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The Book of Silence #2
Duncton Rising
This is the second book in The Book of Silence, the second of the Duncton Trilogies…
As Privet, scholar and scribemole and her adopted son Whillan escape from Duncton Wood in search of the Book of Silence, the Newborn Inquisitors seek to take the system over. Only old Stour, Master Librarian, and the timid aide Pumpkin, can defend Duncton and the precious Books of Moledom against the Newborn moles. But time is running out as Privet journeys in search of the lost and last book. To find it she and her friends must go to Caer Caradoc, centre of the Newborns’ power and face Thripp himself. There, too, she must reveal the secrets of her past and give up all hope of reconciliation with the only mole she had ever truly loved: Rooster, Master of the Delve. But it may be too little, too late for Duncton Wood itself as its brave moles struggle against the Newborns’ oppression, with only their faith, the Stone and their hope in Privet to sustain them.
As Privet, scholar and scribemole and her adopted son Whillan escape from Duncton Wood in search of the Book of Silence, the Newborn Inquisitors seek to take the system over. Only old Stour, Master Librarian, and the timid aide Pumpkin, can defend Duncton and the precious Books of Moledom against the Newborn moles. But time is running out as Privet journeys in search of the lost and last book. To find it she and her friends must go to Caer Caradoc, centre of the Newborns’ power and face Thripp himself. There, too, she must reveal the secrets of her past and give up all hope of reconciliation with the only mole she had ever truly loved: Rooster, Master of the Delve. But it may be too little, too late for Duncton Wood itself as its brave moles struggle against the Newborns’ oppression, with only their faith, the Stone and their hope in Privet to sustain them.
636 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
5 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
William Horwood
43 books252 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 30, 2010
The Book of Silence triology will always be my favorite Duncton series simply due to the fact that I read it first. This installment reviews the rest of Privet and Rooster's back story, Wilhelm's parentage is revealed (to everyone but him), friends are lost and found, and a friend from the first Duncton series makes a cameo.
My editions of these books make constant comparsion to The Lord of the Rings, usually saying that the Duncton books are better. I'm not entirely sure why; the two books have similarites but LOTR is a quest book, a physical quest book. The Duncton books are quest books, but in a totally different way. It isn't a physical quest, but one of the soul. Yes, this does also appear in LOTR, but LOTR is far more of a physical quest with an undercurrent of religion. The Duncton books deal with faith. Bad things happen, but the idea of failure that is present in LOTR is strangely absent. The Duncton moles do perform a quest, for silence.
While some Christians in general, and Catholics in particular, might be upset by the protrayal of the Newborn sect in the first two books of this series, Horwood does not use a simplestic approach. He shows us that there something good in the Newborn sect, in particular though the reaction of beloved characters. Horwood does not go after faith in general; he presents a treatise about how something good can be perverted for something evil.
Sounds timely and apt doesn't it?
My editions of these books make constant comparsion to The Lord of the Rings, usually saying that the Duncton books are better. I'm not entirely sure why; the two books have similarites but LOTR is a quest book, a physical quest book. The Duncton books are quest books, but in a totally different way. It isn't a physical quest, but one of the soul. Yes, this does also appear in LOTR, but LOTR is far more of a physical quest with an undercurrent of religion. The Duncton books deal with faith. Bad things happen, but the idea of failure that is present in LOTR is strangely absent. The Duncton moles do perform a quest, for silence.
While some Christians in general, and Catholics in particular, might be upset by the protrayal of the Newborn sect in the first two books of this series, Horwood does not use a simplestic approach. He shows us that there something good in the Newborn sect, in particular though the reaction of beloved characters. Horwood does not go after faith in general; he presents a treatise about how something good can be perverted for something evil.
Sounds timely and apt doesn't it?
February 25, 2011
I just love the Duncton series. It had both spiritual meaning and a very good intrigue. You care about the characters, you follow them with your heart and soul.
September 1, 2025
I am not always a very committed reader. I read every day, but that can range from one page to multiple chapters. the first 300 pages I every day about a month on reading, and it was getting a little tedious, even though I found the story quite interesting. I decided to finish the last half within the week, driving me to read chapter after chapter in a much shorter span, and I think the way I read this book ended up being perfectly aligned with the tension and excitement of the plot!
duncton tales (part one) ended with a fellowship leaving their beloved duncton homes behind in order to complete their tasks respectively; more or less doing the will of the Stone, which is the pinnacle of their religion.
in Duncton rising, this group of brave, loyal, kind, wise, and all interesting, moles, set out in defiance of the newborns, who wish to eradicate their "blasphemous" culture, and to make it all according to their new newborn sect "purging the snake in the name of the stone".
sidenote: to me it truly resembles the feeling LotR gave me (a group of unlikely heroes setting out together, only to be separated by different quests, but always growing closer to eachother, and true bonds forming that are, in the end, stronger than the evil they face).
its kind of comedic how i keep thinking this story about "moles" will just be cute and then there is another case of torture rape and murder xD
I really enjoy all the times when characters explain their "backstories." some might find it distracting from the plot, but I felt it really added to the overall story and with setting up more interesting characters to root for.
(Rooster rant)
that said, though Rooster is not among the most likeable of moles, he, besides our main mole Privet, does feel the closest to me. why? because he makes mistakes. all our moles have some type of flaws and strengths, just like real "characters", but it seemed William Horwood was afraid of making the moles fail at anything. as if only the world was against them, but with enough determination, they could "win" over their flaw. the only one who doesn't do that is Rooster. he is a deeply sensitive mole, sometimes a little socially clueless, who wields a great responsibility (and power), but he *messes it up*. he doesn't just lose his friends, he breaks the commitment of being the master delver (and if he hadn't made the commitment he wouldn't have lost his friends in the first place!) by using his paws to kill another mole. other moles, like Hamble, still see the "potential" in Rooster, and stick with him so loyally, even though Rooster makes even more grand mistakes. Rooster feels really guilty and confused, swears off delving entirely, yet in the end, he doesn't just overcome this by simply making up his mind to do it. he kills again and again, Hamble leaves him, he is taken as a newborn hostage infront of which he confesses all his sins, bearing his heart in front of the stone, but under unfortunate circumstances. he pretty much accepts his death/punishment. he grieves his lost love, Privet, grieves his friends, grieves who he should have been. then Privet comes to save *him* and finally he can start to forgive himself and do better. and in the end of the story, he succeeds in his task, he finally delves. he could have never done this without the help of his mole friends, who after all he had done, could still love and accept him. and Rooster finally starts feeling at peace. I think this is beautiful, and this is just a small part of just one moles story! this is how rich this book is.
what I liked less..
some plot points didn't make clear sense to me.
-for example, the whole thing about Stour having to carry the 6 books into this chamber. he had to carry them through a lot of tunnels, exhausting him to the point of dying when he finally finishes (or maybe he was just kept alive by the will to finish this first?). but pumpkin and sterne can enter the chamber via another side tunnel within minutes. why didn't he take that route?
-another point, pumpkin only at the end rebels against the newborns, by simply leaving Duncton Wood. but why didn't they all just leave before they even arrived at Duncton? why wait until they start killing, when you know they are killers?
-another point is, why exactly did the fellowship go to the meeting? it was basically the main plot but I never really understood the point of it? they escaped from duncton wood to go there, only to be captured there and be taken to cells, to escape and watch the meeting secretly, and then to escape again? I kind of get that there was more to it than that, but how much impact did their being there really have on the outcome? couldn't tell you.
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5
Dialogue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5
Setting ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
was mostly very immersive and interesting places, but in the end I did start forgetting which place was which (like beechenhill? what's that??)
Pacing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5
it feels a little unbalanced at times.
Immersion ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5
Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5
sadly it does suffer a lot from "tell dont show" syndrome. this really started to bother me. besides that more technical point, i do like the way he writes in general.
Depth/complexity ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really really wish they didn't have to make the newborn inquisitors basically pure evil. I find it hard to believe such a big group of moles just love violence. I do hope to learn more about Thripp and the carodacian order, but I wish the newborns didn't just say "for the stone" while just completely not giving a shit about the religious aspect. I think it would've been more interesting to see actually argue about why they were right and maybe try to convince moles instead of straight up going to abuse as their conversion ritual. it made most of the newborns look stupid and cruel, nothing much more, apart from the more devious leaders (different kind of stupid).
Re-readability ⭐️⭐️2.5
Creativity ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
who would've thought moles could make for such a immersive story? William Horwood made it possible.
Ending ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3.7
not bad by any means, it felt like a clean appropiate ending, could have used maybe more of a cliffhanger?
ps. RIP to Chater
duncton tales (part one) ended with a fellowship leaving their beloved duncton homes behind in order to complete their tasks respectively; more or less doing the will of the Stone, which is the pinnacle of their religion.
in Duncton rising, this group of brave, loyal, kind, wise, and all interesting, moles, set out in defiance of the newborns, who wish to eradicate their "blasphemous" culture, and to make it all according to their new newborn sect "purging the snake in the name of the stone".
sidenote: to me it truly resembles the feeling LotR gave me (a group of unlikely heroes setting out together, only to be separated by different quests, but always growing closer to eachother, and true bonds forming that are, in the end, stronger than the evil they face).
its kind of comedic how i keep thinking this story about "moles" will just be cute and then there is another case of torture rape and murder xD
I really enjoy all the times when characters explain their "backstories." some might find it distracting from the plot, but I felt it really added to the overall story and with setting up more interesting characters to root for.
(Rooster rant)
that said, though Rooster is not among the most likeable of moles, he, besides our main mole Privet, does feel the closest to me. why? because he makes mistakes. all our moles have some type of flaws and strengths, just like real "characters", but it seemed William Horwood was afraid of making the moles fail at anything. as if only the world was against them, but with enough determination, they could "win" over their flaw. the only one who doesn't do that is Rooster. he is a deeply sensitive mole, sometimes a little socially clueless, who wields a great responsibility (and power), but he *messes it up*. he doesn't just lose his friends, he breaks the commitment of being the master delver (and if he hadn't made the commitment he wouldn't have lost his friends in the first place!) by using his paws to kill another mole. other moles, like Hamble, still see the "potential" in Rooster, and stick with him so loyally, even though Rooster makes even more grand mistakes. Rooster feels really guilty and confused, swears off delving entirely, yet in the end, he doesn't just overcome this by simply making up his mind to do it. he kills again and again, Hamble leaves him, he is taken as a newborn hostage infront of which he confesses all his sins, bearing his heart in front of the stone, but under unfortunate circumstances. he pretty much accepts his death/punishment. he grieves his lost love, Privet, grieves his friends, grieves who he should have been. then Privet comes to save *him* and finally he can start to forgive himself and do better. and in the end of the story, he succeeds in his task, he finally delves. he could have never done this without the help of his mole friends, who after all he had done, could still love and accept him. and Rooster finally starts feeling at peace. I think this is beautiful, and this is just a small part of just one moles story! this is how rich this book is.
what I liked less..
some plot points didn't make clear sense to me.
-for example, the whole thing about Stour having to carry the 6 books into this chamber. he had to carry them through a lot of tunnels, exhausting him to the point of dying when he finally finishes (or maybe he was just kept alive by the will to finish this first?). but pumpkin and sterne can enter the chamber via another side tunnel within minutes. why didn't he take that route?
-another point, pumpkin only at the end rebels against the newborns, by simply leaving Duncton Wood. but why didn't they all just leave before they even arrived at Duncton? why wait until they start killing, when you know they are killers?
-another point is, why exactly did the fellowship go to the meeting? it was basically the main plot but I never really understood the point of it? they escaped from duncton wood to go there, only to be captured there and be taken to cells, to escape and watch the meeting secretly, and then to escape again? I kind of get that there was more to it than that, but how much impact did their being there really have on the outcome? couldn't tell you.
