Review: Silver in the Wood

Name -Silver in the Wood

Pages -112

Author -Emily Tesh

Publisher -Macmillan/Tor-Forge

Genre -High Fantasy, Gothic fiction, LGBTQ

Rating -4/5

ISBN -9781250756602

Review no. -42

Synopsis -

There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.

When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.

Review -

It has been almost a week since I finished reading this book and it took me so long to write a review because I seriously don't have words to describe this book even now. I am still not able to believe the dept and richness of this 112 page novella!

Silver in the Wood is a lyrical retelling of the Green-man myth. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and attractive and suit the plot of the novella perfectly. The writing is utterly magically and the words are weaved together in a manner that transports the reader to the lush forest of Greenhollow (or Green Hallow, to be precise). The plot was pretty fast-paced but still I was able picturize everything perfectly.

The story follows Tobias Finch, as the newly acquired owner of the Greenhollow hall, Henry Silver, stumbles upon his neat little cottage in the wood. Henry Silver is a bright, young scholar and budding folklorist, filled with curiosity about the mysterious Greenhollow wood.

I just loved Adela Silver's stubborn, reckless and fiery character. I also felt that the relationship between Tobias and Henry Silver was underdeveloped. I am still confused about the biggest revelation in this novella. That whole scene of rebirth was a bit hazy and I wish that particular element was a bit more developed.

Overall, this novella gave me strong flashbacks to when I read Hobbit (although no one is a hobbit or elf or dwarf or dragon in this one). I highly recommend this novella for fans of folklore and fairy-tales.

Review: Madhuleena

Name -Madhuleena

Author -Dr. Govind Sharma IAS(Retd.)

Pages -144

Publisher -Notion Press

Genre -Crime Fiction, Contemporary romance

Rating -5/5

Review no. -41

Synopsis -

Set in the fictional town of Rajapur, this is a unique unputdownable read.
The more desperate the situation in life, the more one wants an escape into fantasy. Call it a desire of the moth for the star, or the longing of a tormented soul for the drop of honey. Aakash, a bank theft accused, is so smitten by the ravishing beauty of Madhuleena that he forgets that he has to run away from the law. Meanwhile, the police officials get over-worked investigating the complaints that some rich and influential persons are honey-trapped by young and ambitious girls.

Review -

'Madhuleena' is a fast-paced, gripping tale of love, drama, crime and betrayal, set in the fictional town of Rajapur in which two stories run parallel to each other. The first story is of Akash who has been wrongly accused of stealing an humongous sum of money and is on the run to evade the police. Akash has a troubled past in which he used to be a petty criminal. One day, he meets Madhuleena and is immediately smitten by her breathtaking beauty which sets him on a completely different track.

The other story is of Dr. Chawla who was honey-trapped by a girl named Sonali and had to endure three months of jail even after paying her a hefty sum of one crore rupees. These two stories are connected and how they are connected forms the rest of the story.

The plot mainly revolves around the term -"honey-trap". The language is lucid and the plot is realistic despite its unique theme. The unravels in a simple yet elegant manner and is full of unexpected twists & turns and some deep messages too. I especially fell in love with the climax as it was totally unexpected and surprising. I also liked the brother-sister relationship between Akash and Mithi and how Akash at one point of time, had to choose between sister's future and his pure love for Madhuleena.

I highly recommend this novel, especially for fans of contemporary romance. I thank Govind Sharma sir for giving me this amazing opportunity to read and review this spectacular novel. All opinions are my own.

Click here to buy the book from Amazon.

Click here to buy the book from Flipkart.

Click here to buy the book from Notion Press.

Review: The Silver Arrow

Name -The Silver Arrow

Duration -3 hrs 51 mins

Author -Lev Grossman

Narrated by -Simon Vance

Publisher -Hachette Audio

Genre -Children's Fiction, Fantasy

Rating -4.5/5

ISBN -9781549158506

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -40

Synopsis -

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Magicians comes a must-listen, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl.

Dear Uncle Herbert,

You've never met me, but I'm your niece Kate, and since it is my birthday tomorrow and you are super-rich could you please send me a present?

Kate and her younger brother, Tom, lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don't have much to look forward to. Why can't Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane - that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she's never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow. 

Kate and Tom's parents want to send it right back where it came from. But Kate and Tom have other ideas - and so does the Silver Arrow - and soon they're off to distant lands along magical rail lines in the company of an assortment of exotic animals who, it turns out, can talk. With only curiosity, excitement, their own resourcefulness and the thrill of the unknown to guide them, Kate and Tom are on the adventure of a lifetime...and who knows? They just might end up saving the world after all. 

This thrilling fantasy adventure will not only entertain young listeners, but inspire them to see the beautiful, exciting, and precious world around them with new eyes.

Review -

The Silver Arrow is a fun, exhilarating, fast-paced, magical tale narrated wonderfully by Simon Vance. The story follows Kate, who on her eleventh birthday receives a life-sized steam engine named 'The Silver Arrow' as a birthday gift from a crazy rich uncle she barely knows. Soon, Kate and her annoying brother Tom find themselves in a mind-blowing adventure aboard the Silver Arrow with walking-talking animals to keep them company. And on their way, Kate and Tom uncover some bitter truths about life as well.

The narration was gripping and wonderful, especially the 'Click, BING' part which denotes that the train is communicating with Kate and Tom. I used to hate audiobooks. I tried listening to one about a year ago and I had a really bitter experience. But now I feel that they are not so bad after all  (in fact I felt really satisfied with this one) and I have decided to give it another try.

The writing was lucid but also elegant and eye-opening. There is this scene in particular, which was exceptionally well written- in which Kate and the others magically transform into trees. This book would be fabulous for children because its easy-understandable and teaches them certain values such as being responsible and how to get past the sibling-rivalry. I also love the way that the author introduces the reader (or listener) to bitter and sad facts such as climate change/global warming, deforestation, endangering animals and extinction of certain species, change in migration patterns etc., thus inspiring the reader/listener to do something about it.

I highly recommend this book not only for children but for everybody in general because this is the kind of story in which you could get lost but at the end, you would come out with a better understanding of the world around you.

I thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio for giving me this wonderful opportunity to review this book.

Guest Post: Review: The Elementalists

Name - The Elementalists

Author - Chelsa Lauderdale

Publisher – Choices: Stories You Play (Mobile App)

Genre - YA Fantasy

Rating - 5/5

 

In the world of interactive stories that you can enjoy on your smartphone/tablet, ‘The Elementalists’ is probably the best book I have experienced so far. If you are a diehard Harry Potter fan like me, you will surely relish the opportunity to virtually position yourself in the shoes of someone with magical powers. The best thing is that the main character can be a boy or girl, so everyone can indulge in this fantastical tale. You can customize your character physically and even shape their personality with the choices you make as the story proceeds. You get a twin sibling and a bunch of amazing friends on this magical journey. You shall use your powers to vanquish foes, save the world from evil forces, heal personal injuries, spread sunshine, and occasionally for some worldly gains.

 

You are not a witch or wizard in this book. The writer, Chelsa Lauderdale, pens the term ‘Attuned’ for the humans with supernatural capabilities. Every attuned has an ‘attunement’, which is basically the source of their powers. Attunement is linked to different elements around us, namely, Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Wood, Metal, Sun, Moon, and Blood. Sun, Moon, and Blood are the most influential attunements, and playing the lead role you may expect to channel at least one of them. You and your twin were separated at birth, and raised by different foster parents. At the beginning of the story, you know nothing about your real parents, your twin sibling, or the magic within you. You are living the life of an average young adult who just started college.

 

Somehow, you do feel like a misfit and then one day you are abruptly teleported to ‘Penderghast’ i.e. the college for Attuned. At first, you are confused, but later you realize that this was where you were meant to be. Your first interaction at Penderghast is with a guy named Griffin, who is warm and welcoming. He shows you around after introducing you to the alien setting. You also encounter the uptight and snobbish ‘Beckett’, who later becomes part of your clique; he will tend to bring out your competitive side. If you play as a girl, your roommate will be ‘Miss Shreya’, who is among the elite of the Attuned world; she will also repeatedly attempt to become your personal stylist. Then there’s the fun-loving Zeph, the kind hearted Aster, and your rebellious twin, named Atlas. As in other interactive stories of ‘Choices’ you can choose to romance any of your friends, except Zeph who is asexual. On the contrary, you can keep it friendly, or hit it off with all of them if that’s your style.

 

Throughout the chapters, you will be learning different spells; the more spells you know, the better you are prepared to perform in battle and defend yourself during confrontations with the antagonists. The elementalists harness their powers through their mind and soul, i.e. wands are not a fad. You can also select a magical pet, referred to as a ‘Familiar’ who will protect you in dire situations. The choices for a pet include three creatures, resembling a puppy, seahorse, and a toad. Your familiar is useful for ‘companion magic’, and their powers grow alongside yours. Apart from that, you can savor several enchanted college experiences, which are bound to make you smile. I won’t reveal further details, because it will definitely spoil the suspense.

 

Choices has released two books in The Elementalists series to date, and there’s also an additional mini book celebrating the Attuned winter holiday. Hopefully, there will be a third book, but you can make some great memories with the former till then.

 

Author Bio

John Adams loves travelling, reading, and writing. He encourages his readers to improve their quality of life by incorporating positive thoughts and actions. Blogging about personal opinions and life experiences makes him happy, and he is always open to constructive criticism.