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The Book of Silence #1
Duncton Tales
A century after the great days of moledom described in the great Chronicles, Privet, a lonely female pilgrim from the north, arrives in fabled Duncton Wood. Only old Stour, Master of the Library, realizes the importance of her quest. For Privet seeks an answer to moledom’s final mystery: where and what is the Book of Silence, whose scribe nomole knows, whose content none can guess, whose existence many still doubt? Decades of harmony have passed since the brave moles of Duncton saved moledom’s peaceful Stone followers from the disciples of the evil Word. But now all is not well. Their system has grown sleepy, while moledom is dangerously complacent about the spread of zealots from Caer Caradoc. Led by the sinister Thripp of Blagrove Slide, the Newborns believe that any other way than theirs to the Stone’s Silence is blasphemy and deserves death. As the Caradocian moles gain power, shy Privet, aided by Stour and inspired by the strange and inarticulate Rooster, finds herself the agent of change and renewal in Duncton Wood.
588 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
13 people are currently reading
665 people want to read
About the author
William Horwood
43 books250 followersWilliam Horwood is an English novelist. His first novel, Duncton Wood, an allegorical tale about a community of moles, was published in 1980. It was followed by two sequels, forming The Duncton Chronicles, and also a second trilogy, The Book of Silence. William Horwood has also written two stand-alone novels intertwining the lives of humans and of eagles,
The Stonor Eagles and Callanish
, and The Wolves of Time duology. Skallagrigg, his 1987 novel about disability, love, and trust, was made into a BBC film in 1994. In addition, he has written a number of sequels to
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame.
In 2007, he collaborated with historian Helen Rappaport to produce Dark Hearts of Chicago, a historical mystery and thriller set in nineteenth-century Chicago. It was republished in 2008 as City of Dark Hearts with some significant revisions and cuts under the pen name James Conan.
In 2007, he collaborated with historian Helen Rappaport to produce Dark Hearts of Chicago, a historical mystery and thriller set in nineteenth-century Chicago. It was republished in 2008 as City of Dark Hearts with some significant revisions and cuts under the pen name James Conan.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 29, 2024
“The whole ethos of a library is anti-censorship.”
My memory of my reading of THE DUNCTON CHRONICLES trilogy is a fond one but it’s long-in-the-tooth - stretching out to four decades, in fact - and the person that read those stories so long ago is very different from who I am today. So while I had hoped that I was about to add a new title to my list of 5-star all-time favourites, it just didn’t work out that way!
DUNCTON TALES an allegory, the first installment of a sequel trilogy, THE BOOK OF SILENCE, pitting good against evil in the world of moledom. Hard-core right wing religion (clearly modeled off today’s evangelical Christianity or fundamentalist Islam) and militaristic fascism face off against a quieter version of a generic pacifist religion such as Wicca or Buddhism.
As a broad-sweeping criticism, I’ll simply say that I thought DUNCTON TALES was too blunt, too overt, too in-your-face and far too wordy and proselytizing to ring the bells of a firm atheist reader. Those moles who nominally stood on the side of good did not strike me as any less brainwashed than those who were the members of the bad guys’ cult. What put them on that side of the battle was merely a circumstance of birth.
A decent story that has its exciting moments but I find that I’m simply not compelled to dash out and look for a copy of DUNCTON RISING, the 2nd novel in the trilogy.
Paul Weiss
My memory of my reading of THE DUNCTON CHRONICLES trilogy is a fond one but it’s long-in-the-tooth - stretching out to four decades, in fact - and the person that read those stories so long ago is very different from who I am today. So while I had hoped that I was about to add a new title to my list of 5-star all-time favourites, it just didn’t work out that way!
DUNCTON TALES an allegory, the first installment of a sequel trilogy, THE BOOK OF SILENCE, pitting good against evil in the world of moledom. Hard-core right wing religion (clearly modeled off today’s evangelical Christianity or fundamentalist Islam) and militaristic fascism face off against a quieter version of a generic pacifist religion such as Wicca or Buddhism.
As a broad-sweeping criticism, I’ll simply say that I thought DUNCTON TALES was too blunt, too overt, too in-your-face and far too wordy and proselytizing to ring the bells of a firm atheist reader. Those moles who nominally stood on the side of good did not strike me as any less brainwashed than those who were the members of the bad guys’ cult. What put them on that side of the battle was merely a circumstance of birth.
