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Silver #2
Tarnished
Experience the romance and danger of running with the werewolves in this urban fantasy
Andrew Dare has found his mate in Silver, but they haven’t found the pack they can call home. Some of his old friends think he should return and challenge Roanoke for leadership of all the werewolf packs on the East Coast. But Andrew has baggage—his violent history with the packs of Spain and the rumors of his lack of control. And then there’s Silver—the werewolf who has lost her wild self to a monster’s assault, and who can no longer shift forms. But perhaps together they can overcome all the doubters.
The second book in this wonderful urban fantasy series plunges readers into the world of the shape-shifter packs who live hidden among us.
Andrew Dare has found his mate in Silver, but they haven’t found the pack they can call home. Some of his old friends think he should return and challenge Roanoke for leadership of all the werewolf packs on the East Coast. But Andrew has baggage—his violent history with the packs of Spain and the rumors of his lack of control. And then there’s Silver—the werewolf who has lost her wild self to a monster’s assault, and who can no longer shift forms. But perhaps together they can overcome all the doubters.
The second book in this wonderful urban fantasy series plunges readers into the world of the shape-shifter packs who live hidden among us.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2013
12 people are currently reading
1326 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 60 reviews
May 30, 2013
Less formula and more content than your average werewolf romance, TARNISHED is a brand of urban fantasy that I treasure. Though heavily steeped in character, the slow arc of action that Held weaves through this story and her series as a whole has a level of patience that is becoming rarer and rarer in the serialized genre. Patience to let injuries heal, patience to let obstacles stand, patience to let characters struggle without a magical panacea to sweep the slate clean every book.
Though the first portion of TARNISHED focuses on the politics that have brought Dare and Silver to the west coast, that is just a framework for the character growth that fuels the heart of this book. I was surprised by how much I grew to love Susan, the outsider, the new mother, the woman struggling to find her way as a human among Weres. This world’s mythology doesn’t offer the chance of a quick fix, a bite that would make Susan magically part of the pack, but Held is not afraid to tackle the larger questions of culture and acceptance head on. Weres are still alien, still governed by rules and expectations that seem brutal to humans, but they’re also fallible, capable of mistakes and change and understanding. To this author, the cultural laws of Weres are less an immutable plot device (“Oops, you did the thing, now you must *die*.”) and more a living society with expectations, hopes, and flaws.
As much as I started this series all about Silver, Held seduced me into falling in love with her whole world. The Werewolves of Held’s mythology are magical without being impervious, her lovers are devoted without any superhuman certainty, and the politics of the pack is physical without being all about dominance. With TARNISHED this series has ascended to a step above the already strong SILVER to achieve something altogether new. Intricate, interesting, and fundamentally human, TARNISHED is a book not to miss.
Sexual Content: References to sex.
Though the first portion of TARNISHED focuses on the politics that have brought Dare and Silver to the west coast, that is just a framework for the character growth that fuels the heart of this book. I was surprised by how much I grew to love Susan, the outsider, the new mother, the woman struggling to find her way as a human among Weres. This world’s mythology doesn’t offer the chance of a quick fix, a bite that would make Susan magically part of the pack, but Held is not afraid to tackle the larger questions of culture and acceptance head on. Weres are still alien, still governed by rules and expectations that seem brutal to humans, but they’re also fallible, capable of mistakes and change and understanding. To this author, the cultural laws of Weres are less an immutable plot device (“Oops, you did the thing, now you must *die*.”) and more a living society with expectations, hopes, and flaws.
As much as I started this series all about Silver, Held seduced me into falling in love with her whole world. The Werewolves of Held’s mythology are magical without being impervious, her lovers are devoted without any superhuman certainty, and the politics of the pack is physical without being all about dominance. With TARNISHED this series has ascended to a step above the already strong SILVER to achieve something altogether new. Intricate, interesting, and fundamentally human, TARNISHED is a book not to miss.
Sexual Content: References to sex.
July 19, 2017
TARNISHED is the second of Rhiannon Held's SILVER books and I have to say I'm probably going to continue picking up these because I'm a big fan of the series. This book isn't as enjoyable as the original because it moves too much forward on the politics that I find to be the least interesting element of the setting but it's still got some very enjoyable character interactions.
The premise of the books is Andrew Dare, werewolf executioner, and Silver, somewhat insane former werewolf, are a crime fighting duo. The books are on that border between paranormal romance and urban fantasy which Patricia Briggs walks so well. Ultimately, it's more mystery than romance and that's why I enjoy them.
Tarnished follows Andrew Dare and Silver as the former tries to challenge the Alpha of Roanoke, Virginia for control over the Eastern United States' packs. This is complicated because the human mate of Seattle's werewolves has murdered a werewolf of Sacramento, California.
Honestly, I felt like this book felt like two plots stuffed into one as the issue of Sacramento's feud with Andrew Dare was resolved far too quickly and I would have preferred more attention given to Susan's trial for killing a werewolf as a "mere" human. Still, I enjoyed the politics of the book as well as following up on the plot of Andrew's lost daughter.
The book focuses more on Andrew than Silver but also has a lot of attention on Susan, which works well for this story. I was actually really interested in the perspective of a regular human entering the life of a werewolf pack. There were plenty of cute moments too, including the fact baby werewolves hate any stuffed animals which look like prey.
In conclusion, this is a decent follow up to the original Silver and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.
The premise of the books is Andrew Dare, werewolf executioner, and Silver, somewhat insane former werewolf, are a crime fighting duo. The books are on that border between paranormal romance and urban fantasy which Patricia Briggs walks so well. Ultimately, it's more mystery than romance and that's why I enjoy them.
Tarnished follows Andrew Dare and Silver as the former tries to challenge the Alpha of Roanoke, Virginia for control over the Eastern United States' packs. This is complicated because the human mate of Seattle's werewolves has murdered a werewolf of Sacramento, California.
Honestly, I felt like this book felt like two plots stuffed into one as the issue of Sacramento's feud with Andrew Dare was resolved far too quickly and I would have preferred more attention given to Susan's trial for killing a werewolf as a "mere" human. Still, I enjoyed the politics of the book as well as following up on the plot of Andrew's lost daughter.
The book focuses more on Andrew than Silver but also has a lot of attention on Susan, which works well for this story. I was actually really interested in the perspective of a regular human entering the life of a werewolf pack. There were plenty of cute moments too, including the fact baby werewolves hate any stuffed animals which look like prey.
In conclusion, this is a decent follow up to the original Silver and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.
June 16, 2013
Tortured were Silver and her ex-enforcer mate Andrew Dare are back in this sequel to Silver.
And this one's just as good-- if not better-- than the first in the series.
Again, Mercy Thompson series lovers will probably like this one, although there's a difference in the taste of the writing that I can't quite pin down. Mercy gets maybe a bit more wild and spicy and Tarnished continues that very straight-forward, no-frills, "this person does that, that person does this, this person may react this way" kind of writing that almost is too quiet and staid sometimes.
However, even if some passages got a little bland, the entire effect of the story is a powerful punch of what it means to have responsibility for others; as a leader, as a parent, and as a lover.
What makes this series stand out for me in the 5 star category is how the author leads each character up their worst anxiety and fearful scenario-- and then pushes them through it in unexpected ways. Each time, the character stays true to their innate goodness and sense of fairness despite being tempted to revenge or retribution.
When we last left Dare and Silver, they had taken care of Silver's torturer, and in doing so had defied Dare's pack alpha-- the Roanoke. Now Dare has to decide if he'll leave such an incompetent man in charge of people he loves, and Silver has to decide if she'll come out of the cloak of submission and weakness she wove around herself in order to be Dare's mate.
When the torturer's father tries to get revenge and involves pack friends as well as Dare's estranged daughter, things get very political intrigue-y and manipulative and puts them all in painful twists.
This Book's Snack Rating: Smoked almonds and gouda for the smoky, bitter flavor of the emotional depths plumbed by these characters and the cheesy satisfaction of were politics.
And this one's just as good-- if not better-- than the first in the series.
Again, Mercy Thompson series lovers will probably like this one, although there's a difference in the taste of the writing that I can't quite pin down. Mercy gets maybe a bit more wild and spicy and Tarnished continues that very straight-forward, no-frills, "this person does that, that person does this, this person may react this way" kind of writing that almost is too quiet and staid sometimes.
However, even if some passages got a little bland, the entire effect of the story is a powerful punch of what it means to have responsibility for others; as a leader, as a parent, and as a lover.
What makes this series stand out for me in the 5 star category is how the author leads each character up their worst anxiety and fearful scenario-- and then pushes them through it in unexpected ways. Each time, the character stays true to their innate goodness and sense of fairness despite being tempted to revenge or retribution.
When we last left Dare and Silver, they had taken care of Silver's torturer, and in doing so had defied Dare's pack alpha-- the Roanoke. Now Dare has to decide if he'll leave such an incompetent man in charge of people he loves, and Silver has to decide if she'll come out of the cloak of submission and weakness she wove around herself in order to be Dare's mate.
When the torturer's father tries to get revenge and involves pack friends as well as Dare's estranged daughter, things get very political intrigue-y and manipulative and puts them all in painful twists.
This Book's Snack Rating: Smoked almonds and gouda for the smoky, bitter flavor of the emotional depths plumbed by these characters and the cheesy satisfaction of were politics.
February 26, 2014
Back in 2012, I interviewed then-debut novelist Rhiannon Held about Silver, a new urban fantasy novel involving werewolves (oh noes). In truth, I was skeptical at the time; I didn't think much of urban fantasy when I started conducting podcast interviews, and so I thought to myself that this book would confirm everything I thought about the genre. It didn't. While it wasn't the strongest novel of its kind, Silver provided enough compelling material to keep me riveted until the end. In particular, I loved Held's anthropological view of the werewolves, taking what could have been another cliche and giving it the kind of rigor one might expect of a secondary world fantasy -- a short one, of course. Tarnished continues the Held tradition, adding depth to an already compelling and complex world. If this trend continues, I expect Reflected, which is set to drop soon, will keep me riveted as much as this one.
Set immediately after the events of Silver, Held's second novel follows Dare and Silver as they decide the next course of action: keep control of the Seattle pack (werewolf alphas assume the name of their pack) or find a new home elsewhere. But being alphas means eventually having to face your past, and both Dare and Silver are haunted by where they've been and what it might mean for the future. Now, it's Dare's turn for his past to bubble up and make a mess of things: Sacramento still holds a grudge due to the death of his son, John, the former Seattle alpha, has sired a child with Susan, a human, and Roanoke, who Dare believes is unfit for leadership, may have dragged something else from Dare's past into the mix, making a challenge for control of Roanoke more difficult indeed. Handling the complicated social politics of werewolves is no easy task, but together, Dare and Silver hope they'll be able to pull it off...
Overall, I enjoyed Tarnished, in no small part because I got a lot of more of the things I loved about Silver. Held's characters remain compelling, especially Dare and Silver, who continue to grow into themselves and their relationship to one another -- yes, I'm a sucker for a well-written romantic entanglement. Tarnished seems to put a great amount of attention on Silver here, though I'm not sure if that's actually true, since I haven't read Silver in quite some time (I'll talk about this more below). Likewise, the novel is mostly paced well, with a simple, though efficient style that doesn't get bogged down in description while losing none of the necessary characterization. Essentially, this is exactly what I want to see happen with a formerly-debut author: improvement, growth, and efficiency.
Tarnished is, as such, strongest when it focuses on the complexity of werewolf society. This is particularly true in the last third of the novel, where Held presents us an event called the Convocation, in which werewolf packs meet to discuss and debate werewolf issues on neutral ground. These were by far my favorite points in the novel, primarily because it served as the perfect space for every major character to come to terms with their position in this "hidden" underworld. Susan, for example, struggles with what it means to be the only human in a sea of werewolves, and here must contend with worries not only for herself, but also her child and the man she loves, John. Held uses Susan as a vehicle to show how complicated werewolf social politics can become, particularly if you don't have the enhanced senses of a werewolf -- the senses, in effect, play a crucial role in the werewolf hierarchy. Though this novel isn't really about Susan, I appreciated the attempts to give her agency in a situation where she might not have had it because she's human. Likewise, the Convocation serves as a developmental tool for Silver, who is the only other character beyond Susan who is disadvantaged because of her body -- in this case, because Silver's wild self has been lost due to silver poisoning. To read about Silver using her cunning and facial expressions to manipulate those who underestimate her was a thrill, particularly since she is the one character in this whole series who remains at the greatest disadvantage.
And it's that last point that I think is worth exploring further here. In the first novel, Silver is portrayed as potentially mad, and most certainly unstable. That her madness is justified by what happened to her is beside the point: what matters is the fact that Silver's mental state and her physical limitations are a major source of Silver's frustration and conflict throughout both novels because other werewolves routinely mistake her limited physical abilities and mental quirks as weakness. Held continues this theme in Tarnished, giving a fuller sense of Silver's formidable qualities and establishing her as the one person you really don't want to cross, even if you have the physical advantage -- even Dare realizes this. It's not that she's ruthless, but rather that her physical limitations and perceived mental state make her a target for ridicule and dismissal, which invariably ends up being a mistake, as Silver knows (or learns) how to use her strengths and her disadvantages to benefit herself and the people she cares about. She's not always successful, of course, but she is smart. I applaud Held for including this aspect of Silver's story in her novels, as it would be too easy to leave behind these developmental elements, but also strangely expected. Instead, Silver's character grows -- and all for the better. It feels like Silver is a more secure character -- in the sense that Held, as a writer, seems more comfortable writing as Silver. In fact, this novel seems like a more character driven one than the book that precedes it, giving depth to folks who previously had been primarily trapped in the background, and I know from reading the first 70 pages of Reflected, this trend continues.
Having written all of this tells me something important about why I liked Tarnished: my focus is almost exclusively on the characters, their motivations, their interests, etc. Tarnished succeeds because it is about people who aren't cut out of a magazine and pasted on the wall. They're people I can like. People who go through horrible things, but come out on the other ends having learned something (or, sometimes, not making it out at all). People who may be werewolves, but are also "real" in the sense that they have a culture that is neither alien nor wholly human. Whatever flaws the novel has, it still kept me engaged on what mattered: characters.
Regardless, a review isn't really a review if it doesn't at least mention the flaws. The novel's major issue, in my opinion, is structural. The plot appears to contain two climaxes: one centered on Dare's conflict with Sacramento, and the other on his conflict with Roanoke. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing in principle, I do think having these two plots working at opposite ends of the novel takes some of the impact away from the climaxes. It also draws some of the energy away from what could be a solid second novel, particularly since the latter half concerns Susan, the lone human in the novel, who must face the consequences of her actions in the first half. Held does, at least, try to offset this divide by making the climax to the second narrative more intense, but I still think this novel would have benefited from splitting. This likewise means that certain aspects of the latter half feel rushed, particularly in regards to Dare's relationship to his daughter. Given the politics surrounding Dare's exile from Europe, the attempt to reconcile Dare's past with the present deserves a more intense examination.
Overall, Tarnished is an improvement over the previous book, despite its imperfections. Held continues to handle her characters and her world like a major league pitcher handles a slider: with a now-practiced hand. Tarnished is the kind of urban fantasy book I want to read: its characters are nuanced, its world deceptively complex, and its handling of its fantastic elements refreshing.
Keep it up, Held!
Set immediately after the events of Silver, Held's second novel follows Dare and Silver as they decide the next course of action: keep control of the Seattle pack (werewolf alphas assume the name of their pack) or find a new home elsewhere. But being alphas means eventually having to face your past, and both Dare and Silver are haunted by where they've been and what it might mean for the future. Now, it's Dare's turn for his past to bubble up and make a mess of things: Sacramento still holds a grudge due to the death of his son, John, the former Seattle alpha, has sired a child with Susan, a human, and Roanoke, who Dare believes is unfit for leadership, may have dragged something else from Dare's past into the mix, making a challenge for control of Roanoke more difficult indeed. Handling the complicated social politics of werewolves is no easy task, but together, Dare and Silver hope they'll be able to pull it off...
Overall, I enjoyed Tarnished, in no small part because I got a lot of more of the things I loved about Silver. Held's characters remain compelling, especially Dare and Silver, who continue to grow into themselves and their relationship to one another -- yes, I'm a sucker for a well-written romantic entanglement. Tarnished seems to put a great amount of attention on Silver here, though I'm not sure if that's actually true, since I haven't read Silver in quite some time (I'll talk about this more below). Likewise, the novel is mostly paced well, with a simple, though efficient style that doesn't get bogged down in description while losing none of the necessary characterization. Essentially, this is exactly what I want to see happen with a formerly-debut author: improvement, growth, and efficiency.
Tarnished is, as such, strongest when it focuses on the complexity of werewolf society. This is particularly true in the last third of the novel, where Held presents us an event called the Convocation, in which werewolf packs meet to discuss and debate werewolf issues on neutral ground. These were by far my favorite points in the novel, primarily because it served as the perfect space for every major character to come to terms with their position in this "hidden" underworld. Susan, for example, struggles with what it means to be the only human in a sea of werewolves, and here must contend with worries not only for herself, but also her child and the man she loves, John. Held uses Susan as a vehicle to show how complicated werewolf social politics can become, particularly if you don't have the enhanced senses of a werewolf -- the senses, in effect, play a crucial role in the werewolf hierarchy. Though this novel isn't really about Susan, I appreciated the attempts to give her agency in a situation where she might not have had it because she's human. Likewise, the Convocation serves as a developmental tool for Silver, who is the only other character beyond Susan who is disadvantaged because of her body -- in this case, because Silver's wild self has been lost due to silver poisoning. To read about Silver using her cunning and facial expressions to manipulate those who underestimate her was a thrill, particularly since she is the one character in this whole series who remains at the greatest disadvantage.
And it's that last point that I think is worth exploring further here. In the first novel, Silver is portrayed as potentially mad, and most certainly unstable. That her madness is justified by what happened to her is beside the point: what matters is the fact that Silver's mental state and her physical limitations are a major source of Silver's frustration and conflict throughout both novels because other werewolves routinely mistake her limited physical abilities and mental quirks as weakness. Held continues this theme in Tarnished, giving a fuller sense of Silver's formidable qualities and establishing her as the one person you really don't want to cross, even if you have the physical advantage -- even Dare realizes this. It's not that she's ruthless, but rather that her physical limitations and perceived mental state make her a target for ridicule and dismissal, which invariably ends up being a mistake, as Silver knows (or learns) how to use her strengths and her disadvantages to benefit herself and the people she cares about. She's not always successful, of course, but she is smart. I applaud Held for including this aspect of Silver's story in her novels, as it would be too easy to leave behind these developmental elements, but also strangely expected. Instead, Silver's character grows -- and all for the better. It feels like Silver is a more secure character -- in the sense that Held, as a writer, seems more comfortable writing as Silver. In fact, this novel seems like a more character driven one than the book that precedes it, giving depth to folks who previously had been primarily trapped in the background, and I know from reading the first 70 pages of Reflected, this trend continues.
Having written all of this tells me something important about why I liked Tarnished: my focus is almost exclusively on the characters, their motivations, their interests, etc. Tarnished succeeds because it is about people who aren't cut out of a magazine and pasted on the wall. They're people I can like. People who go through horrible things, but come out on the other ends having learned something (or, sometimes, not making it out at all). People who may be werewolves, but are also "real" in the sense that they have a culture that is neither alien nor wholly human. Whatever flaws the novel has, it still kept me engaged on what mattered: characters.
Regardless, a review isn't really a review if it doesn't at least mention the flaws. The novel's major issue, in my opinion, is structural. The plot appears to contain two climaxes: one centered on Dare's conflict with Sacramento, and the other on his conflict with Roanoke. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing in principle, I do think having these two plots working at opposite ends of the novel takes some of the impact away from the climaxes. It also draws some of the energy away from what could be a solid second novel, particularly since the latter half concerns Susan, the lone human in the novel, who must face the consequences of her actions in the first half. Held does, at least, try to offset this divide by making the climax to the second narrative more intense, but I still think this novel would have benefited from splitting. This likewise means that certain aspects of the latter half feel rushed, particularly in regards to Dare's relationship to his daughter. Given the politics surrounding Dare's exile from Europe, the attempt to reconcile Dare's past with the present deserves a more intense examination.
Overall, Tarnished is an improvement over the previous book, despite its imperfections. Held continues to handle her characters and her world like a major league pitcher handles a slider: with a now-practiced hand. Tarnished is the kind of urban fantasy book I want to read: its characters are nuanced, its world deceptively complex, and its handling of its fantastic elements refreshing.
Keep it up, Held!
June 15, 2013
ok - I really liked Silver and have a vague memory about what it was about - after all it's been over a year since I read it. I got Tarnished and for the first few chapters was really in the dark because I just couldn't remember enough of Silver to make sense of what I was reading.
Do authors who write series think that their book is the only book I read last year? Why can't they have a prologue or intro to remind readers of what has happened so far?
I digress...so this story was ok and I feel like I am done with it - it wasn't as compelling as Silver and the politics just bored me. If there are more coming in this series I probably will skip them - I can't see what more there is to say about the characters and quite frankly I won't remember what happened in a few months anyway.
Do authors who write series think that their book is the only book I read last year? Why can't they have a prologue or intro to remind readers of what has happened so far?
I digress...so this story was ok and I feel like I am done with it - it wasn't as compelling as Silver and the politics just bored me. If there are more coming in this series I probably will skip them - I can't see what more there is to say about the characters and quite frankly I won't remember what happened in a few months anyway.
March 15, 2014
Why do I do this to myself? I start a good book in the evening, knowing I have no will power to put the book down and go to sleep. Tarnished is so good! 4am and page 238- I love these characters so much, and the world feels so real.
I am reading Tarnished for the second time. I totally forgot the awesome insult "Don't be a purse dog."
Reflected is here!! And my third time reading Tarnished is just as good as the first two. Silver is such a unique character, and sees the things that truly matter in her life.
I am reading Tarnished for the second time. I totally forgot the awesome insult "Don't be a purse dog."
Reflected is here!! And my third time reading Tarnished is just as good as the first two. Silver is such a unique character, and sees the things that truly matter in her life.
July 15, 2016
I fell in love with Silver and Dare!! I wished I had finished the book faster then I had. I love all the characters and the twist I came upon in this story. I'm also happy that we got more back story about Dare's daughter and actually got to meet her as a young adult rather then the 3 year old baby read about through Dare's memories! I have the next book read to read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 10, 2025
Evidently, I never came back to this series after reading the first book, SILVER, way back when. I happen to love most of Graphic Audio's adaptations with full casts and this book/series doesn't change that opinion. This story continues immediately after the end of SILVER (Book 1). Dare and Silver have discovered the butcher and her memory has returned. There's retribution, justice, and a lot of pack politics on many levels. The werewolf society Ms. Herd has created is different and interesting while keeping many of the traditional werewolf mythos. 
November 21, 2025
On to book 3! I recommended this series to others.
Things I liked:
•I love a strong, smart female lead
•Multiple women in this book are leaders
•The MMC is smart and listens to his mate
•Fascinating werewolf dynamics
Thing I didn’t like:
•Wanted a little more private moments for Dare and Silver. The romance plot is not central in this series.
Things I liked:
•I love a strong, smart female lead
•Multiple women in this book are leaders
•The MMC is smart and listens to his mate
•Fascinating werewolf dynamics
Thing I didn’t like:
•Wanted a little more private moments for Dare and Silver. The romance plot is not central in this series.
June 8, 2022
Love the writing. Can't get past the absolute failure of self-awareness / emotional maturity. Yes, this is totally in keeping with PTSD/horrible events, and it fits *well*, but it means that rather than futher yell at the characters, I'm ejecting.
And I still recommend the writing.
And I still recommend the writing.
January 30, 2018
I really love this 2nd book she kind lost me in the first one. this one brought me back and I look forward to the 3rd one
March 24, 2018
I'm quite liking this series. This is #2 of many.
May 18, 2013
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I found Rhiannon Held's debut novel, Silver, to be a wonderful and enthralling read. Tarnished definitely lives up to its predecessor's success and solidified Silver and Dare as one of the best mated pairs in urban fantasy! I highly recommend this book to urban fantasy fans and am already jonesing for another dose of Ms. Held's world.
Tarnished finds Silver and Dare mostly healed from their physical injuries in the previous book, but they are still trying to overcome their emotional and mental scars. The first item they decide to tackle is finding a pack to belong to. Dare has decided that he wants to challenge for leadership of the Roanoke pack because he feels their current leader Rory is not protecting his wolves like he should. In order to challenge Rory, Dare knows he needs allies so he and Silver travel to Seattle to petition for aid from the Western packs. Things don't go as smoothly as expected, and Dare finds himself challenged by many enemies from his past on his way to building a new future for his mate. Silver also finds that she has to prove herself to everyone as they see her as broken and not the strong alpha she truly is. She must not only prove and protect herself, but must also protect Dare in ways only she can. Together, they must defeat their enemies and help bring peace to the unsettled werewolf packs of North America.
While Silver was more about Silver and Dare finding one another and saving themselves, Tarnished is about the two of them finding their place in the world and saving the werewolf community. The main plot conflicts had broader implications for the world than the debut, but the challenges Dare and Silver had to face still felt very personal. The writing was on point as always and filled to the brim with emotion. I love the relationship between Silver and Dare and the natural banter that they have. Since they are both natural alphas, it was good to see them finding their way together and I really enjoyed the scenes were they were nurturing and supporting other wolves. While this book did focus a lot on werewolf politics, it never felt dull. I enjoyed seeing more of how Ms. Held's werewolves policed themselves and how rules and decisions were made. The action scenes were nicely spaced out and each one was very thrilling and well-written. The second half of the book was especially well-done and from there on, I didn't put this book down once until the end.
Dare and Silver have so much character growth in this novel, both separately and as a couple. Dare's past comes back to haunt him in a big way in Tarnished, and it was heartwarming to see Silver support him no matter what. Dare learns what self-sacrifice truly means and puts to rest some of the demons from his past. He has developed into a strong, supportive leader that genuinely wants to carry the weight of people on his shoulders. Silver was amazing in this book! She is such a strong character without being very outwardly physical. Ms. Held created a true gem when she dreamed Silver up. Silver uses people's' perceptions of her fragility against them and never lets them forget her inner core of strength again. She is smart and insightful and dedicated to the end. She and Dare compliment each other wonderfully and make for an amazingly strong pair of mated alphas.
One minor character from Silver came to the forefront of this book and really shone. Susan, Seattle pack leader John's human girlfriend, was an absolute delight and the perfect plot device for helping the reader organically learn more about the werewolf world. She was strong in her own right, human or wolf, and carved out a niche in the werewolf world. Ms. Held's world building leaves no magical bite to turn Susan werewolf, but she didn't let that deter her. She refused to be pushed out of her son and John's lives and proved to everyone that she was a dominant and valuable member of the pack. I absolutely loved her pluck and hope that we see more of her in future books.
Tarnished was a wonderful read and provided detailed and believable growth for all its characters. I think this is one of the most fascinating werewolf worlds on the market today and hope that Ms. Held has many, many more books planned in this series. Both books have been single day reads for me and I can't imagine any book in the future being different. I think any urban fantasy reader would enjoy this series, but I think they will especially appeal to the werewolf story reader that is looking for a grounded series with unique and well-developed characters. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!
Thank you to Tor Books for providing a print galley of this book!
I found Rhiannon Held's debut novel, Silver, to be a wonderful and enthralling read. Tarnished definitely lives up to its predecessor's success and solidified Silver and Dare as one of the best mated pairs in urban fantasy! I highly recommend this book to urban fantasy fans and am already jonesing for another dose of Ms. Held's world.
Tarnished finds Silver and Dare mostly healed from their physical injuries in the previous book, but they are still trying to overcome their emotional and mental scars. The first item they decide to tackle is finding a pack to belong to. Dare has decided that he wants to challenge for leadership of the Roanoke pack because he feels their current leader Rory is not protecting his wolves like he should. In order to challenge Rory, Dare knows he needs allies so he and Silver travel to Seattle to petition for aid from the Western packs. Things don't go as smoothly as expected, and Dare finds himself challenged by many enemies from his past on his way to building a new future for his mate. Silver also finds that she has to prove herself to everyone as they see her as broken and not the strong alpha she truly is. She must not only prove and protect herself, but must also protect Dare in ways only she can. Together, they must defeat their enemies and help bring peace to the unsettled werewolf packs of North America.
While Silver was more about Silver and Dare finding one another and saving themselves, Tarnished is about the two of them finding their place in the world and saving the werewolf community. The main plot conflicts had broader implications for the world than the debut, but the challenges Dare and Silver had to face still felt very personal. The writing was on point as always and filled to the brim with emotion. I love the relationship between Silver and Dare and the natural banter that they have. Since they are both natural alphas, it was good to see them finding their way together and I really enjoyed the scenes were they were nurturing and supporting other wolves. While this book did focus a lot on werewolf politics, it never felt dull. I enjoyed seeing more of how Ms. Held's werewolves policed themselves and how rules and decisions were made. The action scenes were nicely spaced out and each one was very thrilling and well-written. The second half of the book was especially well-done and from there on, I didn't put this book down once until the end.
Dare and Silver have so much character growth in this novel, both separately and as a couple. Dare's past comes back to haunt him in a big way in Tarnished, and it was heartwarming to see Silver support him no matter what. Dare learns what self-sacrifice truly means and puts to rest some of the demons from his past. He has developed into a strong, supportive leader that genuinely wants to carry the weight of people on his shoulders. Silver was amazing in this book! She is such a strong character without being very outwardly physical. Ms. Held created a true gem when she dreamed Silver up. Silver uses people's' perceptions of her fragility against them and never lets them forget her inner core of strength again. She is smart and insightful and dedicated to the end. She and Dare compliment each other wonderfully and make for an amazingly strong pair of mated alphas.
One minor character from Silver came to the forefront of this book and really shone. Susan, Seattle pack leader John's human girlfriend, was an absolute delight and the perfect plot device for helping the reader organically learn more about the werewolf world. She was strong in her own right, human or wolf, and carved out a niche in the werewolf world. Ms. Held's world building leaves no magical bite to turn Susan werewolf, but she didn't let that deter her. She refused to be pushed out of her son and John's lives and proved to everyone that she was a dominant and valuable member of the pack. I absolutely loved her pluck and hope that we see more of her in future books.
Tarnished was a wonderful read and provided detailed and believable growth for all its characters. I think this is one of the most fascinating werewolf worlds on the market today and hope that Ms. Held has many, many more books planned in this series. Both books have been single day reads for me and I can't imagine any book in the future being different. I think any urban fantasy reader would enjoy this series, but I think they will especially appeal to the werewolf story reader that is looking for a grounded series with unique and well-developed characters. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!
Thank you to Tor Books for providing a print galley of this book!
March 1, 2017
This is the second book in the series following "Silver"--a different spin on werewolves in North America. I enjoyed the first book enough to read this second one, however, here I was somewhat disappointed. While I had come to care for the characters and wanted to know what would happen to them, the writing was awkward and I often had to re-read parts to understand what the author was trying to say. Either that, or I would find myself "rewriting" sentences in my head to make them smoother, which, of course, pulled me out of the flow of the story. Still, because the author had made me care about the characters, I finished the book and even plan on reading the next in the series, "Reflected", and can only hope the writing is better.
May 27, 2013
I was lucky enough to win an advanced reader copy from Tor.com (thank you Tor). So here's my preview.
The second book in this series follows the continuing adventures of Silver and Andrew Dare as they search for their own pack. The relationships between characters and the Were pack dynamics were really interesting. Unfortunately, it took me 20-30 pages to figure out what was going on and how many characters I was dealing with. Characters are referred to by a combination of first name, last name, pack rack and title. Sometimes in the same section by the same POV character. It was really confusing.
Also this books is more a tie up of loose threads from the first novel rather than a stand alone. Not having read the first book, I had to struggle to catch up at first. However, after the initial confusion, I had little trouble following the plot.
The other bone of contention I have is likely because I was reading an ARC. There are some typos and a number of really confusing sentences. I had to re-read several paragraphs to make sure I knew what was going on. Held has some unique phrasing that doesn't always make sense to me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would be curious to read the first book.
Full review to follow release.
Why I read this book:
I received an advance reader copy of Tarnished by Rhiannon Held in another Tor.com giveaway. Since I am writing a werewolf urban fantasy, I was curious to read something in the same vein. This is the second novel in a series.
My one sentence summary:
Dare and Silver struggle to find a pack to belong to while dealing with the fall out of their past decisions.
Kudos:
Held has created an interesting Were culture with intricate power balanced within and between a pack. I was fascinated by Silver, a Were who has lost the ability to take wolf form. Her conversations with Death give her a slightly crazy yet insightful air. I especially enjoyed the concept of her seeing the wild side of the other Were and was sad for the lose of her own wild side. The internal and between pack politics were filled with conflict.
Quibbles:
It took me a good 30 pages or so to really figure out what was going on. Part of the reason is that I had not read the first novel. Herd also has a habit of using several names to refer to the same person. It took me two chapters piece together first names, last names, pack positions and titles. I also took issue with some of Herd's phrasings and expression. My biggest quibble is that Tarnished read like the second half of a book rather than a stand-alone novel.
Final Verdict:
I enjoyed Tarnished and the characters of Silver, Andrew Dare and the lone human, Susan, enough to want to read the first book. However, I don't know that I'd seek out the next installment in the series.
The second book in this series follows the continuing adventures of Silver and Andrew Dare as they search for their own pack. The relationships between characters and the Were pack dynamics were really interesting. Unfortunately, it took me 20-30 pages to figure out what was going on and how many characters I was dealing with. Characters are referred to by a combination of first name, last name, pack rack and title. Sometimes in the same section by the same POV character. It was really confusing.
Also this books is more a tie up of loose threads from the first novel rather than a stand alone. Not having read the first book, I had to struggle to catch up at first. However, after the initial confusion, I had little trouble following the plot.
The other bone of contention I have is likely because I was reading an ARC. There are some typos and a number of really confusing sentences. I had to re-read several paragraphs to make sure I knew what was going on. Held has some unique phrasing that doesn't always make sense to me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would be curious to read the first book.
Full review to follow release.
Why I read this book:
I received an advance reader copy of Tarnished by Rhiannon Held in another Tor.com giveaway. Since I am writing a werewolf urban fantasy, I was curious to read something in the same vein. This is the second novel in a series.
My one sentence summary:
Dare and Silver struggle to find a pack to belong to while dealing with the fall out of their past decisions.
Kudos:
Held has created an interesting Were culture with intricate power balanced within and between a pack. I was fascinated by Silver, a Were who has lost the ability to take wolf form. Her conversations with Death give her a slightly crazy yet insightful air. I especially enjoyed the concept of her seeing the wild side of the other Were and was sad for the lose of her own wild side. The internal and between pack politics were filled with conflict.
Quibbles:
It took me a good 30 pages or so to really figure out what was going on. Part of the reason is that I had not read the first novel. Herd also has a habit of using several names to refer to the same person. It took me two chapters piece together first names, last names, pack positions and titles. I also took issue with some of Herd's phrasings and expression. My biggest quibble is that Tarnished read like the second half of a book rather than a stand-alone novel.
Final Verdict:
I enjoyed Tarnished and the characters of Silver, Andrew Dare and the lone human, Susan, enough to want to read the first book. However, I don't know that I'd seek out the next installment in the series.
December 2, 2013
In SILVER we were introduced to the werewolves Andrew and Silver. Now that they've recovered from their injuries, they're beginning to think about the future. Unfortunately, the future doesn't always go according to plan.
Coming up is the werewolf Convocation in the neutral territory of Arizona. Weres from other packs think Andrew should return to the East Coast and challenge the Roanoke alpha. It's something Andrew wouldn't have considered before meeting Silver, but the current alpha is weak and leadership needs to change. His biggest concern, however, is Silver, who may be dominant, but as a result from events in book one has lost her ability to shift. Should her condition change Andrew's decision?
As in the first book, SILVER, Rhiannon Held's story revolves around the culture of werewolves, their hierarchies, and behaviors. It's about werewolves and how they interact with each other and the world around them. Sometimes I didn't quite follow the logic of it, but that's more my opinion on how werewolf culture should work and not an inadequacy in Held's writing.
TARNISHED's story flows from events caused by the characters and the natural consequences of the choices they make. I like how the set-up was straightforward, but Held unfolds the action in an unpredictable way. The story moves forward at a steady pace and is never boring, the succinct prose easy to read.
Told from Silver and Andrew's PoV, Held adds a third PoV character, Susan, the human lover of the Seattle pack's alpha. Susan struggles to understand the alien culture of the man she loves as well as their young child. Silver is dominant, but having lost her ability to shift makes her question her ability to be alpha alongside her mate. And Andrew wants to do the right thing, but is still figuring out what that is. Susan's PoV is a nice addiction and Andrew is likable, but as in SILVER the real star of the show is Silver herself. She can still see and interact with Death, and while she is sometimes lost in her own little world, she has a keen ability to observe and understand the people around her. I also like the chemistry between Andrew and Silver.
So far it's a very readable series that feels different from other werewolf fiction out there. It would be a great series for older teens to start out their Urban Fantasy journey.
Recommended Age: 15+
Language: A few dozen instances
Violence: Some
Sex: Referenced, implied
*** Find this and other reviews on Elitist Book Reviews. ***
Coming up is the werewolf Convocation in the neutral territory of Arizona. Weres from other packs think Andrew should return to the East Coast and challenge the Roanoke alpha. It's something Andrew wouldn't have considered before meeting Silver, but the current alpha is weak and leadership needs to change. His biggest concern, however, is Silver, who may be dominant, but as a result from events in book one has lost her ability to shift. Should her condition change Andrew's decision?
As in the first book, SILVER, Rhiannon Held's story revolves around the culture of werewolves, their hierarchies, and behaviors. It's about werewolves and how they interact with each other and the world around them. Sometimes I didn't quite follow the logic of it, but that's more my opinion on how werewolf culture should work and not an inadequacy in Held's writing.
TARNISHED's story flows from events caused by the characters and the natural consequences of the choices they make. I like how the set-up was straightforward, but Held unfolds the action in an unpredictable way. The story moves forward at a steady pace and is never boring, the succinct prose easy to read.
Told from Silver and Andrew's PoV, Held adds a third PoV character, Susan, the human lover of the Seattle pack's alpha. Susan struggles to understand the alien culture of the man she loves as well as their young child. Silver is dominant, but having lost her ability to shift makes her question her ability to be alpha alongside her mate. And Andrew wants to do the right thing, but is still figuring out what that is. Susan's PoV is a nice addiction and Andrew is likable, but as in SILVER the real star of the show is Silver herself. She can still see and interact with Death, and while she is sometimes lost in her own little world, she has a keen ability to observe and understand the people around her. I also like the chemistry between Andrew and Silver.
So far it's a very readable series that feels different from other werewolf fiction out there. It would be a great series for older teens to start out their Urban Fantasy journey.
Recommended Age: 15+
Language: A few dozen instances
Violence: Some
Sex: Referenced, implied
*** Find this and other reviews on Elitist Book Reviews. ***
March 31, 2015
It was easy to give Tarnished 4/5. It's a wonderful continuation of Silver, focusing on world development through the eyes of Susan and establishing a platform for Reflected to launch from. It tied up some of the political loose ends and each member of the alpha couple had a chance to work on themselves. I'm still really impressed with how mental illness has been presented through Silver. Even with both this book and the first book having 4/5 from me, I feel I need to add them to my library for that element alone. I just don't see enough of it. I also really enjoy the play between Andrew and Silver on their religious differences, and the difficulties Andrew is facing due to recent and continuing experiences. I'm hoping the next book makes it easy for me to add this series to my to-buy list.
The parts that were more on the downside for me were partially character based. I felt some of the character development, with exception to Susan, was a bit shallow. But the meat of the story takes place over a couple days so it is realistic, I just would have preferred more. Thankfully there is another book to satisfy my curiosity. Hopefully more Death too; he's still my favorite. Despite the amazing mental illness presentation, the book is lacking in people (Were?) of colour. Only a couple of characters that aren't the "bad guys" are explicitly not white, and they're related, which leads to white-good colour-bad racism issues. It's something that often isn't thought about but is important to address and I'm hoping it's addressed next book. The main conflict also presented itself weird to me when it was happening. I'm not quite sure how to describe that though, so it's probably not something significant. But I can't really shake that feeling that either something was missed or I missed something. Probably the latter. I am going through some personal stuff so that influences that.
Speaking of curiosity, my review of Silver asked "what about Were around the world?" There was one line that sort of addressed that, stating that there aren't just wolves. It doesn't tell us if the Western and European wolves are the only wolves, or how they get along with non-wolf Were, but it is a hint at the larger world that I was looking for.
The parts that were more on the downside for me were partially character based. I felt some of the character development, with exception to Susan, was a bit shallow. But the meat of the story takes place over a couple days so it is realistic, I just would have preferred more. Thankfully there is another book to satisfy my curiosity. Hopefully more Death too; he's still my favorite. Despite the amazing mental illness presentation, the book is lacking in people (Were?) of colour. Only a couple of characters that aren't the "bad guys" are explicitly not white, and they're related, which leads to white-good colour-bad racism issues. It's something that often isn't thought about but is important to address and I'm hoping it's addressed next book. The main conflict also presented itself weird to me when it was happening. I'm not quite sure how to describe that though, so it's probably not something significant. But I can't really shake that feeling that either something was missed or I missed something. Probably the latter. I am going through some personal stuff so that influences that.
Speaking of curiosity, my review of Silver asked "what about Were around the world?" There was one line that sort of addressed that, stating that there aren't just wolves. It doesn't tell us if the Western and European wolves are the only wolves, or how they get along with non-wolf Were, but it is a hint at the larger world that I was looking for.
December 6, 2014
Last year I read Rhiannon Held’s novel Silver and loved it to bits. I finally picked up Tarnished, the second installment of her Silver series, and man did I read the hell out of this book. Tarnished held all the things that appealed to me in the first book, but she took it to a whole new level with this one. Another amazing read from Held, I’ve gotta say.
Characters, oh the characters! Dare and Silver simply have some of the best chemistry ever written, in my opinion. When one shines it doesn’t diminish the other. Where they’re both strong alpha’s, Dare shows it and Silver throws it in your face when you least expect it. I just adore these two characters together. They make moves and they do it without shame, plain and simple.
Tarnished had a lot of great points for me. The first book left me with a desire to get to know Dare better. He was a character shrouded in mystery so to speak and a lot of that mystery is revealed here. I loved that we got answers about the past, but Held also managed to make something that happened over ten years ago in Dare’s life continue almost seamlessly into the current events. It was clever and so well done. In addition, I like that we get more of John and Susan in Tarnished. While they’re more secondary characters, their relationship is an aspect that I love because seeing Susan who’s a human try to integrate into the life of the pack is just really interesting (and at times simply amusing).
Held truly makes these characters – werewolves! - come alive for me. She includes all of these small touches in her writing that make you forget for just a few minutes that werewolves don’t actually exist. From their personal relationships, to the individual packs, and the politics overall Held makes everything come together brilliantly. And that’s on top of delivering a story that just sucks you in.
Bottom line, Tarnished is another win from Rhiannon Held. She delivers story, characters, lore and brings it all alive. I definitely recommended this series for the lovers of the werewolves or even those who aren’t sure about them. 4/5 stars.
Characters, oh the characters! Dare and Silver simply have some of the best chemistry ever written, in my opinion. When one shines it doesn’t diminish the other. Where they’re both strong alpha’s, Dare shows it and Silver throws it in your face when you least expect it. I just adore these two characters together. They make moves and they do it without shame, plain and simple.
Tarnished had a lot of great points for me. The first book left me with a desire to get to know Dare better. He was a character shrouded in mystery so to speak and a lot of that mystery is revealed here. I loved that we got answers about the past, but Held also managed to make something that happened over ten years ago in Dare’s life continue almost seamlessly into the current events. It was clever and so well done. In addition, I like that we get more of John and Susan in Tarnished. While they’re more secondary characters, their relationship is an aspect that I love because seeing Susan who’s a human try to integrate into the life of the pack is just really interesting (and at times simply amusing).
Held truly makes these characters – werewolves! - come alive for me. She includes all of these small touches in her writing that make you forget for just a few minutes that werewolves don’t actually exist. From their personal relationships, to the individual packs, and the politics overall Held makes everything come together brilliantly. And that’s on top of delivering a story that just sucks you in.
Bottom line, Tarnished is another win from Rhiannon Held. She delivers story, characters, lore and brings it all alive. I definitely recommended this series for the lovers of the werewolves or even those who aren’t sure about them. 4/5 stars.
May 12, 2013
First off. If you haven't read book one, Silver, I'd advise you to read it first. If not you will be lost for the first 60-100 pages. It will take long to get enough background depth to understand where this book was leading too AND enough to know what happened in book one. The characters where referred by different names and phrases like "Lady".
I did enjoy this book. It felt like a roller coaster. I start reading it and as you get into it, you WANT to know what is going to happen. Then it speeds up and doesn't slow down until the very end.
Andrew Dare, referred to most of the time as Dare, is an alpha who doesn't have a 'home' pack. His mate is also an alpha, named Silver. Poor Silver, has lost her wild self(her wolf) because of the what she survived from book one. She is self conscious about her arm(that is damaged because of the silver). Even though she doesn't have her wild self anymore, she has her own strengths. She is the only who can see other wild selves. Also, Death is one of her companions. She and Dare are staying with John "Seattle" her cousin and his pack.
Dare has trouble following him. He has enemies along with allies. People want him to challenge 'Roanoke', but there are other troubles closer by first. Sacramento wants revenge on Dare because of what happened to his son(though his son deserved it). Then Roanoke is causing all types of trouble and trying to make everyone dislike Dare.
Then there is John's mate, a human. Her name is Susan. I really enjoyed Susan. John and Susan have a son and she is very protective and loving over him. Susan knows more than she should about werewolves. During the book, you see her grow stronger.
During this story, you watch Dare and Silver grow, as individuals and as couple. Also John and Silver's relationship becomes stronger. By the end of the book, you all the troubles seem to have been answered.
I did enjoy this book. It felt like a roller coaster. I start reading it and as you get into it, you WANT to know what is going to happen. Then it speeds up and doesn't slow down until the very end.
Andrew Dare, referred to most of the time as Dare, is an alpha who doesn't have a 'home' pack. His mate is also an alpha, named Silver. Poor Silver, has lost her wild self(her wolf) because of the what she survived from book one. She is self conscious about her arm(that is damaged because of the silver). Even though she doesn't have her wild self anymore, she has her own strengths. She is the only who can see other wild selves. Also, Death is one of her companions. She and Dare are staying with John "Seattle" her cousin and his pack.
Dare has trouble following him. He has enemies along with allies. People want him to challenge 'Roanoke', but there are other troubles closer by first. Sacramento wants revenge on Dare because of what happened to his son(though his son deserved it). Then Roanoke is causing all types of trouble and trying to make everyone dislike Dare.
Then there is John's mate, a human. Her name is Susan. I really enjoyed Susan. John and Susan have a son and she is very protective and loving over him. Susan knows more than she should about werewolves. During the book, you see her grow stronger.
During this story, you watch Dare and Silver grow, as individuals and as couple. Also John and Silver's relationship becomes stronger. By the end of the book, you all the troubles seem to have been answered.
May 14, 2013
Less formula and more content than your average werewolf romance, TARNISHED is a brand of urban fantasy that I treasure. Though still heavily steeped in character, the slow arc of action that Held weaves through this story and her series as a whole has a level of patience that is becoming rarer and rarer in the serialized genre. Patience to let injuries heal, patience to let obstacles stand, patience to let characters struggle without a magical panacea to sweep the slate clean every book. Though the first portion of TARNISHED focuses on the politics that have brought Dare and Silver to the west coast, that is just the framework for the character growth that fuels the heart of this book. I was surprised by how much I grew to love Susan, the outsider, the mother, the character struggling to find her way as a human among Weres. This world's mythology doesn't offer the chance of a quick fix, a bite that would make Susan magically part of the pack, but Held is not afraid to tackle the larger questions head on. Weres are still alien, still governed by rules and expectations that seem brutal to humans, but they're also fallible, capable of mistakes and change and understanding. To this author, the cultural laws of Weres are less an immutable plot device ("Oops, you did the thing, now you must *die*.") and more a living society with expectations, hopes, and flaws. As much as I started this series all about Silver, Held seduced me into falling in love with her whole world. With TARNISHED this series has ascended to a step above the usual fare. Intricate, interesting, and fundamentally human, this is a series not to miss.
Full review to follow.
Sexual Content: References to sex, kissing.
Full review to follow.
Sexual Content: References to sex, kissing.
July 5, 2013
Yes, I did it again. I was sent this book for review and I knew it was the second book in the series, but I decided to try it anyway. This is a book that should not be read out of order. Not that I couldn't pick up and get into the book, because I did enjoy myself, but because you will miss a lot of information about Silver. She is one of the major characters in this book and despite my lack of knowledge of what happened before she actually captured most of my attention. She is unusual for a were and quite interesting.
The world in this book is quite interesting. A lot of political wrangling with a wolfish twist. Not just what you say matters, but in how you smell when you say it as well as body language counts more than with humans. However, as the are somewhat related to humans there are some similarities. And while this world is quite interesting it isn't all politics. Quite a bit of adventure to be had with a few very bad guys to be defeated. Not all are defeated by brawn, but also by brain. This is what made the world so captivating
Even though the world is interesting, I'd have to say the book shines when it comes to characters. While I felt I missed a lot with not knowing about Silver completely (totally my fault), she still shined for me. I also loved Dare her mate as well as the secondary characters. The lone human amongst the were, Susan, really shined and I loved her contrast as well as similarities to the were. Usually in these stories the human is the weak link, but Susan proved to be anything but that. I really enjoyed her.
I give this book 4 stars. I wouldn't recommend reading out of order as I have, but I am glad I still read this book. I really enjoyed my time here in this world. I recommend it for those that really enjoy were stories.
The world in this book is quite interesting. A lot of political wrangling with a wolfish twist. Not just what you say matters, but in how you smell when you say it as well as body language counts more than with humans. However, as the are somewhat related to humans there are some similarities. And while this world is quite interesting it isn't all politics. Quite a bit of adventure to be had with a few very bad guys to be defeated. Not all are defeated by brawn, but also by brain. This is what made the world so captivating
Even though the world is interesting, I'd have to say the book shines when it comes to characters. While I felt I missed a lot with not knowing about Silver completely (totally my fault), she still shined for me. I also loved Dare her mate as well as the secondary characters. The lone human amongst the were, Susan, really shined and I loved her contrast as well as similarities to the were. Usually in these stories the human is the weak link, but Susan proved to be anything but that. I really enjoyed her.
I give this book 4 stars. I wouldn't recommend reading out of order as I have, but I am glad I still read this book. I really enjoyed my time here in this world. I recommend it for those that really enjoy were stories.
August 20, 2013
This book continues in the same vein as the first one, in that there’s nothing particularly innovative done with the mythology or setting, and the conflicts are all character based rather than centering on some mystical or mythical threat. However, like the previous book, I found it to be a very engaging read, possibly more so than the first one.
The introduction of Sarah, the non-ware, as a point of view character was a big help, I think. I always prefer expositions to be done in character. Walls of text may not appear much different if they’re spoken by a character vs being an internal monologue or just an infodump paragraph, but I always appreciate it when they’re worked into the actual story somehow. Having Silver and Andrew explaining Ware customs to Sarah worked very well in that regard.
That actually revealed a nuance to this universe’s lycanthropes that hadn’t been obvious in Silver(or maybe I just missed it): there seems to be no ability for people to be “turned” into a werewolf, via bite or any other means. The werewolves exist as a separate race from humans and while they can interbreed, the traditional “bit by a werewolf” curse is not present.
Even with that change, which is a more significant departure from tradition than any other in this world, the story isn’t different enough to have it rise triumphantly from the pack of similar urban fantasy novels. I still enjoyed it immensely, and will pick up the third book when it comes out, but it still will not grab the attention of anyone searching for something truly unique in urban fantasy.
The introduction of Sarah, the non-ware, as a point of view character was a big help, I think. I always prefer expositions to be done in character. Walls of text may not appear much different if they’re spoken by a character vs being an internal monologue or just an infodump paragraph, but I always appreciate it when they’re worked into the actual story somehow. Having Silver and Andrew explaining Ware customs to Sarah worked very well in that regard.
That actually revealed a nuance to this universe’s lycanthropes that hadn’t been obvious in Silver(or maybe I just missed it): there seems to be no ability for people to be “turned” into a werewolf, via bite or any other means. The werewolves exist as a separate race from humans and while they can interbreed, the traditional “bit by a werewolf” curse is not present.
Even with that change, which is a more significant departure from tradition than any other in this world, the story isn’t different enough to have it rise triumphantly from the pack of similar urban fantasy novels. I still enjoyed it immensely, and will pick up the third book when it comes out, but it still will not grab the attention of anyone searching for something truly unique in urban fantasy.
November 18, 2015
"Silver has found her mate in Andrew Dane, but they haven't found the pack they can call home. Silver lost her wild self to a monster's assault: a madman who believed that werewolves were demons who could be exorcised with injections of silver. He killed her pack, all the children-she alone survived. Now she walks in a shadow world with death at her side, and she can no longer shift to wolf form. Can she remain in the only society she has ever known? Can she mate with an alpha wolf and rule a pack?
Some of Andrew's old friends think he should return to the East Coast and challenge Roanoke for leadership. They think he has been beta and enforcer long enough. But Andrew has baggage-his violent history with the packs of Europe and the rumors of his lack of control. He killed his own kind, after he had submitted, and the rumors don't care why. The Madrid pack holds a hostage, the daughter he was forced to abandon when he was expelled back to North America.
Does he dare claim the leadership he had earned? This wonderful urban fantasy series plungers readers into the world of the shape-shifter packs who live hidden among us." - Quote from the inside front cover of my copy of Tarnished by Rhiannon Held.
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first book in the series. Held did a great job of taking hold of her readers and not letting them go until the very last page of the book. I am excited to start reading the third book in the series! I want to know what happens next for Dare and Silver.
Some of Andrew's old friends think he should return to the East Coast and challenge Roanoke for leadership. They think he has been beta and enforcer long enough. But Andrew has baggage-his violent history with the packs of Europe and the rumors of his lack of control. He killed his own kind, after he had submitted, and the rumors don't care why. The Madrid pack holds a hostage, the daughter he was forced to abandon when he was expelled back to North America.
Does he dare claim the leadership he had earned? This wonderful urban fantasy series plungers readers into the world of the shape-shifter packs who live hidden among us." - Quote from the inside front cover of my copy of Tarnished by Rhiannon Held.
