What do you think?
Rate this book
The Accidental Turn #3
The Silenced Tale
Forsyth Turn never wanted to be a hero. And yet, even in the Overrealm, a hero is what he’ll be.
After their last adventure in Hain, Forsyth expected to return to the life he’d built with Pip and Alis, his days of magic and heroics behind him. But then Pip starts suffering night terrors laced with images of glowing ivy and Elgar Reed calls with fears of bizarre threats and a man garbed all in black.
But there is no magic in the Overrealm. Forsyth refuses to believe that anything other than mundane coincidence is at work—until Elgar’s stalker leaves him a message too eerie and specific to ignore. Now, he has to face the possibility that Pip’s dreams and Elgar’s fears are connected . . . and that maybe they weren’t the only ones to escape the pages of The Tales of Kintyre Turn.
And if that’s the case, it’s going to take more than a handful of heroes to save the day this time. It’s going to take an army. Luckily, Reed fans are legion.
A stunning conclusion to the series, The Silenced Tale is a genre-bending whirlwind that breathes life into the idea that the power of story lies not just with the creator, but with the fans who love it.
After their last adventure in Hain, Forsyth expected to return to the life he’d built with Pip and Alis, his days of magic and heroics behind him. But then Pip starts suffering night terrors laced with images of glowing ivy and Elgar Reed calls with fears of bizarre threats and a man garbed all in black.
But there is no magic in the Overrealm. Forsyth refuses to believe that anything other than mundane coincidence is at work—until Elgar’s stalker leaves him a message too eerie and specific to ignore. Now, he has to face the possibility that Pip’s dreams and Elgar’s fears are connected . . . and that maybe they weren’t the only ones to escape the pages of The Tales of Kintyre Turn.
And if that’s the case, it’s going to take more than a handful of heroes to save the day this time. It’s going to take an army. Luckily, Reed fans are legion.
A stunning conclusion to the series, The Silenced Tale is a genre-bending whirlwind that breathes life into the idea that the power of story lies not just with the creator, but with the fans who love it.
- GenresFantasy
440 pages, Paperback
Published January 13, 2024
4 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Frey
31 books212 followersFrey is an award-winning author and lapsed academic. She spent three years as the entertainment contributor on AMI Radio's Live From Studio 5 morning show, and was an occasional talking head in documentaries and on the SPACE Channel's premier chat show InnerSPACE. She holds a BA in Dramatic Literature and an MA in Communications Culture, and has lectured at conferences and conventions all around the world.
Her debut novel TRIPTYCH was nominated for two Lambda Literary Awards and garnered a place among the Best Books of 2011 from Publishers Weekly, and TIME AND TIDE was named one of The New York Times’ Best Romances of the Year.
She lives in Toronto where she is surrounded by houseplants, because she is allergic to anything with fur. Like her main character in NINE-TENTHS, she is also allergic to chocolate. But not wine.
Her debut novel TRIPTYCH was nominated for two Lambda Literary Awards and garnered a place among the Best Books of 2011 from Publishers Weekly, and TIME AND TIDE was named one of The New York Times’ Best Romances of the Year.
She lives in Toronto where she is surrounded by houseplants, because she is allergic to anything with fur. Like her main character in NINE-TENTHS, she is also allergic to chocolate. But not wine.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 1, 2017
I received an e-ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
The thrilling conclusion to this amazing series is here! I can't express my love enough for this book which, along with the series, should be given more attention. It's not your usual story, the author hints lots of social issues through her writing in a brutal, yet sarcastic way and there is a wonderful cast of characters!
So, after the end of the second book and its adventures, Forsyth, Pip and their sweet daughter return to their normal lives. But Elgar Reed, the author of the books Forsyth came from, is plagued by nightmares and a stalker. Soon a hunt will begin where a known villain is alive and kicking and slowly magic is seeping into our world.
There are many POVs here; Reed Forsyth and some of Pip. I love how Reed slowly tries to learn more about his own characters and how hard he also tries to be there for Forsyth and his family. Pip is, as usual, a smart, strong woman who will do anything for her family, despite the fear of losing them.
And Forsyth! My beautiful, sweet, cinnamon roll gets a hard edge on his character! I didn't expect some things to happen, which actually had me trembling while reading! Some action scenes were very powerful!
There is a certain scene in a Con, where magic seeps in! Imagine all the cosplays suddenly getting magic powers! That's all! No more spoilers!
There was also a huge surprise in this book, which I didn't expect and I grew to love. The ending? It gutted me because I am not prepared to leave these amazing characters behind! Luckily Frey will also have a collection of short stories, so there'll be that!
In the end, anyone should read this series! It's enjoyable, quirky with a good dose of action, romance and humour!
The thrilling conclusion to this amazing series is here! I can't express my love enough for this book which, along with the series, should be given more attention. It's not your usual story, the author hints lots of social issues through her writing in a brutal, yet sarcastic way and there is a wonderful cast of characters!
So, after the end of the second book and its adventures, Forsyth, Pip and their sweet daughter return to their normal lives. But Elgar Reed, the author of the books Forsyth came from, is plagued by nightmares and a stalker. Soon a hunt will begin where a known villain is alive and kicking and slowly magic is seeping into our world.
There are many POVs here; Reed Forsyth and some of Pip. I love how Reed slowly tries to learn more about his own characters and how hard he also tries to be there for Forsyth and his family. Pip is, as usual, a smart, strong woman who will do anything for her family, despite the fear of losing them.
And Forsyth! My beautiful, sweet, cinnamon roll gets a hard edge on his character! I didn't expect some things to happen, which actually had me trembling while reading! Some action scenes were very powerful!
There is a certain scene in a Con, where magic seeps in! Imagine all the cosplays suddenly getting magic powers! That's all! No more spoilers!
There was also a huge surprise in this book, which I didn't expect and I grew to love. The ending? It gutted me because I am not prepared to leave these amazing characters behind! Luckily Frey will also have a collection of short stories, so there'll be that!
In the end, anyone should read this series! It's enjoyable, quirky with a good dose of action, romance and humour!
December 15, 2017
The Silenced Tale, Book 3 of the Accidental Turn Series, J.M. Frey
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: LGBTQIA , Sci Fi & Fantasy
I've loved this trilogy, fresh and unusual, it hinges round the characters in a series Elgar read wrote. By some quirk of fate he wrote magic so perfectly that it – and the actual characters, places and events, became real. As a Reader, Pip was pulled into the world and met Forsyth. Now they both live in the Overrealm, our world, with their daughter Alis.
They had issues with Hain and certain people in the last book, where events there were affecting the Overrealm, and now they fear that things weren't as safe as they left them, that maybe, just maybe, someone else has come through to the Overrealm.
There's another fantastic adventure, Syth being his spymaster self here in the real world, master of the PC and Internet. I love how he's adapted to it, his careful turn of phrase, his planning, always looking ten steps ahead and of course his love for Pip and Alis.
Pip is wonderful, such an intelligent girl and I love how she breaks out the writing jargon, explaining to Syth ( and readers like me!) about tropes, genres, and how books are plotted. I read, I had no idea of the structure of a story but it makes sense, and makes my author admiration even greater! She's having a bad time in this book, due to the events of the past that connect her to magic through the carvings.
To begin its just a series of odd events that could be explained away, but Syth being the cautious type he sets his programme up to look for anything that might be connected. I love when he says he thought Pip's Poster “its not paranoia if they're out to get you” was a warning not an irony. That sums him up in a way, written to protect, its in his very marrow to do just that.