A decent story that has its exciting moments but I find that I’m simply not compelled to dash out and look for a copy of DUNCTON RISING, the 2nd novel in the trilogy.
Paul Weiss
April 23, 2010
I have a thing for animal stories. It is no doubt due to the fact that I read Watership Down at a very young age; I read the cover off that book. Most writers that get advertised as heirs to Richard Adams in the genre tend not to live up to the hype. Those that do, like Brian Jacques, tend to tell animal tales in a different way.
William Horwood does and does not do this.
This was the first Duncton book I ever read, even though it is the start of the second Duncton series. I brought when I was in Rotterdam, read it, loved it, and got everything I could find by Horwood before I left.
While Watership Down is a quest tale with rabbits; the Duncton books tend to be more philospoic and religious (though it is hard to say what religion. Horwood, at least in the books, seems to be against forced conversion. There is a Buddist feeling, yet there are Christian overtones. Yet, the reader is not told to BELIEVE OR ELSE! It is more of this is what the moles believe, let's see how it plays out). Despite this thoughtful aspect of the book, there is plently of action.
This book deals with belief and how belief can lead to censorship and control of infromation (can anyone else say South Park). Horwood really examines the agruments on both sides of the issue, and while he comes down on the side of freedom, his moles are aware of just points on the other side (for instance, why does the Duncton System get to keep the Holy Books of Moledom?). Because the moles are diggers, writers, and readers in some ways parts of the story feel like the debate over the Bible when it was first translated.
At the heart of the story are two moles, neither of Duncton, though one, Privet, travels there. Privet and Rooster make an unlikely pair; he is a beast, but she is no beauty. Yet, despite the fact they are fiction and animals, the relationship, all of the relationships, are wonderfully drawn.
Many adults wonder why they should read animal tales, believing that such stories are only for children. Take a look at Chaucer and his chickens, who had sex. Many adults have it wrong. In an adventure story about moles, Horwood gives a thoughtful look at faith and freedom without being preachy or annoying. He lets the characters do it, instead of speaking though the characters.
William Horwood does and does not do this.
This was the first Duncton book I ever read, even though it is the start of the second Duncton series. I brought when I was in Rotterdam, read it, loved it, and got everything I could find by Horwood before I left.
While Watership Down is a quest tale with rabbits; the Duncton books tend to be more philospoic and religious (though it is hard to say what religion. Horwood, at least in the books, seems to be against forced conversion. There is a Buddist feeling, yet there are Christian overtones. Yet, the reader is not told to BELIEVE OR ELSE! It is more of this is what the moles believe, let's see how it plays out). Despite this thoughtful aspect of the book, there is plently of action.
This book deals with belief and how belief can lead to censorship and control of infromation (can anyone else say South Park). Horwood really examines the agruments on both sides of the issue, and while he comes down on the side of freedom, his moles are aware of just points on the other side (for instance, why does the Duncton System get to keep the Holy Books of Moledom?). Because the moles are diggers, writers, and readers in some ways parts of the story feel like the debate over the Bible when it was first translated.
At the heart of the story are two moles, neither of Duncton, though one, Privet, travels there. Privet and Rooster make an unlikely pair; he is a beast, but she is no beauty. Yet, despite the fact they are fiction and animals, the relationship, all of the relationships, are wonderfully drawn.
Many adults wonder why they should read animal tales, believing that such stories are only for children. Take a look at Chaucer and his chickens, who had sex. Many adults have it wrong. In an adventure story about moles, Horwood gives a thoughtful look at faith and freedom without being preachy or annoying. He lets the characters do it, instead of speaking though the characters.
June 17, 2017
3.25 STARS
I sit with the book said to be ‘more readable and rewarding than the Lord of the Rings’ before me. This book revolves around the freedom of believing what you want to. The Duncton moles strive to protect a hard-earned freedom. Now they are threatened by someone from within their ranks. The ‘Newborns’ believe that their way is the only way to Silence (the moles’ idea of heaven and afterlife).
Now I have some problems with this book. It was not what I was led to believe after reading all the praise it got.
But before I go into why this was not ‘more readable and rewarding than Lord of the Rings’, here are things I liked about the novel:
• The lyrical prose gave a sense of not being in this world at all. It was beautiful and breath-taking. Reading this novel was exhilarating; it was in true means, an experience.And come to think of it the only reason I read it till the end
• The stark imagery and beautiful personification took me to Moledom. It was so real in every way that I was transported to the place where the scene took place. The descriptions were so vivid; I almost forget that I was sitting on my bed.
“December, deep December, and the trees of Duncton Wood were restless with cutting winter winds. Then somewhere high above, a dead branch cracked and swung dangerous and ready to fall, while far below, upon the surface of the wood, dead leaves swirled and gyred on themselves.”
The imagery can only be challenged by the master himself i.e. Tolkien.
• The main idea of the novel, the struggle around which the entire plot revolved was really relatable and close to heart. We have been told about this struggle all our lives, the struggle to fight for what you believe in; the freedom of thought and belief. In the recent years we can see that this freedom, more important than the freedom of body, has been threatened by some radical groups. The resemblance between ISIS and Newborns was huge.
Now let’s come to what I didn’t like:
• The idea of moles being the characters. I have a long history of dwelling in fantasies, deemed unhealthy for me by my mother. I have read about some pretty weird stuff, gone to some pretty weird places and loved/hated characters that were again pretty weird. So when I started this novel I was pretty sure that I would get used to moles talking and planning and in general being real intelligent. But I have still to grasp the fact that moles are talking, scribing and have a world of their own. So I think the decision to make moles the center of everything in the novel wasn’t quite right.
• So many things happened because the ‘Stone’s light shone upon them’. I believe in fate, as I believe in God and destiny. But to think that God or whatever deity you are worshipping watches everything closely and helps you through all the dark times didn’t quite sit with me. ‘The Stone’ seemed to be the hero and not the real characters.
• Half the things that Privet and the others did were based on a hunch. Privet felt that her destiny was with Rooster (a mole she had merely heard about) so she set out on a very dangerous journey. The Master Librarian felt that Privet’s greatest task lay with Keeper Husk in Rolls and Rhymes. Everyone felt that Rooster and Samphire’s arrival in Charnel meant something. Chater felt danger almost anywhere.
The author failed miserably to instill that sense of urgency and page-turning quality that I so love in any book. Here’s my theory: Where you don’t feel the need to turn the page and read on, the book has failed you. That happened throughout the novel. I don’t know whether it arose from the fact that the problems faced by the protagonists, did not shine out like problems worthy of a 600 pager or whether my protagonists were moles whom I couldn’t imagine as someone who could pray and scribe and talk and have a whole freaking kingdom. The problem I think then was the fact that the idea and style of writing was not meant for children, yet the people who represented these ideas (the moles) were definitely taken out of Narnia or some such place meant for young wanderers. That led me to DNF it the first time around. Finish it I did, but begrudgingly the second time around. All in all I think I won’t be dying for the second part.
I sit with the book said to be ‘more readable and rewarding than the Lord of the Rings’ before me. This book revolves around the freedom of believing what you want to. The Duncton moles strive to protect a hard-earned freedom. Now they are threatened by someone from within their ranks. The ‘Newborns’ believe that their way is the only way to Silence (the moles’ idea of heaven and afterlife).
Now I have some problems with this book. It was not what I was led to believe after reading all the praise it got.
But before I go into why this was not ‘more readable and rewarding than Lord of the Rings’, here are things I liked about the novel:
• The lyrical prose gave a sense of not being in this world at all. It was beautiful and breath-taking. Reading this novel was exhilarating; it was in true means, an experience.
• The stark imagery and beautiful personification took me to Moledom. It was so real in every way that I was transported to the place where the scene took place. The descriptions were so vivid; I almost forget that I was sitting on my bed.
“December, deep December, and the trees of Duncton Wood were restless with cutting winter winds. Then somewhere high above, a dead branch cracked and swung dangerous and ready to fall, while far below, upon the surface of the wood, dead leaves swirled and gyred on themselves.”
The imagery can only be challenged by the master himself i.e. Tolkien.
• The main idea of the novel, the struggle around which the entire plot revolved was really relatable and close to heart. We have been told about this struggle all our lives, the struggle to fight for what you believe in; the freedom of thought and belief. In the recent years we can see that this freedom, more important than the freedom of body, has been threatened by some radical groups. The resemblance between ISIS and Newborns was huge.
Now let’s come to what I didn’t like:
• The idea of moles being the characters. I have a long history of dwelling in fantasies, deemed unhealthy for me by my mother. I have read about some pretty weird stuff, gone to some pretty weird places and loved/hated characters that were again pretty weird. So when I started this novel I was pretty sure that I would get used to moles talking and planning and in general being real intelligent. But I have still to grasp the fact that moles are talking, scribing and have a world of their own. So I think the decision to make moles the center of everything in the novel wasn’t quite right.
