Silver in the Wood: 1 (The Greenhollow Duology)

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He knew it the same way the woodsman knew it, because he knew trees: but he also knew it with the knowledge of the Wild Man of Greenhallow, who felt every slow green beat of the forest's heart."

Silver in the Wood Quotes by Emily Tesh - Goodreads Silver in the Wood Quotes by Emily Tesh - Goodreads

I really enjoyed the supernatural elements and I would read five books about briar. I loved the way that Tesh wove the events of the story into the local mythology. Somewhere in Greenhollow there is a cottage home to Tobias Finch, unbeknownst to the outside world as the Wild Man gracing storybooks and myths. The bond Tobias has with his wood is both beautiful and tragic in the way it’s described. This forest feels real, like it could be set anywhere really, seamlessly blending the real with the fantastical. It’s basically a character unto itself in the way responds to Tobias and interacts with him, and he feels a part of it. I love the way that, at first, this feels sweet, like a woodsman who loves his home, but morphs into something darker and less benign. 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.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. And then one day Henry Silver, the lord of the manor, turns up at his door in a rainstorm, dripping wet, charming, handsome, curious, and, oh yes, a folklorist. What could possibly go wrong? From a sweet cat, to a protective dryad, to a practical folklorist, to walking evil, many brave, fiendish souls traipsed Green Hallow. Even though I wished for a bit more to the characters themselves, the unique personalities fit perfectly with and within the fantastical tale.

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

While I did enjoy the plot and the mythology, overall Silver in the Wood fell somewhat flat for me. I liked Tobias and his quiet methodicalness. But, I also didn’t feel particularly connected with him. I felt especially disconnected from Henry. I had not even noticed the romance developing between them. The book has a romance, I knew that, I mean, that was the point of reading it. But, I just felt like Tesh never delivered enough depth from the characters to make the romance feel believable. However, I also didn’t really enjoy Henry as a character, inquisitiveness aside. He’s clever and curious, but I felt like we only saw the surface of his character. 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 I love the way the magic creeps up on you in this book. Tobias is our narrator, and he’s used to the way things change in the Wood, and doesn’t feel any need to comment on this. It’s only as the story progresses that one begins to realise, from his passing remarks, and from things that Silver says, that, for example, his house is never in the same place twice unless he remembers to make sure of it. It’s a lovely, habitual sort of magic, and it also kind of plays into the feeling you get when you are lost in a wood or bushland that you’ve seen this bit before, but somewhere else, or that the paths have moved and you have wandered in a circle. (Come to think of it, this experience may well be at the root of the many stories people tell about magical forests.) Silver in the Wood reads like a forest fairytale. It could be seen like a loose m/m retelling of the Green Man myths, so it's fitting that this is a story about rebirth and reawakening, not only of nature after spring but of people after toxic relationships. Silver in the Wood —with its cottagecore, cat-loving man bound to a forest of magical trees— was amazing! The atmosphere in particular felt entirely tangible and lovely; I could almost believe I was experiencing the story whilst traversing the woods with Tobias and Silver.I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own* The minor characters are another delight. I especially enjoy Bramble, the dryad, who is very fond of Tobias and has an undryadlike propensity not to settle down into a single tree. And Silver’s mother is rather wonderful, though I’m just as pleased not to be related to her. She is a folklorist of a more practical bent than Silver, who knows her son better than he thinks, and not as well as perhaps she needs to. Reread 2023. Overflowing with earthy woods and the scent of rotten leaves, the writing is just as beautifully descriptive the second time round. SILVER IN THE WOOD is a slow-unfurling novella about the bargains made with old gods, the darkness of the wood, and new beginnings at the end of things. This wasn't at all what I expected — I fully thought this would be darker, edgier, and instead it was more melancholy, charming, and sweet. Nonetheless I'm still rounding up, even if my expectations weren't quite met, because I still enjoyed this so much. Are you sure about this?” said Silver when Tobias waved him towards the bed. “Where will you sleep?”

Silver in the Wood - Emily Tesh - Google Books

Tobias and Silver search for Maud, finding that she has already killed the vampire in question. Maud is also a scholar of folklore; she is interested in finding Fairyland. Silver uses his powers to open a door to Fairyland, which is empty. Most of the fairies have died out in the preceding centuries; only a servant and the Fairy Queen remain. The Queen attempts to possess Maud, but she is defeated by Silver's magic. Silver, Tobias, and Maud return to their world. Maud begins to work for Mrs. Silver. The fairy servant becomes the new Lord of Greenhollow Wood, allowing Silver to become mortal once again and to rekindle his relationship with Tobias. First off, as someone who knew nothing about the Green Man and is completely unfamiliar with any Green Man lore which I’m told this book is a retelling of, Tobias pretty much reads as Lorax. When you tell me that he speaks for the trees, my orange friend is the blueprint. Silver in the Wood might not be an epic novel with battles over the fate of the entire world but it's consuming, haunting and so so beautiful. If you are looking for a short read to dive into, to do away with the real world and experience a little magic then I definitely recommend Silver in the Wood.

Heaven knows what the housekeeper will think when I tell her I spent the night with the wild man in the woods.” 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: He’s a rather stolid, hulking main character, a wild recluse with a painful past and a gentle heart. As I discovered with Grim in Dreamer’s Pool earlier this year, this is one of my favorite types of character and consequently I loved spending time with his ponderous thoughts and fierce protectiveness for the woods. Silver is also a lovely character with his earnestness and eager curiosity and they make a very sweet couple although I would have liked it if their relationship had had more time to develop. I also loved Silver’s tough monster-hunting mother and Tobias’ dryad friend Bramble.

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

Silver in the Woods is a sweet, dreamy and lush little novella, like a folk tale that’s part happy and part melancholy. Atmosphere and beautiful writing are two of its greatest strengths – you can practically smell the green growing things and hear the rustle of leaves while you read. The magical woods are ancient, full of power and mystery and tales half-forgotten and I wouldn’t have minded spending a whole book exploring and wandering Greenhollow with Tobias. 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.) 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.Story (5/5): I loved this story. It is just such a calm and beautiful story about a Green Man and his forest. Things do get kind of shaken up when he has to face the fearsome Summer King. There is a lot of wonderful mythology and description and some light humor. It was a very pleasant and beautiful read that I enjoyed a lot. But Greenhollow Hall and the surrounding lands have a new owner: Henry Silver. Henry is curious and starts to spend more and more time with Tobias, searching for answers to local myths. Questions that would best be left unanswered lest they reveal the dark heart at the centre of the Wood.