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.
- Title: Silver in the Wood
- Author: Emily Tesh
- Publisher: Tordotcom
- Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQ+
- Targeted Age Range: New Adult/Adult
- Content Warnings: Alcohol consumption, Mild blood depiction & physical injuries, Murder & attempted murder, Gun violence, Knife violence & stabbing, Kidnapping, Disappearance of a loved one
- Rating: ★★★
Hi, hello everyone! Due to my seemingly never ending reading slump, I’ve been trying to get back into reading by picking up shorter books. I picked up Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, and let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint! This novella is the first in a duology and is full of lush descriptions, interesting mythical elements and compelling characters, and I really enjoyed it!
Our story follows Tobias, the Wild Man of Greenhollow, and his life in the woods. He’s followed by Bramble, a dryad of the woods, and I loved their dynamic. While we don’t see them interact a whole lot, the moments we do see are very endearing and I enjoyed it endlessly. That being said, I don’t think we learn a lot about Tobias, and I think that was a shame. I really enjoyed what we got to see of him, and I hope in the second book we learn more about him, especially his growing relationship with Henry Silver. I really liked Henry, and I loved his enthusiasm to learn more about the lore surrounding Greenhollow. His affection and relationship with Tobias grows throughout the novella too, and while it isn’t a prominent feature, it was a nice touch and I enjoyed them together.
One of my favourite things about this book is Tesh’s writing. Emily Tesh has a distinct writing style and it made for a beautiful reading experience. Tesh writes magic in a very subtle way, but you feel its presence. You can feel it in the way the trees move, the way the characters interact and how the different myths come to life on the page. While this book is very magical, I wouldn’t say this book is necessarily a high fantasy. It was very casual in its fantasy elements, but I think that made for a great read. Tesh did a great job worldbuilding, and I enjoyed seeing how the fantastic melded with the real, and how it created an interesting world.
Overall I think Silver in the Wood was a fun, easy read that transports readers into a magical realm. With its descriptive language and subtle magic charm, this novella is perfect to bump up your reading goal and get you out of a slump. I am very much looking forward to reading the second book, and seeing how our characters further develop.
Let me know below if you’ve read this book, and what your thoughts were.
Happy reading!
Links for Silver in the Wood: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | Indie Bound
Emily Tesh is a winner of the Astounding Award and of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella. She is the author of the Greenhollow Duology, which begins with Silver in the Wood and concludes with Drowned Country. Some Desperate Glory, her first novel, is forthcoming in April 2023 from tordotcom publishing.