Of course what he and Pip don't know is that Elgar is having issues too, with what the police think is a stalker, but what Elgar fears is Hain stuff, and vengeance from there. He had no way of knowing what he wrote created a real world, and he feels so guilty for the casual way he wrote torture and death in his stories. There's a top secret TV series based around his books being planned and the police agree its a good idea for him to go there for a couple of weeks. Syth's programme tells him what Elgar didn't though, so he's beginning to piece together events and he now knows he, Pip and Elgar are facing real danger that the police can't help with. How can they fight magic and fictional people that have become real. If they tried to tell them they'd be taken to the nearest Psych centre!
It all comes together in a nail biting, climatic finish, and I was gutted at some of the events and yet – it was the perfect way to end the trilogy.
I read the Magician trilogy when that was first out, back in Oct 2014, and thought it would make a great family film, Disney agreed some time later. I think this too would make a great film, has that magic (hah!) content that will appeal to kids and adults alike and is so very unusual.
Stars: Five, a perfect ending to a terrific, exciting and fresh trilogy.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: LGBTQIA , Sci Fi & Fantasy
I've loved this trilogy, fresh and unusual, it hinges round the characters in a series Elgar read wrote. By some quirk of fate he wrote magic so perfectly that it – and the actual characters, places and events, became real. As a Reader, Pip was pulled into the world and met Forsyth. Now they both live in the Overrealm, our world, with their daughter Alis.
They had issues with Hain and certain people in the last book, where events there were affecting the Overrealm, and now they fear that things weren't as safe as they left them, that maybe, just maybe, someone else has come through to the Overrealm.
There's another fantastic adventure, Syth being his spymaster self here in the real world, master of the PC and Internet. I love how he's adapted to it, his careful turn of phrase, his planning, always looking ten steps ahead and of course his love for Pip and Alis.
Pip is wonderful, such an intelligent girl and I love how she breaks out the writing jargon, explaining to Syth ( and readers like me!) about tropes, genres, and how books are plotted. I read, I had no idea of the structure of a story but it makes sense, and makes my author admiration even greater! She's having a bad time in this book, due to the events of the past that connect her to magic through the carvings.
To begin its just a series of odd events that could be explained away, but Syth being the cautious type he sets his programme up to look for anything that might be connected. I love when he says he thought Pip's Poster “its not paranoia if they're out to get you” was a warning not an irony. That sums him up in a way, written to protect, its in his very marrow to do just that.
Of course what he and Pip don't know is that Elgar is having issues too, with what the police think is a stalker, but what Elgar fears is Hain stuff, and vengeance from there. He had no way of knowing what he wrote created a real world, and he feels so guilty for the casual way he wrote torture and death in his stories. There's a top secret TV series based around his books being planned and the police agree its a good idea for him to go there for a couple of weeks. Syth's programme tells him what Elgar didn't though, so he's beginning to piece together events and he now knows he, Pip and Elgar are facing real danger that the police can't help with. How can they fight magic and fictional people that have become real. If they tried to tell them they'd be taken to the nearest Psych centre!
It all comes together in a nail biting, climatic finish, and I was gutted at some of the events and yet – it was the perfect way to end the trilogy.
I read the Magician trilogy when that was first out, back in Oct 2014, and thought it would make a great family film, Disney agreed some time later. I think this too would make a great film, has that magic (hah!) content that will appeal to kids and adults alike and is so very unusual.
Stars: Five, a perfect ending to a terrific, exciting and fresh trilogy.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
November 22, 2017
I received this ARC through NetGalley.
Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever read the third book in a trilogy without having read either of the first two, before. And I probably wouldn't have done it this time, either, except that I somehow committed myself to writing about the third, and I didn’t think that there was time to read the previous two. Or even one. For some reason, I got it in my head that this needed to be done by the end of November. I was wrong, but, oh, well.
Given how much background I was missing, I was very pleasantly surprised at how little I felt like I was missing. Everything made perfect sense, I had no difficulty following any of the action. And I loved the book. I loved the characters, the plot, the dialogue. It had all the feels. In fact, I found it so intense that I had to take multiple breaks from reading it. I alternated between huge gulps and tiny sips. Both were delicious.
I’m not, under normal circumstances, a fan of horror. This book struck me as a sort of cross between horror and fantasy, although, in my experience, the cross is usually with urban fantasy, not high fantasy.
Someone is stalking The Writer. Mortal or magic? But there is no magic in the Overrealm. Is there?
Frey’s use of imagery is...strong. I almost wrote delightful, but no, some of these images are anything but delightful.
As soon as possible, I am going back to read the first two books. Plus the prequel.
Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever read the third book in a trilogy without having read either of the first two, before. And I probably wouldn't have done it this time, either, except that I somehow committed myself to writing about the third, and I didn’t think that there was time to read the previous two. Or even one. For some reason, I got it in my head that this needed to be done by the end of November. I was wrong, but, oh, well.
Given how much background I was missing, I was very pleasantly surprised at how little I felt like I was missing. Everything made perfect sense, I had no difficulty following any of the action. And I loved the book. I loved the characters, the plot, the dialogue. It had all the feels. In fact, I found it so intense that I had to take multiple breaks from reading it. I alternated between huge gulps and tiny sips. Both were delicious.
I’m not, under normal circumstances, a fan of horror. This book struck me as a sort of cross between horror and fantasy, although, in my experience, the cross is usually with urban fantasy, not high fantasy.
Someone is stalking The Writer. Mortal or magic? But there is no magic in the Overrealm. Is there?
Frey’s use of imagery is...strong. I almost wrote delightful, but no, some of these images are anything but delightful.
He gags at the thought of a tidal wave of maggots splashing out of the kitchen and swallowing his assistant under the slimy yellow-white, slimy pulsing bodies.
...but his mind hasn't stopped chugging the whole time. Like a perpetual motion machine, he can't seem to find the breaks.
There are glass fragments all over the carpet, from where the big bay window that looks out onto his side garden has been broken in. No, not "broken" – that word isn't forceful enough. It's smashed. Shattered. Exploded. Fragmentalized. Shards were sprayed all the way to the far wall.Yes, I just included a sampling of disembodied quotes to prove my point.
As soon as possible, I am going back to read the first two books. Plus the prequel.
November 22, 2017
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There is no end to how wonderful these books are. It's much different than the last two, as it never takes place inside the book, but entirely in the Overrealm. As much as I personally prefer the Turns' world, I think Frey has just as much talent writing in our world. The suspense and a three-dimensional view of Elgar Reed showed her incredible writing skills in any scenario.
Of course I'm so glad for the return of Frey's characters, her feminism, and her trope-bending. Another incredible book, even though I'm sad to see the end of the trilogy. Thanks so much for sharing your world with us!
There is no end to how wonderful these books are. It's much different than the last two, as it never takes place inside the book, but entirely in the Overrealm. As much as I personally prefer the Turns' world, I think Frey has just as much talent writing in our world. The suspense and a three-dimensional view of Elgar Reed showed her incredible writing skills in any scenario.
Of course I'm so glad for the return of Frey's characters, her feminism, and her trope-bending. Another incredible book, even though I'm sad to see the end of the trilogy. Thanks so much for sharing your world with us!
March 21, 2017
All good things come in threes and the Accidental Turn trilogy is no different. Whilst I loved The Forgotten Tale, after reading The Silenced Tale I have to admit that it did suffer slightly from the second-book slump—though only in comparison. The Untold Tale was absolutely brilliant in how Lucy pokes at the fantasy novel from within the novel, and The Forgotten Tale continues in that tradition, but The Silenced Tale takes it into a whole different plane.
In this third book, the focal point moves from Forsyth Turn & Lucy Piper in Hain to concentrate on the creator of the Hain itself—the self-important, misogynistic white man, Elgar Reed. Can a work of fantasy truly stand alone from its creator? How much does the writer’s world view and experiences colour the work itself? How does the fandom that grows around a work affect it? What makes something canon? Is it the intention of the writer or how the fans interpret it?
Magic isn’t supposed to exist in the real world, but somehow it’s leaking through from Hain. And Elgar is being hounded by a stalker who just might be tapping into it. Elgar hopes the stalker is a mere mortal, but if he isn’t, the only way to stop it might be to write an end to it. Only, Elgar can’t. He can’t write anything else about Hain, knowing as he does that the people in it are real. That his choices as writer have affected their lives in very real and hurtful ways. He’s learning, though. He’s learning to be better, to be respectful, to stop hurting people for the sake of the plot, to stop taking people for granted, to stop being racist and sexist in his writing—though he still lapses in real life.
Fandom isn’t as pretty and gushing as it appears to be. Yes, it’s magic and it’s creative and it pushes the boundaries in a million different ways. But there are disgruntled fans out there who believe that the only way to settle differences is through violence. And that punching up to the man may sometimes need to get bloody. Frey explores thoughtfully the world of fantasy cons and fan fiction, digs into representation and intention, argues through fetishization and tropes, doubling back to stab at the patriarchy and white men again and again in various ways—We exist for ourselves and we’re worth it is the message Frey is repeating over and over again, whether you’re talking about the portrayal of women, POC or LGBT (and probably various others I glossed over) in fiction.
In a way, it’s a difficult book to get through. There’s anger and hurt to work through, there’s fear and sorrow and a harrowing scene that made me want to cry, and then there’s that whole bittersweet ending; the finality of parting countered by a sense of reunion, the regret of an unchangeable past amidst a bright hope for tomorrow. In the vernacular of our times, when we’ve lost all ability to word: ALL THE FEELS.
Note: A special shout out to J.M. Frey who let me read a super early copy of this book and leave comments!
In this third book, the focal point moves from Forsyth Turn & Lucy Piper in Hain to concentrate on the creator of the Hain itself—the self-important, misogynistic white man, Elgar Reed. Can a work of fantasy truly stand alone from its creator? How much does the writer’s world view and experiences colour the work itself? How does the fandom that grows around a work affect it? What makes something canon? Is it the intention of the writer or how the fans interpret it?
Magic isn’t supposed to exist in the real world, but somehow it’s leaking through from Hain. And Elgar is being hounded by a stalker who just might be tapping into it. Elgar hopes the stalker is a mere mortal, but if he isn’t, the only way to stop it might be to write an end to it. Only, Elgar can’t. He can’t write anything else about Hain, knowing as he does that the people in it are real. That his choices as writer have affected their lives in very real and hurtful ways. He’s learning, though. He’s learning to be better, to be respectful, to stop hurting people for the sake of the plot, to stop taking people for granted, to stop being racist and sexist in his writing—though he still lapses in real life.
Fandom isn’t as pretty and gushing as it appears to be. Yes, it’s magic and it’s creative and it pushes the boundaries in a million different ways. But there are disgruntled fans out there who believe that the only way to settle differences is through violence. And that punching up to the man may sometimes need to get bloody. Frey explores thoughtfully the world of fantasy cons and fan fiction, digs into representation and intention, argues through fetishization and tropes, doubling back to stab at the patriarchy and white men again and again in various ways—We exist for ourselves and we’re worth it is the message Frey is repeating over and over again, whether you’re talking about the portrayal of women, POC or LGBT (and probably various others I glossed over) in fiction.
In a way, it’s a difficult book to get through. There’s anger and hurt to work through, there’s fear and sorrow and a harrowing scene that made me want to cry, and then there’s that whole bittersweet ending; the finality of parting countered by a sense of reunion, the regret of an unchangeable past amidst a bright hope for tomorrow. In the vernacular of our times, when we’ve lost all ability to word: ALL THE FEELS.
Note: A special shout out to J.M. Frey who let me read a super early copy of this book and leave comments!
March 18, 2017
I started on this book and I feel like I have to dive more into this wonderful world that our Writer has given us. Below is a longer fan rant but overall my review is that this book is fun and has well written characters that goes over issues and topics that are difficult to talk about sometimes but still keeps action and the story be absolutely amazing.
I have edited out the names of characters to keep spoilers to the minimum.
but spoilers just in case.
Oh my goodness I loved many of your characters! Like, there was one I wanted to beat up as well but also sympathized with but still so frustrated with them as other characters were for the same reason, I felt as if I was there and nodding along with them as they went off about feminism and chewing out out the character. And I loved another character the same reason as I was frustrated with the first, because as a character because he is still learning about the flaws in the male view but was further along and accepted that he had to learn . And the entire Mary sue thing, like if it was a dude it'd just be a protagonist (shout out to Luke Skywalker) . And I just love the entire premise of Fandom and stories effects on people and how geekdom has its (major)flaws but is still a community. Thanks for reading my rant ... I may still be internally fangirling over the story.
I have edited out the names of characters to keep spoilers to the minimum.
but spoilers just in case.
Oh my goodness I loved many of your characters! Like, there was one I wanted to beat up as well but also sympathized with but still so frustrated with them as other characters were for the same reason, I felt as if I was there and nodding along with them as they went off about feminism and chewing out out the character. And I loved another character the same reason as I was frustrated with the first, because as a character because he is still learning about the flaws in the male view but was further along and accepted that he had to learn . And the entire Mary sue thing, like if it was a dude it'd just be a protagonist (shout out to Luke Skywalker) . And I just love the entire premise of Fandom and stories effects on people and how geekdom has its (major)flaws but is still a community. Thanks for reading my rant ... I may still be internally fangirling over the story.
March 11, 2018
Amazing end to a wonderful series in which the normal rules of fiction don't apply. The author speaks through these characters with such a clear view of the way things really are. Not the way we want to believe that they are. The way they TRULY are. JM has wonderful insight into what makes people tick and has created a world which unfolds before you in these three books so smoothly you'll feel like you live there too. I especially love the D&D game scene at the Con! Just when I thought JM couldn't surprise me anymore she does!
December 17, 2017
Absolutely amazing book! Full review can be found here:
http://www.memoirsofabookwyrm.com/201...
Absolute WOW. I have basically read this entire trilogy in the span of one week, and now that I've finished the final book, I want nothing so much as to pick up the first one and start it all over again. This ending to the trilogy has captured me so completely and wrung out my heart, and it is because this superbly written story stands on the shoulders of two amazing books that came first. The Untold Tale and The Forgotten Tale set the stage that allows this finale piece, The Silenced Tale, to be so extraordinarily powerful.
For me, some of the draw of fantasy novels is that they take you out of the modern world and let you go exploring in a land that is so different. The magic lays, in part, in those heroes that roam the land doing good and saving people. All of my favorite fantasy novels are set in the same kind of time period - a time of horses and carriages, beautiful gowns, dragons, and swords. I adore this setting. But it occurs to me, as I devour book after book after book that no matter the time, setting, or cast, villains often do the same things. The heroes must respond in accordance with societal expectations, are limited by the limit of technological developments, and must always, always be thinking one step ahead of the bad guys to try and limit the damage done to ancillary figures.
