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SERRAted Edge #9
Silence
New York Times
best-selling author. Entry nine in Mercedes Lackey's celebrated SERRAted Edge urban-fantasy series!
Teenager Staci's father has just remarried, and now she finds herself being shunted aside by her new stepmother. Shunted all the way to the run-down and dying Maine town of Silence, in fact, and the custody of her alcoholic mother. It gets worse. Silence seems to be stuck in the proverbial stone age. There's no cell phone service except at the very top of a bluff outside of town, no internet except dial-up, and not one familiar franchise or business.
Staci's mom seems to have gotten even worse since the last time Staci lived with her. The only bright spots in the whole place are a friendly waitress at the diner, and a bookstore where she meets a gaggle of geeks and gamers. But all is not as it seems in Silence.
There are strange things moving beneath the shabby surface, terrible plots in play, and deadly players in the game, and Staci is about to find herself caught up in the middle of it all.
Teenager Staci's father has just remarried, and now she finds herself being shunted aside by her new stepmother. Shunted all the way to the run-down and dying Maine town of Silence, in fact, and the custody of her alcoholic mother. It gets worse. Silence seems to be stuck in the proverbial stone age. There's no cell phone service except at the very top of a bluff outside of town, no internet except dial-up, and not one familiar franchise or business.
Staci's mom seems to have gotten even worse since the last time Staci lived with her. The only bright spots in the whole place are a friendly waitress at the diner, and a bookstore where she meets a gaggle of geeks and gamers. But all is not as it seems in Silence.
There are strange things moving beneath the shabby surface, terrible plots in play, and deadly players in the game, and Staci is about to find herself caught up in the middle of it all.
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First published April 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
August 4, 2016
When I saw this book available at NetGalley, I ran to request it. Long ago, I loved this series, and have fond memories of it. I had no idea she had a new book out in that world and was shocked to discover that I had missed several books in the middle of the series over the years. That wasn't a problem as the book easily stood alone; there were hints at events in earlier books but you could jump in with this one. I wouldn't recommend it though. Maybe my expectations were too high since I had such fond memories of those first books in the series but this was a let down. In fact, several times I came close to not finishing but just saying the heck with it. :(
This was a bleak book; bleak story, bleak setting, bleak events. The earlier books I had read weren't happy happy joy joy but they had hope and there was light and humor. This, this was like being in a long dark tunnel with no good way to turn. Again, it may have been my expectations. Someone without my expectations might enjoy it more.
The concept of magically cutting off the town of Silence so it was technologically cut off was interesting; Lackey's typical harsh and dysfunctional family life was at the forefront once again; our elven hero was actually a jackass and that was a shock for me. The attitude toward elves in this book was dark, distrustful, and even hateful. It surprised me and I didn't like it. Most of the twists I saw coming. All around, this book just didn't work for me.
This was a bleak book; bleak story, bleak setting, bleak events. The earlier books I had read weren't happy happy joy joy but they had hope and there was light and humor. This, this was like being in a long dark tunnel with no good way to turn. Again, it may have been my expectations. Someone without my expectations might enjoy it more.
The concept of magically cutting off the town of Silence so it was technologically cut off was interesting; Lackey's typical harsh and dysfunctional family life was at the forefront once again; our elven hero was actually a jackass and that was a shock for me. The attitude toward elves in this book was dark, distrustful, and even hateful. It surprised me and I didn't like it. Most of the twists I saw coming. All around, this book just didn't work for me.
February 10, 2020
I just did a reread of this before going on to the new sequel, Breaking Silence. Good thing I did, as I'd forgotten much of it. Here's my original review:
The elves are back! It's so good to have, at long last, a new SERRAted Edge fantasy! It's a fast-paced, action-filled tale with interesting and likable (except for the Unseleighe elves and a few others) characters. I loved the elvensteed/motorcycle, Metalhead, who winds up playing a crucial role in the story. It works as a stand-alone, but the earlier books in this fun series shouldn't be missed!
The elves are back! It's so good to have, at long last, a new SERRAted Edge fantasy! It's a fast-paced, action-filled tale with interesting and likable (except for the Unseleighe elves and a few others) characters. I loved the elvensteed/motorcycle, Metalhead, who winds up playing a crucial role in the story. It works as a stand-alone, but the earlier books in this fun series shouldn't be missed!
August 1, 2016
My mom gave me the first SERRAted Edge novel when I was a teenager. I loved it and all the books in the series after. They connected well with my teenage self, but rereading them as an adult, they still hold up as well written stories with characters a reader easily connects with and cares about.
This book...is not that. It's a poorly rehashed version of Twilight. Yes, there's an attempt to counter some of Twilight's more damaging themes, but regardless, it basically follows Twilight, right down to the setting and lead character's back story. Missing is Mercedes Lackey's ease with dialogue, compelling back stories and complex characters and all that is left is a whining, self-indulgent, petulant "heroine" and about a billion references to clothes and shopping and hot boys, as if that's all that teenage girls respond to in a lead female character.
I don't know what happened with this book, but Misty totally lost the plot.
This book...is not that. It's a poorly rehashed version of Twilight. Yes, there's an attempt to counter some of Twilight's more damaging themes, but regardless, it basically follows Twilight, right down to the setting and lead character's back story. Missing is Mercedes Lackey's ease with dialogue, compelling back stories and complex characters and all that is left is a whining, self-indulgent, petulant "heroine" and about a billion references to clothes and shopping and hot boys, as if that's all that teenage girls respond to in a lead female character.
I don't know what happened with this book, but Misty totally lost the plot.
April 25, 2016
This book won't win many prizes for original setting -- it's yet another teenage girl with absentee parent issues who moves to a small town and attracts the attention of a rich and mysterious fellow student. (The tone is a bit erratic; at parts it's self-aware and mocks Twilight-like narrative, and at others it just toes the line). The main character, Staci, is effectively abandoned by her parents: the father manipulated by the fairy-tale like manipulative stepmother, the mother a hard-drinking waitress who's rarely home physically and never present mentally. It reminded me a Lackey's earlier work The Lark and the Wren but dialed up to 11. The ending is a little shaggy dog, as it is clearly based on a well-worn RPG story floating about the Internet,
If you don't take it seriously, and nod through the very well-worn genre set pieces as they're ticked off, it's breezy YA --the one standout to me is the town in its depression felt real (surprisingly, more real than the generic gaming bookstore or diner where much of the exposition is set). I expect it would play better with actual young adults, though.
