to be a bit longer. All the characters are amazing. The forrest itself is a character and I am in love with Bramble. 
This novella was refreshing and unique. I highly recommend!

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