Silver Hollow by Jennifer Silverwood Published by SilverWoodSketches on May 31, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy & Magic
Source: ecopy from Author
"I shouldn't have to tell you this isn't a fairy story..."
After her parents' car crash ten years before, Amie Wentworth trusts books more than people. She may be a writer, but she believes in reality over fiction. She ignores the unexplained mysteries surrounding her, never mind the dreams of a past life, or the fact she can fry technology with a touch. Not even a timely invitation from her long-lost uncle in England gives Amie incentive for anything other than ire.
Until she is stabbed in an alley and brought back to life by a handsome stranger. Soon Amie is dragged into the very sort of tale she is used to selling. To make matters worse, the man who saved her life keeps turning up and her would-be-murderer is still at large.
After crossing the Atlantic to her father’s homeland, she discovers a world beyond imagining. Silver Hollow is a place of ancient traditions and supernatural dangers, where everything is the opposite of what it seems and few escape sane. Faced with an impossible choice, Amie is forced to confront a deadly family legacy while remembering a life she soon wishes to forget.
**Previously published in 2012. This NEW EDITION has been FULLY REVISED AND EXPANDED. The original novel is now no longer available.**
Silver Hollow is the first book in the Borderlands saga by Jennifer Silverwood. The borderlands saga is a young adult fantasy romance that blended arthurian legend with fae legend. I have never seen this type blending before but I have to say I was loving it! I cannot wait for the next book in the saga because this was unlike anything I have read before. I am a huge fan of fae stories, and I have always been a fan of the legend of king Arthur. I’m not going to tell you exactly how the two things intertwine in the story (because…spoilers!) but I will say it is pretty cool.
In Silver Hollow, we meet Amie. One of my not so favorite tropes was used to kick start this book (parents tragically dying) but it did serve it’s purpose in propelling Amie on a surprise adventure. She is whisked off and finds herself in a town that feels like another world. Amie gets to know a long lost relative of hers and slowly, sometimes a bit too slowly, she uncovers pieces of her family history, and learns of something much more magically than she dreamed she would find herself in. I love watching the development of magical powers, but Silver Hollow was a very slow build novel. There is a lot going on, with multiple storylines and layers upon layers of secrets. I feel like every single character, even all of the secondary characters in the town had secrets. It was fun and it kept the reader engaged in the story, but I did find myself feeling like the book was dragging a bit in parts. I’m sure the second book will pick up the pace, now that we knw the lay of the land. However; there are still tons of secrets that were left unanswered in Silver Hollow, so more uncovering to come.
The magic in Silver Hollow was pretty cool as well. They call your inner magic your nixy, which I have never heard before. And learning about the seelie and the unseelie courts the way Jennifer Silverwood imagined them was neat. There are plenty of fighting and action scenes, because there are plenty of masty creatures in this story. And they seemed to be drawn to Amie like a beacon. I know there will be lots more to come on this front in the next book, but I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds.
I loved the romance in Silver Hollow. It was my favorite part, largely due to the fact that the romantic interest has so many secrets of his own and he is so intricately tied into the past of the a lot of the characters. That was pretty cool to see. If you are a fan of fantasy mash ups and you love mythology and fae tales, the borderlands saga is going to be a great book for you to check out. It was previously released in 2012, but it was totally revised and expanded in 2018. So if you are an old fan of the series, you might want to do a re-read of this one before continuing on to book 2.
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win (open INT)
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A signed hardback copy of Silver Hollow + swag and a free coupon for Blackbriar Cove when it comes out
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An ebook copy of any of Jennifer’s books of your choice + a $10 Amazon gift card
Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law.
Giselle
Great review, Michelle! This sounds very well written especially the characterization and romance!
Nora-Adrienne
I’m looking forward to reading this book. I’m hooked on any and everything Para-Normal.
Jorie
Hallo, Hallo Michelle,
I agree with you about the blending of Mythos and Legends as much as how layered the story was written as that was honestly one of my favourite aspects of the story myself!! I dreamt of reading this novel for a year and when it was finally in my hands, goodness! I was overjoyed how easily I was able to feel immersed into the plot, how captivating the characters became and this whole world Ms Silverwood built for us to feel attached inside was quite wondrous as well!
I felt the originality of the foundation of the series is what truly captured my bookish heart – plus, the author and myself share similar instincts for certain aspects of how she told the story. I really loved the fact it was slow burn because it gave me a chance to notice things, including the subtlety of how she endeavoured us to take this walk through the veils and truly see this world lit from the inside out.
I’m also on the blog tour – if you want to see if we share similar thoughts and takeaways, I’d love to hear your opinions if you visit my review.
Maria Dalmau
Great review! Sounds like a fantastic read.
Rita Wray
Sounds like a good book. I love the cover.
Jennifer Silverwood
Hey Michelle, thank you so much for hosting me on your lovely blog! And of course, a thousand thanks for taking the time to read and share your thoughts about Silver Hollow. It always makes my day when a fellow reader falls into one of my stories with me. I can’t wait to take y’all on the next adventure with Blackbriar Cove 🙂 You’re absolutely right about the slow burn. I confess I’ve always been a slow burn fan, in my romances and favorite reads. And I’m happy you fell in love with Emrys too. He’s possibly my favorite, besides Arthur and Faye to write. 🙂 Looking forward to answering more of your questions later this year in the sequel! Happy reading 🙂
Linda Romer
Looking forward to starting this series. Thank you
Renee Rousseau
Congrats! Thanks for sharing your Joy!!
Karley Moore
This looks like a fun read. Thanks for the review!
Debra Branigan
The cover is very pretty and all the elements, romance, mystery, and adventure are included to make this a great read. Good luck with your novel.