Villains, on the other hand, are terrifying in their lack of originality. No matter where or when or who, the tools of kidnap, torture, threat, stalking, maiming, killing are always favored. Because they always work to inspire fear in others. That knowledge was really driven home for me when Viceroy stepped from the pages of Hain and right into our modern world - and kept doing all the same things. That Forsyth struggled so hard for so long - and continues to struggle - to fit into the modern world, yet Viceroy was able to proceed with business as usual with just a few minor adjustments was a terrifying revelation.
In the modern world, readers of The Accidental Turn series logically turn to Pip to be the brains of the operation - no slight intended to the Shadow Hand. In this Tale, however, Pip is very nearly laid low by the run-off of the Viceroy's activities. Here we see so clearly that Pip, while immensely strong and capable, is also human and fallible and vulnerable at times. She cannot face everything entirely on her own...and she doesn't have to. Over the series, Pip and Forsyth have become as dynamic and formidable a team as Kintyre and Bevel Dom. It was wonderful to read the depth of Pip and Forsyth's relationship.
When the climax of the story came and the final show-down began, I was completely consumed by it. I laughed out loud, I cried, I shook with anger. That is the mark of a truly excellent tale, in my opinion. When you are drawn in so utterly that you feel the characters' emotions and respond with them, the story has come alive off of the pages. That is what The Silenced Tale was for me.
I absolutely loved this series. I refuse to write any spoilers, because you, quite frankly, just need to read it. Go read it! Start with The Untold Tale, of course. For my part, I will begin again and live the journey again.
http://www.memoirsofabookwyrm.com/201...
Absolute WOW. I have basically read this entire trilogy in the span of one week, and now that I've finished the final book, I want nothing so much as to pick up the first one and start it all over again. This ending to the trilogy has captured me so completely and wrung out my heart, and it is because this superbly written story stands on the shoulders of two amazing books that came first. The Untold Tale and The Forgotten Tale set the stage that allows this finale piece, The Silenced Tale, to be so extraordinarily powerful.
For me, some of the draw of fantasy novels is that they take you out of the modern world and let you go exploring in a land that is so different. The magic lays, in part, in those heroes that roam the land doing good and saving people. All of my favorite fantasy novels are set in the same kind of time period - a time of horses and carriages, beautiful gowns, dragons, and swords. I adore this setting. But it occurs to me, as I devour book after book after book that no matter the time, setting, or cast, villains often do the same things. The heroes must respond in accordance with societal expectations, are limited by the limit of technological developments, and must always, always be thinking one step ahead of the bad guys to try and limit the damage done to ancillary figures.
Villains, on the other hand, are terrifying in their lack of originality. No matter where or when or who, the tools of kidnap, torture, threat, stalking, maiming, killing are always favored. Because they always work to inspire fear in others. That knowledge was really driven home for me when Viceroy stepped from the pages of Hain and right into our modern world - and kept doing all the same things. That Forsyth struggled so hard for so long - and continues to struggle - to fit into the modern world, yet Viceroy was able to proceed with business as usual with just a few minor adjustments was a terrifying revelation.
In the modern world, readers of The Accidental Turn series logically turn to Pip to be the brains of the operation - no slight intended to the Shadow Hand. In this Tale, however, Pip is very nearly laid low by the run-off of the Viceroy's activities. Here we see so clearly that Pip, while immensely strong and capable, is also human and fallible and vulnerable at times. She cannot face everything entirely on her own...and she doesn't have to. Over the series, Pip and Forsyth have become as dynamic and formidable a team as Kintyre and Bevel Dom. It was wonderful to read the depth of Pip and Forsyth's relationship.
When the climax of the story came and the final show-down began, I was completely consumed by it. I laughed out loud, I cried, I shook with anger. That is the mark of a truly excellent tale, in my opinion. When you are drawn in so utterly that you feel the characters' emotions and respond with them, the story has come alive off of the pages. That is what The Silenced Tale was for me.
I absolutely loved this series. I refuse to write any spoilers, because you, quite frankly, just need to read it. Go read it! Start with The Untold Tale, of course. For my part, I will begin again and live the journey again.
December 18, 2017
Really enjoyable finale
December 7, 2018
In brief: Forsyth and Lucy Piper are safely back in Canada after their adventures in Forsyth’s fictional homeworld. It’s been peaceful, but suddenly Lucy’s having nightmares, Forsyth’s author’s being stalked, and they might not be able to think their way out this time. Third in a trilogy.
Thoughts: And I thought the last two books had achieved peak metafiction!
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. It is so fannish and too real and I don’t even know how Frey managed to upend some of the tropes she did, or how she thought to do so. I’m not even sure I can effectively compare the plot to the last two, because it was so different. It’s a very different feel compared to the other books in the trilogy, doesn’t follow the same patterns, but if you couldn’t guess from the summary, that’s sort of the point.
There’s actually not a lot I can discuss without spoiling things, now that I think of it. So much of the story relies on surprises and not knowing what comes next. But I can say, as a nerd who’s been steeped in lit and fandom for years, I a) can absolutely tell that Frey has too, with some of the things she’s tackling and the angles she’s used and b) was completely delighted by the metafictional hoops she wove this through. The climax is something else.
I’m also really pleased by the level of diversity in the book, and the portrayal of fandom, and the fact that (see: hoops, metafictional) there are 110% valid plot reasons for them too.
This isn’t to say it’s a totally perfect book. There were a few sections that felt slow without adding all that much to the tension, and while the fandom stuff jived, the police stuff and some of the legal/financial things felt off-kilter, like there was fudging for plot reasons. Those things threw me, made it a bit easier to wander off for a while, but I can forgive the latter because getting all that pitch-perfect would’ve changed the story for the worse. The slowness? Could just be me. It’s not like those sections didn’t have important stuff in them either.
I’m definitely more of a fan of this series now that I’ve finished it. They’re more complex than they sound, especially this one, and, as I predicted before I bought the first one, absolutely my thing. (So complex one could pull a Pip and write their dissertation on them.) Good fantasy, good story, good characters, good themes, good understanding of tropes and craft, with a lot of smart things to say.
Warnings: Gore. Villain who thinks nothing of stalking, abuse, killing animals, or mind-rape. Allusions to torture. Sexist old white man trying to be better. Several misogynistic and racially insensitive comments, shot down and called out. Radicalized fans. Earthquake- or bombing-like scenario.
8.5/10
Thoughts: And I thought the last two books had achieved peak metafiction!
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. It is so fannish and too real and I don’t even know how Frey managed to upend some of the tropes she did, or how she thought to do so. I’m not even sure I can effectively compare the plot to the last two, because it was so different. It’s a very different feel compared to the other books in the trilogy, doesn’t follow the same patterns, but if you couldn’t guess from the summary, that’s sort of the point.
There’s actually not a lot I can discuss without spoiling things, now that I think of it. So much of the story relies on surprises and not knowing what comes next. But I can say, as a nerd who’s been steeped in lit and fandom for years, I a) can absolutely tell that Frey has too, with some of the things she’s tackling and the angles she’s used and b) was completely delighted by the metafictional hoops she wove this through. The climax is something else.
I’m also really pleased by the level of diversity in the book, and the portrayal of fandom, and the fact that (see: hoops, metafictional) there are 110% valid plot reasons for them too.
