Silver in the Wood: 1 (The Greenhollow Duology)

Product Information

Deep within Greenhollow lives Tobias. Thought by many to be a myth, a legend, he listens to the woods. A Wild Man, he lives an unremarkable existence. Dwelling with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads, evading his past life. The way he said it, and the look he gave Tobias with it, was flirting. Flirting! At least Tobias recognised it this time. Funny thing, to be flirted with by a pretty young fellow who wore expensive coats. Made Tobias feel young again, and at the same time very, very old.” Heaven knows what the housekeeper will think when I tell her I spent the night with the wild man in the woods.” The atmosphere is set well in a slow fairytale-like narration that gives a feel of a few hundred years spent in green forest time, a part of the slow and barely changing world of trees and brambles and eternal green fairytale existing outside of the changing world around, with ever-present melancholy loneliness all around Tobias. And that is where the strength of the story lies.

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh - Publishers Weekly Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh - Publishers Weekly

The feel overall was reminiscent of Susan Cooper’s Dark is Rising books, I thought. This isn’t a magic of words and spells, but one of nature and strangeness, and it is definitely not a human sort of magic. And natural is of course not the same as light – the villain, when we meet him, is quite terrifying, both a part of the woods and an unnatural thing, bright and beautiful and horrifying. Nature and unnature, all at once, and entirely chilling. Even the Wild Man of Greenhollow can’t ignore a summons from his mother, when that mother is the indomitable Adela Silver, practical folklorist. Henry Silver does not relish what he’ll find in the grimy seaside town of Rothport, where once the ancient wood extended before it was drowned beneath the sea—a missing girl, a monster on the loose, or, worst of all, Tobias Finch, who loves him. Tobias does figure it out eventually, but one gets the sense that he is not in the habit of thinking of new things and his thoughts move with the slowness of old sap when their direction is unfamiliar.) The world was far bigger than Tobias remembered from four centuries ago. It was bigger than he had ever known, and he was living in it. He had thought himself a thing uprooted, like the great oak, ready to begin his death. I rated this down mainly due to the latter half of the plot, which starts to loose its way a little bit when Fabian is introduced. As an omnipotent threat he's menacing and malevolent, but the confrontation with him feels a little overwrought and silly. If anything, I would have forgone this section for more stories of Tobias and Mrs Winter on their travels. They're a very unlikely duo of supernatural crime fighters, and I would have devoured all of their antics.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.” So much of this story is about the atmosphere. I love the way the Wood is embodied in the story and in Tobias – even the way he thinks and feels about the world seems very slow and green and strong and old, like an ancient oak. Tobias Finch lives hidden away in Greenhollow Wood. He has his quiet existence with his cat and his dryads in his secret cottage. He’s not a people person and he keeps to himself – which is simple considering he can refocus the woods around him to keep people away. It doesn’t look very comfortable, said Silver. The bed’s big enough to share, surely. He gave Tobias a smile. It doesn’t look very comfortable,” said Silver. “The bed’s big enough to share, surely.” He gave Tobias a smile.

Silver in the Wood - LGBT Book Review - Book of the Gay Silver in the Wood - LGBT Book Review - Book of the Gay

Reread 2023. Overflowing with earthy woods and the scent of rotten leaves, the writing is just as beautifully descriptive the second time round.

Customer reviews

Pearl graciously crawled into his lap and butted his hand with her head to indicate he might have the honour of petting her.” It’s OK! I know it looks impossible in the middle, but they will both be fine, honest! And the ending is super sweet and will make you happy. all of which is to say: do yourself a favor. buy this book, and buy at least one copy for a friend. there is literally 0 chance you’ll regret it. I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

Silver in the Wood - Goodreads

Greenman and faerie lore - almost an m/m Tam Lin - are prominent in this one, but I like it best when it talks of the woods: You’re another folklorist,” said Tobias, trying to keep up. “A practical folklorist,” said Mrs Silver. “Vampires eliminated, ghouls laid to rest, fairies discouraged, and so on.” No, no, he loves them,” said Tobias. “They distract him, you see. Keep him amused with drink and song and games, and he won’t be any trouble. It’s when he gets bored that the trouble starts.” Find a quiet place in a nearby wood, listen to the trees whisper, and thank the old gods and new for this beautiful little book, of which I intend to get lost in again and again."— Book Riot Silver and Tobias have the instant rapport that comes from two lonely people discovering an unexpected connection with one another. Tobias brings an aura of calm and patience to Silver’s boundless energy and eagerness. They fit in just the way that Fabian, the villain of the piece, does not. Perhaps once he and Tobias did fit, or perhaps they both pretended they did, but those days are long since passed.Part of me wishes it had been longer but I'm not going to hold that against it since it's a short story. So I am hoping this is not the last we'll see of Tobias, Silver and Greenhollow. And Pearl and Silver's mother of course, who are some of the best supporting characters. Get you a cat like Pearl. I would read a thousand more stories in this world. This is also one of the best plant magic stories I've ever read. Not only it's about a vaguely creepy wood, it actually talks about which trees there are in detail - elms, oaks, and even a mention of gorse (I love gorse) - and there are scenes in which roots and vines are weapons. I utterly adored Emily Tesh’s Silver in the Wood. That’s it. That’s the whole review. What? You need more? Alright, then… Silver was like Fabian, a little; beautiful and clever, just as Fabian had been. Those things didn’t mean much to Bramble, of course. She looked at the world with different eyes.” Quiet, gruff Tobias was a caretaker with secrets he was content to never remove from the hollows he stored them in. A man the townspeople told stories about, the old soul had long been entwind with the woods. His kind heart beat with a gentle cadence, his prowess branching out as often as necessary. Mysteriously straightforward, he was quite intriguing.