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5
Dialogue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5
Setting ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
was mostly very immersive and interesting places, but in the end I did start forgetting which place was which (like beechenhill? what's that??)
Pacing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5
it feels a little unbalanced at times.
Immersion ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5
Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5
sadly it does suffer a lot from "tell dont show" syndrome. this really started to bother me. besides that more technical point, i do like the way he writes in general.
Depth/complexity ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really really wish they didn't have to make the newborn inquisitors basically pure evil. I find it hard to believe such a big group of moles just love violence. I do hope to learn more about Thripp and the carodacian order, but I wish the newborns didn't just say "for the stone" while just completely not giving a shit about the religious aspect. I think it would've been more interesting to see actually argue about why they were right and maybe try to convince moles instead of straight up going to abuse as their conversion ritual. it made most of the newborns look stupid and cruel, nothing much more, apart from the more devious leaders (different kind of stupid).
Re-readability ⭐️⭐️2.5
Creativity ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
who would've thought moles could make for such a immersive story? William Horwood made it possible.
Ending ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3.7
not bad by any means, it felt like a clean appropiate ending, could have used maybe more of a cliffhanger?
ps. RIP to Chater
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2022
Excellent. Excellent excellent excellent. I love these books and am thoroughly enjoying them and can't wait to reread them someday. What a delight.
July 31, 2025
There were portions of this book that were a bit of a slog and felt like Horwood was retreading the first trilogy too much. I also didn't like Privet's time with the Newborns, mainly because the timeline felt very awkward and farfetched in relation to other aspects of the story, as well as unnecessary. I think the story could have moved forward without it. Horwood is also still very obsessed with equating evil with sexual violence and incest. But it was still a good book, and Horwood's character development and use of the landscape is still stellar.
March 2, 2026
actual rating 4.5/5
I've affectionately come to call these books "Mole Game of Thrones" but honestly I enjoy these far more than ASOIAF. They're dark and messed up but also SO well-written and deep and profound. Horwood's become one of my all-time favorite xenofiction authors for sure.
I'm sad there's only one book left after this one. I need more Mole Drama in my life.
I've affectionately come to call these books "Mole Game of Thrones" but honestly I enjoy these far more than ASOIAF. They're dark and messed up but also SO well-written and deep and profound. Horwood's become one of my all-time favorite xenofiction authors for sure.
I'm sad there's only one book left after this one. I need more Mole Drama in my life.
December 9, 2023
4 1/2. I am enjoying this series very much. One last one to go (Book of Silence #3).
July 14, 2010
These Duncton books reach a new low. Since Horwood clearly didn't take the trouble to write anything worth reading, I shall not take the trouble to complete a full review. I will merely point out the following: these books are not, under any circumstances, for children. I worry that the tagline comparing them with Watership Down will cause younger readers to pick them up.
Here are the reasons they shouldn't:
Overt torture scenes.
Explicit mole sex scenes.
At least two instances of rape, one involving a father towards his son.
Disgustingly brutal fight scenes.
A couple of really obscene death scenes.
Avoid. Please.
Here are the reasons they shouldn't:
Overt torture scenes.
Explicit mole sex scenes.
At least two instances of rape, one involving a father towards his son.
Disgustingly brutal fight scenes.
A couple of really obscene death scenes.
Avoid. Please.
Read
May 21, 2012If such a thing existed, I would nominate the entire series for the Bad Animal Sex Award. Entirely gratuitous horrible mole sex (what? That's a thing now?). It is entirely possible to make sex involving animals believable (I can think of two examples without trying), but this isn't it. These books are terrible: the writing is poor and the plot doesn't make sense or leave any room for any given event to have emotional consequences. However, the sex is the nadir. Do not read this book. It will rot your brain.
June 22, 2014
I have had enough. I skimmed the last 100 pages or so because I couldn't stand any more of the unnecessary words. This story could have been told in half the pages. I found it impossible to connect with any of the characters, and I honestly don't care what happens in the last book. I am done with this series. So there!
December 30, 2023
Re-read. An epic instalment in an excellent series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews