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The Silvered #1
The Silvered
The Empire has declared war on the small, were-ruled kingdom of Aydori, capturing five women of the Mage-Pack, including the wife of the were Pack-leader. With the Pack off defending the border, it falls to Mirian Maylin and Tomas Hagen - she a low-level mage, he younger brother to the Pack-leader - to save them. Together the two set out on the kidnappers’ trail, racing into the heart of enemy territory. But with every step the odds against their survival, let alone their success, grow steeper...
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First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
Tanya Huff
151 books2,446 followersTanya Sue Huff is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science fiction series. One of these, her Blood Books series, featuring detective Vicki Nelson, was adapted for television under the title Blood Ties.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 394 reviews
December 27, 2012
I like this book. And I don’t like it. I enjoyed most of Tanya Huff’s previous works and think her one of the best writers in the fantasy genre. Besides, she is my fellow Canadian. So I had high expectations for this book, but instead, it disappointed me.
The plot is simple. A big aggressive empire attacks the small country of Aydori, the country ruled by wolf-shifters and mages. The empire doesn’t have mages but it has science: dirigibles, muskets, explosives, gas light and the like, approximately on the level of mid-19th century Europe. During the attack, a detachment of imperial soldiers under the command of Captain Reiter penetrate deep into Aydori to carry out a special order from the emperor: to kidnap a group of local top-level mages, all pregnant women, for the emperor’s scientific experiments. A seventeen-year-old girl Mirian, who considers herself a failed magic student, witnesses the kidnapping and decides to liberate the mages. Together with a young wolf-shifter Tomas, she follows the soldiers and the mages into the heart of the empire. On the road, she tries to get control of her wayward magic, and her magical fumbling leads them into one predicament after another, until finally, she and Tomas succeed in their self-appointed task. Kind of…
The above is just a dry summary. The book itself is deeper and more disturbing than its plotline suggests. Its prose is strong, gripping the readers from the start and not letting go until the end. The world building is solid and original. The author weaves together three interconnected story lines, each with its own leading character. I wouldn’t even call them subplots, because each of the three protagonists embarks on his/her own inner and outer journeys and confronts his/her own demons.
The first story is the story of Danika, the leader of the kidnapped women mages. With their magic neutralized by ancient artifacts, the women are practically helpless. The only resistance available to them is passive, but they do all they can to thwart their enemies, including the emperor himself. The author paints him as a rather scary guy, an all-powerful, scientifically-minded fanatic. He believes that shape-shifters and mages are abominations, less than humans, something like rats with the ability to talk. For him, Danika and the other women mages are not people but living material for his brutal scientific experiments, which remind the readers of the Nazis’ medical tinkering.
Faced with such horror, Danika demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities and bottomless compassion. She wouldn’t submit, but her defenses are subtle, and her main goal is to keep the hope alive in her fellow mages and not let despair claim them. Her courage, determination, and wit lead the captives to their eventual escape.
Straightforward and satisfactory, Danika’s tale is a tale of a heroine and her friends in captivity, fighting for their freedom. Their travails pull at the readers’ heartstrings and keep the tension high until the victorious denouement.
The second story is the story of Captain Reiter. He is the most interesting character of the book. Starting out as a loyal imperial officer, capable and smart, always following his orders no matter how distasteful, he goes through the deepest transformation in this novel. He is the one who changes.
Revolted by the emperor’s atrocities, the captain can’t accept torture for the sake of science. As a soldier, he killed and watched his mates killed, but he knows a difference between killing in war and murdering innocents in cold blood. Even though in the beginning, he shares the emperor’s conviction that mages and shape-shifters are inferior, after a while, he starts seeing people in them. His conscience wouldn’t condone his emperor’s bloody research, but he can’t oppose his ruler without turning a traitor. His road to betrayal is agonizing and complex but utterly logical. In the end, helping the captive mages to escape becomes the only possible, the only humane choice for him.
The third story is the story of Mirian, and here I ran into trouble. Mirian is the most important character in the novel, or she should be, according to the number of pages devoted to her. But I couldn’t understand her motivations. Why did she decide to free the mages herself? She is absolutely unsuitable to the job and she knows it.
Unfortunately, the only answer she could give to this question, and people do ask her several times during the course of the novel, is that she was the only one there. I didn’t believe it. And my disbelief colored my perception of the girl and her senseless, unexplainable escapade.
At the start of the novel, Mirian is a pampered daughter of a banker. Her mother wants her to make an advantageous marriage to one of the wolf-shifters. But for Mirian, this seems like a dead-end. Oh, she doesn’t mind a wolf-shifter for a husband; they are the elite of their society after all and charming men to boot. But she wants to make something of herself as well. I believe it and sympathize with her sentiments.
Then the war starts, the empire attacks, and Mirian dives headlong into her adventure, with no reason at all. None of the kidnapped mages is her kin. She has nothing to discover. No revenge is involved. No one of her friends is involved. Logically, she can and should choose a different path. She doesn’t need to go after the mages. As I don’t understand what drives her, I stop believing her story.
Besides, even after she undergoes much suffering and danger and turns herself into a heroine, she still faces a dead-end, although of a different kind. Before, she was a useless society girl. Now, she is a super mage, not entirely human, and responsible for a bunch of damaged wolf-shifters. Her future seems just as hopeless now as it was before. What did she achieve? Well, she didn’t free the mages – they freed themselves – but she did free the rest of the emperor’s experimental menagerie and killed the crazed emperor. Good for her, I suppose, and that should be enough for one novel, but Mirian’s exploits still left a bad taste in my mouth. Why did she do it?
The plot is simple. A big aggressive empire attacks the small country of Aydori, the country ruled by wolf-shifters and mages. The empire doesn’t have mages but it has science: dirigibles, muskets, explosives, gas light and the like, approximately on the level of mid-19th century Europe. During the attack, a detachment of imperial soldiers under the command of Captain Reiter penetrate deep into Aydori to carry out a special order from the emperor: to kidnap a group of local top-level mages, all pregnant women, for the emperor’s scientific experiments. A seventeen-year-old girl Mirian, who considers herself a failed magic student, witnesses the kidnapping and decides to liberate the mages. Together with a young wolf-shifter Tomas, she follows the soldiers and the mages into the heart of the empire. On the road, she tries to get control of her wayward magic, and her magical fumbling leads them into one predicament after another, until finally, she and Tomas succeed in their self-appointed task. Kind of…
The above is just a dry summary. The book itself is deeper and more disturbing than its plotline suggests. Its prose is strong, gripping the readers from the start and not letting go until the end. The world building is solid and original. The author weaves together three interconnected story lines, each with its own leading character. I wouldn’t even call them subplots, because each of the three protagonists embarks on his/her own inner and outer journeys and confronts his/her own demons.
The first story is the story of Danika, the leader of the kidnapped women mages. With their magic neutralized by ancient artifacts, the women are practically helpless. The only resistance available to them is passive, but they do all they can to thwart their enemies, including the emperor himself. The author paints him as a rather scary guy, an all-powerful, scientifically-minded fanatic. He believes that shape-shifters and mages are abominations, less than humans, something like rats with the ability to talk. For him, Danika and the other women mages are not people but living material for his brutal scientific experiments, which remind the readers of the Nazis’ medical tinkering.
Faced with such horror, Danika demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities and bottomless compassion. She wouldn’t submit, but her defenses are subtle, and her main goal is to keep the hope alive in her fellow mages and not let despair claim them. Her courage, determination, and wit lead the captives to their eventual escape.
Straightforward and satisfactory, Danika’s tale is a tale of a heroine and her friends in captivity, fighting for their freedom. Their travails pull at the readers’ heartstrings and keep the tension high until the victorious denouement.
The second story is the story of Captain Reiter. He is the most interesting character of the book. Starting out as a loyal imperial officer, capable and smart, always following his orders no matter how distasteful, he goes through the deepest transformation in this novel. He is the one who changes.
Revolted by the emperor’s atrocities, the captain can’t accept torture for the sake of science. As a soldier, he killed and watched his mates killed, but he knows a difference between killing in war and murdering innocents in cold blood. Even though in the beginning, he shares the emperor’s conviction that mages and shape-shifters are inferior, after a while, he starts seeing people in them. His conscience wouldn’t condone his emperor’s bloody research, but he can’t oppose his ruler without turning a traitor. His road to betrayal is agonizing and complex but utterly logical. In the end, helping the captive mages to escape becomes the only possible, the only humane choice for him.
The third story is the story of Mirian, and here I ran into trouble. Mirian is the most important character in the novel, or she should be, according to the number of pages devoted to her. But I couldn’t understand her motivations. Why did she decide to free the mages herself? She is absolutely unsuitable to the job and she knows it.
Unfortunately, the only answer she could give to this question, and people do ask her several times during the course of the novel, is that she was the only one there. I didn’t believe it. And my disbelief colored my perception of the girl and her senseless, unexplainable escapade.
At the start of the novel, Mirian is a pampered daughter of a banker. Her mother wants her to make an advantageous marriage to one of the wolf-shifters. But for Mirian, this seems like a dead-end. Oh, she doesn’t mind a wolf-shifter for a husband; they are the elite of their society after all and charming men to boot. But she wants to make something of herself as well. I believe it and sympathize with her sentiments.
Then the war starts, the empire attacks, and Mirian dives headlong into her adventure, with no reason at all. None of the kidnapped mages is her kin. She has nothing to discover. No revenge is involved. No one of her friends is involved. Logically, she can and should choose a different path. She doesn’t need to go after the mages. As I don’t understand what drives her, I stop believing her story.