This isn’t to say it’s a totally perfect book. There were a few sections that felt slow without adding all that much to the tension, and while the fandom stuff jived, the police stuff and some of the legal/financial things felt off-kilter, like there was fudging for plot reasons. Those things threw me, made it a bit easier to wander off for a while, but I can forgive the latter because getting all that pitch-perfect would’ve changed the story for the worse. The slowness? Could just be me. It’s not like those sections didn’t have important stuff in them either.
I’m definitely more of a fan of this series now that I’ve finished it. They’re more complex than they sound, especially this one, and, as I predicted before I bought the first one, absolutely my thing. (So complex one could pull a Pip and write their dissertation on them.) Good fantasy, good story, good characters, good themes, good understanding of tropes and craft, with a lot of smart things to say.
Warnings: Gore. Villain who thinks nothing of stalking, abuse, killing animals, or mind-rape. Allusions to torture. Sexist old white man trying to be better. Several misogynistic and racially insensitive comments, shot down and called out. Radicalized fans. Earthquake- or bombing-like scenario.
8.5/10
March 6, 2019
It is finally time to get Turnt again!
(And again, I am sorry for that pun.)
It is the third and last installment of the Accidental Turn series, because as Pip says: "Fantasy books are often trilogies". In contrary to the first two parts, I didn't get the third part for free but a) I happily paid for it and b) you're still getting an honest review.
It took a while for me to start this book. Despite checking J.M Frey's newsletter, I completely missed the release of this book (how???) and when I bought it, my eReader died and it took me months to get a new one, since I tried saving my old one. It was worth the wait, since the series ended on a high note.
The Silenced Tale takes place around a year after The Forgotten Tale (I think?) and it alternates between two POVS: Elgar's and Forsyth's. While writing this sentence, I came to the realisation that I've been mispronouncing Forsyth's name for a year.
The story fully takes place in the so-called Overrealm, aka our world. I was a bit disappointed that we weree not going to get some Hain, but alas. Strange things are happening in the Overrealm to both Elgar and Pip. Elgar is having a crazy stalker that even kills his cat Linux and tries to kill his assistent Juan. Pip's nightmares increase and she gets weird episodic attacks. Turns out that the Viceroy has made his way to the Overrealm and he wants to kill Elgar and use Pip.
Forsyth, or Syth (wasn't it Seth?), only has his computer programme Finnar and his returning magic.
Whereas the book wasn't perfect, I only have some highlights to give in this review.
First, PIP'S FEMINISM. If you've read my reviews for the other two books, you sense a pattern: I love Pip's feminism, but I find it very exclusive. In this book, she actually gets called out for it! It started with Forsyth thoughs. He thinks his wife's need to not be feminine can be seen as degrading to the ones who do want that. I fucking yelled, but I thought: "man, if only someone would tell her that to her face", and it happened. Abni, a new character, flat out tells Pip that her feminism is exclusive and not only that, but Pip realises what she's done wrong and apologizes. That's character development.
Second, new characters like Juan and Abni were added to the story and it was great. Of course, there were multiple new characters, but these two played a big role.
Third, Elgar.... he's something. He genuinely tries to be better and become less sexist/racist/homophobic/yikes. He slips up and I am happy to see that the other characters do not tolerate it in any way, while also still giving him room to grow as a person. His reasoning behind his book series felt... eye opening. Now you understand what kind of awful pathetic person he was. Now you can see him grow. Well, up until his death.
Fourth, the actual ending. PLOT TWIST. J.M. Frey did a wonderful job with Abni, who turns out to be a radicalised fan and who eventually kills Elgar (holy shit!). Just like Pip, you liked her. Damn, I loved her even. And as Forsyth points out, the violence is the bad part. Everyone can have different thoughts, but when they become extreme, it's not okay. It's not bad that Pip liked Abni and agreed with her. It would've been bad if Pip would agree to killing people.
I mean, as Forsyth says, the difference lie in the actions that people do. When this racist dude told Pip that she would look "anime" after buying those weird material arts props, I had a moment of "yeah kill him Pip", but Pip never would and it's nothing more than a matter of speech. Abni, on the other hand, went fucking crazy.
The whole ending was just wonderful with the Viceroy and the fans battling. I can't believe that it resulted in 57 deaths, including Elgar's. It was nerve wrecking and I couldn't put the book down. It was also a bit too gore-y for me, but I'll manage. In the end, Pip was the big hero, and I applaud that decision. I also love the plot twist that made Forsyth the main character, not Kintyre.
One thing that surprised me is that Kintyre and Bevel got pulled to the Overrealm and that they stayed, leaving Hain and Wyndam behind. Honestly, I finished the book a week ago and I still don't really know how to feel about that. It's not a bad thing, but I am also not thrilled. Mostly, I'm upset that they didn't get a proper goodbye. Maybe I should write fanfiction about this.
And yeah, those were my main thoughts. As always, I loved the meta and I loved Pip calling out sexism and racism. I loved the fact that Alis and Forsyth are learning Chinese.
It is just a really great conclusion to a great series and I will miss these characters.
(And again, I am sorry for that pun.)
It is the third and last installment of the Accidental Turn series, because as Pip says: "Fantasy books are often trilogies". In contrary to the first two parts, I didn't get the third part for free but a) I happily paid for it and b) you're still getting an honest review.
It took a while for me to start this book. Despite checking J.M Frey's newsletter, I completely missed the release of this book (how???) and when I bought it, my eReader died and it took me months to get a new one, since I tried saving my old one. It was worth the wait, since the series ended on a high note.
The Silenced Tale takes place around a year after The Forgotten Tale (I think?) and it alternates between two POVS: Elgar's and Forsyth's. While writing this sentence, I came to the realisation that I've been mispronouncing Forsyth's name for a year.
The story fully takes place in the so-called Overrealm, aka our world. I was a bit disappointed that we weree not going to get some Hain, but alas. Strange things are happening in the Overrealm to both Elgar and Pip. Elgar is having a crazy stalker that even kills his cat Linux and tries to kill his assistent Juan. Pip's nightmares increase and she gets weird episodic attacks. Turns out that the Viceroy has made his way to the Overrealm and he wants to kill Elgar and use Pip.
Forsyth, or Syth (wasn't it Seth?), only has his computer programme Finnar and his returning magic.
Whereas the book wasn't perfect, I only have some highlights to give in this review.
First, PIP'S FEMINISM. If you've read my reviews for the other two books, you sense a pattern: I love Pip's feminism, but I find it very exclusive. In this book, she actually gets called out for it! It started with Forsyth thoughs. He thinks his wife's need to not be feminine can be seen as degrading to the ones who do want that. I fucking yelled, but I thought: "man, if only someone would tell her that to her face", and it happened. Abni, a new character, flat out tells Pip that her feminism is exclusive and not only that, but Pip realises what she's done wrong and apologizes. That's character development.
Second, new characters like Juan and Abni were added to the story and it was great. Of course, there were multiple new characters, but these two played a big role.
Third, Elgar.... he's something. He genuinely tries to be better and become less sexist/racist/homophobic/yikes. He slips up and I am happy to see that the other characters do not tolerate it in any way, while also still giving him room to grow as a person. His reasoning behind his book series felt... eye opening. Now you understand what kind of awful pathetic person he was. Now you can see him grow. Well, up until his death.
Fourth, the actual ending. PLOT TWIST. J.M. Frey did a wonderful job with Abni, who turns out to be a radicalised fan and who eventually kills Elgar (holy shit!). Just like Pip, you liked her. Damn, I loved her even. And as Forsyth points out, the violence is the bad part. Everyone can have different thoughts, but when they become extreme, it's not okay. It's not bad that Pip liked Abni and agreed with her. It would've been bad if Pip would agree to killing people.
I mean, as Forsyth says, the difference lie in the actions that people do. When this racist dude told Pip that she would look "anime" after buying those weird material arts props, I had a moment of "yeah kill him Pip", but Pip never would and it's nothing more than a matter of speech. Abni, on the other hand, went fucking crazy.
The whole ending was just wonderful with the Viceroy and the fans battling. I can't believe that it resulted in 57 deaths, including Elgar's. It was nerve wrecking and I couldn't put the book down. It was also a bit too gore-y for me, but I'll manage. In the end, Pip was the big hero, and I applaud that decision. I also love the plot twist that made Forsyth the main character, not Kintyre.
One thing that surprised me is that Kintyre and Bevel got pulled to the Overrealm and that they stayed, leaving Hain and Wyndam behind. Honestly, I finished the book a week ago and I still don't really know how to feel about that. It's not a bad thing, but I am also not thrilled. Mostly, I'm upset that they didn't get a proper goodbye. Maybe I should write fanfiction about this.
And yeah, those were my main thoughts. As always, I loved the meta and I loved Pip calling out sexism and racism. I loved the fact that Alis and Forsyth are learning Chinese.
It is just a really great conclusion to a great series and I will miss these characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2018
The Accidental Turn series is one of my top 10 favorite series. I have loved every single book (and short story) that was in the series. I was very much looking forward to The Silenced Tale. I am happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed by this book at all. The Silenced Tale was everything that I expected and then some. The Silenced Tale weaves a magical tale that will not let you go.
The plot of The Silenced Tale was great. It is split between Forsyth, Pip, and Alis in Victoria, British Columbia and Eglar in Seattle, Washington. , Elgar has noticed that there are odd things happening. Like the eyes of his favorite waitress changing color. But when he is attacked, he realizes that there is something very sinister out to get him. Forsyth, Pip, and Alis have settled into their lives in Victoria. But things are far from normal. Something is happening to Pip and it is not good. She cannot sleep without having nightmares. When Elgar calls Forsyth to tell him what is happening to him, Forsyth seems to think that they are related. And that they are tied to Pip, Alis, and Forsyth’s escape from Hain. Everything is revealed at a comic con where Elgar is a guest speaker. Who is the man in black? Why has he singled out Elgar, Pip, Forsyth, and Alis? What does he want?
Elgar became a little more likable in The Silenced Tale. He made an effort to stay in Forsyth, Pip, and Alis’s lives. He was trying to forge a relationship with them. But it was hard after the events of The Forgotten Tale. But, like I said, he was trying. I did feel kind of bad for him about that. He screwed up big time and he was trying to make it right. Which kind of made me feel bad considering how the book ended.
Forsyth shone in this book. While Elgar was dealing with his stalker, Forsyth was trying to figure out who it was while dealing with Pip’s sudden health issues. Plus he was taking care of a toddler. Not easy. Forsyth and Pip decided that they should be with Elgar, regardless of how they felt about him. Forsyth tried to unravel who Elgar’s stalker was before the accident. It was after that he decided that he need to be with him. I loved seeing Forsyth’s growth in this series. It was amazing!!
I was not surprised at who the villain was. I thought the author did a great job of keeping his identity a secret. Well somewhat of a secret. Pip’s vines glowing were a huge tip-off for me about who the villain was. It was creepy at how he went about trying to destroy Elgar. I was glad to see him get what he needed at the end of the book.
The end of the book blew my mind. I can’t get into anything without giving away the ending. But I will say this: Pip owned it. Did she ever!! Also, there was a huge surprise that I was not expecting. But going with what happened previously in the book, I should have seen it coming. I thought the epilogue was very sad. But it wrapped everything up perfectly.
I would give The Silenced Talk an Older Teen rating. While there is no sex, there is language and violence. I would not let anyone younger than 16 read this book. There are also trigger warnings. There are stalking and talk of domestic abuse.
This is a book that I would gladly reread. I would also recommend it to family and friends.
Pros of The Silenced Tale:
A) Insight into Elgar’s past and what makes him tick
B) Pip and Forsyth’s relationship
C) Alis
Cons of The Silenced Tale:
A) Pip’s illness and what/who it was related too
B) Lack of Bevel and Kintyre
C) The TV show based on the books. I wasn’t a fan of that storyline.
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
The plot of The Silenced Tale was great. It is split between Forsyth, Pip, and Alis in Victoria, British Columbia and Eglar in Seattle, Washington. , Elgar has noticed that there are odd things happening. Like the eyes of his favorite waitress changing color. But when he is attacked, he realizes that there is something very sinister out to get him. Forsyth, Pip, and Alis have settled into their lives in Victoria. But things are far from normal. Something is happening to Pip and it is not good. She cannot sleep without having nightmares. When Elgar calls Forsyth to tell him what is happening to him, Forsyth seems to think that they are related. And that they are tied to Pip, Alis, and Forsyth’s escape from Hain. Everything is revealed at a comic con where Elgar is a guest speaker. Who is the man in black? Why has he singled out Elgar, Pip, Forsyth, and Alis? What does he want?
Elgar became a little more likable in The Silenced Tale. He made an effort to stay in Forsyth, Pip, and Alis’s lives. He was trying to forge a relationship with them. But it was hard after the events of The Forgotten Tale. But, like I said, he was trying. I did feel kind of bad for him about that. He screwed up big time and he was trying to make it right. Which kind of made me feel bad considering how the book ended.
Forsyth shone in this book. While Elgar was dealing with his stalker, Forsyth was trying to figure out who it was while dealing with Pip’s sudden health issues. Plus he was taking care of a toddler. Not easy. Forsyth and Pip decided that they should be with Elgar, regardless of how they felt about him. Forsyth tried to unravel who Elgar’s stalker was before the accident. It was after that he decided that he need to be with him. I loved seeing Forsyth’s growth in this series. It was amazing!!
I was not surprised at who the villain was. I thought the author did a great job of keeping his identity a secret. Well somewhat of a secret. Pip’s vines glowing were a huge tip-off for me about who the villain was. It was creepy at how he went about trying to destroy Elgar. I was glad to see him get what he needed at the end of the book.
The end of the book blew my mind. I can’t get into anything without giving away the ending. But I will say this: Pip owned it. Did she ever!! Also, there was a huge surprise that I was not expecting. But going with what happened previously in the book, I should have seen it coming. I thought the epilogue was very sad. But it wrapped everything up perfectly.
I would give The Silenced Talk an Older Teen rating. While there is no sex, there is language and violence. I would not let anyone younger than 16 read this book. There are also trigger warnings. There are stalking and talk of domestic abuse.
This is a book that I would gladly reread. I would also recommend it to family and friends.
Pros of The Silenced Tale:
A) Insight into Elgar’s past and what makes him tick
B) Pip and Forsyth’s relationship
C) Alis
Cons of The Silenced Tale:
A) Pip’s illness and what/who it was related too
B) Lack of Bevel and Kintyre
C) The TV show based on the books. I wasn’t a fan of that storyline.
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
December 17, 2017
Absolute WOW. I have basically read this entire trilogy in the span of one week, and now that I've finished the final book, I want nothing so much as to pick up the first one and start it all over again. This ending to the trilogy has captured me so completely and wrung out my heart, and it is because this superbly written story stands on the shoulders of two amazing books that came first. The Untold Tale and The Forgotten Tale set the stage that allows this finale piece, The Silenced Tale, to be so extraordinarily powerful.
For me, some of the draw of fantasy novels is that they take you out of the modern world and let you go exploring in a land that is so different. The magic lays, in part, in those heroes that roam the land doing good and saving people. All of my favorite fantasy novels are set in the same kind of time period - a time of horses and carriages, beautiful gowns, dragons, and swords. I adore this setting. But it occurs to me, as I devour book after book after book that no matter the time, setting, or cast, villains often do the same things. The heroes must respond in accordance with societal expectations, are limited by the limit of technological developments, and must always, always be thinking one step ahead of the bad guys to try and limit the damage done to ancillary figures.
Villains, on the other hand, are terrifying in their lack of originality. No matter where or when or who, the tools of kidnap, torture, threat, stalking, maiming, killing are always favored. Because they always work to inspire fear in others. That knowledge was really driven home for me when Viceroy stepped from the pages of Hain and right into our modern world - and kept doing all the same things. That Forsyth struggled so hard for so long - and continues to struggle - to fit into the modern world, yet Viceroy was able to proceed with business as usual with just a few minor adjustments was a terrifying revelation.
In the modern world, readers of The Accidental Turn series logically turn to Pip to be the brains of the operation - no slight intended to the Shadow Hand. In this Tale, however, Pip is very nearly laid low by the run-off of the Viceroy's activities. Here we see so clearly that Pip, while immensely strong and capable, is also human and fallible and vulnerable at times. She cannot face everything entirely on her own...and she doesn't have to. Over the series, Pip and Forsyth have become as dynamic and formidable a team as Kintyre and Bevel Dom. It was wonderful to read the depth of Pip and Forsyth's relationship.
When the climax of the story came and the final show-down began, I was completely consumed by it. I laughed out loud, I cried, I shook with anger. That is the mark of a truly excellent tale, in my opinion. When you are drawn in so utterly that you feel the characters' emotions and respond with them, the story has come alive off of the pages. That is what The Silenced Tale was for me.
I absolutely loved this series. I refuse to write any spoilers, because you, quite frankly, just need to read it. Go read it! Start with The Untold Tale, of course. For my part, I will begin again and live the journey again.
For me, some of the draw of fantasy novels is that they take you out of the modern world and let you go exploring in a land that is so different. The magic lays, in part, in those heroes that roam the land doing good and saving people. All of my favorite fantasy novels are set in the same kind of time period - a time of horses and carriages, beautiful gowns, dragons, and swords. I adore this setting. But it occurs to me, as I devour book after book after book that no matter the time, setting, or cast, villains often do the same things. The heroes must respond in accordance with societal expectations, are limited by the limit of technological developments, and must always, always be thinking one step ahead of the bad guys to try and limit the damage done to ancillary figures.
Villains, on the other hand, are terrifying in their lack of originality. No matter where or when or who, the tools of kidnap, torture, threat, stalking, maiming, killing are always favored. Because they always work to inspire fear in others. That knowledge was really driven home for me when Viceroy stepped from the pages of Hain and right into our modern world - and kept doing all the same things. That Forsyth struggled so hard for so long - and continues to struggle - to fit into the modern world, yet Viceroy was able to proceed with business as usual with just a few minor adjustments was a terrifying revelation.
In the modern world, readers of The Accidental Turn series logically turn to Pip to be the brains of the operation - no slight intended to the Shadow Hand. In this Tale, however, Pip is very nearly laid low by the run-off of the Viceroy's activities. Here we see so clearly that Pip, while immensely strong and capable, is also human and fallible and vulnerable at times. She cannot face everything entirely on her own...and she doesn't have to. Over the series, Pip and Forsyth have become as dynamic and formidable a team as Kintyre and Bevel Dom. It was wonderful to read the depth of Pip and Forsyth's relationship.
When the climax of the story came and the final show-down began, I was completely consumed by it. I laughed out loud, I cried, I shook with anger. That is the mark of a truly excellent tale, in my opinion. When you are drawn in so utterly that you feel the characters' emotions and respond with them, the story has come alive off of the pages. That is what The Silenced Tale was for me.
I absolutely loved this series. I refuse to write any spoilers, because you, quite frankly, just need to read it. Go read it! Start with The Untold Tale, of course. For my part, I will begin again and live the journey again.
December 24, 2017
Writers of fiction provide Readers with places of escape from a mundane world of ordinary happiness and sadness, human hurting human, by providing them with worlds of excruciating goodness and evil in which to revel. Writers can inflict whatever degradation and horror imaginable upon their characters without fear of reprisal. When you think of it that way, Writer as God and Reader as Accolyte, the world of books and stories becomes a vile and evil place where the worst can happen without consequence. Religion ruins everything.
Are our lives preordained, written in a book bound and unchangeable? Writer as God? Or, do we wallow in self-determination? So many questions in need of answers that seem only answerable after a lifetime of contemplation. Then, there is the Book, the one that brings it all into clearly muddy view. I am struggling not to do a single spoiler, and I feel that anything too specific will spoil things. What I will say is that there is not enough praise I can heap upon THE SILENCED TALE. My usual go to for a book like this is to say that I wish I could give it six out of five stars. That's not good enough here. This book, this series, is a perfect ten no matter how I determine the score.
For me, it is important to come away from reading with new understanding of things like the human condition, the state of the world, and current events. J. M. Frey manages to incorporate ideas such of these into her fiction. I don't read a book or story BECAUSE a book or series has a strong female lead, but I do appreciate when it does. The books in The Accidental Turn series revolve around a brash, smart woman who also relishes being a woman. I can't say more.
There are currently three novels and two novellas set in two worlds united and separated by magic. I would recommend that they be read in the following order:
Book 1 - THE UNTOLD TALE
Novella - Arrivals
Book 2 - THE FORGOTTEN TALE
Book 3 - THE SILENCED TALE
Novella - Ghosts
The first book can well be read as a standalone; however, to stop there would be to deny yourself the pleasure of reading the entire saga.
When all is said and done, the one thing in all this that I would like to read is Pip's PhD thesis. Oh yes, and the best adventures from the Scrolls of Bevel Dom.
Are our lives preordained, written in a book bound and unchangeable? Writer as God? Or, do we wallow in self-determination? So many questions in need of answers that seem only answerable after a lifetime of contemplation. Then, there is the Book, the one that brings it all into clearly muddy view. I am struggling not to do a single spoiler, and I feel that anything too specific will spoil things. What I will say is that there is not enough praise I can heap upon THE SILENCED TALE. My usual go to for a book like this is to say that I wish I could give it six out of five stars. That's not good enough here. This book, this series, is a perfect ten no matter how I determine the score.
For me, it is important to come away from reading with new understanding of things like the human condition, the state of the world, and current events. J. M. Frey manages to incorporate ideas such of these into her fiction. I don't read a book or story BECAUSE a book or series has a strong female lead, but I do appreciate when it does. The books in The Accidental Turn series revolve around a brash, smart woman who also relishes being a woman. I can't say more.
There are currently three novels and two novellas set in two worlds united and separated by magic. I would recommend that they be read in the following order:
Book 1 - THE UNTOLD TALE
Novella - Arrivals
Book 2 - THE FORGOTTEN TALE
Book 3 - THE SILENCED TALE
Novella - Ghosts
The first book can well be read as a standalone; however, to stop there would be to deny yourself the pleasure of reading the entire saga.
When all is said and done, the one thing in all this that I would like to read is Pip's PhD thesis. Oh yes, and the best adventures from the Scrolls of Bevel Dom.
January 3, 2018
Where to start with this? Or should I say end, considering this was the last in the main trilogy :(
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I LOVE this feminist fantasy so much and the third novel continued it’s excellent meta analysis of fantasy storytelling in the unique way I’ve loved across all three books.
The Silenced Tale is set solely in our world, so even though I wanted to see all the characters from Hain, this kept the story fresh by not having a third fantasy quest. It also alternated between Forsyth’s and Elgar’s POVs, and I enjoyed getting to see Elgar in a way that humanised him more outside of Forsyth’s initial dislike of him in the previous books.
Despite their being less Hain characters, the favourites were back and it was like seeing old friends again when they returned. I wish Bev and Kin were in it from the beginning, but that’s just because I love them, and it did made sense for them not to be. It made their return that much better.
The callouts were also back, especially with Pip calling out Elgar for his sexist and homophobic comments. I love when J.M. Frey does this as she’s saying what we’d all like to say to people like this if we had the chance.There’s also a great interaction between Pip and Elgar about fan fiction that’s really interesting to see from both the author and the fan fiction writer/reader side.
Without giving too much away, a large chunk of the book was set at a convention and it was so interesting to see Elgar’s fantasy world spill into it and how that affected our world. Basically, it was the best and coolest place to have magic happen!
I loved the ending and definitely need a spin off featuring the next generation of characters - I won’t give away who they are! The ending was also sad for some characters and can imagine book stories set either here or in Hain…just saying
This trilogy really is amazing - if you’re looking for a spin on the traditional fantasy that will make you look at storytelling in a new way, with characters you won’t be able to not fall in love with, pick up The Accidental Turn series.
Thank you again J.M. Frey for sending it to me early!!
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I LOVE this feminist fantasy so much and the third novel continued it’s excellent meta analysis of fantasy storytelling in the unique way I’ve loved across all three books.
The Silenced Tale is set solely in our world, so even though I wanted to see all the characters from Hain, this kept the story fresh by not having a third fantasy quest. It also alternated between Forsyth’s and Elgar’s POVs, and I enjoyed getting to see Elgar in a way that humanised him more outside of Forsyth’s initial dislike of him in the previous books.
Despite their being less Hain characters, the favourites were back and it was like seeing old friends again when they returned. I wish Bev and Kin were in it from the beginning, but that’s just because I love them, and it did made sense for them not to be. It made their return that much better.
The callouts were also back, especially with Pip calling out Elgar for his sexist and homophobic comments. I love when J.M. Frey does this as she’s saying what we’d all like to say to people like this if we had the chance.There’s also a great interaction between Pip and Elgar about fan fiction that’s really interesting to see from both the author and the fan fiction writer/reader side.
Without giving too much away, a large chunk of the book was set at a convention and it was so interesting to see Elgar’s fantasy world spill into it and how that affected our world. Basically, it was the best and coolest place to have magic happen!
I loved the ending and definitely need a spin off featuring the next generation of characters - I won’t give away who they are! The ending was also sad for some characters and can imagine book stories set either here or in Hain…just saying
This trilogy really is amazing - if you’re looking for a spin on the traditional fantasy that will make you look at storytelling in a new way, with characters you won’t be able to not fall in love with, pick up The Accidental Turn series.
Thank you again J.M. Frey for sending it to me early!!
February 24, 2021
Such a great series. It's really got it all. If you like fantasy, metafiction, and in general good fun books, you should read it.
July 26, 2018
The Silenced Tale was a good conclusion to the series. In this book they are not going back into the book world, since the villain has come with them into this world. In this book the Author has much more to say and since the villain is closely connected to him, we see him much more. But why, ou why, was it necessary to change the Author who at the beginning of the book is jolly old man, who is slightly overweight and slightly freighted of everything, into a drooling brute, who is after fan girls and is not at all politically correct, at the end? Why was necessary to change otherwise smart and witty protagonists into extremely close-minded and stupid? I got the feeling like there was two authors for this book, one who wrote the beginning and somebody else wrote the part on of the FantaCon, and they didn’t really care, if the parts were in sync or not.
It was not a bad story, it was a good ending to the series, just the end of the story did not really fit.
It was not a bad story, it was a good ending to the series, just the end of the story did not really fit.
May 11, 2022
This book focuses on Elgar Reed even more than The Forgotten Tale did. We spend a lot of time with him and his problems. He has always been a very specific type of person, and he’s very set in his ways. Frankly, he’s a sexist, selfish jerk, who has been coasting on writing a very popular fantasy series a long time ago. He is someone who is probably pretty familiar to anyone in fandom. Now we see his own problems, and how he is slowly starting to change thanks in large part to meeting Forsyth and having him bring Pip into Elgar’s life. They are family, which he hasn’t had for a very long time, if ever, and he does care about what they say. Even if he needs to be told a few times until he remembers. And occasionally needs Pip to verbally smack his nose with a rolled up newspaper about assuming women are there only to fetch him coffee and be groped. Though even Pip needs to work on her intersectional feminism, as we see in one particular scene.
The most important thing to remember is that this is, as Pip puts it, a “fucking trilogy,” and things must always come in threes. Three trips between Hain and the Overrealm. Three attempts to defeat the villain. Three deaths…
I’ve read an early draft at the start of this year that J.M. sent me, and recently a more finalized draft that I received from her last month. What I take away the most from the end of this book, is my dissatisfaction. I want more! I think the main story is done, but there is so much more to be discovered about this world, about both Hain and the Overrealm. I want to see what happens with the Tales of Kintyre Turn TV show. I want more information about what has been happening in Hain, and what will happen now that Elgar has stopped writing, and how will the characters’ lives develop even more away from what he had planned. I want to know about Kintyre and Forsyth’s early life together as brothers. It’s getting my fanfic instincts going, and I just don’t have the time to write all of the stories I want. And I know that while J.M. does have one more novella planned, she has other projects in the pipeline that I won’t spoil here. So if anyone finds any fanfic, let me know? There is one particular scene in The Silenced Tale when Forsyth is telling Elgar stories about growing up with Kintyre, and I really want those stories…
The most important thing to remember is that this is, as Pip puts it, a “fucking trilogy,” and things must always come in threes. Three trips between Hain and the Overrealm. Three attempts to defeat the villain. Three deaths…
I’ve read an early draft at the start of this year that J.M. sent me, and recently a more finalized draft that I received from her last month. What I take away the most from the end of this book, is my dissatisfaction. I want more! I think the main story is done, but there is so much more to be discovered about this world, about both Hain and the Overrealm. I want to see what happens with the Tales of Kintyre Turn TV show. I want more information about what has been happening in Hain, and what will happen now that Elgar has stopped writing, and how will the characters’ lives develop even more away from what he had planned. I want to know about Kintyre and Forsyth’s early life together as brothers. It’s getting my fanfic instincts going, and I just don’t have the time to write all of the stories I want. And I know that while J.M. does have one more novella planned, she has other projects in the pipeline that I won’t spoil here. So if anyone finds any fanfic, let me know? There is one particular scene in The Silenced Tale when Forsyth is telling Elgar stories about growing up with Kintyre, and I really want those stories…
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews