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Silver #1
Silver
Andrew Dare is a werewolf. He’s the enforcer for the Roanoke pack, and responsible for capturing or killing any Were intruders in Roanoke’s territory. But the lone Were he’s tracking doesn’t smell or act like anyone he’s ever encountered. And when he catches her, it doesn’t get any better. She’s beautiful, she’s crazy, and someone has tortured her by injecting silver into her veins. She says her name is Silver, and that she’s lost her wild self and can’t shift any more.
The packs in North America have a live-and-let-live attitude, and try not to overlap with each other. But Silver represents a terrible threat to every Were on the continent.
Andrew and Silver will join forces to track down this menace while discovering their own power and their passion for each other.
The packs in North America have a live-and-let-live attitude, and try not to overlap with each other. But Silver represents a terrible threat to every Were on the continent.
Andrew and Silver will join forces to track down this menace while discovering their own power and their passion for each other.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2012
22 people are currently reading
2542 people want to read
About the author
Rhiannon Held
19 books186 followersRhiannon Held writes urban fantasy, along with space opera and weird western (as R.Z. Held). She lives in Seattle, where she works as an archaeologist for an environmental compliance firm. At work, she mostly uses her degree for copy-editing technical reports; in writing, she uses it for cultural world-building; in public, she'll probably use it to check the mold seams on the wine bottle at dinner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 250 reviews
October 6, 2012
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Silver is an adult urban fantasy novel like no other. First and foremost, it tackles one of the most unique ideas I've come across in my reading of werewolf lore and I just loved the manner in which this was executed. It was told mostly as a murder mystery, but it contained heavy character development as well, switching between the perspectives of Andrew and Silver. In all honesty, it is them who drive this novel forward, with their scarring pasts and struggles to make a better future for themselves and their romance is very subtle and truly beautiful to see play out.
While I truly enjoyed reading Silver, with its plot twists and dark tale, I did think it could have benefited from a little more emphasis on the world-building. It isn't shabby in the least, but I would have liked a few more details. Furthermore, I found that some scenes, while definitely contributing to some of the character qualities that Andrew and Silver possessed, could have been cut out entirely. In my opinion, they didn't do much for the novel and made it a little chunkier than it could have been. Lastly, and most probably my biggest qualm, was the unrealistic situation when it came to the villain. I found it a little hard to believe that the villain was so preoccupied with a beautiful woman that he didn't hear his prisoner break free of his chains on the floor below and make a racket while crawling up the stairs towards him...you see what I mean?
Yet, overall, Silver was an excellent tale. As a character, Silver can often come across as insane due to her situation, but the ultimate way in which this was dealt with and the fact that Andrew was able to see her inner strength despite that just made me fall in love with the romance - and this book - even more. If you're looking for an unique take on werewolf lore or are just another fan of Adult Urban Fantasy with a tinge of murder mystery and a hint of romance, this is just the book for you! :)
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
Silver is an adult urban fantasy novel like no other. First and foremost, it tackles one of the most unique ideas I've come across in my reading of werewolf lore and I just loved the manner in which this was executed. It was told mostly as a murder mystery, but it contained heavy character development as well, switching between the perspectives of Andrew and Silver. In all honesty, it is them who drive this novel forward, with their scarring pasts and struggles to make a better future for themselves and their romance is very subtle and truly beautiful to see play out.
While I truly enjoyed reading Silver, with its plot twists and dark tale, I did think it could have benefited from a little more emphasis on the world-building. It isn't shabby in the least, but I would have liked a few more details. Furthermore, I found that some scenes, while definitely contributing to some of the character qualities that Andrew and Silver possessed, could have been cut out entirely. In my opinion, they didn't do much for the novel and made it a little chunkier than it could have been. Lastly, and most probably my biggest qualm, was the unrealistic situation when it came to the villain. I found it a little hard to believe that the villain was so preoccupied with a beautiful woman that he didn't hear his prisoner break free of his chains on the floor below and make a racket while crawling up the stairs towards him...you see what I mean?
Yet, overall, Silver was an excellent tale. As a character, Silver can often come across as insane due to her situation, but the ultimate way in which this was dealt with and the fact that Andrew was able to see her inner strength despite that just made me fall in love with the romance - and this book - even more. If you're looking for an unique take on werewolf lore or are just another fan of Adult Urban Fantasy with a tinge of murder mystery and a hint of romance, this is just the book for you! :)
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
May 22, 2012
I haven’t read many werewolf books, other than the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. The summary for "Silver" caught my eye, though — a werewolf who can’t shift? I wanted to find out what had happened to Silver, and how she lost her “wild self.”
Silver, the main female character, has an interesting past. She was tortured with silver, which took away her ability to shift into were form. Torture with silver isn’t something North American packs do, but Andrew Dare, the main male character, recognizes it from his time in Europe. Andrew is the reinforcer for the Roanoke pack, a job that keeps him a lone wolf — literally.
The blurb on the back cover makes it sound like a hot romance develops between Andrew and Silver as they hunt down the monster that hurt her. The relationship that springs up between them feels a lot more like a friendship that moves into something more because of shared experiences, not because they’re all hot and bothered for each other. So the blurb is misleading, but I didn’t mind. One of my biggest complaints with urban fantasy is romance, so I was happy that there wasn’t a lot in "Silver." Not everything needs to be a love story.
For me, "Silver" isn’t a memorable book. I kept putting it down and not being motivated to pick it back up. While I liked the author’s writing style — particularly some of her descriptions — the pacing of the book was slow. It’s only 320 pages, but it read like twice that length. Some tighter editing would have improved the flow, and taken out some unnecessary passages.
I had a hard time caring about Silver or Andrew. Silver was hard to follow, because she was somewhat crazy. Sometimes she talked to Death; the silver poisoning affected her mind as well as her ability to shift. I have to give the author credit for writing a believable crazy person (as unpolitically correct as that has to sound), but Silver’s conversations with Death made the beginning of the book confusing.
"Silver" is the first in a trilogy. I probably won’t pick up the next two, because I don’t have that driving urge to find out what Silver and Andrew are going to do next.
I received this book through the Amazon Vine program..
Silver, the main female character, has an interesting past. She was tortured with silver, which took away her ability to shift into were form. Torture with silver isn’t something North American packs do, but Andrew Dare, the main male character, recognizes it from his time in Europe. Andrew is the reinforcer for the Roanoke pack, a job that keeps him a lone wolf — literally.
The blurb on the back cover makes it sound like a hot romance develops between Andrew and Silver as they hunt down the monster that hurt her. The relationship that springs up between them feels a lot more like a friendship that moves into something more because of shared experiences, not because they’re all hot and bothered for each other. So the blurb is misleading, but I didn’t mind. One of my biggest complaints with urban fantasy is romance, so I was happy that there wasn’t a lot in "Silver." Not everything needs to be a love story.
For me, "Silver" isn’t a memorable book. I kept putting it down and not being motivated to pick it back up. While I liked the author’s writing style — particularly some of her descriptions — the pacing of the book was slow. It’s only 320 pages, but it read like twice that length. Some tighter editing would have improved the flow, and taken out some unnecessary passages.
I had a hard time caring about Silver or Andrew. Silver was hard to follow, because she was somewhat crazy. Sometimes she talked to Death; the silver poisoning affected her mind as well as her ability to shift. I have to give the author credit for writing a believable crazy person (as unpolitically correct as that has to sound), but Silver’s conversations with Death made the beginning of the book confusing.
"Silver" is the first in a trilogy. I probably won’t pick up the next two, because I don’t have that driving urge to find out what Silver and Andrew are going to do next.
I received this book through the Amazon Vine program..
April 12, 2012
First off, I don't know why this is classified as a Fantasy. I felt it fit better in the Paranormal Romance or even Urban Fantasy, but definitely not quite as Fantasy only. What made me want to read this book was the werewolf characters. It had been awhile since I stepped into the werewolf world and decided to read about them again.
When Andrew comes across Silver during a run for the pack, he is held responsible in finding out where she has come from and where she is suppose to belong. Sounds good right? You would think this would create some drama or at the very least some suspense. Well, it could have but never did for me. This book was choppy, not paced well and all around boring. I hate to use those words because I know this is an author's hard work, but it is what it is for this reader. I had to struggle just to finish this book and reading should never be a struggle.
If you want a good werewolf read, look elsewhere. If you want a Fantasy, look elsewhere. If you just want something to pass the time, then pick it up. Don't expect much though from the story though.
When Andrew comes across Silver during a run for the pack, he is held responsible in finding out where she has come from and where she is suppose to belong. Sounds good right? You would think this would create some drama or at the very least some suspense. Well, it could have but never did for me. This book was choppy, not paced well and all around boring. I hate to use those words because I know this is an author's hard work, but it is what it is for this reader. I had to struggle just to finish this book and reading should never be a struggle.
