Review + Blog Tour: Woods of Silver and Light by Victoria McCombs

Ronin’s son is dead, and Maid Marion is gone. But a sorceress banished to the Woods can bring his son back if he and his Silver Raiders are willing to do something for her first. She finds there’s nothing Ronin Hood won’t do for his son…

Anika finds herself drawn to the mystery of the Woods and the thieves who live within, but the cost of associating with the Silver Raiders becomes higher than she’s willing to pay. The darkness of the Woods seeps into the Raider’s hearts, blurring the lines between hero and villain, until Anika’s fight for freedom turns into a fight to survive the magic of the trees that should have never been awoken.

This isn’t the tale of Robin Hood you remember.

Title: Woods of Silver and Light
Author: Victoria McCombs
Publisher: Parliament House Press
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Retelling
Targeted Age Range: Young Adult
Trigger Warnings: Death, death mention, death of an infant, magic, minor violence.
Rating: ★★★☆☆

I’m super excited to be one of the tour stops for TBRBeyond’s tour of Woods of Silver and Light by Victoria McCombs! This novel is a fun, action packed fantasy suitable for young readers.

Our story follows Anika, a newly appointed lady with lands that are bordered by a magical forest. Anika is a strong hearted, brave young lady who is dedicated to finding out what mysteries lie within the forest. She’s brave and courageous, but has moments where her softer side shows. Throughout the novel we see her selflessly try to help her people, whether it be from volunteering physical labour, or offering alternative means. She really goes out of her way to help people, which is a very admirable thing to read about, especially in a young adult novel. I think selflessness is something that is often overlooked in young adult fantasy, so it’s super lovely that young adults have a character like Anika to look up to.

This book is a lovely retelling of the classic Robin Hood story, taking the image of Robin Hood and twisting it with a magical element. Instead of a classic Robin Hood figure, we instead get a band of characters stealing from the rich and giving it to the poor. Named the Silver Raiders, this gang of likeable characters are the main focus plot-wise in Woods of Silver and Light. I really enjoyed reading about the Silver Raiders, watching as each of their storylines intertwined together to create the overarching plot. Despite mainly being showcased as a group, we get to read about the characters as individuals too. Our main focus within the group is Ronin, the leader of the raiders. Personally, I found Ronin to be a bit frustrating to read about. Despite being the leader of a bandit group, he never seemed to have any fight about him. It’s almost as if he did everything Anika asked of him, even straight after knowing her. I wish we could’ve seen a more distinctive character arc from him.

The magic in this book was a lovely touch. McCombs has carefully crafted a magic system that is easy to follow, and rather enjoyable. Each character has a ‘gift’, a natural ability that is magical in nature. Anika, our protagonist, has the natural gift of playing the violin, something I wish came up more often. It was such an interesting element of the book, and it would have been better if we saw it come up more often. It felt as if we got halfway through the book and suddenly it came up. I would have personally preferred knowing about it from the get go, but I guess it’s personal preference!

One thing to note is that this book does contain a love triangle. I’ll admit, I’m not normally a fan of love triangles: they’re just not a trope I gravitate towards. I understand how they’re some people’s cup of tea, they just aren’t mine. But I didn’t mind this one! The love triangle in this book was written in a way that wasn’t annoying to read about. Both romantic interests in this love triangle were completely different from one another, so it didn’t feel as if the plot was getting repetitive. While they still aren’t a trope I actively seek out, the love triangle in this book was written well enough that I wouldn’t be annoyed if I came across another one in my future reads.

Overall, Woods of Silver and Light is a fun young adult fantasy that anyone can fly through. While it has things in it I didn’t enjoy, I found it to be an enjoyable and quick read. It was easy to follow along, as it wasn’t a complicated read. Thank you again to Victoria McComb, Parliament House Press and TBR Beyond Tours for giving me this opportunity to host a stop on the tour.

Links for Woods of Silver and Light: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop

Some of the things I love most in this world are peppermint hot chocolate, peanut butter ice cream, golﬁng dates, Jesus, and game nights with family. And of course, books.

Fairytales were my ﬁrst love. I became obsessed with the idea that if one was brave enough, they could defeat dragons, and that true love was real. I met my true love in college, and together we raise our two boys. I have my dad to thank for teaching me to love writing, and my mom to thank for allowing us to keep a wall of medieval weapons in the house, which curated my love for that time period.

My dream is to write vivid worlds and charming characters that will leave an imprint on my reader’s hearts, the way that so many books have done for me.

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