• So many things happened because the ‘Stone’s light shone upon them’. I believe in fate, as I believe in God and destiny. But to think that God or whatever deity you are worshipping watches everything closely and helps you through all the dark times didn’t quite sit with me. ‘The Stone’ seemed to be the hero and not the real characters.
• Half the things that Privet and the others did were based on a hunch. Privet felt that her destiny was with Rooster (a mole she had merely heard about) so she set out on a very dangerous journey. The Master Librarian felt that Privet’s greatest task lay with Keeper Husk in Rolls and Rhymes. Everyone felt that Rooster and Samphire’s arrival in Charnel meant something. Chater felt danger almost anywhere.
The author failed miserably to instill that sense of urgency and page-turning quality that I so love in any book. Here’s my theory: Where you don’t feel the need to turn the page and read on, the book has failed you. That happened throughout the novel. I don’t know whether it arose from the fact that the problems faced by the protagonists, did not shine out like problems worthy of a 600 pager or whether my protagonists were moles whom I couldn’t imagine as someone who could pray and scribe and talk and have a whole freaking kingdom. The problem I think then was the fact that the idea and style of writing was not meant for children, yet the people who represented these ideas (the moles) were definitely taken out of Narnia or some such place meant for young wanderers. That led me to DNF it the first time around. Finish it I did, but begrudgingly the second time around. All in all I think I won’t be dying for the second part.
July 14, 2010
This is the first book in the trilogy entitled The Book of Silence (and is followed by Duncton Rising and Duncton Stone). It is a continuation of the mole kingdom first explored in the Duncton Chronicles (Duncton Wood, Duncton Quest and Duncton Found) but newcomers to Horwood's cherished series about moles will find no difficulty in keeping up, since the events of the first three books are merely referenced in passing.
In fact, time has moved on by about a century since the time of Duncton Found. In this book we follow the mole Privet, who, we find out in the course of the book, is the grand daughter of Wort, a character despised by many from the Duncton Chronicles. In this novel Privet seeks to hide from her past in the sanctuary of the library at Duncton Wood.
She is taken in and accepted by moles, especially when she comes by circumstances strange to adopt the mole Whillan - whose birth and parentage are one of the mysteries still to be explored by the time we reach the last page.
Unfortunately for Privet, she lives in momentous times. The sectarians known as the Newborn, who think they are the true believers of the Stone, are spreading across moledom and seeking to censor the libraries that they find. They are intimidating moles who believe of the Stone, and punishing them with sick religious rites known as 'massing'.
Woven into this story is the tale of when Privet was a younger mole, before her journey to Duncton Wood, and her love of Rooster, known to be Master of the Delve.
The measure of how exciting a book is to me is how long it takes me to read - I have whipped through 600 page books in a day or so when moved by the writing. This tome took me ten days to wade through. I won't say that it was entirely dull, but the moments where the pace picked up from dogged and plodding were few and far between.
I did like the fact that the Book of Tales mentioned by several moles in the book was actually reflected in Horwood's writing - we are reading a story within a story within a story here, and the flitting back and forth between past and present (and middle, I guess) keeps the pace up a little.
The passages dealing with Privet and Rooster's love were by far the most intriguing (although I do wish he had a less ridiculous name than Rooster - we find out about halfway through the book that his name was given thanks to roosting crows, but by then I associated it with the more usual meaning of male chicken, which jarred a great deal!) We also meet some truly beloved and vivid characters during this period - including the five moles of the Delve and Rooster's friends Humlock and Glee. They are sensitively written and provide a dose of emotion to proceedings.
This book suffers a great deal from being the first in a trilogy and trying to lay out events for the main story to pick up in the middle and last novel. There is a lot of scene setting, and nothing much happens (although I have a nasty fear, based on my reading of the first Duncton trilogy, that nothing much will happen in books two and three as well!)
I disliked the pretentious tone Horwood took when it came to the Delving that Rooster was involved in (notice the capital letter to that word!) After all, we're just dealing with moles digging tunnels and it is very hard to attribute meaning and wonder to it - although Horwood asks us to.
And once again we have heavy and overt religious overtones, which, frankly, do nothing to aid my enjoyment of the story. I know conflict is required to create a decent novel, but I could do without the preaching and the holier-than-thou attitude ascribed to believers of the Stone. And all the nonsense about seeking the Silence! Boring, I call it!
So, I remain plodding my way through the Duncton series, wending my weary way to the no-doubt disappointing climax but with another 1,200 pages or so before I get there. These books are emblazoned with the bold words: "More readable and rewarding than The Lord of the Rings" - all I will say is "Don't be fooled, people!"
In fact, time has moved on by about a century since the time of Duncton Found. In this book we follow the mole Privet, who, we find out in the course of the book, is the grand daughter of Wort, a character despised by many from the Duncton Chronicles. In this novel Privet seeks to hide from her past in the sanctuary of the library at Duncton Wood.
She is taken in and accepted by moles, especially when she comes by circumstances strange to adopt the mole Whillan - whose birth and parentage are one of the mysteries still to be explored by the time we reach the last page.
Unfortunately for Privet, she lives in momentous times. The sectarians known as the Newborn, who think they are the true believers of the Stone, are spreading across moledom and seeking to censor the libraries that they find. They are intimidating moles who believe of the Stone, and punishing them with sick religious rites known as 'massing'.
Woven into this story is the tale of when Privet was a younger mole, before her journey to Duncton Wood, and her love of Rooster, known to be Master of the Delve.
The measure of how exciting a book is to me is how long it takes me to read - I have whipped through 600 page books in a day or so when moved by the writing. This tome took me ten days to wade through. I won't say that it was entirely dull, but the moments where the pace picked up from dogged and plodding were few and far between.
I did like the fact that the Book of Tales mentioned by several moles in the book was actually reflected in Horwood's writing - we are reading a story within a story within a story here, and the flitting back and forth between past and present (and middle, I guess) keeps the pace up a little.
The passages dealing with Privet and Rooster's love were by far the most intriguing (although I do wish he had a less ridiculous name than Rooster - we find out about halfway through the book that his name was given thanks to roosting crows, but by then I associated it with the more usual meaning of male chicken, which jarred a great deal!) We also meet some truly beloved and vivid characters during this period - including the five moles of the Delve and Rooster's friends Humlock and Glee. They are sensitively written and provide a dose of emotion to proceedings.
This book suffers a great deal from being the first in a trilogy and trying to lay out events for the main story to pick up in the middle and last novel. There is a lot of scene setting, and nothing much happens (although I have a nasty fear, based on my reading of the first Duncton trilogy, that nothing much will happen in books two and three as well!)
I disliked the pretentious tone Horwood took when it came to the Delving that Rooster was involved in (notice the capital letter to that word!) After all, we're just dealing with moles digging tunnels and it is very hard to attribute meaning and wonder to it - although Horwood asks us to.
And once again we have heavy and overt religious overtones, which, frankly, do nothing to aid my enjoyment of the story. I know conflict is required to create a decent novel, but I could do without the preaching and the holier-than-thou attitude ascribed to believers of the Stone. And all the nonsense about seeking the Silence! Boring, I call it!
So, I remain plodding my way through the Duncton series, wending my weary way to the no-doubt disappointing climax but with another 1,200 pages or so before I get there. These books are emblazoned with the bold words: "More readable and rewarding than The Lord of the Rings" - all I will say is "Don't be fooled, people!"
October 17, 2015
I have read all the 'Duncton Wood' series of books and they are all among my favourites. If you enjoy animal tales with some depth I recommend the whole series as well as this later book as they are all full of fascinating aspects of life as they search for peace and truth among a group of moles including their faith as followers of 'The Stone' The main theme is good versus evil. If you enjoyed Richard Adam's 'Watership Down' these books are fuller and better. Do try them. In 'Duncton Tales' the moles search for the silence of the stone. The characters with their passions, fears, courage and love are fascinating and overall the books together form an epic tale. Some have even compared these books to 'Lord of the Rings' I do not compare as I find this epic story unique, magical and spellbinding.
August 15, 2011
I liked Horwood's mole stories fine, twenty or thirty years ago, and I thought I'd revisit them, but this one seems rather lacking in subtlety, too heavy-handed with the religious themes. Perhaps I'm too old for it.
May 22, 2015
Far from being a purely naturalistic animal tale like Watership Down"," this tale deals with religious cults"," censorship"," bigotry"," tyranny"," and many other subjects which I had not expected. Not for children.
June 30, 2010
I really loved that book, as much as I did the first Duncton series. I would have given it 5 stars, but it has one annoying thing : there are stories in stories in stories, which is fine if you read the book in one day or two but a bit confusing if you can't. Still a great, great read, full of courage, passion and faith. If you can't believe one can write amazing fantasy with moles as characters, this book is for you.
January 10, 2012
So good I wrote the author a fan letter!
July 2, 2025
Overall rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
sometimes i couldn’t remember who each character was, especially after going back in time and following multiple pov's. besides getting some smaller characters mixed up, i do quite like the main characters. my concern is that they're perhaps too good. they have some minor flaws perhaps but mostly they're good all round and that's just not very realistic. it isn't honest. or perhaps moles are just better than humans. but there are plenty of horrible moles aswell..
my favourite characters are probably... maybe Privet tbh? she's shy and kind of a nerd and loner so i relate, plus weak and cowardly (although she's done and about to do alot of things that are very courageous..) i really like Stour solely for the fact that hes the wise old man trope, which I love (especially that he doesn’t want to fight!)
i wish they were a bit more problematic, or that the newborns were less terrible, so it wasn't as clearcut evil vs good.
i do enjoy the warmth though. each pov really created a warm group of people that u would feel safe with and are likeable in their own way. its comforting to have these kind moles to follow.
Dialogue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
there are some banger lines. i also like that the characters do have their own distinct speaking voice, thats always a plus.
Setting ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
love love love forests. mountains and tunnels were also fun to imagine. the delving tunnels? like come on that's so cool
Pacing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
overall really well done. its a dense story but told quite clearly and usually doesn't linger annoyingly long.
Depth/complexity ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
to me personally, the theme of religion really stands out. specifically the belief in their sacred stone, and their related sacred texts and silence. the trust in the guidance of the stone really reminded me of taoism and the trust in the way. also the theme of peace over aggression, and the darksound which is both good and bad, dualistic.
Re-readability ⭐️⭐️⭐️
yeah would be fun. even more so after the other two books, because it will feel like reconnecting with old friends. (I don't have any friends..)
Creativity ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
it starts out fairly simple, just another cozy fantasy read, i thought mistakingly. lets give it up for the people able to craft a beautifully intecrate world (basically playing god) and do it so successfully as William did here.
the story telling itself, of narrating and flipping povs, wasnt anything new.
what I admire most, as a wanna be writer, is not the settings he made, or the characters he creates, those are just ideas, i have plenty of ideas, its the way he evolves the story, the setting, the characters. there is clear and distinct growth in all of these things, there is clear lore, and you get the pleasure of not just being told of what happened, but watching the changes happen right in front of you. it takes a real creative person to grab his settings his characters his goals, and make something beautiful out of it.
Ending ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
for some reason the final chapter took like 3 days to finish because Stour's speeches were getting too long. i get that they were setting up for the next book, building tension, but it just felt boring and fell flat for me personally. i would've preferred they had to rush without being able to properly discuss, it would've been actually exciting.
besides that,, it was very interesting to see them kind of become a fellowship, if u will. a fellowship of the book of silence. which privet is going to write? if their story is the book, what is it about? the newborns? a revolution? we will have to see.
+the unfolding of the tale of the book of silence, about Privet the scribe and Rooster the delver and all their friends and family.
+genre/vibe: moles. love. shockingly: torture and death. cruelty. stone. pray. scribe. gatherings. family. friendship. trust. protecting, defending.
ps. moles are so cute. I can't help but feel so much more love for moles now.m
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
sometimes i couldn’t remember who each character was, especially after going back in time and following multiple pov's. besides getting some smaller characters mixed up, i do quite like the main characters. my concern is that they're perhaps too good. they have some minor flaws perhaps but mostly they're good all round and that's just not very realistic. it isn't honest. or perhaps moles are just better than humans. but there are plenty of horrible moles aswell..
my favourite characters are probably... maybe Privet tbh? she's shy and kind of a nerd and loner so i relate, plus weak and cowardly (although she's done and about to do alot of things that are very courageous..) i really like Stour solely for the fact that hes the wise old man trope, which I love (especially that he doesn’t want to fight!)
i wish they were a bit more problematic, or that the newborns were less terrible, so it wasn't as clearcut evil vs good.
i do enjoy the warmth though. each pov really created a warm group of people that u would feel safe with and are likeable in their own way. its comforting to have these kind moles to follow.
Dialogue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
there are some banger lines. i also like that the characters do have their own distinct speaking voice, thats always a plus.
Setting ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
love love love forests. mountains and tunnels were also fun to imagine. the delving tunnels? like come on that's so cool
Pacing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
overall really well done. its a dense story but told quite clearly and usually doesn't linger annoyingly long.
Depth/complexity ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
to me personally, the theme of religion really stands out. specifically the belief in their sacred stone, and their related sacred texts and silence. the trust in the guidance of the stone really reminded me of taoism and the trust in the way. also the theme of peace over aggression, and the darksound which is both good and bad, dualistic.
Re-readability ⭐️⭐️⭐️
yeah would be fun. even more so after the other two books, because it will feel like reconnecting with old friends. (I don't have any friends..)
Creativity ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
it starts out fairly simple, just another cozy fantasy read, i thought mistakingly. lets give it up for the people able to craft a beautifully intecrate world (basically playing god) and do it so successfully as William did here.
the story telling itself, of narrating and flipping povs, wasnt anything new.
what I admire most, as a wanna be writer, is not the settings he made, or the characters he creates, those are just ideas, i have plenty of ideas, its the way he evolves the story, the setting, the characters. there is clear and distinct growth in all of these things, there is clear lore, and you get the pleasure of not just being told of what happened, but watching the changes happen right in front of you. it takes a real creative person to grab his settings his characters his goals, and make something beautiful out of it.
Ending ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
for some reason the final chapter took like 3 days to finish because Stour's speeches were getting too long. i get that they were setting up for the next book, building tension, but it just felt boring and fell flat for me personally. i would've preferred they had to rush without being able to properly discuss, it would've been actually exciting.
besides that,, it was very interesting to see them kind of become a fellowship, if u will. a fellowship of the book of silence. which privet is going to write? if their story is the book, what is it about? the newborns? a revolution? we will have to see.
+the unfolding of the tale of the book of silence, about Privet the scribe and Rooster the delver and all their friends and family.
+genre/vibe: moles. love. shockingly: torture and death. cruelty. stone. pray. scribe. gatherings. family. friendship. trust. protecting, defending.
ps. moles are so cute. I can't help but feel so much more love for moles now.m
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2025
Wow, I am glad I decided to read this second Duncton trilogy. This first book was a delight. I’m not sure if Horwood improved as a writer or he had a better editor (or both), but the pace of this book was much better than the first trilogy (the 300 page difference is indicative of this). I found it really easy to get engrossed in this one, and the characters were wonderful. I really liked the way he used Privet’s lineage to connect this crew to the first trilogy, and I enjoyed the offshoot into Rooster’s story more intriguing than I expected. The exploration of ableism in the Charnel community was also fascinating and better done than in the first book. I was not super into how over-the-top the newborns were with their evilness and was glad to move on, but we’ll see where that thread goes in the new book. There’s still some darker moments that are uncomfortable - ie. sexual violence and hints of associating homosexuality with evilness - and perhaps unnecessary, but overall this was excellent.
January 1, 2021
An excellent story, would highly recommend!
A big book but compelling to keep reading, interesting characters and a complex setting and history, well thought out and explained.
Around the middle of the book, a main character tells their history, in which another character tells their history which gets a tiny bit confusing, especially when they finally jump back to the main character in the present and you've forgotten who all the characters were and what was happening in the main story. However, it's fairly easy to get back into the main story.
Definitely worth reading, story wraps up nicely if you don't want to continue the series, but personally I can't wait to read the next one!
A big book but compelling to keep reading, interesting characters and a complex setting and history, well thought out and explained.
Around the middle of the book, a main character tells their history, in which another character tells their history which gets a tiny bit confusing, especially when they finally jump back to the main character in the present and you've forgotten who all the characters were and what was happening in the main story. However, it's fairly easy to get back into the main story.
Definitely worth reading, story wraps up nicely if you don't want to continue the series, but personally I can't wait to read the next one!
August 28, 2022
A rather average sequel to Duncton Wood. The characters were dull and uninteresting. The original Duncton Wood story had lot of heart even though it was no Watership Down. I think this book feels bit dull since the story takes place few centuries after the events of Duncton Wood. There are no dark moles anymore. All the evil moles are merely a shadow of what they used to be. Things have changed drastically in the mole community (for the worse). Got to re-read 'Duncton Wood' and 'Callanish' at some point. Those 2 are my personal favorite WH books.
January 2, 2019
The three books in Duncton Wood series and the three in Duncton Tales are six of my top ten favorite books of all time. I usually do not read books a second time, but am now starting the series again for the third time!!
November 27, 2022
An extraordinary story with all the sombreness and seriousness of great and noble histories. As good as The Lord of the Rings? No way. Very imaginative, but lacks the necessary magic to make it truly great.
November 7, 2023
Maybe 4 1/2. Quite engrossing. It is sort of a cross between Wind in the Willows and The Lord of the Rings. Mole lands combat evil philosophies and fight for survival of right in a six volume series. This is vol 1 of the Book of Silence trilogy (vol 4 of 6).
February 9, 2020
This was an enjoyable read. The plot keeps you guessing. You would never believe that moles live such an adventurous life until you have read William Horwood's books.
September 17, 2022
Loved it. Another great Duncton book. Very much looking forward to continuing this series.
June 9, 2014
Most of this book feels like an introduction. It leaves so much to be answered at the end that it is clear he wrote it knowing another book was to follow. I enjoyed meeting some new characters, there were a huge amount of them in this story and also reference to some of the characters in the first series. I am curious about the rest of the story but I am not sure I can handle another tome, the books are SO heavy, and not just physically. There are often times when I skimmed the words because he puts in so much. I think it could have been pared down. I have the other two books in the series from the library on interlibrary loan so I will likely continue reading. If they were not already in my possession think I would walk away from this series now. It all seems to be the same story over and over with different characters and very little advancement in the story. There were some sections I enjoyed more than others, especially the parts which take place in the Charnel. The philosophy of acceptance in this section was touching. It focuses so much on the value of each life, a focus Horwood displays in lesser degrees throughout his writing in this series. Each of the moles has their role to play just as we do in our own lives and the importance of each role is not overshadowed by any other mole. Even the most damaged mole is necessary in the Charnel and their part in the history of moledom crucial in small ways. While he makes sure to point out the value of the individual, Horwood seems to say with his overall series that each mole pales when seen as part of a whole. That it is okay to let go of even the most loved moles we know, with the understanding that they have played their role and their time is finished. All in all, I would say it is a book I won't come back to but I will certainly continue reading to learn about the future of all the moles in the seven stancing.
January 6, 2020
Much too dark for my taste, especially for a book with animals characters. While having moles as a books' characters shouldn't keep it from dealing with serious themes, I felt that the religious undertone in the book was much too overt to be called an undertone, that rape was a little dark for moles (although I did like how Hornwood did not sexualize this violent crime like so many authors do), and the one scene between Privet and Rooster was too close to domestic violence for my liking (while it wasn't totally normalized it seemed as if it helped rather than hindered their relationship). As well pretty much nothing happened in 500 pages?? Like maybe 3 plot points?? Disappointed.
October 5, 2025
Good book but it has some of the most baffling pacing and structure decisions I've ever seen in a book. Why is almost half of this book flashbacks, sometimes leading to flashbacks within flashbacks? Why is the rest 90% just setup for the rest of the story? It barely feels like any real plot progressed here outside of establishing the characters and the Newborns as a threat.
I did enjoy reading is as I do all Duncton books but the structure and pacing of this book is very weird. And this is an issue the previous installments didn't suffer from, at least not to this extent.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...
I did enjoy reading is as I do all Duncton books but the structure and pacing of this book is very weird. And this is an issue the previous installments didn't suffer from, at least not to this extent.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...
July 31, 2016
I read the books about wolves many years ago and remember really enjoying them and not being able to put them down, so I was hoping this would be the same. Unfortunately not. I have not read the earlier trilogy and got the impression that it may have helped explain a few things. Although I did t dislike this, it did feel like an effort to pick it up and read. I have got the next two in thus trilogy but have to sat at thus moment in time, I'm not hugely inspired to continue.
March 26, 2016
If you like stories about animals but want something different, this is for you. Make no mistake, this is NOT a book for children. It has violence, sexual themes, bloodshed and swearing. It's also an excellent story about politics, religion and mysticism. The characters are rich and deep, as is the world they are written in.
July 22, 2016
Really surprised how much I liked this book as I'm not a great fan of fantasy. The Hobbit meets Game of Thrones, but with moles!!! Also didn't think I was going to need a box of tissues nearby as I was reading! So emotional!!!
May 9, 2011
About halfway through the book I got tired of reading about moles, despite the stellar writing, and I have no wish to find out what happened to Privet, Rooster and the library.
December 23, 2023
A re-read, and just as enchanting as ever.
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