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first book in the series. Held did a great job of taking hold of her readers and not letting them go until the very last page of the book. I am excited to start reading the third book in the series! I want to know what happens next for Dare and Silver.
July 12, 2013
I wasn't sure how much I would like this book with the inclusion of Susan's trials among the Were, but it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated.
There was a very strong presence of the author advocating female strength in this book. This isn't something that I really enjoy. I don't feel the need to go burn my bras in the street to show off how much of a man I can be. And I really am not a fan of having this type of thing shoved down my throat as it was in this book, hence the 3 stars. I will say, though, that Held did a great job of making it more about true equality rather than trying for superiority over men.
I didn't find this book as interesting as the first one. The plot seemed to waver a lot before finally settling on Silver and Andrew becoming alphas for the whole of North America. How they got this position wasn't entirely clear to me either. So you have some European assholes come and manipulate one Alpha, torture another, and voila! Now, we need to band together? I don't think so. I would have liked something a little more solid than that.
I do love Silver. She is such a strong, awesome, crazy girl. I like that Andrew is crazy, too.
It's still a decent read. If you read the first one, it's not a bad follow up. If you didn't, this would work okay as a first time read of Held's work.
There was a very strong presence of the author advocating female strength in this book. This isn't something that I really enjoy. I don't feel the need to go burn my bras in the street to show off how much of a man I can be. And I really am not a fan of having this type of thing shoved down my throat as it was in this book, hence the 3 stars. I will say, though, that Held did a great job of making it more about true equality rather than trying for superiority over men.
I didn't find this book as interesting as the first one. The plot seemed to waver a lot before finally settling on Silver and Andrew becoming alphas for the whole of North America. How they got this position wasn't entirely clear to me either. So you have some European assholes come and manipulate one Alpha, torture another, and voila! Now, we need to band together? I don't think so. I would have liked something a little more solid than that.
I do love Silver. She is such a strong, awesome, crazy girl. I like that Andrew is crazy, too.
It's still a decent read. If you read the first one, it's not a bad follow up. If you didn't, this would work okay as a first time read of Held's work.
June 4, 2013
Silver is a fantastic character. Let's get that out the gate. Newish character Sarah, present in Silver, but greatly expanded here, is her foil. Hey, even Andrew is her foil to some extent. I mean, we have here a story about werewolf politics. . . . Well, yes, werewolf politics. And brains and posturing and brainy posturing rules the day. Sure, there's some effective and tense action sequences, too, but where would we be without the backdoor dealing, the speeches. It's a fantasy congress given more teeth and weight then you'd expect, then weighed against American philosophies by Sarah's viewpoint. Anyway, Silver is fantastic, and fascinating, because she is smart and brave and adaptable, and I love watching her work. And as the backdrop, we have Andrew's past and pain coming back to haunt him, leaving our Silver to be strong on two fronts. I confess I never like Andrew as much as Silver, but that isn't a knock on him as a character. He's a good guy trying to do good things with honor. I am not thrilled when he's on the screen so much as concerned for him, like I am for all nice straightforward people in a wildly political world.
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August 8, 2013In nature, the alpha wolf is not the fiercest or most aggressive member of the pack. The alpha wolf is the decision maker and provider, the intelligent and charismatic leader responsible for the pack’s survival. The alpha werewolves of Tarnished mirror their lupine cousins, and when that authority is abused, the pack is imperiled.
Tarnished, the sequel to Silver (2012), continues the story of exiled werewolf Andrew Dare and his mate Silver, crippled by an attack which stole her ability to shift into a wolf, as they struggle to find a home pack. Tarnished explores the psychological and political relationships among North American werewolf packs, which exist largely out of view of the human population. There are no half-devoured corpses here and the narrative proceeds at a less frenetic pace than some werewolf novels—a refreshing change. The downside is that Held’s writing is often choppy and unpolished. Still, this is an engaging tale with interesting insights into werewolf pack and family life, and worth a read. --John
Tarnished, the sequel to Silver (2012), continues the story of exiled werewolf Andrew Dare and his mate Silver, crippled by an attack which stole her ability to shift into a wolf, as they struggle to find a home pack. Tarnished explores the psychological and political relationships among North American werewolf packs, which exist largely out of view of the human population. There are no half-devoured corpses here and the narrative proceeds at a less frenetic pace than some werewolf novels—a refreshing change. The downside is that Held’s writing is often choppy and unpolished. Still, this is an engaging tale with interesting insights into werewolf pack and family life, and worth a read. --John
January 6, 2015
I enjoyed reading the book. HOWEVER, there were a lot of problems with it for me. In the first half of the book, too often the characters were used to give "lectures" about the world in the guise of teaching the human character how their world operates. Second, the plot for both this book and "Silver" were weak and had to rely on their characters. It worked better in "Silver" than in this book. Third, I don't like my characters all black or all white. I believe life operates in the gray. Good people do bad things at times and bad people do good things. Finally, don't fault a "bad guy" for doing something and then have the "good guy" do the same thing and say it is ok. In the first book, we constantly heard about the evil people that use silver on Were. Then, in this book, it is ok for Silver to use silver on another Were. But then, the European Were had a silver knife and that was "bad", again. So, at this point, though the book was decent, I am questioning whether or not I will purchase and/or read the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2018
Although the plot probably rates around a three, I'm giving it a four because of the characters. The characters are wonderful. I already loved Dare and Silver, after our interactions with them in the first book; I was expecting to keep liking them. What I didn't expect was becoming so enamoured of Susan. She's fantastic in this book. She's scared, and she's hurt, and she feels out of control -- and then she takes control of her situation. I was proud of her by the end of the book, and I don't often feel proud of characters in fiction.
I also should mention that it becomes ever clearer, as one reads on, that Held is an anthropologist. I gain more and more respect for the way she sets up werewolf culture, and the way she deals with sexism, hierarchy, and similar things. It's a breath of fresh air in the world of werewolf fiction, which is usually distinctly less excellent in the way it deals with werewolf culture.
I also should mention that it becomes ever clearer, as one reads on, that Held is an anthropologist. I gain more and more respect for the way she sets up werewolf culture, and the way she deals with sexism, hierarchy, and similar things. It's a breath of fresh air in the world of werewolf fiction, which is usually distinctly less excellent in the way it deals with werewolf culture.
July 10, 2013
Tarnished, the sequel to Silver, delves even further into Were politics, testing Dare and Silver's mettle even more than before. An incident occurs of a Were alpha being killed by a human and that is on top of Dare's plans to challenge Roanoke for leadership. Add to that, the appearance of some unexpected visitors at the Convocation and of course conflict ensues making for a wild ride.
One of the thing's that I particularly enjoy about Rhiannon Held's work is her ability to carve out a very rich culture, in that she incorporates a unique religion and social etiquette in her world. The characters are also well written in that they are flawed, have their own prejudices and make mistakes. The various conflicts between characters advance the plot nicely.
Tarnished wraps up quite well but still leaves room for more to tell. I look forward to the next one.
One of the thing's that I particularly enjoy about Rhiannon Held's work is her ability to carve out a very rich culture, in that she incorporates a unique religion and social etiquette in her world. The characters are also well written in that they are flawed, have their own prejudices and make mistakes. The various conflicts between characters advance the plot nicely.
Tarnished wraps up quite well but still leaves room for more to tell. I look forward to the next one.
June 19, 2013
Great second addition to the urban fantasy series of Silver and Andrew Dare. In this one, they are mated as 2 dominants, which is rare. As always, Silver is hurt but recovering and growing stronger, surprising everyone with her abilities. The focus is more on Andrew in this novel, as his long-lost daughter and evil ex-brother-in-law come into town from Spain and try to throw a wrench into the general U.S. Werewolf Convocation. The plot kind of sounds trite, but I think the author does a great job writing about the relationships and struggles each character has in knowing when to trust and when to disbelieve. There's a good subplot about (overcoming) discrimination with Seattle Alpha's human girlfriend, with whom he has a child. Well drawn characters put in interesting and complex situations makes for a good read!
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