If you want a good werewolf read, look elsewhere. If you want a Fantasy, look elsewhere. If you just want something to pass the time, then pick it up. Don't expect much though from the story though.
May 2, 2012
Paranormal
Just some background. I received a advance uncorrected proof (ARC) of Silver from Amazon Vine. This is the first published novel by Rhiannon Held. After reading Silver I assume that it is the first in the world Rhiannon has built.
My take on the novel:
Worldbuilding: This is a totally different take on werewolves and how a pack functions. There was a lot to get in and it is handled beautifully. Mixed into the story line there is a hint here and a hint there. It never intrudes on the story but is an interregnal part of the story line.
Backstory: There is a lot of backstory in the book. Like the worldbuilding it is dropped in without intruding. There will be hint in the middle of some dialog, a little mixed into the action and it all builds until you know the entire story. In some instances that does not happen until the end of the book. There were so many hints about past action that I did stop to see if I had started a book in the middle of the series.
Characters: Both main characters were well developed. Silver a little less than Andrew but most of that was because Andrew’s background was more complex. There was not skimping on developing the side character either. Even some who were only several phone conversations had depth and substance.
Plot: Very involved. Everything was interwoven into the plot. Backstory, worldbuilding, characters were all interrogated into the story line. Everything moved along seamlessly without the awkward sections you sometimes find in books.
Writing: With everything else I have mention you have to know the book is very well written. Rhiannon has her own unique voice and it comes across in Silver.
Tor will release Silver by Rhiannon Held in June of 2012.
November 6, 2025
Wow. Thirteen years since I first read this book. This time, I enjoyed the Graphic Audio dramatized adaptation. I have to admit, I really enjoy the full-cast audio versions, this book included. I don't have much to add from my original review. If werewolves are your thing and you haven't read/listened to this book, I highly recommend it.Original review: SILVER is the debut paranormal novel by Rhiannon Held. This isn't a romance, though it is a love story. This isn't urban fantasy though it's a gritty depiction of werewolf life. The language is both sparse and lush, the ideas both lofty and grounded. There are universal truths in this book, presented in a lyrical story of light, death, madness, and redemption. Andrew Dare is enforcer for the Roanoke pack, which encompasses most of the eastern part of the US. Dare has a dark and ugly past and many other packs and their alphas tread lightly around him. Sent to investigate a lone wolf, he finds Silver, a werewolf trapped in human form after being tortured by silver. Silver isn't her real name but she knows no other. The walk through Silver's world, as seem through her eyes is a powerful one. Dare's journey of self-discovery is just as meaningful. This is a book that stays with a reader, creeping into memory and dreams, much like Death slinking through Silver's reality. And hey, the heroine has a really cool name! ;-) I don't think that I would recommend this book strictly to UF/paranormal readers but at the same time, readers who hate the genre might not look beyond the "skin" to see the soul underneath. All I can say is, give it a try. See for yourself.
July 30, 2013
I'm sorry, I could not catch the vision of this book, despite it coming recommended from great sources. The acknowledgements, to be snobbish, reveal its greatest flaws:"to all my supportive coworkers and friends, including my fellow role-players, thank you." Nothing against role-playing, but the most indulgent elements here are fantasy-inhabiting--the girl who's got beautiful curves, but she's just malnourished, and she's crazy, but she suddenly gets sane (along with getting curvy). Her super power is literally making people feel sorry for her as weak and sexually vulnerable. She needs to be protected and as soon as she doesn't, she's eager to be a lover. Oh, and her lover is a tortured soul with a tragic romance in his past and a bad-boy reputation who is a lone wolf (literally), but has fantastic leadership skills that will destine him for power. Yeah, I can't handle that.
But kudos on some fun were-lore--Roanoke was beset with werewolves and packs are fiercely territorial with each other and silver is torture to them (ugh, the torture, so much indulgent torture--and villains without clear motivation beyond "you're monsters," oh, I had totally forgotten about that.)
Addendum and apology: Rhiannon has written and published a book. That is amazing. Writing a book is damn hard work. It takes a vision, dedication and a hell of a lot of hard work in all stages, from conception to revision to editing. The fact that anyone publishes a book is miraculous. With all the difficulty of writing a book, we don't really need to add to that the difficulty of criticism. I stand by my frustrations with the characters in this book, but my criticisms should only be read as if I written, "That was not the best unicorn I have ever seen."
But kudos on some fun were-lore--Roanoke was beset with werewolves and packs are fiercely territorial with each other and silver is torture to them (ugh, the torture, so much indulgent torture--and villains without clear motivation beyond "you're monsters," oh, I had totally forgotten about that.)
Addendum and apology: Rhiannon has written and published a book. That is amazing. Writing a book is damn hard work. It takes a vision, dedication and a hell of a lot of hard work in all stages, from conception to revision to editing. The fact that anyone publishes a book is miraculous. With all the difficulty of writing a book, we don't really need to add to that the difficulty of criticism. I stand by my frustrations with the characters in this book, but my criticisms should only be read as if I written, "That was not the best unicorn I have ever seen."
August 14, 2012
Every time I read an urban fantasy, I remind myself that I am not the primary audience. After all, much of what I dislike about urban fantasy are the very things I dislike about bad books. Stereotypical characterization, repetitive narratives, and repetitive tropes (if I see one more tramp stamp cover I'm going to blow a gasket). But Rhiannon Held's Silver bucked the trend, taking what should have been yet another stupid werewolf novel and turning it into a rigorously constructed sociological foray into a potential werewolf culture.
The novel's focus, oddly enough, is on Andrew Dare, not the character from which the novel draws its title. A werewolf pack enforcer, Dare discoveres Silver wandering in Roanoke territory, seemingly delirious and injected with, well, silver (the connection to her name is explained in the novel). Silver's condition reminds Dare of a past that he would rather forget, and one which we
discover through him as he battles against the memories. Working to uncover those responsible for Silver's torture, Dare must confront the demons that make him anti-social and unwilling to lead.
One might say that I'm an unusual reader when it comes to urban fantasy. All those flashy monsters and the like really don't mean much to me if they are substitutes for character development. What is powerful about urban fantasy for me isn't so much that it is the fantastic littered in contemporary spaces; rather, it is that urban fantasy seems like a perfect space for examining the relationships between characters, human and otherwise. Silver is such a novel, with a tangential focus on plot. What centers the novel, and made it work for me as a fantasy, are its characters. Dare is sympathetic and mysterious; reading about his development as a character, moving from a man afraid of responsibility to a man who must take it, was refreshing, in part because it meant the story needn't reduce itself to a long series of random werewolf fights in order to explore a set of themes (in this case: haunted pasts, torture, pack culture, etc.). Likewise, Silver, the second POV (less focused in this novel for reasons that become obvious as you read), suffers from similar traumas. Though her development is less pronounced than Dare's -- it is partly her past that Dare is trying to uncover -- Silver's growth as a character offers a emotional exploration into psychosis and werewolf phenomena. Readers expecting an action-packed novel would do best to explore elsewhere; this is not that kind of story.
Perhaps the novel's greatest strength lies in Held's attempt to take a fantastical concept -- the existence of werewolves -- and put a soft science spin on it. Much of the novel draws attention to the dynamics of werewolf packs and the power struggles that exist within them. While the idea is likely not original, it is one that Held handles well. Rather that infodump, the pack dynamics play a central role in the plot, allowing the reader to see the interrelations between packs, the ways in which individuals maintain pack dominance (including Dare's struggles with his own alpha nature), and so on. One might look at Silver and call it anthopological urban fantasy. That would be a fair assessment considering that Held has argued in interviews that the world of Silver is more science fiction than it is fantasy; the werewolves have an implied evolutionary origin in the novel, which will play a more important role in future novels. Whether her universe can be conceived as a science fiction one is up to speculation; regardless, the rigor with which Held constructs her werewolf culture means the story never takes its fantastic elements for granted. That's something I can appreciate as a reader. The werewolves don't exist just for the sake of existing, as is sometimes the case in urban fantasy. They exist because there's a seemingly logical reason for it. I sometime call this "building a world that feels lived in." Silver brings us that world: a lived-in-world in the present, with a definable, if not mysterious, history.
My largest criticism of Held has to do with what she does not adequately cover. One of the subplots is the expected development of a relationship between Dare and Silver. While Dare struggles against his instincts, feeling that even a sexual flirtation with Silver is a violation of his ethical code, he eventually gives in, and it is implied that they will remain mates (in werewolf terms) for future novels. What troubles me about this is what it says about the characters, and what is not said about how others view their relationship. In other words, their relationship is, to put it bluntly, troublesome for precisely the reasons Dare cites: Silver is disabled and still psychologically unable to cope with what has happened to her, even though we see her move away from that weakness towards the end of the novel. In a very real sense, her ability to consent should be questioned, puzzled out, and explored in more depth. While Held does attempt to explore this social dynamic, Dare seems to give in too easily to temptation, and not enough resistance, in my mind, is provided by the secondary cast. Perhaps this stems from Dare's alpha nature. If so, I hope future novels will delve into the problems of their coupling.