Besides, even after she undergoes much suffering and danger and turns herself into a heroine, she still faces a dead-end, although of a different kind. Before, she was a useless society girl. Now, she is a super mage, not entirely human, and responsible for a bunch of damaged wolf-shifters. Her future seems just as hopeless now as it was before. What did she achieve? Well, she didn’t free the mages – they freed themselves – but she did free the rest of the emperor’s experimental menagerie and killed the crazed emperor. Good for her, I suppose, and that should be enough for one novel, but Mirian’s exploits still left a bad taste in my mouth. Why did she do it?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2013
Mirian Maylin is young bright and failing at university. Her powers were tested and expectations on her from parents were very high. Father's banking and Mother's social life both sat waiting for her to marry into the Pack. But Marian was failing and didn't have the heart or time to tell her parents. Suddenly the border war was here and the Mage-pack stolen by the Emperor. No-one else alive saw the kidnapping so Marian feels it is her duty to follow and help save the five mages.
This was a beautiful, strong opening to the series by Tanya Huff. I feared another teen series, but was happily immersed in a amazing world of shape shifters, magic and folly. The best point I think I can make s that it passes the Bechdel test - The Bechdel test asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. Many contemporary works fail this test of gender bias - This book is full of women that act like real women do and this includes the heroine of the book.
This was a beautiful, strong opening to the series by Tanya Huff. I feared another teen series, but was happily immersed in a amazing world of shape shifters, magic and folly. The best point I think I can make s that it passes the Bechdel test - The Bechdel test asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. Many contemporary works fail this test of gender bias - This book is full of women that act like real women do and this includes the heroine of the book.
June 12, 2013
It seems like this is going to be a good series. I have read other Tanya Huff books and like them. This one has a very interesting world where mages and werewolves are on one side of a conflict and technology is on the other. The Emperor who leads the tech side is crazy and has decided that the mages and their werewolf consorts are "abominations" and therefore not human. While practicing magic is bad, the Emperor uses Soothsayers prophecies to guide his decision to capture all the high-level mages and then experiment on them.
Our heroine, Mirian, is mage who flunked her university courses and has no "mage marks" in here eyes, even though she tested high for mage power. Tomas is the younger brother of the Pack Leader, and the last survivor of the battle to hold their border against the Emperor. They find themselves thrown together when each of them sets off to save the captured mages and they themselves are captured by a very determined army captain, Captain Reiter.
The beginning of this was a little slow but it picked up and never stopped after about the first quarter of the book. Lots of action, not too much political intrigue, and a villain you have no problem hating made this a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Our heroine, Mirian, is mage who flunked her university courses and has no "mage marks" in here eyes, even though she tested high for mage power. Tomas is the younger brother of the Pack Leader, and the last survivor of the battle to hold their border against the Emperor. They find themselves thrown together when each of them sets off to save the captured mages and they themselves are captured by a very determined army captain, Captain Reiter.
The beginning of this was a little slow but it picked up and never stopped after about the first quarter of the book. Lots of action, not too much political intrigue, and a villain you have no problem hating made this a thoroughly enjoyable read.
December 1, 2013
A true high fantasy featuring werewolves. Sharing very few tropes with the urban fantasy sub genre this book is more properly a fantasy featuring shape shifters, mages, and an invading army. The main character is brilliantly strong and courageous, but don't expect the classic love triangle, the standard waffling, or the pat ending of an urban fantasy arc. This book is stronger, fiercer and far more gruesome. Battles and choices have consequences for the characters and the reader. I found it tough going at times but well worth the journey.
January 3, 2013
http://www.rantingdragon.com/review-o...
Tanya Huff is a well-known author in the speculative fiction community. While she’s best known for her Blood series, which was later adapted for television under the title Blood Ties, her other works span from epic fantasy to space-age military science fiction. The Silvered is her most recent release.
Aydori is a small country that used to be separated from a massive empire by two duchies. Problem is, that empire just gobbled up those duchies in record time and is now camped on Aydori’s border. While the empire bases its society on science from the age of the industrial revolution, Aydori is protected by classes of shapeshifters and elemental mages. Under the cover of invasion, the Emperor sends a small, elite team of men to kidnap six mages and bring them to his capital. Except Mirian Maylin, the sixth mage, has no intention of sitting on her hands, and eludes capture with the help of shapeshifter Tomas Hagen. Together, they set out to rescue the other five mages from the clutches of a mad emperor.
A richly built tale
Tanya Huff has been publishing full length novels since 1988. She knows not only how to world build, but how to build magic systems and do phenomenal characterizations. Her experience shows on every page of The Silvered. Aydori and its neighbors have a steampunk inspired feel, even if technology is the purview of the protagonist’s enemies. Society has a very Victorian feel to its etiquette, both in Aydori and in the empire. Not only are the characters fully fleshed out, but they fully interact with their world on a level that many authors doen’t use. Mirian isn’t let to go wandering across an empire without having narrow escapes, dirty clothes, and blistered feet. She has to steal fresh clothing, find ways to blend into the changing lands around her, and constantly strategize. She’s mired in the realities of her world, and this really makes the story live and breathe. The system of magic Mirian uses seems like it’s not a thoroughly plotted system a la Sanderson once you really get going. But don’t be fooled, the magic is more complicated than most mages know, and there are consequences for breaking the rules in the way Mirian does. I love the fact that here is a magic system where you can break the rules, yet the magic still works and doesn’t just fizzle or go boom. The consequences are more subtle, and perhaps pricier, than that.
A word of warning
Do not expect to be able to do anything else while reading this book. The Silvered really got into my head and refused to let go. The back and forth banter between Mirian and Tomas is believable and endearing. The time spent from the point of view of Danika Hagen, one of the captured mages, and Captain Reiter, one of the men sent to capture Mirian, are well spent, informative, and also entertaining. I never wanted to put this book down, and I stayed fully invested in the story from start to finish. Unfortunately, it’s also a standalone book. If Huff ever decides to write a sequel, it will likely land on my most-anticipated list.
Why you should read this book?
Books this good don’t come along that often. The Silvered is a well-planned, well executed adventure tale. I loved it. Completely. I can’t think of a single reason why you shouldn’t or even might not want to read this book.
Tanya Huff is a well-known author in the speculative fiction community. While she’s best known for her Blood series, which was later adapted for television under the title Blood Ties, her other works span from epic fantasy to space-age military science fiction. The Silvered is her most recent release.
Aydori is a small country that used to be separated from a massive empire by two duchies. Problem is, that empire just gobbled up those duchies in record time and is now camped on Aydori’s border. While the empire bases its society on science from the age of the industrial revolution, Aydori is protected by classes of shapeshifters and elemental mages. Under the cover of invasion, the Emperor sends a small, elite team of men to kidnap six mages and bring them to his capital. Except Mirian Maylin, the sixth mage, has no intention of sitting on her hands, and eludes capture with the help of shapeshifter Tomas Hagen. Together, they set out to rescue the other five mages from the clutches of a mad emperor.
A richly built tale
Tanya Huff has been publishing full length novels since 1988. She knows not only how to world build, but how to build magic systems and do phenomenal characterizations. Her experience shows on every page of The Silvered. Aydori and its neighbors have a steampunk inspired feel, even if technology is the purview of the protagonist’s enemies. Society has a very Victorian feel to its etiquette, both in Aydori and in the empire. Not only are the characters fully fleshed out, but they fully interact with their world on a level that many authors doen’t use. Mirian isn’t let to go wandering across an empire without having narrow escapes, dirty clothes, and blistered feet. She has to steal fresh clothing, find ways to blend into the changing lands around her, and constantly strategize. She’s mired in the realities of her world, and this really makes the story live and breathe. The system of magic Mirian uses seems like it’s not a thoroughly plotted system a la Sanderson once you really get going. But don’t be fooled, the magic is more complicated than most mages know, and there are consequences for breaking the rules in the way Mirian does. I love the fact that here is a magic system where you can break the rules, yet the magic still works and doesn’t just fizzle or go boom. The consequences are more subtle, and perhaps pricier, than that.
A word of warning
Do not expect to be able to do anything else while reading this book. The Silvered really got into my head and refused to let go. The back and forth banter between Mirian and Tomas is believable and endearing. The time spent from the point of view of Danika Hagen, one of the captured mages, and Captain Reiter, one of the men sent to capture Mirian, are well spent, informative, and also entertaining. I never wanted to put this book down, and I stayed fully invested in the story from start to finish. Unfortunately, it’s also a standalone book. If Huff ever decides to write a sequel, it will likely land on my most-anticipated list.
Why you should read this book?
Books this good don’t come along that often. The Silvered is a well-planned, well executed adventure tale. I loved it. Completely. I can’t think of a single reason why you shouldn’t or even might not want to read this book.
March 30, 2013
Although I've mostly read Huff's earlier works, I've come to trust her for sensical plots and characters. So although I rolled my eyes to hear of yet another werewolf-based premise, I picked this one up anyway.
It must have been a while since I've read an intelligent fantasy, because the first few pages were a little tough for me to get through, trying to remember names and relationships and getting confused in the setting. Eventually I adjusted: Aydori is ruled by a werewolf Pack, members of which seek mates among mages. There's a rather Regency-like feel to the way mothers desperately fling their daughters into the path of eligible bachelor Pack members.
Mirian's apparently a mage of great potential, but university tests showed that it was spread out among different areas, keeping her from developing meaningful power in any one. Matters of marriage and studies are set aside, though, when the neighboring empire attacks. Losses are horrendous; Tomas sees his fellow Pack-mates ripped to shreds, and alone survives out of his group.
A special unit of the imperial forces then captures five mages from the fleeing Aydori. The sixth, Mirian, escapes. And here's where I first stumbled, although I picked myself back up and kept reading: there have to be six mages because of a prophecy that the emperor is following. Convenient.
Mirian and Tomas encounter each other, and since he knows the Pack Leader's dead and she knows the Pack Leaader's pregnant mate (one of the mages taken prisoner) has been abducted, they join forces to try to recover the woman.
Their journey is one of the highlights of the book. Mirian's a practical sort with the intelligence and grit to keep going, not just through blisters but also the need to kill a man; Tomas is a military man with bestial instincts who has just had his sense of order shot out from under him. They gradually build their trust in each other through a series of dangers and quieter moments. Their relationship isn't even necessarily romantic (although Tomas notes that she smells amazing). Do enjoy this part...
...because I started tripping more often as the story advanced past here. One big issue was that certain characters were unambiguously stupid or evil. Mirian's mother, for example, states outright that a potential betrothal catch is more important than the impending invasion. And the emperor who captured the mages is a madman who claims he's all about science, yet listens to soothsayers and is the sort who tortures people in the name of experimentation. Even as I found him abhorrent as a character, he annoyed me for being so one-note.
The other problem was Mirian herself, sadly. I loved her attitude, but as she began to discover her powers were far greater than anyone at the university could have guessed, I got a sinking feeling. Sure enough, she eventually develops into a veritable superwoman who can blast her way through anything. There is a significant price to her power, but I didn't find it proportional to what she gained. By the end I was almost bored because I knew she wouldn't really encounter any difficulties, and Tomas almost faded into becoming a mere secondary character next to her.
So I don't know. There were parts I really liked about this, but I am decidedly uninterested in seeing where Mirian goes next. I'll have to check what else Huff does in this world, though.
It must have been a while since I've read an intelligent fantasy, because the first few pages were a little tough for me to get through, trying to remember names and relationships and getting confused in the setting. Eventually I adjusted: Aydori is ruled by a werewolf Pack, members of which seek mates among mages. There's a rather Regency-like feel to the way mothers desperately fling their daughters into the path of eligible bachelor Pack members.
Mirian's apparently a mage of great potential, but university tests showed that it was spread out among different areas, keeping her from developing meaningful power in any one. Matters of marriage and studies are set aside, though, when the neighboring empire attacks. Losses are horrendous; Tomas sees his fellow Pack-mates ripped to shreds, and alone survives out of his group.
A special unit of the imperial forces then captures five mages from the fleeing Aydori. The sixth, Mirian, escapes. And here's where I first stumbled, although I picked myself back up and kept reading: there have to be six mages because of a prophecy that the emperor is following. Convenient.
Mirian and Tomas encounter each other, and since he knows the Pack Leader's dead and she knows the Pack Leaader's pregnant mate (one of the mages taken prisoner) has been abducted, they join forces to try to recover the woman.
Their journey is one of the highlights of the book. Mirian's a practical sort with the intelligence and grit to keep going, not just through blisters but also the need to kill a man; Tomas is a military man with bestial instincts who has just had his sense of order shot out from under him. They gradually build their trust in each other through a series of dangers and quieter moments. Their relationship isn't even necessarily romantic (although Tomas notes that she smells amazing). Do enjoy this part...
...because I started tripping more often as the story advanced past here. One big issue was that certain characters were unambiguously stupid or evil. Mirian's mother, for example, states outright that a potential betrothal catch is more important than the impending invasion. And the emperor who captured the mages is a madman who claims he's all about science, yet listens to soothsayers and is the sort who tortures people in the name of experimentation. Even as I found him abhorrent as a character, he annoyed me for being so one-note.
The other problem was Mirian herself, sadly. I loved her attitude, but as she began to discover her powers were far greater than anyone at the university could have guessed, I got a sinking feeling. Sure enough, she eventually develops into a veritable superwoman who can blast her way through anything. There is a significant price to her power, but I didn't find it proportional to what she gained. By the end I was almost bored because I knew she wouldn't really encounter any difficulties, and Tomas almost faded into becoming a mere secondary character next to her.
So I don't know. There were parts I really liked about this, but I am decidedly uninterested in seeing where Mirian goes next. I'll have to check what else Huff does in this world, though.
November 7, 2012
* * * 4.5 Stars * * *
A powerfully emotional story that draws you in and doesn't let you go. It's perfectly balanced with scenes that are heartbreaking, triumphant, brutal, and occasionally humorous.
Huff has an exceptional talent for creating remarkable, three-dimensional characters. And her female leads are strong, not because of what they can accomplish physically, but because they symbolize bravery, selflessness, determination, and are as alpha as any leader could ever be.
Mirian, the story's protagonist, and Danika, the Mage-pack's Alpha, were both incredibly clever. They were level-headed, quick thinkers who did everything possible to avoid being at a disadvantage. They possessed all of the qualities that made them ideal heroines.
The story's plot was complex and layered with multiple points of view that kept me engaged in the story. From the very beginning, we're thrown right into the middle of a war. We learn about the wolf packs, Mage-packs, and one power-hungry emperor's plan to control them all.
Mirian, a seemingly low-level mage, finds herself on a journey to rescue five women who were taken under the emperor's command. She is joined by Tomas, the Alpha's brother, who has suffered an unbearable amount of loss during the war and refuses to add the women of the Mage-pack to this increasing number of casualties.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this story was the progression of Mirian's talents. She has spent her entire life believing herself capable of only first level abilities, but finds that during intense, highly emotional situations, her mage-craft is elevated. What she becomes capable of is astounding and, in an interesting twist, is also not without consequences.
Another pleasant surprise during this story was Captain Reiter, the man tasked with capturing Mirian. It was a pleasure experiencing the story through his point of view and I enjoyed his character's transition. He was given more depth than I had expected and his role in the story was one that I didn't anticipate. He is also responsible for most of the insight we are given into the mad emperor's decisions and motivations.
Overall, I would have to say that The Silvered was everything that I enjoy in a fantasy novel. This is now one of my top reads of 2012.
A powerfully emotional story that draws you in and doesn't let you go. It's perfectly balanced with scenes that are heartbreaking, triumphant, brutal, and occasionally humorous.
Huff has an exceptional talent for creating remarkable, three-dimensional characters. And her female leads are strong, not because of what they can accomplish physically, but because they symbolize bravery, selflessness, determination, and are as alpha as any leader could ever be.
Mirian, the story's protagonist, and Danika, the Mage-pack's Alpha, were both incredibly clever. They were level-headed, quick thinkers who did everything possible to avoid being at a disadvantage. They possessed all of the qualities that made them ideal heroines.
The story's plot was complex and layered with multiple points of view that kept me engaged in the story. From the very beginning, we're thrown right into the middle of a war. We learn about the wolf packs, Mage-packs, and one power-hungry emperor's plan to control them all.
Mirian, a seemingly low-level mage, finds herself on a journey to rescue five women who were taken under the emperor's command. She is joined by Tomas, the Alpha's brother, who has suffered an unbearable amount of loss during the war and refuses to add the women of the Mage-pack to this increasing number of casualties.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this story was the progression of Mirian's talents. She has spent her entire life believing herself capable of only first level abilities, but finds that during intense, highly emotional situations, her mage-craft is elevated. What she becomes capable of is astounding and, in an interesting twist, is also not without consequences.
Another pleasant surprise during this story was Captain Reiter, the man tasked with capturing Mirian. It was a pleasure experiencing the story through his point of view and I enjoyed his character's transition. He was given more depth than I had expected and his role in the story was one that I didn't anticipate. He is also responsible for most of the insight we are given into the mad emperor's decisions and motivations.
Overall, I would have to say that The Silvered was everything that I enjoy in a fantasy novel. This is now one of my top reads of 2012.
December 23, 2012
Tanja Huff has enjoyed a varied career in science fiction and fantasy literature. She has written very popular urban fantasy novels with her 6 book "Blood" series and also written the science fiction "Valor" military series. She now turns her fine creative instincts to mixing traditional magical fantasy with shapeshifters set in a war torn world dominated by a mad emperor who is using science and military might to take over the world.
Aydori is a country in Huff's new world. It is led by members of the Mage-Pack, powerful female wizards with skills in fire, air, healing among others, and by members of the Hunt Pack, powerful shape shifters who can change into huge wolves. Aydori has managed to stay independent in the face of the aggressive Empire.
The Empire, however, has a new plan. There is a prophesy that one of the Mage Pack could destroy the Empire. They plan to capture the 6 mages in the prophesy using ancient magical artifacts. They attack Aydori and at the same time send a secret strike team deep into Aydori to capture the mages. The plan partly works and they are able to capture 5 mages. The strike team splits in half and Captain Reiter and a select squad go after the missing mage.
Mirian Maylin, is a young mage, who has been thrown out of the magical university because she seems to know how to do beginning spells in all the major fields of fire, earth, air, healing, water and metals, but is unable to advance in one discipline. Mirian witnesses the capture of the 5 mages and sets off to thwart their transport to the Empire, accompanied only by Tomas, a young shape shifter member of the Hunt Pack.
She is captured in turn by Reiter almost immediately, and snared by one of the magical artifacts, but escapes with the help of Tomas and is able to remove the artifact -- is it because she used some resin in her hair -- or because Mirian is more powerful than she seemed. We learn the answer on their quest. Mirian learns to use her magical skills. Meanwhile, Reiter begins to question his orders as the "beastmen" are not the abominations he believes in and the mages are more human than he was led to believe.
Mirian must learn to use her growing power and learns during her journey that there used to be many magicians with skills in all the magical disciplines, but the university came along and switched people into one discipline. It seems that there is a price to pay for using all the magical disciplines.
Reiter is nearly punished for letting the 6th Mage pass through his fingers, but the imperial soothsayers -- have seen Reiter with the Emperor, so the Emperor lets him live and lets him witness his experiments on the captured mages and the captured members of the Hunt Pack. Reiter is now questioning his allegiance, but is stuck behind lines.
Can Mirian and Tomas save them in time. Will Reiter play a part. How powerful is Mirian becoming. Its all there to discover in this exciting fantasy novel.
I expect a next novel in this series, and frankly cannot wait.
Aydori is a country in Huff's new world. It is led by members of the Mage-Pack, powerful female wizards with skills in fire, air, healing among others, and by members of the Hunt Pack, powerful shape shifters who can change into huge wolves. Aydori has managed to stay independent in the face of the aggressive Empire.
The Empire, however, has a new plan. There is a prophesy that one of the Mage Pack could destroy the Empire. They plan to capture the 6 mages in the prophesy using ancient magical artifacts. They attack Aydori and at the same time send a secret strike team deep into Aydori to capture the mages. The plan partly works and they are able to capture 5 mages. The strike team splits in half and Captain Reiter and a select squad go after the missing mage.
Mirian Maylin, is a young mage, who has been thrown out of the magical university because she seems to know how to do beginning spells in all the major fields of fire, earth, air, healing, water and metals, but is unable to advance in one discipline. Mirian witnesses the capture of the 5 mages and sets off to thwart their transport to the Empire, accompanied only by Tomas, a young shape shifter member of the Hunt Pack.
She is captured in turn by Reiter almost immediately, and snared by one of the magical artifacts, but escapes with the help of Tomas and is able to remove the artifact -- is it because she used some resin in her hair -- or because Mirian is more powerful than she seemed. We learn the answer on their quest. Mirian learns to use her magical skills. Meanwhile, Reiter begins to question his orders as the "beastmen" are not the abominations he believes in and the mages are more human than he was led to believe.
Mirian must learn to use her growing power and learns during her journey that there used to be many magicians with skills in all the magical disciplines, but the university came along and switched people into one discipline. It seems that there is a price to pay for using all the magical disciplines.
Reiter is nearly punished for letting the 6th Mage pass through his fingers, but the imperial soothsayers -- have seen Reiter with the Emperor, so the Emperor lets him live and lets him witness his experiments on the captured mages and the captured members of the Hunt Pack. Reiter is now questioning his allegiance, but is stuck behind lines.
Can Mirian and Tomas save them in time. Will Reiter play a part. How powerful is Mirian becoming. Its all there to discover in this exciting fantasy novel.
I expect a next novel in this series, and frankly cannot wait.
July 23, 2020
I got this book at the dollar store and seriously didn't expect much, but I loved it!
My first impression of this book wasn't the best. Every couple of pages we changed perspectives, about a dozen times within the first chapter. (Only four POVs total) but with all the names and fantasy locations, I was confused and overwhelmed.
I'm glad I stuck with it. Silvered is an epic fantasy with plenty of excitement, and great characters.
Though there's a war going on this is a quest book. I don't typically like traveling in books, but the relationship between Mirian and Tomas made it enjoyable.
The magic system was your basic elemental, but Mirian's magic was really cool. She's flunked out of college so she has no confidence and little control, but she learns more and progresses over the course of the book.
While I actually liked all four POV characters, when I do a reread I'll skip Danica, the mage pack leader. She's captured and once they get to the capital it's a bit dark for me.
Although two of the main characters are teenagers I don't consider this YA. There's no sex. (Though dog boy humps her leg once or twice.) But it gets rather gorey towards the end.
This is why I hate standalone books. Though everything was wrapped up, I still want more!
My first impression of this book wasn't the best. Every couple of pages we changed perspectives, about a dozen times within the first chapter. (Only four POVs total) but with all the names and fantasy locations, I was confused and overwhelmed.
I'm glad I stuck with it. Silvered is an epic fantasy with plenty of excitement, and great characters.
Though there's a war going on this is a quest book. I don't typically like traveling in books, but the relationship between Mirian and Tomas made it enjoyable.
The magic system was your basic elemental, but Mirian's magic was really cool. She's flunked out of college so she has no confidence and little control, but she learns more and progresses over the course of the book.
While I actually liked all four POV characters, when I do a reread I'll skip Danica, the mage pack leader. She's captured and once they get to the capital it's a bit dark for me.
Although two of the main characters are teenagers I don't consider this YA. There's no sex. (Though dog boy humps her leg once or twice.) But it gets rather gorey towards the end.
This is why I hate standalone books. Though everything was wrapped up, I still want more!
February 15, 2013
3.5 stars. I love Tanya Huff, and this was a pleasure to read. The plot is a bit odd, though, and seemed almost a waste of the fantasy world that was created.
We have a kingdom ruled by mages and werewolves which is being invaded by a foreign empire. This fantasy world is on the brink of an industrial revolution, so while this is not steampunk, there is some discussion of magic vs. science. The enemy empire is pro-science, but they also have a vaguely described religion which serves to give them a reason to hate werewolves.
A group of women mages have been kidnapped by the enemy, and a great deal of time is spent on the minutia of their capture and elaborately cruel imprisonment. A young werewolf and a young mage team up to go in search of their captured countrywomen, and a great deal of time is spent on the minutia of their journey.
I’m okay with the cliche of . But I’m not as happy with fantasy novels where .
I disappointed by the motive behind the kidnapping, and I never felt much chemistry between the young mage and werewolf. But the women mages as a group were very interesting, and so was the enemy soldier who has increasing difficulty justifying his actions. All in all, a pretty good read.
We have a kingdom ruled by mages and werewolves which is being invaded by a foreign empire. This fantasy world is on the brink of an industrial revolution, so while this is not steampunk, there is some discussion of magic vs. science. The enemy empire is pro-science, but they also have a vaguely described religion which serves to give them a reason to hate werewolves.
A group of women mages have been kidnapped by the enemy, and a great deal of time is spent on the minutia of their capture and elaborately cruel imprisonment. A young werewolf and a young mage team up to go in search of their captured countrywomen, and a great deal of time is spent on the minutia of their journey.
I’m okay with the cliche of . But I’m not as happy with fantasy novels where .
I disappointed by the motive behind the kidnapping, and I never felt much chemistry between the young mage and werewolf. But the women mages as a group were very interesting, and so was the enemy soldier who has increasing difficulty justifying his actions. All in all, a pretty good read.
January 19, 2018
This really should have been a 5 star rating. I so desperately wanted to give it a 5 because it was a delight to read. Strong and well-drawn characters, an enticing world setting, and vivid action and tension throughout with new and unexpected things happening along the way.
All told, highly entertaining and readable. So why not a 5?
Well, all the good comments happened at the fine-grained, scene-by-scene detail level. When I took in the whole picture the story moved to a rather predictable resolution. Without revealing any real spoilers, help in the final climax came from the expected quarters, and escapes were achieved through expected means that had been thoroughly telegraphed many chapters earlier. There was nothing in the final chapters that truly surprised me, that made me sit back and say "Wow, I never saw that coming."
That left me skimming the final few pages of "Where are they now?" feeling strangely unsatisfied after so much promise. Which is sad.
All told, highly entertaining and readable. So why not a 5?
Well, all the good comments happened at the fine-grained, scene-by-scene detail level. When I took in the whole picture the story moved to a rather predictable resolution. Without revealing any real spoilers, help in the final climax came from the expected quarters, and escapes were achieved through expected means that had been thoroughly telegraphed many chapters earlier. There was nothing in the final chapters that truly surprised me, that made me sit back and say "Wow, I never saw that coming."
That left me skimming the final few pages of "Where are they now?" feeling strangely unsatisfied after so much promise. Which is sad.
December 1, 2012
I loved this book so much - it's the kind of tale that leaves you wanting more, not because it feels incomplete or unfinished*, but because there's potential for more stories in this world... and it'll be a shame if this imaginative world only gets one outing.
The setting is inspired by the Napoleonic era, and the story starts off by juxtapositioning grim battlefield scenes with glittering high society balls. Tanya Huff seamlessly introduces werewolves and mages of the Pack into this environment, and makes it feel real - the frenetic gaiety and matchmaking parents and very civilised evenings at the opera doesn't hide the not-quite-acknowledged fear that this world is about to be torn apart. And as you expect, it is and quite brutally too - the commencement of war combined with the kidnapping of the most powerful mages of the Pack causes confusion and terror... and that's the setup for a most satisfying fantasy.
In retrospect, Mirian and Tomas's decision to go right into the heart of the enemy Empire to rescue the kidnapped mages appears slightly ridiculous - how does an almost-mage and young werewolf expect to go up against an all-powerful emperor? But while they're doing it, it doesn't come across as stupid or naive. It's easy to empathise with Mirian - she's caught up in the romance of the moment, she wants to do the "right" thing and at the pivotal moment, finds the courage to do so and what's more, follows through. Equally, Tomas, who has come through the battle through pure luck, is shellshocked and needs to rescue the remainder of his Pack.
It's not all a mad action-packed dash for glory - there are poignant moments a-plenty, and while not overt, there is some romance. I liked how Tanya Huff showed that there was a price to pay for everything, and also the bad guys were portrayed as people and not this faceless enemy. There's redemption too, and it's done in such a way that leaves you feeling optimistic.
One of my favourite books that I've read this year, and as I said at the start, I'm left wanting to know what happens next.
* It's a standalone fantasy, and how rare is that?
The setting is inspired by the Napoleonic era, and the story starts off by juxtapositioning grim battlefield scenes with glittering high society balls. Tanya Huff seamlessly introduces werewolves and mages of the Pack into this environment, and makes it feel real - the frenetic gaiety and matchmaking parents and very civilised evenings at the opera doesn't hide the not-quite-acknowledged fear that this world is about to be torn apart. And as you expect, it is and quite brutally too - the commencement of war combined with the kidnapping of the most powerful mages of the Pack causes confusion and terror... and that's the setup for a most satisfying fantasy.
In retrospect, Mirian and Tomas's decision to go right into the heart of the enemy Empire to rescue the kidnapped mages appears slightly ridiculous - how does an almost-mage and young werewolf expect to go up against an all-powerful emperor? But while they're doing it, it doesn't come across as stupid or naive. It's easy to empathise with Mirian - she's caught up in the romance of the moment, she wants to do the "right" thing and at the pivotal moment, finds the courage to do so and what's more, follows through. Equally, Tomas, who has come through the battle through pure luck, is shellshocked and needs to rescue the remainder of his Pack.
It's not all a mad action-packed dash for glory - there are poignant moments a-plenty, and while not overt, there is some romance. I liked how Tanya Huff showed that there was a price to pay for everything, and also the bad guys were portrayed as people and not this faceless enemy. There's redemption too, and it's done in such a way that leaves you feeling optimistic.
One of my favourite books that I've read this year, and as I said at the start, I'm left wanting to know what happens next.
* It's a standalone fantasy, and how rare is that?
February 12, 2013
Tanya Huff just keeps getting better. I've loved her books for years because she writes really good genre fiction, but the books she has been publishing lately are on another level. Wilder, more thoughtful, more unusual, *unexpected*. Her last two books, about a family of Canadian deer-witches, were like cubist cozy urban fantasy, turning it inside out and making it something new, bizarre and exciting. The Silvered is a completely new world for her, this time she's taken the werewolf novel & turned it into something very different. It's a three handed epic fantasy where we follow a pack of pregnant mages taken prisoner by an enemy empire, an officer of the Imperial army, and a two person rescue party desperately racing to save the mages. I don't want to give too much away, because I really enjoyed the way half the time I didn't know how to evaluate the information I was being given because I knew it was coming from very biased sources. One of the cores of this novel is how culture shapes reality, how the way we operate in the world is partly determined by the cultural blinders we wear. It's a very thrilling read, full of tension and -fair warning - some of the things that happen are very upsetting, but not gratuitous.
February 3, 2022
I really, really loved this book. I was going to take a 1/2 star off because I felt the journey to Karis took way too long but the other parts of this book made up for it. I'm hoping the author wants to tell more of this story. It was wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy books.
May 3, 2013
The Silvered is a very nice novel. I enjoyed the time I spent in the world. The setting is fun - an empire that is trying to exploit science while magic fades is invading a kingdom ruled by werewolves and magicians. The empire is pre-ndustrial revolution, but they have the concept of how to do science - perhaps Renaissance level technology? While the science empire is portrayed as the bad guys if you are a peasant you are likely to be better off in the Empire, assuming you aren't drafted into the army or randomly run afoul of the Emperor. The portrayal of the social dynamics of the werewolf/magician kingdom is well done. Ms. Huff thanks her dogs for helping her with the dynamics of the pack. I don't own dogs, but the pack behavior is reminiscent of other fictional dog/wolf/were type dynamics I've read.
Fair warning - if you don't like Mary Sue as your protagonist this isn't the book for you. I can deal with it - I think of her as a young gender reversed third stage Heinlein character. But it gets kind of ridiculous after a while - she is the best of user of magic in the past 500 years not despite, but because she got thrown out of school. She is the object of prophecy. The two male leads (and some others) fall instantly in love (sort of) with her. The dominant mage of the principal Mage-pack in the kingdom yields dominance to her the first time they meet, And so on ,...
Despite the protagonist's overwhelming power, as a character I found her pretty enjoyable. There's a lot of snappy dialog of the sort I like. She learns absurdly fast, but she does put effort into it She is moving outside of her comfort zone from a pampered middle rank aristocrat to someone exposed to combat, hardship, and growing magical powers she doesn't quite understand and doesn't fully control She doesn't take it for granted, and she is shocked and hurt by the rawness of some of the things she encounters.
I liked the noble Captain who has the misfortune of serving the Evil Science Empire. I liked the portrayal of the politics of said Empire and the compromises their leaders were and were not willing to make when they were faced with moral choices.
I thought the mage pack was less well drawn than the Imperials. We get to see a certain amount of characterization, but I didn't learn as much about their society from them as I learned about the Empire from the Imperials. OTOH, they weren't IN their kingdom for most of the book, which makes it harder.
One last minor quibble. The title The Silvered refers (in the most literal fashion) to a silvered telescope the protagonist acquires early on in the novel. The fate of the telescope is meticulously tracked, but unless I missed something it never has any bearing on the plot. My guess is that the telescope is a Muguffin for a later novel in the series, assuming there is one.
The author does a good job of bringing the book to a satisfactory resting place if this is a standalone while leaving enough plot hooks that one could see how their could easily be a sequel if desired.
Fair warning - if you don't like Mary Sue as your protagonist this isn't the book for you. I can deal with it - I think of her as a young gender reversed third stage Heinlein character. But it gets kind of ridiculous after a while - she is the best of user of magic in the past 500 years not despite, but because she got thrown out of school. She is the object of prophecy. The two male leads (and some others) fall instantly in love (sort of) with her. The dominant mage of the principal Mage-pack in the kingdom yields dominance to her the first time they meet, And so on ,...
Despite the protagonist's overwhelming power, as a character I found her pretty enjoyable. There's a lot of snappy dialog of the sort I like. She learns absurdly fast, but she does put effort into it She is moving outside of her comfort zone from a pampered middle rank aristocrat to someone exposed to combat, hardship, and growing magical powers she doesn't quite understand and doesn't fully control She doesn't take it for granted, and she is shocked and hurt by the rawness of some of the things she encounters.
I liked the noble Captain who has the misfortune of serving the Evil Science Empire. I liked the portrayal of the politics of said Empire and the compromises their leaders were and were not willing to make when they were faced with moral choices.
I thought the mage pack was less well drawn than the Imperials. We get to see a certain amount of characterization, but I didn't learn as much about their society from them as I learned about the Empire from the Imperials. OTOH, they weren't IN their kingdom for most of the book, which makes it harder.
One last minor quibble. The title The Silvered refers (in the most literal fashion) to a silvered telescope the protagonist acquires early on in the novel. The fate of the telescope is meticulously tracked, but unless I missed something it never has any bearing on the plot. My guess is that the telescope is a Muguffin for a later novel in the series, assuming there is one.
The author does a good job of bringing the book to a satisfactory resting place if this is a standalone while leaving enough plot hooks that one could see how their could easily be a sequel if desired.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2013
I may be over vampires and growing weary of other paranormal creatures in fiction, but a werewolf/magic-wielding society under attack by an empire devoted to the pursuit of science? Sounds like something I want to read (like, yesterday). Pair that synopsis with blurbs by Kate Elliott (Cold Magic) and Michelle West (Silence), and I put Tanya Huff’s The Silvered on my wishlist, despite not having read any of her prior work. My brother gave me a bookstore gift card for Christmas, and this was the first title I picked. The rest is history.
Mirian is a mage college dropout, only she hasn’t told her parents about her failure yet. They’re social-climbers, and they’re sure that an advantageous marriage for Mirian is the family’s ticket to a place at the top of Aydori society. However, war with the empire is brewing, and soon her mother won’t care about the opera or making a perfect match – she, along with the rest of the country, will be running for her life. Only Mirian decides to take destiny into her own hands and runs toward danger. With the help of shape-shifting Tomas, she may survive war long enough to do something good.
The cover art suggests a steampunk aesthetic, but this isn’t really steampunk – it’s high fantasy. WHAT?! Yes, high fantasy with deft characterization, which actually makes it unusual as well as unexpected. The Silvered is peopled with flawed characters who change, learn and whose motivations do not fit in black and/or white boxes. It’s not that it’s completely character-driven, it is that there are no flat, clichéd personalities or relationships. The story’s scope is EPIC, but it is made accessible by the paranormal element (werewolves) and small, everyday interactions. It is an utterly appealing, unputdownable adventure – with teeth.
The one and only caveat to my enjoyment of The Silvered was a certain plot point that was eerily similar to a development in Kristin Cashore’s Graceling. If you’ve read one of these books and then pick up the other you’ll know exactly what I mean. To be clear: it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the chase, of Mirian’s attempts at harnessing mage power (and finding herself in the process), or of the political machinations within the capital city. It simply took me out of the story and became a ‘thing to note in the review.’ While Huff completes a story arc, there’s room for more in this world of weres and mages and science-crazed humans, and I hope to see more fantastic world-building and power to come.
Recommended for: fans of adult and young adult fantasy (it’s probably a good crossover title, as the protagonist is nineteen years old), those who love paranormal fiction and have wondered if they dare try epic storytelling, and anyone with a taste for adventure, risk-taking, menace and destiny in their pleasure reading.
Mirian is a mage college dropout, only she hasn’t told her parents about her failure yet. They’re social-climbers, and they’re sure that an advantageous marriage for Mirian is the family’s ticket to a place at the top of Aydori society. However, war with the empire is brewing, and soon her mother won’t care about the opera or making a perfect match – she, along with the rest of the country, will be running for her life. Only Mirian decides to take destiny into her own hands and runs toward danger. With the help of shape-shifting Tomas, she may survive war long enough to do something good.
The cover art suggests a steampunk aesthetic, but this isn’t really steampunk – it’s high fantasy. WHAT?! Yes, high fantasy with deft characterization, which actually makes it unusual as well as unexpected. The Silvered is peopled with flawed characters who change, learn and whose motivations do not fit in black and/or white boxes. It’s not that it’s completely character-driven, it is that there are no flat, clichéd personalities or relationships. The story’s scope is EPIC, but it is made accessible by the paranormal element (werewolves) and small, everyday interactions. It is an utterly appealing, unputdownable adventure – with teeth.
The one and only caveat to my enjoyment of The Silvered was a certain plot point that was eerily similar to a development in Kristin Cashore’s Graceling. If you’ve read one of these books and then pick up the other you’ll know exactly what I mean. To be clear: it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the chase, of Mirian’s attempts at harnessing mage power (and finding herself in the process), or of the political machinations within the capital city. It simply took me out of the story and became a ‘thing to note in the review.’ While Huff completes a story arc, there’s room for more in this world of weres and mages and science-crazed humans, and I hope to see more fantastic world-building and power to come.
Recommended for: fans of adult and young adult fantasy (it’s probably a good crossover title, as the protagonist is nineteen years old), those who love paranormal fiction and have wondered if they dare try epic storytelling, and anyone with a taste for adventure, risk-taking, menace and destiny in their pleasure reading.
November 8, 2015
In ‘The Silvered’, the world is similar to ours during the Victorian era. Except there are werewolves, mages who can control different elements, and magical artifacts from the past. There are also guns and airships. It’s vaguely steampunk in feel, even though there is no actual steam technology.
Mirian Maylin, 19 years old, has some mage blood. She has tested as having powers in several elements, but has not progressed beyond first level in any of them. She has been invited to *not* come back to the university next semester because she performs so poorly. Her mother’s biggest worry is that Marian might not attract the attention of someone of the Pack, and marry into it. Marian does not care if she ever gets married.
We start the book with a war beginning; the Empire is attacking the country of Aydori and has declared Pack members to be abominations. A rather garbled warning from a Soothsayer has Emperor Leopald kidnap the top five members of the Mage pack. Mirian finds herself in the position to follow the Mage pack to the Empire’s capital city and try and rescue them. She also finds herself in the company of Tomas Hagen, younger brother to the Pack leader, and, with Captain Reiter of the Empire forces following her because they think she’s the missing sixth member of the Mage pack.
I really liked the characters; Mirian is strong, smart, and stubborn (and, according to Hunt Pack members, smells amazing- a sign of mage powers) and she and Tomas have to grow up a lot in just a few days. While they find themselves partners by chance, they work very well together. Likewise the kidnapped Mage pack leader, Danika, has to face great personal loss along with physical and psychological abuse but stands up to it. I should warn you there is a lot of brutality in this book; it’s set during a war and it doesn’t bring out the best in a lot of the soldiers. It also shows the peril of dehumanizing others; it makes it far too easy for people to discount the worth of their lives.
The book ties up all the loose ends- even though as I got near the end of the book I couldn’t figure out how the author would manage that in such a short number of pages. But I’d forgotten how good a writer and world builder Tanya Huff is; parts of the ending are very unexpected, it’s neatly done, and, while this is a standalone novel, there are a few things that could lead into another volume set in this world if she wanted. I’m hoping she’ll do so!
Mirian Maylin, 19 years old, has some mage blood. She has tested as having powers in several elements, but has not progressed beyond first level in any of them. She has been invited to *not* come back to the university next semester because she performs so poorly. Her mother’s biggest worry is that Marian might not attract the attention of someone of the Pack, and marry into it. Marian does not care if she ever gets married.
We start the book with a war beginning; the Empire is attacking the country of Aydori and has declared Pack members to be abominations. A rather garbled warning from a Soothsayer has Emperor Leopald kidnap the top five members of the Mage pack. Mirian finds herself in the position to follow the Mage pack to the Empire’s capital city and try and rescue them. She also finds herself in the company of Tomas Hagen, younger brother to the Pack leader, and, with Captain Reiter of the Empire forces following her because they think she’s the missing sixth member of the Mage pack.
I really liked the characters; Mirian is strong, smart, and stubborn (and, according to Hunt Pack members, smells amazing- a sign of mage powers) and she and Tomas have to grow up a lot in just a few days. While they find themselves partners by chance, they work very well together. Likewise the kidnapped Mage pack leader, Danika, has to face great personal loss along with physical and psychological abuse but stands up to it. I should warn you there is a lot of brutality in this book; it’s set during a war and it doesn’t bring out the best in a lot of the soldiers. It also shows the peril of dehumanizing others; it makes it far too easy for people to discount the worth of their lives.
The book ties up all the loose ends- even though as I got near the end of the book I couldn’t figure out how the author would manage that in such a short number of pages. But I’d forgotten how good a writer and world builder Tanya Huff is; parts of the ending are very unexpected, it’s neatly done, and, while this is a standalone novel, there are a few things that could lead into another volume set in this world if she wanted. I’m hoping she’ll do so!
June 26, 2017
Most of the time, I dislike romantic pairings between a human girl and a nonhuman guy. More often than not, these stories can't say enough about the awesomeness of the guy and the comparative ordinariness of the girl. Why can't she be the nonhuman for once, and he the human? When I raised this question to a fellow customer at a bookstall, she told me she wouldn't like that at all, because a nonhuman girl would be more powerful than a human guy and she only liked romantic stories in which the guy was more powerful.
(I walked away. I couldn't trust myself to come up with an answer.)
Yet Huff's novel turns that power equation on its head. Yes, we have a human woman and a male werewolf paired romantically, but here, the human woman is much more powerful, and when danger rears its head, she is rescuer rather than rescued. Some readers find the sheer magnitude of Mirian's power objectionable. I don't mind it a bit. Mirian is an antidote to Bella Swan and all her clones, all those helpless human damsels who rely so heavily on the might of their supernatural boyfriends. Yet what I admire most about her isn't her awesome power but her sense of responsibility and integrity. She sets out to rescue a group of women she barely knows, with whom she feels no emotional connection, because she knows it's the right thing to do. Hers is a moral triumph.
There are no passive damsels in this book. The captive women do not simply wait for rescue; they plot, plan, and work toward escape. They hold fast to their dignity in a situation deliberately designed to rob them of it. They, too, emerge as admirable heroines.
My main issue centers on Tomas, the male lead. I wouldn't necessarily want him to be made more powerful, or not to need occasional rescuing. Yet his personality feels a little flat to me. I never get a strong sense of who he is, as an individual. His Imperial counterpart, Captain Reiter, is a much more interesting figure as he confronts a moral conundrum and potentially painful choices. That we spend more time in Reiter's head than in Tomas's is telling. By the end of the book, Tomas's story is finished, but I can't help feeling there is still more for Reiter to do. This is a standalone novel, yet I'd like to see a sequel.
(I walked away. I couldn't trust myself to come up with an answer.)
Yet Huff's novel turns that power equation on its head. Yes, we have a human woman and a male werewolf paired romantically, but here, the human woman is much more powerful, and when danger rears its head, she is rescuer rather than rescued. Some readers find the sheer magnitude of Mirian's power objectionable. I don't mind it a bit. Mirian is an antidote to Bella Swan and all her clones, all those helpless human damsels who rely so heavily on the might of their supernatural boyfriends. Yet what I admire most about her isn't her awesome power but her sense of responsibility and integrity. She sets out to rescue a group of women she barely knows, with whom she feels no emotional connection, because she knows it's the right thing to do. Hers is a moral triumph.
There are no passive damsels in this book. The captive women do not simply wait for rescue; they plot, plan, and work toward escape. They hold fast to their dignity in a situation deliberately designed to rob them of it. They, too, emerge as admirable heroines.
My main issue centers on Tomas, the male lead. I wouldn't necessarily want him to be made more powerful, or not to need occasional rescuing. Yet his personality feels a little flat to me. I never get a strong sense of who he is, as an individual. His Imperial counterpart, Captain Reiter, is a much more interesting figure as he confronts a moral conundrum and potentially painful choices. That we spend more time in Reiter's head than in Tomas's is telling. By the end of the book, Tomas's story is finished, but I can't help feeling there is still more for Reiter to do. This is a standalone novel, yet I'd like to see a sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2014
Brilliant and gripping! This story had it hooks firmly into me by page ten and I could barely put it down for the next one hundred pages. Luckily I picked it up on a Saturday and was able to put most of the weekend on hold while I read and read and read.
In this book all the best of Tanya Huff is represented and taken to new levels; All the military savvy that she picked up writing the ‘Valour’ series is used cunningly to craft a very believable scenario of a small country resisting, against huge odds the advance of an empire. (I also kept getting little memories of reading PTerry’s Monstrous Regiment, but that might be just me).
The magic werewolves otherworldly lore, meeting with science is vaguely reminiscent of parts of the ‘Blood’ series but this story is much more finely crafted than that earlier series was. And the descriptions of a basically mediaeval society are brilliant.
I think the vividness of the characters is only really equalled by the characters in the ‘Smoke’ and ‘Valour’ books, but they are whole new characters rather than re-used characters that one has previously encountered.
The story? Well, you can read that on the back of the cover when you get the book. But it is The Quest that allows two people to find that they are more than they ever were or knew they could be, the desperate bravery of people facing odds beyond their ability to match – and matching them. And it is also the basic story of Right facing Wrong in a way that reminded me a little of the Phillip Pulman ‘his dark materials’ series, only grown up.
Any reader who has ever enjoyed Tanya Huff, a good quest adventure, fantasy novels, strong sensible women’s characters; any such reader should acquire this book!
In this book all the best of Tanya Huff is represented and taken to new levels; All the military savvy that she picked up writing the ‘Valour’ series is used cunningly to craft a very believable scenario of a small country resisting, against huge odds the advance of an empire. (I also kept getting little memories of reading PTerry’s Monstrous Regiment, but that might be just me).
The magic werewolves otherworldly lore, meeting with science is vaguely reminiscent of parts of the ‘Blood’ series but this story is much more finely crafted than that earlier series was. And the descriptions of a basically mediaeval society are brilliant.
I think the vividness of the characters is only really equalled by the characters in the ‘Smoke’ and ‘Valour’ books, but they are whole new characters rather than re-used characters that one has previously encountered.
The story? Well, you can read that on the back of the cover when you get the book. But it is The Quest that allows two people to find that they are more than they ever were or knew they could be, the desperate bravery of people facing odds beyond their ability to match – and matching them. And it is also the basic story of Right facing Wrong in a way that reminded me a little of the Phillip Pulman ‘his dark materials’ series, only grown up.
Any reader who has ever enjoyed Tanya Huff, a good quest adventure, fantasy novels, strong sensible women’s characters; any such reader should acquire this book!
December 5, 2012
Any Tanya Huff book goes immediately to the top of my to-read pile, and, depending on what I'm reading at the time it arrives, can make me put that book down to finish after Tanya's book. That being said, I enjoyed The Silvered just a tad more than I enjoyed the Wild Ways books (and I've re-read them, so it's not like I didn't love them, I just like this one more). It's a pleasure to read something so accessible, that's at the same time layered and complex. Sure we've got the magic vs. science trope happening, but at the same time we've got the instinct vs. reason, rational vs. irrational, hysteria vs. control thing going on as well. The conflict is played out at every possible level, without getting heavy-handed -- that's the sign of real artist.
I particularly liked the handling of the relationships between the genders. It's a nice blend of what we understand underlies human and lupine social structures, with a great deal of thoght given to everything from mating rituals to table etiquette. The best thing about it was that they didn't act exactly as humans would (and have done) in similar social milieus. These are a specific kind of non-human, and it was fascinating to observe the differences.
Highly recommended.
I particularly liked the handling of the relationships between the genders. It's a nice blend of what we understand underlies human and lupine social structures, with a great deal of thoght given to everything from mating rituals to table etiquette. The best thing about it was that they didn't act exactly as humans would (and have done) in similar social milieus. These are a specific kind of non-human, and it was fascinating to observe the differences.
Highly recommended.
July 11, 2017
I really hope this is the beginning of a series because I loved the second half of this book. For some reason, I found the beginning to be a little boring. The main character was complaining about her mother quite a bit, and I thought, here we go, another book with a young twenty something protagonist who is a complete ninny. I was also listening to this book on audio while I did chores periodically and that was not helping move the plot along. Between doing dishes and a narrator who was not bringing the book alive, I was not digging it.
But then I started to read this book on my own without the audio and discovered that the author had created a very elegant Victorian world filled with interesting characters. The main character, Miriam, when confronted with hardship, actually became smart, practical, and brave, but not overly brave for someone who came from such a sheltered background. I would have to say this is the best werewolf novel I have ever read. The last fifty pages were awesome. I loved how the mage pack escapes and the person Miriam became. Anyone who enjoys werewolves and maybe steampunk novels should give this book a whirl. 5 Stars!
But then I started to read this book on my own without the audio and discovered that the author had created a very elegant Victorian world filled with interesting characters. The main character, Miriam, when confronted with hardship, actually became smart, practical, and brave, but not overly brave for someone who came from such a sheltered background. I would have to say this is the best werewolf novel I have ever read. The last fifty pages were awesome. I loved how the mage pack escapes and the person Miriam became. Anyone who enjoys werewolves and maybe steampunk novels should give this book a whirl. 5 Stars!
November 14, 2012
Ah, yes, epic fantasy...this time war and genocide dressed in werewolf clothes. "The enemy" is evil, faceless, nameless, until one gets to know the enemy to discover that, for the most part, they're people just like us. The hero's quest, the journey of self-discovery are the trope, with that "with great power comes great responsibility" thing. Yes, there's one crazy-evil genius-emperor bad guy, but the rest of the characters are much more nuanced and complex. Enemies killed by the heroines aren't just red shirts, dropped and forgotten. There is remorse for actions and an acceptance of consequences. There is the horror of war and the balancing of what is right with what is best for the greater good. And it's a darned good story.
July 5, 2020
What I liked about this one was the strength of the female characters, particularly Mirian and Danika. Tanya Huff excels at writing strong, likeable female leads. Given how good they are at what they set out to do you would think they would be annoying and I actually hate perfect Mary Sue heroines - I just can't relate to them) but they aren't annoying at all. They are just admirable. She also has a talent for bringing life to minor, briefly glimpsed character so I CARE when they are killed. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Tomas and Mirian with Mirian in the "Alpha" role and Tomas' acceptance of that once their places are established. It doesn't mean Tomas is weak or wont fight to protect Miri, it just means he is happy to let her take the lead in planning and decision making.
October 30, 2017
The Imperial Soothsayers have predicted the end of the Emperor unless he can capture and contain the Mage-Pack, the wizards who safeguard the werewolf Pack of Aydori. Mirian Maylin did not know she had mage-craft. Her tutors at University had assured her she had none, even though she tested highly on the entrance examinations. When she encounters members of the Pack, they all believe she must have extraordinary powers because her scent tells them so. What chance does Mirian, an untested mage, have against the Emperor's secret weapons of science and technology? Great premise and I wanted to like it, but the world building was spotty and the whole thing was really too complicated.
January 2, 2013
Aha!!! Thanks to Estara, I'm now putting this review (and others) where they belong.
Wow. THE SILVERED is everything I love about Tanya Huff's storytelling, with engaging characters, a satisfyingly unpredictable plot, and a world that utterly convinces. Yet there's more! Huff takes fantasy elements you may think are familiar and within the first pages confidently reinvents them all. Strap in. This story is a ride you'll never forget.
Waiting, with no patience at all, for the next in the series.
Wow. THE SILVERED is everything I love about Tanya Huff's storytelling, with engaging characters, a satisfyingly unpredictable plot, and a world that utterly convinces. Yet there's more! Huff takes fantasy elements you may think are familiar and within the first pages confidently reinvents them all. Strap in. This story is a ride you'll never forget.
Waiting, with no patience at all, for the next in the series.
December 3, 2012
I find this author to be hit or miss. The ones I like, I really like, but the ones that miss for me miss big. Sadly this one was a miss. I found things to be confusing at the start and didn't care for the characters. In the end this one just wasn't for me.
December 1, 2019
Everything I’ve read by Tanya Huff I’ve enjoyed until now. Silvered is a longer than average book and yet it starts by telling you what is going to happen through references to soothsayers. The book then takes you laboriously through those same happenings. I listened to this book on 17 CDs and it pretty easily could have been a couple of CDs shorter just by cutting out the repetitive start. Further, the opening battle, flight from invading army and commando action that starts the book actually felt plodding- probably because it was a forgone conclusion where everything was heading thanks, once again, to the soothsayers. The next 4/5ths of the book is one very long chase scene- group A being chased by group B who in turn is being chased by group C.
Part of what I’ve appreciated about Tanya Huff is that her characters are generally not stupid but that is less true here. The chase begins when group B, an untrained mage and a soldier/werewolf, are in a position to stop the kidnapping of a group of mages by invading soldiers. When group B fails to stop the kidnapping do they acknowledge they have no reasonable hope of doing anything other than getting themselves killed by continuing into the empire? No. They head into the empire and through one amazing coincidence and convenient circumstance after another they make into the heart of the empire with money in their pockets.
The second story line, about group A, 5 female mages, is also not very interesting. They are kidnapped per the vision, taken to the empire, imprisoned directly by the emperor where they learn the emperor is mad.
The third story line, a captain whose experiences about halfway through the book cause him to turn on his own side and release the mage and soldier/werewolf, is well told but not all that interesting.
All and all I failed to identify any spark of inspiration behind the writing of this book. It is a fairly bland story of a pampered girl rising to the challenge with the aid of her magic and a cute soldier/werewolf boy. Twice I seriously wanted to stop before the end but I forced myself to keep reading (listening actually). The rest of the time this was pretty much a slog. Oddly enough I’d still say this book was well written on a page by page basis, but the overall story was uninspired and largely predictable.
This book was written in 2012 with no sequel and I hope it stays that way. The conclusion was nothing special- main character realizes depth of power she didn’t know she had, kills bad guy, escapes and heads out on her own with cute boy and nine other werewolves she rescued. Other mages make it home. Currently this book has a 4.08 rating on Goodreads.com and I’m at a loss as to why. I suppose if I had read this book 30 years ago, before I’d seen every theme in it a hundred times, I would have loved it too. Frankly, though, I’m happy I’m reading (listening really) it now since I have the perspective necessary to more accurately assess the book.
Bottom line: Tanya Huff is an excellent author. Read something else with her name on it.
Part of what I’ve appreciated about Tanya Huff is that her characters are generally not stupid but that is less true here. The chase begins when group B, an untrained mage and a soldier/werewolf, are in a position to stop the kidnapping of a group of mages by invading soldiers. When group B fails to stop the kidnapping do they acknowledge they have no reasonable hope of doing anything other than getting themselves killed by continuing into the empire? No. They head into the empire and through one amazing coincidence and convenient circumstance after another they make into the heart of the empire with money in their pockets.
The second story line, about group A, 5 female mages, is also not very interesting. They are kidnapped per the vision, taken to the empire, imprisoned directly by the emperor where they learn the emperor is mad.
The third story line, a captain whose experiences about halfway through the book cause him to turn on his own side and release the mage and soldier/werewolf, is well told but not all that interesting.
All and all I failed to identify any spark of inspiration behind the writing of this book. It is a fairly bland story of a pampered girl rising to the challenge with the aid of her magic and a cute soldier/werewolf boy. Twice I seriously wanted to stop before the end but I forced myself to keep reading (listening actually). The rest of the time this was pretty much a slog. Oddly enough I’d still say this book was well written on a page by page basis, but the overall story was uninspired and largely predictable.
This book was written in 2012 with no sequel and I hope it stays that way. The conclusion was nothing special- main character realizes depth of power she didn’t know she had, kills bad guy, escapes and heads out on her own with cute boy and nine other werewolves she rescued. Other mages make it home. Currently this book has a 4.08 rating on Goodreads.com and I’m at a loss as to why. I suppose if I had read this book 30 years ago, before I’d seen every theme in it a hundred times, I would have loved it too. Frankly, though, I’m happy I’m reading (listening really) it now since I have the perspective necessary to more accurately assess the book.
Bottom line: Tanya Huff is an excellent author. Read something else with her name on it.
January 18, 2016
When the Empire attacks the small kingdom of Aydori, soldiers are sent across the border to capture the Mage-pack, the magic-wielding women married to the werewolf rulers of Aydori. Mirian Maylin, a young university student and failing mage, sets off to rescue them with Tomas Hagen, the younger brother of Aydori's ruling werewolf.
In this book, Tanya Huff has build a richly imagined and immersive fantasy world filled with interesting and nuanced characters. She uses a lot of tropes but puts her own unique and often unexpected twists on them that it all feels very fresh and new. It was interesting to see how the familiar alpha-beta/wolf pack tropes play out within the social structures of Aydori society, affecting not only the werewolves themselves but the mages and other people within their community. Huff really puts her on spin on it. I'm also thoroughly impressed by her extensive worldbuilding-- every bit of the world the characters inhabit feels very real.
The narrative jumps between four different POVs, which was a little jarring at first but I do like the ensemble cast and it allows us to follow a much bigger story than that of just one or two characters, and helps us see more sides of the fantasy setting. I also like that one of the POVs is an antagonist. Not all the POVs are interesting at first, but all the main characters quickly grew on me. Huff has a knack for writing fully-realized characters, and in particular, I love how she writes women and the relationships between women. In particular, I enjoyed the competitive, frenemy-type relationship between Danica and Kirsten-- it came off as being very emotionally true. The politics of pack relations also made for some very nuanced interactions between characters and I found it refreshing that relationships between characters weren't so easily characterized into friend, lover, enemy, etc. This gave the story another dimension of intricacy and subtlety, and I think it is a lot more realistic than having everything clearly demarcated.
The story itself got surprisingly dark and brutal in a few places. There are a couple parts that include some horror-like elements, but I liked that Huff didn't shy away from writing about truly awful situations. Overall this was an incredibly enjoyable story with a lot of surprises. I really wish Huff would write a sequel, as I'd love to catch up with the characters and see what they're up to after the end of the book.
In this book, Tanya Huff has build a richly imagined and immersive fantasy world filled with interesting and nuanced characters. She uses a lot of tropes but puts her own unique and often unexpected twists on them that it all feels very fresh and new. It was interesting to see how the familiar alpha-beta/wolf pack tropes play out within the social structures of Aydori society, affecting not only the werewolves themselves but the mages and other people within their community. Huff really puts her on spin on it. I'm also thoroughly impressed by her extensive worldbuilding-- every bit of the world the characters inhabit feels very real.
The narrative jumps between four different POVs, which was a little jarring at first but I do like the ensemble cast and it allows us to follow a much bigger story than that of just one or two characters, and helps us see more sides of the fantasy setting. I also like that one of the POVs is an antagonist. Not all the POVs are interesting at first, but all the main characters quickly grew on me. Huff has a knack for writing fully-realized characters, and in particular, I love how she writes women and the relationships between women. In particular, I enjoyed the competitive, frenemy-type relationship between Danica and Kirsten-- it came off as being very emotionally true. The politics of pack relations also made for some very nuanced interactions between characters and I found it refreshing that relationships between characters weren't so easily characterized into friend, lover, enemy, etc. This gave the story another dimension of intricacy and subtlety, and I think it is a lot more realistic than having everything clearly demarcated.
The story itself got surprisingly dark and brutal in a few places. There are a couple parts that include some horror-like elements, but I liked that Huff didn't shy away from writing about truly awful situations. Overall this was an incredibly enjoyable story with a lot of surprises. I really wish Huff would write a sequel, as I'd love to catch up with the characters and see what they're up to after the end of the book.
November 28, 2012
Tanya Huff has written about werewolves before, in her urban fantasy Blood Trail (1992). However, she masterfully reworks the concept in The Silvered, creating a complex social structure which combines werewolves and mages. Their country and their culture are under siege by an ever-expanding, Napoleon-esque Empire which regards the Pack as abomination. Bigotry, xenophobia, and racism complicate novice mage Mirian Maylin’s efforts to save the Mage-Pack after five members are kidnapped by the Emperor. The daughter of a banker and a social climber, she has little experience with magecraft or Pack politics, but feels compelled to act. Her only helper is Tomas Hagen, the young, impulsive brother of the Pack leader.
As usual, Huff can be counted on to deliver strong, hilarious female characters as most of the men in the story are out of commission, and it is up to the women to save themselves. Although many of these women posses great power, circumstances bring it down to their wits and strength of character as much as their magical abilities. Magic, far from being a cure-all, only serves to make the situation more complex. The Emperor seeks to pit science against magecraft, but wit and common sense prove more important than either. The majority of the main characters are women but there are some great male characters in this story as well, particularly imperial Captain Sean Reiter, who is central to—but not exactly happy about—the kidnapping plot, and Gryham and Jake, a couple whose appearance in the story is all too brief.
On a technical note, the Kindle edition of this title does (as of my reading) include a small formatting error in which the dropped capitals at the beginning of each paragraph are in fact, dropped, and appear about halfway down the page. Paper editions of this title do not contain this quirk.
http://shayshortt.wordpress.com/2012/...
As usual, Huff can be counted on to deliver strong, hilarious female characters as most of the men in the story are out of commission, and it is up to the women to save themselves. Although many of these women posses great power, circumstances bring it down to their wits and strength of character as much as their magical abilities. Magic, far from being a cure-all, only serves to make the situation more complex. The Emperor seeks to pit science against magecraft, but wit and common sense prove more important than either. The majority of the main characters are women but there are some great male characters in this story as well, particularly imperial Captain Sean Reiter, who is central to—but not exactly happy about—the kidnapping plot, and Gryham and Jake, a couple whose appearance in the story is all too brief.
On a technical note, the Kindle edition of this title does (as of my reading) include a small formatting error in which the dropped capitals at the beginning of each paragraph are in fact, dropped, and appear about halfway down the page. Paper editions of this title do not contain this quirk.
http://shayshortt.wordpress.com/2012/...
January 1, 2015
I liked this, it was fantasy, but at the same time it did not even feel like fantasy all the time cos it was different.
We have the BIG Empire that wants more land. They, oh let's say they are steampunk, or well just industrialized.
Then there is Aydori. Where Mages and Pack live together. Mages who if they can marry Pack and have more mages or puppies.
Then the bad Empire comes with soldiers and silver bullets. FU Empire! They call the Pack abominations and if you can show a pelt you get money. Innocents are dying and the Emperor is insane.
I know right, what a good premise!
Our hero is Mirian a failed mage escapes being captures and then sets out to save others. Her I liked, and what she could do.
Then we have Thomas, a wolf, who helps her because the road is long and many dangers lay ahead.
We also gets to see how the captured mages are faring. I kept rooting for them, and Mirian, and hoped to see the Empire burn.
I liked how most are flawed. Shit goes down. It gets bad. People are people and will do what they must to survive
The end, is an ending. But I do want more. The world was so fascinating and I'd like to explore it more. But for now I am happy with a book that ended in one.
My favorite Huff book to date
We have the BIG Empire that wants more land. They, oh let's say they are steampunk, or well just industrialized.
Then there is Aydori. Where Mages and Pack live together. Mages who if they can marry Pack and have more mages or puppies.
Then the bad Empire comes with soldiers and silver bullets. FU Empire! They call the Pack abominations and if you can show a pelt you get money. Innocents are dying and the Emperor is insane.
I know right, what a good premise!
Our hero is Mirian a failed mage escapes being captures and then sets out to save others. Her I liked, and what she could do.
Then we have Thomas, a wolf, who helps her because the road is long and many dangers lay ahead.
We also gets to see how the captured mages are faring. I kept rooting for them, and Mirian, and hoped to see the Empire burn.
I liked how most are flawed. Shit goes down. It gets bad. People are people and will do what they must to survive
The end, is an ending. But I do want more. The world was so fascinating and I'd like to explore it more. But for now I am happy with a book that ended in one.
My favorite Huff book to date
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