If you don't take it seriously, and nod through the very well-worn genre set pieces as they're ticked off, it's breezy YA --the one standout to me is the town in its depression felt real (surprisingly, more real than the generic gaming bookstore or diner where much of the exposition is set). I expect it would play better with actual young adults, though.
June 23, 2016
I'm really glad I checked this out from the library instead of buying it. This book reads nothing like the other Serrated Edge series. It feels like a ploy to prey on fans like me who miss this series. I'm disappointed in this book.
July 12, 2019
I really enjoyed this book😊. The ending isn't the usual Disney happily ever after type of ending. But if you enjoyed Frozen and weren't put out by the fate Elsa was given, then you won't be upset with this one either.
I've never read any of Mercedes Lackey 's Serrated series before. After I read some of the reviews of her series I decided to start with this book first as it had the most conflicting reports about it. After all, if ya start with the lowest level first, all ya can do is go up😉. I figured that this would be an ok book, and then I'd read the rest of the series in order.
But the book was actually really good and I wasn't expecting the ending that came. Lol☺ I'd thought it would be yet another Disney ending. I was delightfully surprised when I learned I was wrong.
A word of warning, if you Are looking forward to a romantic Disney happily ever type ending - you will NOT like the ending. But, if you enjoy a surprise twist to an action/adventure fantasy story set in modern times - then you will enjoy this book 😊.
The characterization was fun and the author kept the plot moving at a fast clip. A pleasant way to pass the time after you've turned your brain to mush reading nonfiction but are still too wired to get to sleep just yet.
I'm glad I bought the book😉I'll be rereading it in my future☺.
I've never read any of Mercedes Lackey 's Serrated series before. After I read some of the reviews of her series I decided to start with this book first as it had the most conflicting reports about it. After all, if ya start with the lowest level first, all ya can do is go up😉. I figured that this would be an ok book, and then I'd read the rest of the series in order.
But the book was actually really good and I wasn't expecting the ending that came. Lol☺ I'd thought it would be yet another Disney ending. I was delightfully surprised when I learned I was wrong.
A word of warning, if you Are looking forward to a romantic Disney happily ever type ending - you will NOT like the ending. But, if you enjoy a surprise twist to an action/adventure fantasy story set in modern times - then you will enjoy this book 😊.
The characterization was fun and the author kept the plot moving at a fast clip. A pleasant way to pass the time after you've turned your brain to mush reading nonfiction but are still too wired to get to sleep just yet.
I'm glad I bought the book😉I'll be rereading it in my future☺.
May 17, 2016
Mercedes Lackey's collaborations are hit-and-miss. This one is more miss than hit, though the ones with Rosemary Edgehill are worse, so by comparison this isn't so bad. But still it's a disappointment, after the first two books of the series in collaboration with her husband, which were very good. Subsequent books in the series were less so, and this follows along that line.
This particular book seems more geared to the YA set. Plot is simplistic, lots of cliches, dialogue and resolution leave much to be desired. When her father marries again, 16-year-old Staci is shuttled off to live with her alcoholic mother in the small dying town of Silence, Maine. She catches the eye of the rich Sean Blackthorne, whose family just about owns everything in town. But something is not quite right with the preternaturally beautiful Blackthornes and the handsome biker rogue Dylan, and when Staci discovers they are elves, she finds out her troubles are just beginning.
I thought the book had potential, but the pacing was too slow, and then the resolution seemed simplistic and rushed. For a younger audience these flaws are easily overlooked, and the story is decent enough, but there is much better fare out there.
This particular book seems more geared to the YA set. Plot is simplistic, lots of cliches, dialogue and resolution leave much to be desired. When her father marries again, 16-year-old Staci is shuttled off to live with her alcoholic mother in the small dying town of Silence, Maine. She catches the eye of the rich Sean Blackthorne, whose family just about owns everything in town. But something is not quite right with the preternaturally beautiful Blackthornes and the handsome biker rogue Dylan, and when Staci discovers they are elves, she finds out her troubles are just beginning.
I thought the book had potential, but the pacing was too slow, and then the resolution seemed simplistic and rushed. For a younger audience these flaws are easily overlooked, and the story is decent enough, but there is much better fare out there.
April 26, 2017
Only relationship to the Serrated Edge novels is a couple of mentions of Fairgrove Industries. Otherwise, this is a YA romance with, at most, 10% supernatural.
I love Mercedes Lackey, and assume she lent her name but really had little else to do with this novel.
The others in this series include teens and young adults as major characters, but none could be considered romances. And the hero bounces from one to another to another (not a good role model for a modern feminine character).
I love Mercedes Lackey, and assume she lent her name but really had little else to do with this novel.
The others in this series include teens and young adults as major characters, but none could be considered romances. And the hero bounces from one to another to another (not a good role model for a modern feminine character).
August 5, 2016
Until the final chapter, I was going to give this a fourth star. Both as an addition to the Serrated Edge series and as a fantasy novel readable by both adults and teens, this seemed like one that I could recommend.
Then, the final chapter had a clunker that was so bad that it ruined the ending for me.
You know how it is, when a big battle is over in a story and one of the characters just has to make a closing speech? Well, in this book that happens BEFORE THE BATTLE IS OVER, and in a way that was so forced and unbelievable that it was appalling. It completely took me out of the story, and felt jarringly out of character, because it reinforced everything bad that one of the characters had been saying, something that up until that point had been wrong. Worse, because the battle was not resolved, it made the character look like a complete idiot, something that he was not, up to that point.
For the most part, this is a rural version of an urban fantasy, because it takes place in a very small town in New England. The main character, Staci, has found herself in a Wicked Stepmother story, as her father has remarried. He exiles his daughter to live with her alcoholic mother. While we eventually learn some of the reasons for her alcoholism, she's still a really horrible and unfit mother, so both of her parents come across as really awful. The dad at least feels guilty enough to provide Staciwith spending money.
The small town is basically owned by a rich family that lives nearby, and Staci slowly encounters the local characters, including a mysterious biker, a bookstore owner, and a few teens her own age. Then Sean, the teenaged boy of the super-rich family, takes an interest in her in a way that clearly seems odd, and the story takes off. Much of the story migrates to the home of the super-rich family, and the plot slowly unfolds.
One of the things I really enjoyed was how real the "regular" teen characters were, the ones that Staci spends time hanging around with. The other teens in the town are never anything more than window-dressing, and they never matter except when they're getting drunk or being endangered. So, there's kind of a weird dichotomy between the realistic characters and the cardboard ones.
There's a slight fantasy-romance aspect to the story, too, as Staci finds herself attracted to two of the male characters over the course of the story, but in one case it's part of the plot.
Then, the final chapter had a clunker that was so bad that it ruined the ending for me.
You know how it is, when a big battle is over in a story and one of the characters just has to make a closing speech? Well, in this book that happens BEFORE THE BATTLE IS OVER, and in a way that was so forced and unbelievable that it was appalling. It completely took me out of the story, and felt jarringly out of character, because it reinforced everything bad that one of the characters had been saying, something that up until that point had been wrong. Worse, because the battle was not resolved, it made the character look like a complete idiot, something that he was not, up to that point.
For the most part, this is a rural version of an urban fantasy, because it takes place in a very small town in New England. The main character, Staci, has found herself in a Wicked Stepmother story, as her father has remarried. He exiles his daughter to live with her alcoholic mother. While we eventually learn some of the reasons for her alcoholism, she's still a really horrible and unfit mother, so both of her parents come across as really awful. The dad at least feels guilty enough to provide Staciwith spending money.
The small town is basically owned by a rich family that lives nearby, and Staci slowly encounters the local characters, including a mysterious biker, a bookstore owner, and a few teens her own age. Then Sean, the teenaged boy of the super-rich family, takes an interest in her in a way that clearly seems odd, and the story takes off. Much of the story migrates to the home of the super-rich family, and the plot slowly unfolds.
One of the things I really enjoyed was how real the "regular" teen characters were, the ones that Staci spends time hanging around with. The other teens in the town are never anything more than window-dressing, and they never matter except when they're getting drunk or being endangered. So, there's kind of a weird dichotomy between the realistic characters and the cardboard ones.
There's a slight fantasy-romance aspect to the story, too, as Staci finds herself attracted to two of the male characters over the course of the story, but in one case it's part of the plot.
June 19, 2017
I went on a 90s (and earlier) fantasy nostalgia binge recently, which led to me re-reading lots of Mercedes Lackey. I was mildly surprised to see that she'd co-written a new SERRAted Edge book recently, so I grabbed it from the library.
This isn't much like the earlier books in the series; it feels like an attempt to reboot by adapting to and riffing on current YA conventions. (I've heard that the earlier books were to some extent a response to the Borderland series, but don't have a citation for that, so take it for what it's worth.)
Unfortunately, I found myself generally uninterested in the main character. Instead, I was following along mainly to see if it would be revealed that there was something other than the surface motivations to the stepmother (didn't happen).
There's a character who switches sides, and if they showed up in a sequel, I'd read that to see what happened with them. There are also hints that the group of elves that we know from the previous novels in the series might make an appearance. If they did, again, I'd read the sequel for that. But I wouldn't read it for Staci, based on this book.
Staci isn't bad, as a person or as a character. She just didn't jump off the page at me, and her story didn't excite me. I should probably note that I've generally moved on from reading YA; I was heavily into it for a few years (despite having aged out of the category, strictly speaking), but I don't find as many exciting things there anymore. If this were the story of how Staci's mom got to be the way she is, and where she is, that might be exciting. But it would almost certainly not be YA.
This isn't much like the earlier books in the series; it feels like an attempt to reboot by adapting to and riffing on current YA conventions. (I've heard that the earlier books were to some extent a response to the Borderland series, but don't have a citation for that, so take it for what it's worth.)
Unfortunately, I found myself generally uninterested in the main character. Instead, I was following along mainly to see if it would be revealed that there was something other than the surface motivations to the stepmother (didn't happen).
There's a character who switches sides, and if they showed up in a sequel, I'd read that to see what happened with them. There are also hints that the group of elves that we know from the previous novels in the series might make an appearance. If they did, again, I'd read the sequel for that. But I wouldn't read it for Staci, based on this book.
Staci isn't bad, as a person or as a character. She just didn't jump off the page at me, and her story didn't excite me. I should probably note that I've generally moved on from reading YA; I was heavily into it for a few years (despite having aged out of the category, strictly speaking), but I don't find as many exciting things there anymore. If this were the story of how Staci's mom got to be the way she is, and where she is, that might be exciting. But it would almost certainly not be YA.
March 4, 2016
Sixteen-year-old Staci finds herself pushed aside when her father remarries. They send her to Silence, Maine, to live with her alcoholic mother. Silence is the town that time forgot. The weather is always gloomy; cell phones only get a bar or so when a person is at the top of Make-out Hill; the only internet is dial-up. It is quite a change for a girl who grew up in New York City.
She gradually meets some other kids and becomes part of the nerdy group that hangs out at the local bookstore playing role playing games. The store is run by a mysterious guy named Tim. She also makes the acquaintance of another mysterious guy named Dylan who rides a really cool motorcycle. Then she catches the attention of Sean Blackthorne who is the son of the richest family in town. He begins inviting her to hang out at his palatial escape where she meets his assorted cousins and his father.
She soon learns that Sean and his family are elves from the Unseleighe court who have evil plans for the people of Silence. Dylan has come to try to disrupt those plans but needs Staci's help because she has an in to the estate. He begins to teach her magic since she has some elven blood. She proves to be surprisingly adept and and independent thinker who can use the magic she knows in creative ways.
This story has adventure, danger, friendships, and even a hint of romance. Fans of the Serrated Edge series and other fans of urban fantasy will enjoy this entertaining story.
She gradually meets some other kids and becomes part of the nerdy group that hangs out at the local bookstore playing role playing games. The store is run by a mysterious guy named Tim. She also makes the acquaintance of another mysterious guy named Dylan who rides a really cool motorcycle. Then she catches the attention of Sean Blackthorne who is the son of the richest family in town. He begins inviting her to hang out at his palatial escape where she meets his assorted cousins and his father.
She soon learns that Sean and his family are elves from the Unseleighe court who have evil plans for the people of Silence. Dylan has come to try to disrupt those plans but needs Staci's help because she has an in to the estate. He begins to teach her magic since she has some elven blood. She proves to be surprisingly adept and and independent thinker who can use the magic she knows in creative ways.
This story has adventure, danger, friendships, and even a hint of romance. Fans of the Serrated Edge series and other fans of urban fantasy will enjoy this entertaining story.
May 28, 2016
It's lighter, shorter and not nearly as edgy as the classic Serrated Edge novels. It actually felt kind of like a Shadow Grail novel outline was filled in with elves instead of Arthrurian legends and told from the Townie perspective instead of the inhabitants of the rich and sheltered enclave. However, as a sort of reading snack that can be devoured quickly and digested easily before delving into longer and darker thrillers I hope to fill my summer with, it was the right book at the right time.
November 11, 2016
Silence needs to be quieter
I was so excited about this book but I had to force myself to finish it. Plot was poor, characters were weak, dialogue boring. Good guy rides off leaving the heroine alone without her boyfriend. Worst Mercedes Lackey book I ever read.
I was so excited about this book but I had to force myself to finish it. Plot was poor, characters were weak, dialogue boring. Good guy rides off leaving the heroine alone without her boyfriend. Worst Mercedes Lackey book I ever read.
June 28, 2018
3.5 stars
June 30, 2018
Meh anything I’ve got to say about this had already been written in other reviews. Just make sure you get it from the library and don’t waste your money
September 30, 2024
Ninth in the SERRAted Edge paranormal fantasy series — this story is very Young Adult, and part of the overall Elves on the Road urban fantasy series. The series began around a group of elves fascinated by race cars; Silence has a different focus. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the overall Elves on the Road books on my website.
My Take
I can not even begin to believe Staci's father. His ex has never been reliable or safe for Staci to be around, and he's packing her off??? He should be reported to Child Services! What a hen-pecked namby-pamby! How does he even make it as a lawyer?? I have to admit that Staci does play him well, as she should. The jerk. I don't think much of Staci's New York friends either.
Besides the lack of reception, Silence is the most depressing place. Everyone slumps about, mumbles that nothing can be done. The only real work is at the cannery.
Luckily, Staci picks up with the gamers — it's that need for Internet access, lol — and there's a definite curiosity from the kids about what the Blackthornes get up to. They'll never be invited, as they have "nothing to recommend" them, but they are fascinated and repelled by Staci getting an invitation.
There's a lack of effort put into Silence with the story rolling along without any great dips of emotion or tension, well, other than how nasty Brenda is and events with the Blackthornes, but even that takes such a long time to get somewhere. I guess what annoyed me the most is all those opportunities to pump up the drama that were smoothed right over. Staci definitely annoyed me with how much time Lackey/Martin spent telling us that she was worrying that Sean didn't like her. Oh, woe *eye roll*. It certainly wasn't helped by Dylan assuming that Staci would fall right into playing undercover agent (when Lackey and Martin could remember). Not even Tim's attitude is all that believable. If he truly felt as he says, why is he even in Silence?
Silence has a mild tension throughout with my main curiosity being why it's such a depressing place so far back in time technology-wise. I can't imagine having to live somewhere without Internet access!! As for the ending. What??? Huh??? Staci at least does learn the value of true friends and how to tell the difference.
The Story
Teenager Staci's father has just remarried, and now she finds herself being shunted aside by her new stepmother. Shunted all the way to the run-down and dying Maine town of Silence, in fact, and the custody of her alcoholic mother.
It gets worse. Silence seems to be stuck in the proverbial stone age. There's no cell phone service except at the very top of a bluff outside of town, no internet except dialup, and not one familiar franchise or business. Staci's mom seems to have gotten even worse since the last time Staci lived with her. The only bright spots in the whole place are a friendly waitress at the diner, and a bookstore where she meets a gaggle of geeks and gamers.
But all is not as it seems in Silence. There are strange things moving beneath the shabby surface, terrible plots in play, and deadly players in the game, and Staci is about to find herself caught up in the middle of it all.
The Characters
Anastasia "Staci" Kerry is a senior in high school who is suddenly forced to leave her home in New York City. Her drunk of a mother, Paula Kerry, is a waitress at the Rusty Bucket in Silence, Maine. The lecherous Pete (his name is actually Patrick) is Mom's current boyfrien'. Melinda is Mom's friend. Her father, is a lawyer who has recently remarried. Brenda is the false stepmother, all sweetness and nice until she's got that ring on her finger. Tommy is Brenda's precious son.
Dylan ap Gwynnerian ap Griffud is an elf of the Emerald Thorn clan who has broken with Fairgrove Industries and now works as a private investigator. Metalhead is his elvensteed who prefers to be a motorcycle.
Silence is…
…a town stuck in the 1950s with a curfew. There's only dial-up Internet with cellphone reception up on Makeout Hill.
Tim owns the bookstore where the gamer/geek nerds hang out: "Jedi" Seth has the ubergeek Force Knowledge to help Staci get set up. Wanda is Goth girl. Riley, the redhead, and Jake are a couple.
The skater kids include Ken and Stan Jennis, Larry Green, Jerry Krause, and Tom Pendergras. The science nerds are Mary Krause, Bill Schoeder, Bob Flint, Kyle Peterson, and Maureen Silk. The Goths include Sue "Valentina" Griffin, Eric "Vlad" White, Brittany "Bella" Hailey, Rob "Blade" Ketcham, and Kelsey "I'm-a-mega-bitch-and-play-with-dead-things-because-it's-creepy" Johnson.
The Blackthornes are the premier family in Silence and live out on Gray Oak Hill. The heir, Sean, is a senior at the local high school. More of the family includes Meaghan, Brigit, Patrick, Ian, Caelen, Finn (he is not a team player), Siobhan, Niamh, Morrigan is a cousin with an interest in Goth, Liam, Connor, Niall, and Aengus. Bradan is Sean's father. His particular cronies include Ryan Dubghail, Lynch Collins, Nolan Gearlait, and Stewart Casey. Padrick is the family chauffeur. Harris is a butler or footman. Hunter is muscle.
Ray owns and cooks for the Diner, the main place to eat in Silence. Beth Phillips is the easygoing waitress. Reverend Franklin and his wife, Eloise; Fred and Thelma Krause; and Joe and Evelyn White put on a once-a-month barbecue for teens at the First Methodist church.
Krupke is a cop who hired the young thugs.
Kenning is a type of magic which allows elves to duplicate anything they want.
The Cover and Title
The cover is almost pitch black with a flaming, wavering red, far in the background with more red outlining the letters in the gray metallic title and the series information and around the white letters of the authors' names, and reflecting off the back end of Dylan's motorcycle, which you can barely see in the bottom left where it's tucked under the black silhouette of a bare-branched tree. Dylan is leaning against his parked bike, mesmerized by the electrical pulses sparking from his gloved left hand.
The title is both the town and a metaphor for its citizens, for all are in Silence about progress and the missing.
My Take
I can not even begin to believe Staci's father. His ex has never been reliable or safe for Staci to be around, and he's packing her off??? He should be reported to Child Services! What a hen-pecked namby-pamby! How does he even make it as a lawyer?? I have to admit that Staci does play him well, as she should. The jerk. I don't think much of Staci's New York friends either.
Besides the lack of reception, Silence is the most depressing place. Everyone slumps about, mumbles that nothing can be done. The only real work is at the cannery.
Luckily, Staci picks up with the gamers — it's that need for Internet access, lol — and there's a definite curiosity from the kids about what the Blackthornes get up to. They'll never be invited, as they have "nothing to recommend" them, but they are fascinated and repelled by Staci getting an invitation.
There's a lack of effort put into Silence with the story rolling along without any great dips of emotion or tension, well, other than how nasty Brenda is and events with the Blackthornes, but even that takes such a long time to get somewhere. I guess what annoyed me the most is all those opportunities to pump up the drama that were smoothed right over. Staci definitely annoyed me with how much time Lackey/Martin spent telling us that she was worrying that Sean didn't like her. Oh, woe *eye roll*. It certainly wasn't helped by Dylan assuming that Staci would fall right into playing undercover agent (when Lackey and Martin could remember). Not even Tim's attitude is all that believable. If he truly felt as he says, why is he even in Silence?
Silence has a mild tension throughout with my main curiosity being why it's such a depressing place so far back in time technology-wise. I can't imagine having to live somewhere without Internet access!! As for the ending. What??? Huh??? Staci at least does learn the value of true friends and how to tell the difference.
The Story
Teenager Staci's father has just remarried, and now she finds herself being shunted aside by her new stepmother. Shunted all the way to the run-down and dying Maine town of Silence, in fact, and the custody of her alcoholic mother.
It gets worse. Silence seems to be stuck in the proverbial stone age. There's no cell phone service except at the very top of a bluff outside of town, no internet except dialup, and not one familiar franchise or business. Staci's mom seems to have gotten even worse since the last time Staci lived with her. The only bright spots in the whole place are a friendly waitress at the diner, and a bookstore where she meets a gaggle of geeks and gamers.
But all is not as it seems in Silence. There are strange things moving beneath the shabby surface, terrible plots in play, and deadly players in the game, and Staci is about to find herself caught up in the middle of it all.
The Characters
Anastasia "Staci" Kerry is a senior in high school who is suddenly forced to leave her home in New York City. Her drunk of a mother, Paula Kerry, is a waitress at the Rusty Bucket in Silence, Maine. The lecherous Pete (his name is actually Patrick) is Mom's current boyfrien'. Melinda is Mom's friend. Her father, is a lawyer who has recently remarried. Brenda is the false stepmother, all sweetness and nice until she's got that ring on her finger. Tommy is Brenda's precious son.
Dylan ap Gwynnerian ap Griffud is an elf of the Emerald Thorn clan who has broken with Fairgrove Industries and now works as a private investigator. Metalhead is his elvensteed who prefers to be a motorcycle.
Silence is…
…a town stuck in the 1950s with a curfew. There's only dial-up Internet with cellphone reception up on Makeout Hill.
Tim owns the bookstore where the gamer/geek nerds hang out: "Jedi" Seth has the ubergeek Force Knowledge to help Staci get set up. Wanda is Goth girl. Riley, the redhead, and Jake are a couple.
The skater kids include Ken and Stan Jennis, Larry Green, Jerry Krause, and Tom Pendergras. The science nerds are Mary Krause, Bill Schoeder, Bob Flint, Kyle Peterson, and Maureen Silk. The Goths include Sue "Valentina" Griffin, Eric "Vlad" White, Brittany "Bella" Hailey, Rob "Blade" Ketcham, and Kelsey "I'm-a-mega-bitch-and-play-with-dead-things-because-it's-creepy" Johnson.
The Blackthornes are the premier family in Silence and live out on Gray Oak Hill. The heir, Sean, is a senior at the local high school. More of the family includes Meaghan, Brigit, Patrick, Ian, Caelen, Finn (he is not a team player), Siobhan, Niamh, Morrigan is a cousin with an interest in Goth, Liam, Connor, Niall, and Aengus. Bradan is Sean's father. His particular cronies include Ryan Dubghail, Lynch Collins, Nolan Gearlait, and Stewart Casey. Padrick is the family chauffeur. Harris is a butler or footman. Hunter is muscle.
Ray owns and cooks for the Diner, the main place to eat in Silence. Beth Phillips is the easygoing waitress. Reverend Franklin and his wife, Eloise; Fred and Thelma Krause; and Joe and Evelyn White put on a once-a-month barbecue for teens at the First Methodist church.
Krupke is a cop who hired the young thugs.
Kenning is a type of magic which allows elves to duplicate anything they want.
The Cover and Title
The cover is almost pitch black with a flaming, wavering red, far in the background with more red outlining the letters in the gray metallic title and the series information and around the white letters of the authors' names, and reflecting off the back end of Dylan's motorcycle, which you can barely see in the bottom left where it's tucked under the black silhouette of a bare-branched tree. Dylan is leaning against his parked bike, mesmerized by the electrical pulses sparking from his gloved left hand.
The title is both the town and a metaphor for its citizens, for all are in Silence about progress and the missing.
March 24, 2019
This book was a great deal of fun and I enjoyed it throughly.
Staci is sixteen and her recently remarried father has (at the instigation of the new wife) packed her up and sent to live with her dysfunctional alcoholic mother. Her mother is currently residing in a horribly behind the times small town called Silence.
In Silence, cell phones mysteriously don't work, internet is stuck back somewhere in the 90's and the rest of the town in the 50's. There is a perpetual cloud making it damp and miserable but that does not seem enough to account for the level of depression in the town and it's residents. Staci finds a small bright nerdy group to hang out with but her real break is when Sean Blackthorn, of the Blackthorns who practically own and run the town, takes an interest in her. But what exactly is that interest, when all the Blackthorns are almost supernaturally attractive?
This is the ninth in a series that I have somehow never gotten around to reading, the central theme is Elves and the Magical realms and denizens impacting on the modern day world and Having loved the collaboration between Lackey and Gellis that was seen in the And Less Than Kind series (historical, Elves messing around with the Elizabethen era) I should have got into these books sooner.
The main character, Staci, is fun and fairly realistic, her group of friends can be a bit sketchy at times but it is a small enough group that it does not matter. The theme of a group of role playing, LARPing teenagers taking on the Unseelie Court.... maybe not one hundred percent original, but still a lot of fun.
Staci is sixteen and her recently remarried father has (at the instigation of the new wife) packed her up and sent to live with her dysfunctional alcoholic mother. Her mother is currently residing in a horribly behind the times small town called Silence.
In Silence, cell phones mysteriously don't work, internet is stuck back somewhere in the 90's and the rest of the town in the 50's. There is a perpetual cloud making it damp and miserable but that does not seem enough to account for the level of depression in the town and it's residents. Staci finds a small bright nerdy group to hang out with but her real break is when Sean Blackthorn, of the Blackthorns who practically own and run the town, takes an interest in her. But what exactly is that interest, when all the Blackthorns are almost supernaturally attractive?
This is the ninth in a series that I have somehow never gotten around to reading, the central theme is Elves and the Magical realms and denizens impacting on the modern day world and Having loved the collaboration between Lackey and Gellis that was seen in the And Less Than Kind series (historical, Elves messing around with the Elizabethen era) I should have got into these books sooner.
The main character, Staci, is fun and fairly realistic, her group of friends can be a bit sketchy at times but it is a small enough group that it does not matter. The theme of a group of role playing, LARPing teenagers taking on the Unseelie Court.... maybe not one hundred percent original, but still a lot of fun.
May 30, 2018
I love Mercedes Lackey. I've loved almost every book by her I've read, and that's most of them. This series has always been dear to my heart since it's about elves hiding in modern society and quite often rescuing unwanted and abused children. Old mythology about Elves often has them stealing children, Lackey turned that into rescuing instead. Since they so rarely have children of their own they can't stand to see one abused.
I fell in love with the idea that there was hope out there for these poor lost kids and so this series has always been one of my favorite from her. But as much as I wanted to like this book I didn't really. I didn't hate it. It was an okay read. It just wasn't what I've grown to expect from her at all.
It wasn't the predictable trope of the inattentive distant father, spiteful stepmother, and alcoholic mom that bothered me, like it has some reviewers. Things are sometimes a trope because they are actually common, and this situation is far from unrealistic. It really bothered me that.... okay to be honest it felt a bit like fan fiction. This girl, just an average teenage girl attracts the attention of the two hottest guys around, okay. The right kid wants her for plot reasons and that's fine.
The elf who is hundreds of years old wants her because... ?!?! I have no clue. She's really not special or unique in anyway and I'm confused what he could see in a girl who can't be more than a toddler to him. It's every teen girl's fantasy, as evidence by Twilight, but it just didn't connect as plausible to me. I honestly think I'm only giving it 3-stars because I love the rest of the series otherwise it would get 2.
I fell in love with the idea that there was hope out there for these poor lost kids and so this series has always been one of my favorite from her. But as much as I wanted to like this book I didn't really. I didn't hate it. It was an okay read. It just wasn't what I've grown to expect from her at all.
It wasn't the predictable trope of the inattentive distant father, spiteful stepmother, and alcoholic mom that bothered me, like it has some reviewers. Things are sometimes a trope because they are actually common, and this situation is far from unrealistic. It really bothered me that.... okay to be honest it felt a bit like fan fiction. This girl, just an average teenage girl attracts the attention of the two hottest guys around, okay. The right kid wants her for plot reasons and that's fine.
The elf who is hundreds of years old wants her because... ?!?! I have no clue. She's really not special or unique in anyway and I'm confused what he could see in a girl who can't be more than a toddler to him. It's every teen girl's fantasy, as evidence by Twilight, but it just didn't connect as plausible to me. I honestly think I'm only giving it 3-stars because I love the rest of the series otherwise it would get 2.
April 19, 2016
The worst of the serrated edge books
The only reason I am giving this book two stars is because I was excited to see the return of the urban fantasy series. But this book was pretty awful. It was very badly written and the characters were mere sketches. And the plotting? Dreadful. The entire book felt like a decent fanfic written on An Archive of their Own. In fact some of those there ARE much better written. I actually was ok with the set up for the story. Staci had potential but deteriorates as the story goes. Dylan...well he was so badly written, little more then a plot device, and the way his last scene was handled? I couldn't believe I was reading a work be professional writers. I actually was torn between dismay and laughter. Not what I think was intended. Anyway, there are so many inconsistencies in this book and irritating little writing idiosyncrasies ( like the constant use of the phrase "the gang" )that after a while the reader just throws up her hands and tries to rush through to get to the end. I really felt burned by this book. I very much regret letting my excitement over a new Serrated Edge book lead me to buying this book before it had more reviews. My advice would be don't buy this. Borrow from a friend or the library if you want to read but seriously, we can't reward publishers and authors for putting out product as poorly written as this if they expect us to pay $8 or more for it. I can't believe Mercedes Lackey had anything to do with this. I am going to console myself and blame it on the cowriter.
The only reason I am giving this book two stars is because I was excited to see the return of the urban fantasy series. But this book was pretty awful. It was very badly written and the characters were mere sketches. And the plotting? Dreadful. The entire book felt like a decent fanfic written on An Archive of their Own. In fact some of those there ARE much better written. I actually was ok with the set up for the story. Staci had potential but deteriorates as the story goes. Dylan...well he was so badly written, little more then a plot device, and the way his last scene was handled? I couldn't believe I was reading a work be professional writers. I actually was torn between dismay and laughter. Not what I think was intended. Anyway, there are so many inconsistencies in this book and irritating little writing idiosyncrasies ( like the constant use of the phrase "the gang" )that after a while the reader just throws up her hands and tries to rush through to get to the end. I really felt burned by this book. I very much regret letting my excitement over a new Serrated Edge book lead me to buying this book before it had more reviews. My advice would be don't buy this. Borrow from a friend or the library if you want to read but seriously, we can't reward publishers and authors for putting out product as poorly written as this if they expect us to pay $8 or more for it. I can't believe Mercedes Lackey had anything to do with this. I am going to console myself and blame it on the cowriter.
October 23, 2018
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
Staci has just been booted by her step-mother so that she can live with her alcoholic mother instead. Even with the money from her father to hopefully
This is the first time in a while that I have read a Mercedes Lackey novel. After reading her latest Elemental Master and Valdemar novels, I sort of went on to discover better things like Brandon Sanderson! This is a duo work with Cody Martin and seems to be an older novel.
I really like the idea of elves with motorcycles and I always have! There’s a series of these that I have read before, and I thought I had read all of them in the universe. But nope! This is glorious number 9 in the SERRAted Edge series.
Ouch, in the end our elven hero didn’t turn out to be much of a hero, but that’s just the way things are with elves. They can’t help being that attractive! And Staci couldn’t help being helpless and vulnerable. She just wants to be loved! That’s pretty typical of a teenager. It would have been nice to have a bit more hope offered to Staci but this is an older style novel that really doesn’t have counselling as an option.
This was pretty decent quality older Mercedes Lackey and I really enjoyed reading it. 4 stars from me. It was great to have my library have a copy.
Staci has just been booted by her step-mother so that she can live with her alcoholic mother instead. Even with the money from her father to hopefully
This is the first time in a while that I have read a Mercedes Lackey novel. After reading her latest Elemental Master and Valdemar novels, I sort of went on to discover better things like Brandon Sanderson! This is a duo work with Cody Martin and seems to be an older novel.
I really like the idea of elves with motorcycles and I always have! There’s a series of these that I have read before, and I thought I had read all of them in the universe. But nope! This is glorious number 9 in the SERRAted Edge series.
Ouch, in the end our elven hero didn’t turn out to be much of a hero, but that’s just the way things are with elves. They can’t help being that attractive! And Staci couldn’t help being helpless and vulnerable. She just wants to be loved! That’s pretty typical of a teenager. It would have been nice to have a bit more hope offered to Staci but this is an older style novel that really doesn’t have counselling as an option.
This was pretty decent quality older Mercedes Lackey and I really enjoyed reading it. 4 stars from me. It was great to have my library have a copy.
June 29, 2017
Bitterly disappointed with the quality of Silence. I lost my mind with excitement when I saw a new edition in the SERRAted Edge series; these books sparked my interest in urban fantasy as a genre. I wanted to like it. I really wanted to like it. I suffered through it, hoping that all the vapidity was a ruse; that the Buffy/Supernatural mashup characters and the awkward prose was hiding a deeper plotline on purpose.
But it is what it is. The plot unfolds like a Nineties after-school special and staggers to an ending as dissatisfying as an adult re-read of a favorite Goosebumps novel. To be fair, there were some interesting pieces: the Blackthornes and their relationship with Silence was novel; some very unique ideas about how iron interacts with magic. Metalhead the elvensteed carried off every scene he was in. But overall, the narrative stumbled on itself, and the majority of characters weren't complex or were inconsistent (and what the hell was up with Dylan's final scene, wow.).
I comfort-read old Mercedes Lackey novels, and her prose informed the way I write today. This didn't feel like her writing at all, except in small pieces.
But I will say this: damn, does she know how to write a battle. The big battle of the book was epic.
But it is what it is. The plot unfolds like a Nineties after-school special and staggers to an ending as dissatisfying as an adult re-read of a favorite Goosebumps novel. To be fair, there were some interesting pieces: the Blackthornes and their relationship with Silence was novel; some very unique ideas about how iron interacts with magic. Metalhead the elvensteed carried off every scene he was in. But overall, the narrative stumbled on itself, and the majority of characters weren't complex or were inconsistent (and what the hell was up with Dylan's final scene, wow.).
I comfort-read old Mercedes Lackey novels, and her prose informed the way I write today. This didn't feel like her writing at all, except in small pieces.
But I will say this: damn, does she know how to write a battle. The big battle of the book was epic.
June 25, 2017
This one... hm. I did enjoy it generally but there was a bit too much "teenage girl" to it for me. Too much whining about her situation and being obsessed over the boys involved. Yes, some of that was explained as manipulation and spells but it just got a bit tiresome, not what I normally choose to read.
I do appreciate that
So, definitely not my favourite Lackey but I do enjoy the Serrated Edge series and Metalhead was pretty awesome. Read it if you don't mind a bit of teenage whining and waaaaay too many descriptions of parties mixed in with your magic adventures.
I do appreciate that
So, definitely not my favourite Lackey but I do enjoy the Serrated Edge series and Metalhead was pretty awesome. Read it if you don't mind a bit of teenage whining and waaaaay too many descriptions of parties mixed in with your magic adventures.
December 24, 2017
I was really excited to see a new Serrated Edge novel out. I’ve loved the blend of social issues and elves. This book, though, didn’t have a social issue.
I was also disappointed by the dungeon master-type character who entered the story, started the adventure, leveled the main character up, and trained her in the new skills/magic, then disappeared.
I liked the other characters although it was difficult to tell who was good and who was bad. The characters could be rather muddy. What happened to Beth?
I was also disappointed by the dungeon master-type character who entered the story, started the adventure, leveled the main character up, and trained her in the new skills/magic, then disappeared.
I liked the other characters although it was difficult to tell who was good and who was bad. The characters could be rather muddy. What happened to Beth?
May 28, 2016
This book is more suitable for YA but I read because I am a Mercedes Lackey fan. I liked the fact that Staci took command of her circumstances and took action rather than spend time complaining about the issues and really cared for others.
May 10, 2016
A very YA novel with a heroine who becomes super-bad instantly and a YA romance set in a spooky Maine town. It felt a bit flat.
April 25, 2021
This was very different to what I expected when I started to read it. The tone was dark, and everything in the town of Silence felt as though it was permanently overcast which, of course, was the point, I guess.
The heroine of the story, Staci, is stuck in the town with a drunken mother, dumped there by a father more interested in his new family, and who seems to think that money can ease all the dysfunctions in his broken family - plus the typical nasty stepmother, who orchestrated the dumping, of course.
Although I found it hard to get into at first, I did eventually decide to keep ploughing on through, and I'm glad I did, as things did buck up, at last, as the story went along.
Once again, there was a lot of gaming in the story, as there was in Lazerwarz, but I got that it was part of the plot line, so persevered with it.
I don't know whether there was more influence in the story from the co-author, Cody Martin, than from Misty, herself, but there didn't seem to be the depth of characterisation that I've learned to expect, and love, from her other books, in this one - and it had that same, more masculine feel to it, as I had found, when reading Mark Shepherd's books.
All-in-all, it was a good read, but there was too much doom and gloom - and blood and guts - for me to thoroughly enjoy this, so I'm hoping that the next book in the series: Breaking Silence, is a bit more upbeat for me to enjoy.
Though the hero being a jerk was a good ending, I thought - much more true to life, I reckon! Lol
The heroine of the story, Staci, is stuck in the town with a drunken mother, dumped there by a father more interested in his new family, and who seems to think that money can ease all the dysfunctions in his broken family - plus the typical nasty stepmother, who orchestrated the dumping, of course.
Although I found it hard to get into at first, I did eventually decide to keep ploughing on through, and I'm glad I did, as things did buck up, at last, as the story went along.
Once again, there was a lot of gaming in the story, as there was in Lazerwarz, but I got that it was part of the plot line, so persevered with it.
I don't know whether there was more influence in the story from the co-author, Cody Martin, than from Misty, herself, but there didn't seem to be the depth of characterisation that I've learned to expect, and love, from her other books, in this one - and it had that same, more masculine feel to it, as I had found, when reading Mark Shepherd's books.
All-in-all, it was a good read, but there was too much doom and gloom - and blood and guts - for me to thoroughly enjoy this, so I'm hoping that the next book in the series: Breaking Silence, is a bit more upbeat for me to enjoy.
Though the hero being a jerk was a good ending, I thought - much more true to life, I reckon! Lol
February 4, 2020
Nice paranormal adventure with a smidgen of teen romance. A young woman's stepmother forces her out of her New York City home, and sends her to an isolated Maine town to live with her unreliable mother. She's quickly introduced to magic after an attack by a garden gnome. It ends with her and her allies routing evil.
It was a bit too bulky, with long-winded descriptions, which I skimmed. I have read a few other books in the series ages ago, as well as similar Lackey books. This one pretty much stands on its own though.
Typos: Of the text I didn't skim, I noticed on page 56 peddle her bike (pedal), page 86 "Who are you?" She managed to whisper (sentence fragment), page 300 three of Blackthorns (missing "the"), and page 302 thumb's up (thumbs).
It was a bit too bulky, with long-winded descriptions, which I skimmed. I have read a few other books in the series ages ago, as well as similar Lackey books. This one pretty much stands on its own though.
Typos: Of the text I didn't skim, I noticed on page 56 peddle her bike (pedal), page 86 "Who are you?" She managed to whisper (sentence fragment), page 300 three of Blackthorns (missing "the"), and page 302 thumb's up (thumbs).
February 6, 2020
I'm not sure what to think of this one. Silence is a small town that time forgot. There's no enthusiasm, no desire, just lethargy. Staci is dumped here after her Father chose his second wife over his daughter. Staci makes friends with a few other misfits and then catches the eye of the Blackthornes. She's invited to their mansion in the hills and wined and dined. She soon realizes that things are not what they seem.
There has often been book 1 of trilogies that I have a hard time getting into. Misty's Winds trilogy was like that. I finally started to enjoy it half way through, and the rest of the trilogy was great. I'm hoping book 2 - Breaking Silence will continue this trend.
There has often been book 1 of trilogies that I have a hard time getting into. Misty's Winds trilogy was like that. I finally started to enjoy it half way through, and the rest of the trilogy was great. I'm hoping book 2 - Breaking Silence will continue this trend.
September 19, 2021
Good as it ever was
I return to the Serrated Edge when I need to be reminded that there is light in the dark. If they weren’t so dark, if the human sides of the problems weren’t so terribly, regrettably real, it wouldn’t hold the hope.
This stuff is real, kids. Parents ditch their children. They offer their kids beer and pizza for breakfast. If only they had an elf to break them through, life might be better, but here’s the punchline: the authors are showing us what we can do. Find those broken and beaten down and give them the kindness that is the next best thing to magic.
Fantastic book, highly recommended.
I return to the Serrated Edge when I need to be reminded that there is light in the dark. If they weren’t so dark, if the human sides of the problems weren’t so terribly, regrettably real, it wouldn’t hold the hope.
This stuff is real, kids. Parents ditch their children. They offer their kids beer and pizza for breakfast. If only they had an elf to break them through, life might be better, but here’s the punchline: the authors are showing us what we can do. Find those broken and beaten down and give them the kindness that is the next best thing to magic.
Fantastic book, highly recommended.
June 21, 2017
This is a young adult read. A lot of Mercedes Lackey is about young adults learning to be strong smart and good adults. You lose yourself in the stories because they seem real to you. Sometimes there is too much chatter with detail and how does the extremely disadvantaged good guy win.
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