Overall, though, this is a solid first novel. Even if what Held does is not wholly original, her ability to craft a werewolf mythology that is more anthropoligical than paranormal is commendable -- and certainly appreciated by this reader. Silver is the kind of novel that shows an author's strengths. Held handles the character drama with focus and molds a fantastical present worth exploring further. She has a lot of potential as a writer, and I sincerely hope Silver does well enough to warrant future books, whether in this series or otherwise.
The novel's focus, oddly enough, is on Andrew Dare, not the character from which the novel draws its title. A werewolf pack enforcer, Dare discoveres Silver wandering in Roanoke territory, seemingly delirious and injected with, well, silver (the connection to her name is explained in the novel). Silver's condition reminds Dare of a past that he would rather forget, and one which we
discover through him as he battles against the memories. Working to uncover those responsible for Silver's torture, Dare must confront the demons that make him anti-social and unwilling to lead.
One might say that I'm an unusual reader when it comes to urban fantasy. All those flashy monsters and the like really don't mean much to me if they are substitutes for character development. What is powerful about urban fantasy for me isn't so much that it is the fantastic littered in contemporary spaces; rather, it is that urban fantasy seems like a perfect space for examining the relationships between characters, human and otherwise. Silver is such a novel, with a tangential focus on plot. What centers the novel, and made it work for me as a fantasy, are its characters. Dare is sympathetic and mysterious; reading about his development as a character, moving from a man afraid of responsibility to a man who must take it, was refreshing, in part because it meant the story needn't reduce itself to a long series of random werewolf fights in order to explore a set of themes (in this case: haunted pasts, torture, pack culture, etc.). Likewise, Silver, the second POV (less focused in this novel for reasons that become obvious as you read), suffers from similar traumas. Though her development is less pronounced than Dare's -- it is partly her past that Dare is trying to uncover -- Silver's growth as a character offers a emotional exploration into psychosis and werewolf phenomena. Readers expecting an action-packed novel would do best to explore elsewhere; this is not that kind of story.
Perhaps the novel's greatest strength lies in Held's attempt to take a fantastical concept -- the existence of werewolves -- and put a soft science spin on it. Much of the novel draws attention to the dynamics of werewolf packs and the power struggles that exist within them. While the idea is likely not original, it is one that Held handles well. Rather that infodump, the pack dynamics play a central role in the plot, allowing the reader to see the interrelations between packs, the ways in which individuals maintain pack dominance (including Dare's struggles with his own alpha nature), and so on. One might look at Silver and call it anthopological urban fantasy. That would be a fair assessment considering that Held has argued in interviews that the world of Silver is more science fiction than it is fantasy; the werewolves have an implied evolutionary origin in the novel, which will play a more important role in future novels. Whether her universe can be conceived as a science fiction one is up to speculation; regardless, the rigor with which Held constructs her werewolf culture means the story never takes its fantastic elements for granted. That's something I can appreciate as a reader. The werewolves don't exist just for the sake of existing, as is sometimes the case in urban fantasy. They exist because there's a seemingly logical reason for it. I sometime call this "building a world that feels lived in." Silver brings us that world: a lived-in-world in the present, with a definable, if not mysterious, history.
My largest criticism of Held has to do with what she does not adequately cover. One of the subplots is the expected development of a relationship between Dare and Silver. While Dare struggles against his instincts, feeling that even a sexual flirtation with Silver is a violation of his ethical code, he eventually gives in, and it is implied that they will remain mates (in werewolf terms) for future novels. What troubles me about this is what it says about the characters, and what is not said about how others view their relationship. In other words, their relationship is, to put it bluntly, troublesome for precisely the reasons Dare cites: Silver is disabled and still psychologically unable to cope with what has happened to her, even though we see her move away from that weakness towards the end of the novel. In a very real sense, her ability to consent should be questioned, puzzled out, and explored in more depth. While Held does attempt to explore this social dynamic, Dare seems to give in too easily to temptation, and not enough resistance, in my mind, is provided by the secondary cast. Perhaps this stems from Dare's alpha nature. If so, I hope future novels will delve into the problems of their coupling.
Overall, though, this is a solid first novel. Even if what Held does is not wholly original, her ability to craft a werewolf mythology that is more anthropoligical than paranormal is commendable -- and certainly appreciated by this reader. Silver is the kind of novel that shows an author's strengths. Held handles the character drama with focus and molds a fantastical present worth exploring further. She has a lot of potential as a writer, and I sincerely hope Silver does well enough to warrant future books, whether in this series or otherwise.
March 10, 2015
This is the second book this year that I have felt very strongly about. I flew through it really quickly because I couldn’t put it down. The pacing was just right, character traits I was worried about at first were quickly addressed, and the story was genuinely interesting to me.
The first thing I worried about was Silver – the female lead – is “crazy.” A word thrown around fairly often when describing her. Often mental illness in books isn’t portrayed well and while this isn’t necessarily an illness we will encounter as humans good portrayal of mental health is still important. Though what Silver is experiencing parallels what some people with PTSD go through, perhaps part of it is PTSD considering the triggering incident and her symptoms, but I’m sure other illnesses parallel her experiences as well. And she is still strong. Not despite it, but by taking hold of it and not giving up. Not because she gets better or has some special ability to do so (beyond being a were). She overcomes characters opposing her that are on her side, but react to her in the same way many people try to “help” people with mental illness every day. It was very realistic and relatable.
Something I’m still a bit on the fence about is Andrew – the male lead. He’s a strong character with an interesting history but it’s his white-knight-to-the-rescue behavior that I’m teetering on. On one hand it’s cliche for a one man army to go after the bad guy chasing the girl and giving up stuff along the way. Cue romance montage. On the other hand his background makes his decisions plausible, and even though he acknowledges an attraction to Silver near the beginning it doesn’t factor into his motivation to hunt the person chasing her. The enemy is a very real threat to the werewolves, not just Silver, not just Andrew. I’m leaning on the positive side for Andrew, partially because I can’t take any other fault with his character. He’s very sensible and even narrow minded. But he grows, he’s not static. And there are only so many ways one can do the save-the-girl romance scenario. I think my teetering comes from the fact it’s a common romance plot element and that makes me question if I just like it because it didn’t crash and burn in my mind, as I find many do. I’m second guessing myself. There are only so many plot devices, and this one is easy to mess up. But it was done well, as was the rest of Andrew’s character.
But my favorite character has to be Death. I love reading different takes on death personified and this one was spectacular. He was tied into were lore well without making him out to be the enemy, something I really appreciate. At the end I felt his interactions with Andrew really made the romance between Silver and Andrew more plausible too. They now have shared experiences beyond lets-save-the-day. And Death is just so matter-of-fact and patient. I’m really hoping he’s in the next book and that the were lore is expanded upon.
I did enjoy the political elements of the book as well. It really spoke to world issues on a smaller scale. How we combat universal threats and the importance of communication between political powers, how that’s difficult when there are power games involved. The politic made this world all the more interesting and I hope the next novels explore the politics and power dynamics between packs the world over. I want to know how lore and politics differ around this world, not just between the Americas and Europe. What’s happening in China? South Africa? Do the were packs around the world ever even interact or do they struggle to maintain segregation? I’m already hooked, now I want more world building.
Overall I’m giving Silver four stars out of five. I sometimes find books on their own don’t get five stars for me, but in a series they will. So I may do a series review as well. Whether I would re-read Silver really depends on the rest of the series.
The first thing I worried about was Silver – the female lead – is “crazy.” A word thrown around fairly often when describing her. Often mental illness in books isn’t portrayed well and while this isn’t necessarily an illness we will encounter as humans good portrayal of mental health is still important. Though what Silver is experiencing parallels what some people with PTSD go through, perhaps part of it is PTSD considering the triggering incident and her symptoms, but I’m sure other illnesses parallel her experiences as well. And she is still strong. Not despite it, but by taking hold of it and not giving up. Not because she gets better or has some special ability to do so (beyond being a were). She overcomes characters opposing her that are on her side, but react to her in the same way many people try to “help” people with mental illness every day. It was very realistic and relatable.
Something I’m still a bit on the fence about is Andrew – the male lead. He’s a strong character with an interesting history but it’s his white-knight-to-the-rescue behavior that I’m teetering on. On one hand it’s cliche for a one man army to go after the bad guy chasing the girl and giving up stuff along the way. Cue romance montage. On the other hand his background makes his decisions plausible, and even though he acknowledges an attraction to Silver near the beginning it doesn’t factor into his motivation to hunt the person chasing her. The enemy is a very real threat to the werewolves, not just Silver, not just Andrew. I’m leaning on the positive side for Andrew, partially because I can’t take any other fault with his character. He’s very sensible and even narrow minded. But he grows, he’s not static. And there are only so many ways one can do the save-the-girl romance scenario. I think my teetering comes from the fact it’s a common romance plot element and that makes me question if I just like it because it didn’t crash and burn in my mind, as I find many do. I’m second guessing myself. There are only so many plot devices, and this one is easy to mess up. But it was done well, as was the rest of Andrew’s character.
But my favorite character has to be Death. I love reading different takes on death personified and this one was spectacular. He was tied into were lore well without making him out to be the enemy, something I really appreciate. At the end I felt his interactions with Andrew really made the romance between Silver and Andrew more plausible too. They now have shared experiences beyond lets-save-the-day. And Death is just so matter-of-fact and patient. I’m really hoping he’s in the next book and that the were lore is expanded upon.
I did enjoy the political elements of the book as well. It really spoke to world issues on a smaller scale. How we combat universal threats and the importance of communication between political powers, how that’s difficult when there are power games involved. The politic made this world all the more interesting and I hope the next novels explore the politics and power dynamics between packs the world over. I want to know how lore and politics differ around this world, not just between the Americas and Europe. What’s happening in China? South Africa? Do the were packs around the world ever even interact or do they struggle to maintain segregation? I’m already hooked, now I want more world building.
Overall I’m giving Silver four stars out of five. I sometimes find books on their own don’t get five stars for me, but in a series they will. So I may do a series review as well. Whether I would re-read Silver really depends on the rest of the series.
December 27, 2012
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Wow! This was an outstanding debut by Rhiannon Held. The tone and subject matter reminded me of Bitten by Kelley Armstrong in the best ways possible, but Silver was a completely unique story. I really enjoyed Ms. Held's take on werewolves and I am hoping for more from the two leads, Silver and Dare.
Andrew Dare is Roanoke's werewolf enforcer and he is on the trail of a stray smelling of silver. It's his job to find the stray and either escort him out of pack territory or to kill him. The stray turns out to be a rather disturbed woman. She calls herself Silver because of the poison injected into her veins and she has lost her wolf self. Dare has to decide if he should hide Silver, help her, or just kill her. He finds that he can't get the young woman out of his mind and finally decides that helping her is the only thing he can do.
I would consider this book more of a character study than an action-packed thriller. The driving plot is Dare trying to track down Silver's pack and the person that attacked her. While this was very interesting, the best parts of the story were Dare and Silver's growth as characters and their slowly developing relationship. I loved learning about their secrets, pains, losses, strengths, and loves. Dare seems like he is a very hard person, but we get to see a softer side come out when he is around Silver. Silver herself seems pretty crazy at the beginning but Dare seems to help ground her and allows her to hold on to more of her actual self.
At the beginning of the book, it seems like a one-way street. Silver needs Dare's help just to survive, but she is really just a complication in his life. As the book goes along, we learn that Dare has come to depend on Silver to figure out who is he as well. The gradually developing relationship was sweet and it gave each of them a strength to act in ways they couldn't on their own. They were damaged people, but their relationship helps heal them and makes them stand on their own two feet, even in situations where they might have faltered before.
I really loved this book. I did not want to put it down, reading it in only two sittings. I'm glad to see that this will be a series from Ms. Held and the next book, Tarnished, will be out May 2013. I loved Silver and Dare but I also appreciated Ms. Held's stark writing style and her way with emotions. I will be eagerly awaiting anything she puts out next!
Wow! This was an outstanding debut by Rhiannon Held. The tone and subject matter reminded me of Bitten by Kelley Armstrong in the best ways possible, but Silver was a completely unique story. I really enjoyed Ms. Held's take on werewolves and I am hoping for more from the two leads, Silver and Dare.
Andrew Dare is Roanoke's werewolf enforcer and he is on the trail of a stray smelling of silver. It's his job to find the stray and either escort him out of pack territory or to kill him. The stray turns out to be a rather disturbed woman. She calls herself Silver because of the poison injected into her veins and she has lost her wolf self. Dare has to decide if he should hide Silver, help her, or just kill her. He finds that he can't get the young woman out of his mind and finally decides that helping her is the only thing he can do.
I would consider this book more of a character study than an action-packed thriller. The driving plot is Dare trying to track down Silver's pack and the person that attacked her. While this was very interesting, the best parts of the story were Dare and Silver's growth as characters and their slowly developing relationship. I loved learning about their secrets, pains, losses, strengths, and loves. Dare seems like he is a very hard person, but we get to see a softer side come out when he is around Silver. Silver herself seems pretty crazy at the beginning but Dare seems to help ground her and allows her to hold on to more of her actual self.
At the beginning of the book, it seems like a one-way street. Silver needs Dare's help just to survive, but she is really just a complication in his life. As the book goes along, we learn that Dare has come to depend on Silver to figure out who is he as well. The gradually developing relationship was sweet and it gave each of them a strength to act in ways they couldn't on their own. They were damaged people, but their relationship helps heal them and makes them stand on their own two feet, even in situations where they might have faltered before.
I really loved this book. I did not want to put it down, reading it in only two sittings. I'm glad to see that this will be a series from Ms. Held and the next book, Tarnished, will be out May 2013. I loved Silver and Dare but I also appreciated Ms. Held's stark writing style and her way with emotions. I will be eagerly awaiting anything she puts out next!
June 9, 2012
Silver is a well-written, engaging urban fantasy that features werewolves and a romance-tinged main plot. But Silver has other ambitions besides "extremely competent genre tale." Silver is concerned with culture. Silver is concerned with how werewolves act and love and worship. What are their taboos? How might one pack act differently than another? Who leads and who doesn't? What's strength and what's weakness? Many of these questions are addressed contextually, through character behavior more than exposition, but some are addressed through tour-de-force sequences with Death, who may or may not be a hallucination. Death is a stand-out character, a slippery, energetic trickster, a delight every time he appears, and it's often. Werewolf politics are also handled well and smartly, wolf-like behaviors adapted for social use. Held handles facial details, body language, and the layout of the environment all very well. The world feels plausible and tactile. The book does have some minor hang-ups. While Silver's not-entirely-trustable viewpoint is used to good effect and to some niftily odd writing, the book does occasionally suffer from the protagonists passing sweepingly correct judgments on other characters, especially in earlier chapters. None of this is unexpected - protagonists often have to be exceptional to be ... well, exceptional - but I would have liked to see more strength in the other characters that inhabited the world with Silver and Andrew (although there were strong exceptions). I would have liked to see more of the world of the beta, for example, and a deeper exploration of what it means to be lower in the hierarchy. That said, this is largely a taste issue, and our protagonists are not portrayed as perfect characters or superheroes. Battles are always hard-won when won, scars remain, mistakes are made, old issues are brought to the surface and dealt with. Silver's tragedy remains her tragedy - and it's compelling stuff.
May 1, 2013
Loved this werewolf book. It was very well written and pretty well plotted. Its strength though was in the werewolf world building and the development of the characters. There was a mystery of what had happened to Silver and how to catch the bad guy. There was a lot of in depth character building especially of the main character, Andrew Dare. No info dumping in this book. All the info was working seamlessly into the words and actions of the characters. There was a love story that developed throughout the story but it was a bit of a different one.
There are several really good reviews out there and I can't think right now so I'll just say I loved it and recommend it, and maybe you should browse some of the other reviews. :-)
There are several really good reviews out there and I can't think right now so I'll just say I loved it and recommend it, and maybe you should browse some of the other reviews. :-)
October 8, 2024
Even slightly above average urban fantasy/PNR from the 2010s beats the modern urban romantasy (??) like Bride and Crescent City and the fact that the girlies don’t know their roots is so sad to me
July 31, 2012
I saw this book through the Amazon Vine program and thought it sounded really interesting. It had the hint of a romance, werewolves and a fantasy feel to it so I thought it would be a book I could enjoy.
When I received Silver, I was not sure if this book fit into the adult or young adult category and could not find out that information online. After reading it though, I would put it in the adult category. As for the genre, it could fit into a couple of them. It has elements of an urban fantasy, a paranormal romance and a fantasy novel, yet I don’t think it could be classified as just one of those. It does switch point of views between Silver and Andrew, but the transitions were sometimes rough and did not flow well into the overall story. It also has the werewolves which could be in fantasy or paranormal and there was romance, but it definitely took the back seat like it would with an urban fantasy novel.
As for the characters, I did not feel any connection with them. There was no depth to them or their feelings and they felt like strangers to me. I also did not feel like I had to know any more about them as the story progressed. I wanted more emotions from Silver and Andrew and to know more about their backstory. We get a little of that later in the book, but it is not for a good hundred and fifty pages in and by that point it was too little too late for me.
I actually put this book down a couple of times and almost did not finish it because I was bored. There was not much going on except the hunt to find who tortured Silver and that was not enough to keep my attention. I pushed through because I was hoping it would pick up, but it never did. I had high hopes for this book and it just did not deliver. It also did not help that I felt left out of many of the stories the characters talked about. There were too many side plots that we came into the middle of and I did not like feeling lost. I know that we needed time for Andrew and Silver’s pasts to be revealed to us, but there were other references in there that I did not understand because they happened off the page and I wish we could have explored those more. It might have helped me to connect with the characters.
There were a couple of things I did like about the book. The mythology for one thing. I liked how the werewolves shifted in this book and the idea of “Death” being a character as well as “The Lady”. They were both very interesting phenomena and I enjoyed learning more about them. Death is interacting with Silver throughout the novel and his story was very interesting. You could never quite tell what he was going to do and whether or not he was leading Silver into a trap or just looking out for her. He tortures her with voices of people who have died and that was heartbreaking to watch her try deal with. Especially since some of the voices were her family that had been killed and they were trying to convince her to join them in death. Death was sneaky and oddly enough he was my favorite character in the book. I know, he tortures our heroine and while that was brutal to watch, he had a unique voice and stood out in this book.
Overall, this story was just not for me. It had all the elements I usually enjoy in a book, but the lack of connection left me feeling cold. I had no desire to see what happened to the characters next and that is never a good sign. I am not sure if this is going to be a series or not, but I know I will probably not pick up the next book if there is one. I would check out a couple of other reviews of this book and maybe read a couple of chapters before you decide if you want to read it.
When I received Silver, I was not sure if this book fit into the adult or young adult category and could not find out that information online. After reading it though, I would put it in the adult category. As for the genre, it could fit into a couple of them. It has elements of an urban fantasy, a paranormal romance and a fantasy novel, yet I don’t think it could be classified as just one of those. It does switch point of views between Silver and Andrew, but the transitions were sometimes rough and did not flow well into the overall story. It also has the werewolves which could be in fantasy or paranormal and there was romance, but it definitely took the back seat like it would with an urban fantasy novel.
As for the characters, I did not feel any connection with them. There was no depth to them or their feelings and they felt like strangers to me. I also did not feel like I had to know any more about them as the story progressed. I wanted more emotions from Silver and Andrew and to know more about their backstory. We get a little of that later in the book, but it is not for a good hundred and fifty pages in and by that point it was too little too late for me.
I actually put this book down a couple of times and almost did not finish it because I was bored. There was not much going on except the hunt to find who tortured Silver and that was not enough to keep my attention. I pushed through because I was hoping it would pick up, but it never did. I had high hopes for this book and it just did not deliver. It also did not help that I felt left out of many of the stories the characters talked about. There were too many side plots that we came into the middle of and I did not like feeling lost. I know that we needed time for Andrew and Silver’s pasts to be revealed to us, but there were other references in there that I did not understand because they happened off the page and I wish we could have explored those more. It might have helped me to connect with the characters.
There were a couple of things I did like about the book. The mythology for one thing. I liked how the werewolves shifted in this book and the idea of “Death” being a character as well as “The Lady”. They were both very interesting phenomena and I enjoyed learning more about them. Death is interacting with Silver throughout the novel and his story was very interesting. You could never quite tell what he was going to do and whether or not he was leading Silver into a trap or just looking out for her. He tortures her with voices of people who have died and that was heartbreaking to watch her try deal with. Especially since some of the voices were her family that had been killed and they were trying to convince her to join them in death. Death was sneaky and oddly enough he was my favorite character in the book. I know, he tortures our heroine and while that was brutal to watch, he had a unique voice and stood out in this book.
Overall, this story was just not for me. It had all the elements I usually enjoy in a book, but the lack of connection left me feeling cold. I had no desire to see what happened to the characters next and that is never a good sign. I am not sure if this is going to be a series or not, but I know I will probably not pick up the next book if there is one. I would check out a couple of other reviews of this book and maybe read a couple of chapters before you decide if you want to read it.
October 10, 2012
This was an okay book but you know, and this, I'm sure, is just me, I am sick and tired of atheist characters. I don't know if it's because it's the hip, in thing, or if the author is one and therefore writes one. I just know it's a trend I'm tired of. And it really makes no sense here. Andrew is a freaking WEREWOLF! He's a supernatural being, beyond the explanation of science. An atheist werewolf makes as much sense as an atheist ghost. You know for a fact that there's strange things out there. How can you deny the possibility of gods and goddesses in all shapes and forms?
And even when he's confronted with evidence to the contrary he still wants to explain away and deny it. I just wanted to reach in and smack him for being so pigheaded and blind.
If at least it had been explained why he didn't believe like "If the Lady exists why did she let my wife die? Why won't she make my daughter forgive and love me again?" I could buy it. But in this case, I don't.
Dude, Andrew, you heal incredibly fast, you can shape shift - something that is scientifically impossible - the only thing that can be explained by science is your allergy to silver. But not the fact that every single werewolf is. (I'm allergic to nickle myself. I can't wear earrings with nickle in them or my lobes swell up.) At the very least you should be agnostic, not a flat out non-believer.
I'm sorry, I just can't buy it any more than I can buy those books where vampires are smart enough to have a society and use technology, but still make humans, their main food source not to mention the source for new vampires, close to extinct once they take over the world. (Honestly, vampires smart enough to do all that would NOT kill children and pregnant women willy-nilly and would set up good medical programs as well as breeding programs. Plus not allow their own population to get out of control.)
I just could not suspend my disbelief because of this one issue. Don't try to explain it to me because it still won't make sense to me.
Oh, and can I add how sick and tired I am of "Oh! Religion bad!" themes? Ug! There's lots of GOOD things religion did too, you know. Did you know people who are religious are more likely to recycle? We also live longer because we're less stressed out. Less likely to commit violent crime. There's lots of people alive today who would otherwise be killed because they're "Evolutionarily inferior" due to things like being handicapped. How about owning up to all the evil atheism has done? Hilter, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, all atheists. Ask anyone who's left Vietnam how bad their atheist based government treats them. Hey, look at China, atheist based government exporting deadly dog treats and lead paint covered toys.
The whole "religion bad" theme is tired already. Yes, there are people who claim to be believers who've done terrible things. But it's NOT religion's fault. It's the fault of greed and jealousy. Looking to grasp land and money. How about authors stop blaming religion and start blaming humans for being greedy little a**holes? Stefen was just insane after his torture. No need to blame religion. Blaming religion for bad things people choose to do is as stupid as blaming video games or music. Evil is a choice.
And even when he's confronted with evidence to the contrary he still wants to explain away and deny it. I just wanted to reach in and smack him for being so pigheaded and blind.
If at least it had been explained why he didn't believe like "If the Lady exists why did she let my wife die? Why won't she make my daughter forgive and love me again?" I could buy it. But in this case, I don't.
Dude, Andrew, you heal incredibly fast, you can shape shift - something that is scientifically impossible - the only thing that can be explained by science is your allergy to silver. But not the fact that every single werewolf is. (I'm allergic to nickle myself. I can't wear earrings with nickle in them or my lobes swell up.) At the very least you should be agnostic, not a flat out non-believer.
I'm sorry, I just can't buy it any more than I can buy those books where vampires are smart enough to have a society and use technology, but still make humans, their main food source not to mention the source for new vampires, close to extinct once they take over the world. (Honestly, vampires smart enough to do all that would NOT kill children and pregnant women willy-nilly and would set up good medical programs as well as breeding programs. Plus not allow their own population to get out of control.)
I just could not suspend my disbelief because of this one issue. Don't try to explain it to me because it still won't make sense to me.
Oh, and can I add how sick and tired I am of "Oh! Religion bad!" themes? Ug! There's lots of GOOD things religion did too, you know. Did you know people who are religious are more likely to recycle? We also live longer because we're less stressed out. Less likely to commit violent crime. There's lots of people alive today who would otherwise be killed because they're "Evolutionarily inferior" due to things like being handicapped. How about owning up to all the evil atheism has done? Hilter, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, all atheists. Ask anyone who's left Vietnam how bad their atheist based government treats them. Hey, look at China, atheist based government exporting deadly dog treats and lead paint covered toys.
The whole "religion bad" theme is tired already. Yes, there are people who claim to be believers who've done terrible things. But it's NOT religion's fault. It's the fault of greed and jealousy. Looking to grasp land and money. How about authors stop blaming religion and start blaming humans for being greedy little a**holes? Stefen was just insane after his torture. No need to blame religion. Blaming religion for bad things people choose to do is as stupid as blaming video games or music. Evil is a choice.
May 2, 2014
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I’m always on the look-out for new spins on werewolves so I decided to give Rhiannon Held’s a try by reading her debut novel, SILVER. My feelings on this book are pretty much split right down the middle; I loved the heroine and her mad ravings, and the mythology drew me in, but the story lacked in intensity and the romance just didn’t jive. I enjoyed the author’s lyrical writing style, and there are definitely more than a few howl worthy quotes however, the ending failed to deliver on what the build-up promised, and as a result, I was left feeling somewhat meh about the whole reading experience.
I liked the simplicity of Held’s world-building; she conveys enough details to keep things interesting without falling victim to the “book 1 information dump syndrome”. I enjoyed learning about pack hierarchy, the lore surrounding Death, the Lady, Weres and humans, and the religious aspects of the story. The author’s take on the werewolves’ wild vs. tame selves felt like a page out of a Psychology textbook, and demonstrated a good grasp of the genre. Death’s character was also an unexpected surprise; originally I thought he was just going to be part of Silver’s delusion, but he actually takes on a life of his own and left me wondering about his true nature.
Piecing together what happened to Silver through a series of clues and delirious babbling was part of this book’s charm. Held’s way with words turned the girl’s crazed gibberish into poetic prophecies. I was easily mesmerized by the author’s imagery, and at times I felt like I was sitting down to tea with the Mad Hatter. Both of the main characters are incredibly strong in their own right, but they are also irrevocably damaged. Dare is Roanoke’s pack enforcer, the butcher of Barcelona, and one of the more dominant wolves in North America, but all he really wants is to belong. Silver is certifiably nuts and yet, only the most tenacious could have survived her ordeal.
The story started off strong, but was unfortunately unable to hold its momentum the whole way through. The plot felt like it was barreling towards one pivotal moment only to fizzle where it counted. Dare leaves his pack, flies half-way across the country to avenge a girl he barely knows, challenges another alpha for leadership so that he can set his brilliant plan into motion, and then… nothing. I couldn’t help but feel cheated by the ending. There wasn’t much of a segue to the next installment either, no hook to entice me into reading TARNISHED. I wish the secondary characters had been a little more fleshed-out as well. I loved Andrew and Silver, but the rest just blended into the background.
SILVER is a character driven novel, and Rhiannon Held is undoubtedly a talented writer, but the story failed to live-up to its synopsis by omitting two key Urban Fantasy elements: action and romance. I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this trilogy.
I’m always on the look-out for new spins on werewolves so I decided to give Rhiannon Held’s a try by reading her debut novel, SILVER. My feelings on this book are pretty much split right down the middle; I loved the heroine and her mad ravings, and the mythology drew me in, but the story lacked in intensity and the romance just didn’t jive. I enjoyed the author’s lyrical writing style, and there are definitely more than a few howl worthy quotes however, the ending failed to deliver on what the build-up promised, and as a result, I was left feeling somewhat meh about the whole reading experience.
I liked the simplicity of Held’s world-building; she conveys enough details to keep things interesting without falling victim to the “book 1 information dump syndrome”. I enjoyed learning about pack hierarchy, the lore surrounding Death, the Lady, Weres and humans, and the religious aspects of the story. The author’s take on the werewolves’ wild vs. tame selves felt like a page out of a Psychology textbook, and demonstrated a good grasp of the genre. Death’s character was also an unexpected surprise; originally I thought he was just going to be part of Silver’s delusion, but he actually takes on a life of his own and left me wondering about his true nature.
Piecing together what happened to Silver through a series of clues and delirious babbling was part of this book’s charm. Held’s way with words turned the girl’s crazed gibberish into poetic prophecies. I was easily mesmerized by the author’s imagery, and at times I felt like I was sitting down to tea with the Mad Hatter. Both of the main characters are incredibly strong in their own right, but they are also irrevocably damaged. Dare is Roanoke’s pack enforcer, the butcher of Barcelona, and one of the more dominant wolves in North America, but all he really wants is to belong. Silver is certifiably nuts and yet, only the most tenacious could have survived her ordeal.
The story started off strong, but was unfortunately unable to hold its momentum the whole way through. The plot felt like it was barreling towards one pivotal moment only to fizzle where it counted. Dare leaves his pack, flies half-way across the country to avenge a girl he barely knows, challenges another alpha for leadership so that he can set his brilliant plan into motion, and then… nothing. I couldn’t help but feel cheated by the ending. There wasn’t much of a segue to the next installment either, no hook to entice me into reading TARNISHED. I wish the secondary characters had been a little more fleshed-out as well. I loved Andrew and Silver, but the rest just blended into the background.
SILVER is a character driven novel, and Rhiannon Held is undoubtedly a talented writer, but the story failed to live-up to its synopsis by omitting two key Urban Fantasy elements: action and romance. I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this trilogy.
November 29, 2012
RATING - 3.5
QUICK SUMMARY - This urban fantasy centers on a young werewolf who has been tortured with what else, silver, to the point that it has affected her mind and her ability to shift into a werewolf. Andrew, an enforcer for one of the largest North American packs, finds her and feels very protective of her. He makes it his top priority to take care of her and to find out who has tortured her in such an unbelievable way.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS UF AND EVERY OTHER UF OUT THERE? - This book completely took me by surprise. It's very different than most other UF's out there in that it is character driven, as opposed to plot driven, and it is very well written. If you want excitement, and a fast moving plot, this isn't the best book for you. The plot moved much faster the second half. The mystery of Who was the silver maniac? was not the strongest part of the book. The strongest parts were how Silver and Andrew grew throughout the book. Silver had all of the issues of the trauma to deal with. And the author shows Silver as she deals with them. (NOT overcomes them) Andrew has to deal with a lot of issues as well as trying to solve a mystery. As an enforcer, he has done things to other weres in his past that he is constantly trying to push from his memories and this case refuses to let him. He is beginning to have feelings for Silver, but when is it ok to be with someone who is not herself mentally? Only when her mind completely returns to normal? Is that even possible?
Besides these two great characters, the author explores pack dynamics very thoroughly; proper pack respect, pack hierachy and the constant dance required to keep peace among the strong-willed, interaction between packs.
SPOILER -This book has some beautiful scenes and some strong female weres. One of my favorite scenes is when Andrew puts his hands on Silver's shoulders and literally feels how dominant of a wolf she really is despite him believing she was a low-ranking wolf because of the tragedy she had been through.
OVERALL - I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy or werewolf books. Even if the plot was a little lacking, the characterization and pack interaction made up for it. Also, Kirkus says this is the first of a series so I am very excited to see where Andrew and Silver go next!
added later- I just found Book 2 is Tarnished expected out in May 2013 published also by TOR.
QUICK SUMMARY - This urban fantasy centers on a young werewolf who has been tortured with what else, silver, to the point that it has affected her mind and her ability to shift into a werewolf. Andrew, an enforcer for one of the largest North American packs, finds her and feels very protective of her. He makes it his top priority to take care of her and to find out who has tortured her in such an unbelievable way.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS UF AND EVERY OTHER UF OUT THERE? - This book completely took me by surprise. It's very different than most other UF's out there in that it is character driven, as opposed to plot driven, and it is very well written. If you want excitement, and a fast moving plot, this isn't the best book for you. The plot moved much faster the second half. The mystery of Who was the silver maniac? was not the strongest part of the book. The strongest parts were how Silver and Andrew grew throughout the book. Silver had all of the issues of the trauma to deal with. And the author shows Silver as she deals with them. (NOT overcomes them) Andrew has to deal with a lot of issues as well as trying to solve a mystery. As an enforcer, he has done things to other weres in his past that he is constantly trying to push from his memories and this case refuses to let him. He is beginning to have feelings for Silver, but when is it ok to be with someone who is not herself mentally? Only when her mind completely returns to normal? Is that even possible?
Besides these two great characters, the author explores pack dynamics very thoroughly; proper pack respect, pack hierachy and the constant dance required to keep peace among the strong-willed, interaction between packs.
SPOILER -This book has some beautiful scenes and some strong female weres. One of my favorite scenes is when Andrew puts his hands on Silver's shoulders and literally feels how dominant of a wolf she really is despite him believing she was a low-ranking wolf because of the tragedy she had been through.
OVERALL - I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy or werewolf books. Even if the plot was a little lacking, the characterization and pack interaction made up for it. Also, Kirkus says this is the first of a series so I am very excited to see where Andrew and Silver go next!
added later- I just found Book 2 is Tarnished expected out in May 2013 published also by TOR.
March 6, 2012
Andrew Dare has a dark past that has left the werewolves of North America despising him and the European werewolves wanting him dead. Because of that dark, questionable past Dare has taken the lonely position as the Enforcer for the Roanoke pack, which is made up of werewolf sub-packs on the East coast. Being an Enforcer means Andrew doesn't truly belong to a pack but is a neutral lone wolf who does the Roanoke pack's alpha's bidding when a werewolf gets out of line. While tracking down a female werewolf that he thinks is carrying silver to do harm to others, he finds instead a crazed werewolf who had been injected with silver. The crazed werewolf calls herself Silver and says she has lost her wild self so she can no longer shift into a wolf. The silver poisoning in her blood has caused Silver's mind to splintered off into another reality where she walks and talks with Death and can't remember who she is, her past or who tortured her. Now, with barely any clues, Andrew has to carefully navigate the political channels of the werewolf hierarchy to find out where Silver is from and the sadistic person who tortured Silver.
SILVER, the first book in an urban fantasy romance trilogy by debut author Rhiannon Held, left me with mixed feelings about the story. I really liked the origins of werewolves for this story and how it was worked into the this story, making it entertaining to learn about it. I also enjoyed the mystery surrounding what happened to Silver as a good buildup throughout the book, and it kept me reading. I liked how Silver's personality evolved and found her as someone I liked a lot.
Where I have mixed feelings is the romance in the story and the ending. I never felt any romantic connection between Dare and Silver. The romance read and felt more like a warm friendship that was deepened by a kinship felt because of the familiar. The ending was a disappointment because I didn't feel like the antagonist responsible for the horrible events in the book really lived up to them in person and I didn't care for how things ended for Silver. Her ending felt unfinished. But since this is the first book in this trilogy maybe Silver's fate will take a different turn in the future books, one I could feel good about.
Overall, SILVER was a good story for the most part but I don't think SILVER stands out from the other books in the urban fantasy genre.
SILVER, the first book in an urban fantasy romance trilogy by debut author Rhiannon Held, left me with mixed feelings about the story. I really liked the origins of werewolves for this story and how it was worked into the this story, making it entertaining to learn about it. I also enjoyed the mystery surrounding what happened to Silver as a good buildup throughout the book, and it kept me reading. I liked how Silver's personality evolved and found her as someone I liked a lot.
Where I have mixed feelings is the romance in the story and the ending. I never felt any romantic connection between Dare and Silver. The romance read and felt more like a warm friendship that was deepened by a kinship felt because of the familiar. The ending was a disappointment because I didn't feel like the antagonist responsible for the horrible events in the book really lived up to them in person and I didn't care for how things ended for Silver. Her ending felt unfinished. But since this is the first book in this trilogy maybe Silver's fate will take a different turn in the future books, one I could feel good about.
Overall, SILVER was a good story for the most part but I don't think SILVER stands out from the other books in the urban fantasy genre.
June 15, 2012
The damaged beauty of both the hero and heroine is just one piece of what makes SILVER such an entrancing book. Haunting and romantic, SILVER delivers all of the satisfaction of SHIVER with a more adult tone, a combination that had me riveted from the first chapter. There is just titillation to fire the imagination without ever diluting the importance of Dare and Silver's other concerns, and though the action lagged a bit for me in the middle, the strong characters and well drawn world more than compensated for the lack.
Held created a gritty and realistic werewolf culture, and a universe that I look forward to visiting again. Both Silver and Dare grow into hidden strengths over the course of the story, without ever betraying the realism of their world. The tension of watching these two navigate the claustrophobic intricacies of werewolf hierarchy was exciting in and of itself, even without the amorphous "monster" that haunts the fringes. Though I did get a little impatient with our heroine's mental state in the middle of the book, by the end Silver had the potential to rank next to Kate Daniels and Mercy Thompson as a fierce, battle hardened heroine. Held brings Dare and Silver through the story stronger but scarred, and the heartbreaking consequences of their battles make this world all the more nuanced and believable.
The first thing I did upon finishing SILVER was scour the internet for other books by Rhiannon Held. Though I'm disappointed that there isn't a back catalog for me to immediately plunder, after a debut this strong her name is definitely on my instant buy list. Though I'll take any and all new books she offers, reading the next chapter of Silver and Dare's lives is what I'm secretly hoping for.
Full review to follow.
Sexual Content: References to rape and sex, mild sensuality.
Held created a gritty and realistic werewolf culture, and a universe that I look forward to visiting again. Both Silver and Dare grow into hidden strengths over the course of the story, without ever betraying the realism of their world. The tension of watching these two navigate the claustrophobic intricacies of werewolf hierarchy was exciting in and of itself, even without the amorphous "monster" that haunts the fringes. Though I did get a little impatient with our heroine's mental state in the middle of the book, by the end Silver had the potential to rank next to Kate Daniels and Mercy Thompson as a fierce, battle hardened heroine. Held brings Dare and Silver through the story stronger but scarred, and the heartbreaking consequences of their battles make this world all the more nuanced and believable.
The first thing I did upon finishing SILVER was scour the internet for other books by Rhiannon Held. Though I'm disappointed that there isn't a back catalog for me to immediately plunder, after a debut this strong her name is definitely on my instant buy list. Though I'll take any and all new books she offers, reading the next chapter of Silver and Dare's lives is what I'm secretly hoping for.
Full review to follow.
Sexual Content: References to rape and sex, mild sensuality.
May 17, 2012
Silver is a werewolf that can no longer change into a wolf because she has been tortured and solver injected into her veins. Andrew Dare is an enforcer for a werewolf pack. When Andrew catches the scent of Silver, who is on the run, he becomes determined to return her where she belongs. This quickly turns into a “I must be your hero and protect you” and “I fell in love with you in 1 week flat.” Basically, the regular YA must-fall-in-love-quickly stories.
The book was just boring and the writing was less than stellar. The characters are all firmly set into the unidimensional stage and they all refuse to budge. Many of the main characters are boring and the ones that were somewhat interesting were delegated to barely-mentioned supporting roles.
The action and the romance seemed forced and too unbelievable (yes, even in a book about werewolves) because the characters seemed to have very little in common to even be attracted to each other. The chemistry just wasn’t there. The book was also very boring and all the characters seemed to be able to do was to be in constant motion, be it driving, walking, chasing, etc.
This book was a let down and it was not that well written. Throughout the book we get gems like the this:
"The pilot, either the guy Laurence knew, or a guy that guy knew, made no comment." How about we just say... “The pilot” and leave it at that?
I also stumbled upon:
"We are none of us outside of the world." How is this supposed to be a stand alone sentence or even grammatically correct?
If you get easily distracted by bad grammar or bad sentence construction, do not read this book.
March 8, 2012
Silver by Rhiannon Held
Silver, one of our protagonists, is actually named Selene but she has no ties to who she used to be before the attack. Silver/Selene had been injected with liquid silver. She sees a wolven image of death and talks to him and she can no longer call her ‘wild side’ or her wolf. Therefore, she can no longer change.
Andrew Dare is the Enforcer for the Roanoke pack and he is on the hunt for someone who stinks of silver. He is disliked by all the wolves since he is an enforcer, and one who had gone a little crazy in the past when his wife died in Spain in a arson house fire. Set by a rival pack.
There may be an entire pack missing as Andrew puts together once he has ‘captured’ Selene and none of the other packs care. It’s live and let live…yes…but it is also turn a blind eye and don’t help your fellow wolf, no matter how they need it.
This is an interesting book, which did not resonate with me. The language is stiff and stilted and I can only surmise that that is how the author wants the wolves to come off as. They are old fashioned/old school type creatures. The wolves as a whole are unlikable to me. They are quick to anger, quick to judge and quick to fight (typical werewolf behavior I assume) and slow to care about anything. Even Andrew and Selene take a lot of suspending disbelief before I can ‘like’ them or see them as an eventual couple.
The story as a whole is frustrating and again that is due to how the author chose to write about the wolves.
Silver, one of our protagonists, is actually named Selene but she has no ties to who she used to be before the attack. Silver/Selene had been injected with liquid silver. She sees a wolven image of death and talks to him and she can no longer call her ‘wild side’ or her wolf. Therefore, she can no longer change.
Andrew Dare is the Enforcer for the Roanoke pack and he is on the hunt for someone who stinks of silver. He is disliked by all the wolves since he is an enforcer, and one who had gone a little crazy in the past when his wife died in Spain in a arson house fire. Set by a rival pack.
There may be an entire pack missing as Andrew puts together once he has ‘captured’ Selene and none of the other packs care. It’s live and let live…yes…but it is also turn a blind eye and don’t help your fellow wolf, no matter how they need it.
This is an interesting book, which did not resonate with me. The language is stiff and stilted and I can only surmise that that is how the author wants the wolves to come off as. They are old fashioned/old school type creatures. The wolves as a whole are unlikable to me. They are quick to anger, quick to judge and quick to fight (typical werewolf behavior I assume) and slow to care about anything. Even Andrew and Selene take a lot of suspending disbelief before I can ‘like’ them or see them as an eventual couple.
The story as a whole is frustrating and again that is due to how the author chose to write about the wolves.
November 3, 2016
Werewolf/Urban Fantasy books are usually not the genre I lean towards, but this one blew my mind away. The mature style of writing and compelling characters were not only what made me love this book so much, it was also the captivating plot that kept me up during the late hours of the night. I could hardly put it down, and if it wasn't for 'real life' that kept pulling me away from the pages, I probably would have read it in just one sitting!
What really peeked my attention was the unique personification of Death in the book - absolutley genious! Silver's character was probably my favourite out of this book - her growth of strength and spirit (physcially, mentally, and emotionally) throughout the book was paced perfectly. Her attitude and slight insanity drew me in, and I especially loved the sections that were from her point of view. Andrew's character was also quite intruiging. I found his inner battle of the meaning of strength/responsibility wonderful, and his journey of self-discovery very moving. His backstory, and how it was revealed in in the book, was great. The two - Andrew and Silver - were awesome together. Each was able to help the other grow, and find themselves, even if it was unitnetional. Also, I was really, really, really glad at the pace of their relationships. Often, (especially in YA books) the 'love relationship' of the novel escalates extremely fast. However this one was perfect in every way.
Haunting, and beautiful, this is a book I will definitely read again and again.
What really peeked my attention was the unique personification of Death in the book - absolutley genious! Silver's character was probably my favourite out of this book - her growth of strength and spirit (physcially, mentally, and emotionally) throughout the book was paced perfectly. Her attitude and slight insanity drew me in, and I especially loved the sections that were from her point of view. Andrew's character was also quite intruiging. I found his inner battle of the meaning of strength/responsibility wonderful, and his journey of self-discovery very moving. His backstory, and how it was revealed in in the book, was great. The two - Andrew and Silver - were awesome together. Each was able to help the other grow, and find themselves, even if it was unitnetional. Also, I was really, really, really glad at the pace of their relationships. Often, (especially in YA books) the 'love relationship' of the novel escalates extremely fast. However this one was perfect in every way.
Haunting, and beautiful, this is a book I will definitely read again and again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2014
Silver is my girl. She owns the crazy. Bent, not broken, and she knows the difference.
This book had everything I could ask for in an Urban Fantasy (not typically my genre of choice). I know a lot of reviews have debated what genre this actually is but to me it seemed like classic Urban Fantasy – present day, part city, part rural, paranormal element, light on the naughty fun. You get the typical werewolf games and pack dynamic but there is also something really compelling about the ways in which the book differs from typical shifter conflict. The plot was relatively predictable but not stale.
Silver is a wolf we find sick and out of her mind, suffering from horrific silver poisoning and the aftermath of brutal torture. Andrew, the enforcer for the largest pack in the US, finds himself taking on the responsibility of finding out what happened to her and making sure it never happens to another were. Their journey takes them back to where it all began and the obstacles they face test them in ways no were should have to endure.
What really sold me on this book was the personification of death as Silver’s constant companion as she attempts to find herself again. In her madness she feels completely comfortable with having conversations with Death in front of other people. Of course this makes everyone extremely uncomfortable … and that’s always fun ☺
I'll definitely be reading on. Not an all time fav, but I lost sleep - 'nough said.
This book had everything I could ask for in an Urban Fantasy (not typically my genre of choice). I know a lot of reviews have debated what genre this actually is but to me it seemed like classic Urban Fantasy – present day, part city, part rural, paranormal element, light on the naughty fun. You get the typical werewolf games and pack dynamic but there is also something really compelling about the ways in which the book differs from typical shifter conflict. The plot was relatively predictable but not stale.
Silver is a wolf we find sick and out of her mind, suffering from horrific silver poisoning and the aftermath of brutal torture. Andrew, the enforcer for the largest pack in the US, finds himself taking on the responsibility of finding out what happened to her and making sure it never happens to another were. Their journey takes them back to where it all began and the obstacles they face test them in ways no were should have to endure.
What really sold me on this book was the personification of death as Silver’s constant companion as she attempts to find herself again. In her madness she feels completely comfortable with having conversations with Death in front of other people. Of course this makes everyone extremely uncomfortable … and that’s always fun ☺
I'll definitely be reading on. Not an all time fav, but I lost sleep - 'nough said.
January 14, 2013
This book was really good. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline a lot but thought the story a little predictable. I liked the character of Silver. I liked that her character had a lot of depth. The character of Dare was good but as I said predictable he is the typical were with a bad past that he is running from with a strong need to protect Silver no matter the cost to him.
The story centers around Silver running from someone she calls her "Monster" who has injected her with liquid silver. Dare who is the enforcer of the Roanoke pack chases her down when she enters Roanoke territory and deems it his mission to help her. Silver who has gone Mad from the silver in her system doesn't want help at first, she just wants to escape the "Monster" on her tail but soon comes to trust in her "Warrior" and lets him lead her on the trail back to where she came from and the horrors that await them there.
I love werewolf books and I will prob read the next as I am curious to see what happens next in Silver and Dares lives and have a feeling that the second book will be better then this one because of the way that it ended.
The story centers around Silver running from someone she calls her "Monster" who has injected her with liquid silver. Dare who is the enforcer of the Roanoke pack chases her down when she enters Roanoke territory and deems it his mission to help her. Silver who has gone Mad from the silver in her system doesn't want help at first, she just wants to escape the "Monster" on her tail but soon comes to trust in her "Warrior" and lets him lead her on the trail back to where she came from and the horrors that await them there.
I love werewolf books and I will prob read the next as I am curious to see what happens next in Silver and Dares lives and have a feeling that the second book will be better then this one because of the way that it ended.
June 9, 2015
Rating: 3.5 Stars
December 6, 2015
Andrew Dare, Werewolf and enforcer, is on the trail of a lone Were, but when he finds her, she is not at all what he expected. Discovering that she has been tortured and experiences periods of mental breakdowns, his natural protecting instincts surface, and he discovers that rather than confining her, he wants to find the person responsible for hurting her. The storyline is an interesting one and the main characters are well developed. But the secondary characters are less well developed, and it takes a bit of time to orient yourself to the state of the Were’s world. A pretty good beginning to what will likely become a better series.
April 16, 2012
Andrew Dare is the enforcer of the Roanoke pack. When he finds a lone, damaged werewolf, the two begin the search for Silver's attacker.
Rhiannon Held has crafted a quiet, elegant, and refined novel that mostly avoids the annoying "mine's bigger than yours" alpha-douchebag dramas that plague paranormal fiction. Andrew is quite likable, as is Silver, and romance fans will be pleased with the happy ending. Urban fantasy fans will appreciate the back-to-basics story. But really, the characters need to stop talking trash about Europeans - don't generalise a whole continent based on one bad egg.
Rhiannon Held has crafted a quiet, elegant, and refined novel that mostly avoids the annoying "mine's bigger than yours" alpha-douchebag dramas that plague paranormal fiction. Andrew is quite likable, as is Silver, and romance fans will be pleased with the happy ending. Urban fantasy fans will appreciate the back-to-basics story. But really, the characters need to stop talking trash about Europeans - don't generalise a whole continent based on one bad egg.
May 23, 2018
Found in the stacks and it looked less bad than some of the others. I am getting so disheartened by fiction written for women and I have never been a huge fan of urban fantasy. But this was pretty good. The writing was better than I anticipated and the story/magic was well thought out. It wasn't a teen romance and I appreciated that. Mature people learning to put their lives back together after experiencing real life and real loss. Mid stars simply for genre and preference, not glaring inadequacies.
October 10, 2017
I've ordered this book...
While hunting down (or as Julie Bell called it, doing detective work) the book that a particular piece of art was used for I discovered that TOR in its infinite wisdom, commissioned a cover for this novel from Julie Bell (of Julie Bell/Boris Vallejo fame) and ... ** gasp *** didn't use it! WTF is wrong with them? the artwork is gorgeous!
I'm gonna print Julie's cover art and sticker it to the cover of my copy of this book when it gets here :D
While hunting down (or as Julie Bell called it, doing detective work) the book that a particular piece of art was used for I discovered that TOR in its infinite wisdom, commissioned a cover for this novel from Julie Bell (of Julie Bell/Boris Vallejo fame) and ... ** gasp *** didn't use it! WTF is wrong with them? the artwork is gorgeous!
I'm gonna print Julie's cover art and sticker it to the cover of my copy of this book when it gets here :D
February 8, 2015
I changed my rating of Silver to 5 stars after reading the book again before Tarnished. Silver is a hauntingly different look at werewolves. The relationship between Silver and Dare is memorable.
I believe this is my fourth reading of Silver, and the story does not get old, which means my 5 star rating was the correct one. Silver is a very different, and slightly insane, heroine. Held's world is unique enough to make her books stand out.
I believe this is my fourth reading of Silver, and the story does not get old, which means my 5 star rating was the correct one. Silver is a very different, and slightly insane, heroine. Held's world is unique enough to make her books stand out.
July 26, 2012
Loved this book! Great story, very entertaining.
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