Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh has been on my TBR for a while, often recommended to me by readers who know that I love fantasy, romance, and queer stories. I finally sat down with it over the weekend and read the entire novella in one sitting, unable to pull myself away from the world Tesh created.

Henry Silver is the new owner of Greenhollow Hall and has an insatiable curiosity when it comes to the local legends about the area, particularly that of the Wild Man who roams the woods. Tobias, who was once human and is now tethered to the wood, attempts to keep Silver both out of trouble and from getting too close. There's a gentleness and a tenderness to this tale that reminded me a lot of Cat Sebastian—a warmth to the language that encourages readers to comfortably settle in.

Readers who enjoy folklore will love this fantasy novella and the romantic thread that runs through it.

Wonderful mythopoeic novella, filled with magical prose--and contemporary adventure. Reminds me of the atmospheric novels of Alan Garner and Robert Holdstock.

Old secrets, old gods, dryads, and creepy forests. Themes of rebirth and subtle romantic vibes easily fit within this loose retelling of the Green Man myth. Appreciate the pacing matches Tobias’s experience of time in the Wood.

First, that beautiful cover! Just gorgeous! Then the story- just what I needed right now, something to take me away from this world, to a place that is lush and green, filled with light and a darkness that is alive. Tobias is the current Wild Man of the Wood, and has been for centuries. He keeps to himself, preferring the company of the forest and the dryads that make their homes there to the company of humans, who shy away from him. His life is simple; he takes care of the Wood, protects it, and protects the humans from any threats the Wood conjures up. A quiet life, until the land's new owner, Henry Silver, shows up. They spend time together, and something unspoken develops between the two, but then.....
That's all you're getting out of me, except to say this is a wonderfully evocative tale, and the quiet romance between Tobias and Henry has such a sweetness and yearning, just, oh my heart! The ending was perfect, and I can't wait to read Drowned Country!

The cover is what struck me fist, as it is beautiful. The lore and beauty created in this book are wonderful.

Los retellings no me desagradan. Y las historias de cuentos de hadas, fábulas del bosque y demás me suelen parecer entretenidas. Al fin y al cabo me crié con los cuentos de los Grimm y de Andersen. Silver in the Wood es la historia de Tobias Finch, un habitante del bosque centenario. Un buen día el joven Henry Silver llega a la puerta de la casa de Tobias para refugiarse de la lluvia. A partir de aquí el libro desarrolla un romance entre ambos hombres bastante peculiar. Silver in the Wood apenas tiene un centenar de páginas pero tiene un ritmo bastante pausado y masticado que parece alargar momentos de contemplación boscosa. Y lo digo como algo positivo. Sin pecar de preciosismo tiene descripciones vívidas de la naturaleza que cristalizan en un tono de cuento de hadas muy particular y sugerente. En general es un libro interesante, peculiar, simple y que no ambiciona más que a lo que ya os he explicado. Silver in the Wood te deja con una sensación agradable en el cuerpo al acabar la lectura, pero tampoco es una historia que vaya a recordar en unos meses.

This was such a delightful enchanting story. Silver in the Wood reminded me why I love novellas and short fiction so much. You don't need 500 pages to tell a rich and beautiful story. I loved exploring this magical forest and seeing the relationship between Tobias and Henry develop. I would read many more stories following these characters!

SILVER IN THE WOOD is a cozy, warm hug of a novella, filled with old gods and new beginnings and warm feelings. This story is a retelling of the Green Man myth, about two men and their paths crossing: one man, Tobias, the Wild Man and longstanding protector of the Greenhollow Wood, and the other man, Henry Silver, a scholar of mythology and folklore, who is the new owner of Greenhollow Hall. Henry wanders around the forest to discover a cottage occupied by Tobias, who was previously resigned to living a mostly lonesome life save for his dryads and cat named Pearl... and everything changes.

This book is so well-written. I'm a sucker for anything that feels like a fairytale, and this one is rich with it. Emily Tesh creates this woodsy, darkness-lurking-in-the-forest type atmosphere and I felt transported to a new world. I could feel it around me as I read on. Tesh creates a beautiful mystery to unravel in Tobias and I thought the progression of his character arc and relationship arc with Henry was fantastic. I really can't wait to find out more about them.

This book is vibrant, lush, and captivating, and one that I will recommend to anyone looking for a mythical story where fairytale creatures walk about the forest. The love story between Tobias and Henry was so tender and paced very well and by the end, you just want to give them both a big hug. I very much look forward to Emily Tesh's next book.

Read this!

This book was beautifully written, filled with wonderful prose and imagery. It is a slow burn of a story but so worth it.

The title is a pun. I didn’t figure that out until near the end – but it should have been obvious. I was just too caught up in the story to notice.

It is also a charming, and queer, exploration of the “Green Man” myth/legend and takes place at a period when the image – and the mythology behind it – had a bit of a revival.

Like life in the forest of Green Hollow – or Greenhallow – where Henry Silver and Tobias Finch meet each other in the woods, this is a story that moves both quick and slow, following the rhythms of nature and the life of trees – invaded and surrounded by the world of man.

The story takes place in a slightly alternate 19th century – or at least that’s what it feels like. But it has its roots set deep in the past of its place – and deep in the past of Tobias Finch, the keeper and manager of Greenhallow – as he has been for the past four centuries – since his life was tied to the wood.

I say alternate because the world that Tobias explores when he leaves the wood is in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, while at the same time there are plenty of places and pockets of England where the Green Man and other legends even darker are still alive and well and making mischief – and where people still believe in them.

But Tobias doesn’t know that in the beginning. All he knows is that Henry Silver, the new owner of the nearby manor, has invaded his woods looking for myths and legends – and possibly a warm and willing bedmate for the night.

Tobias doesn’t figure out that last bit until much, much later. It’s been a long time since anyone has asked – or offered – or flirted.

They become friends – always with a hint of more. But Tobias is afraid to get too close, not just because he’s one of those myths that Henry has been so disingenuously looking for. Tobias guards Greenhallow against something far older and far more malevolent than even Henry with his love of old legends could possibly imagine.

Tobias knows it’s going to come for Henry – because Tobias’ old frenemy Fabian Rafela always takes away what Tobias wants to protect.

And just when you think the story is over – then it gets really, really fascinating. And it’s marvelous.

Escape Rating A-: This is a story that is beautiful, and it’s short, and if you want to fall into an atmosphere of myth and legend it’s just perfect. I wish there’d been a bit more but what there is is complete and it’s captivating.

The Green Man is a nature myth – and Tobias surrounds himself with avatars of nature. His best friends – before Henry – are a protective dryad and a self-centered cat. Tobias seems stuck in a role of service as he serves the wood and he certainly serves the cat. (I liked Pearl a lot – she humanizes Tobias and connects him to time in a way that nothing else does – and she’s very cat.)

For a rather slight book it echoed a lot of other books for me. Henry’s pursuit of old legends before they die was a bit like the hero of My Fake Rake – and that’s quite a leap. At the same time, Tobias reminds me of both Tam Lin and Tom Bombadil, who are both nature spirits. There’s a Green Man character in The God of the Hive, one of the books in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. The Green Man gets around – in spite of being tied to the woods – and that series also takes place during his revival.

The link back to Tobias’ past adds a bit of shivering chill to the story, while at the same time Henry’s fate reminded me of the fate of Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, tied to a legend – and immortal. I realize that is a bit far out there, but it worked for me.

The early parts of this story move deliberately slowly as they follow the Tobias’ perception of time as he is tied to the wood. In the second part of the story time speeds up as Tobias has left the wood and is now part of the workaday world outside it. A world that, during the Industrial Revolution, began to speed up in every way, and the story reflects that well.

At the end, things come full circle. The darkness at the heart of the forest has been vanquished and both Tobias and Henry are free to be who and what they are meant to be – and with each other.

I was provided with and ARC of this title by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story surrounds the reader with atmospheric magic. The forest it portrays is a living, breathing thing, embodied in a dryad-like character. The pacing of the story is suited to this atmospheric depiction, because the life of a tree is a long one, and time moves slowly when it is measured in seasons, and does not account for paths made by men that have long since been abandoned. I loved the lush depiction of the forest, as a sanctuary and a vessel for magic.

I thought that the romantic entanglement was an unnecessary addition to the plot, and minimized the impact of the story as a whole. Because the story itself is less than full-length, the romance was not completely fleshed out and seemed a rushed addition.

(Side note: I’ve never seen Romancing the Stone and every time I think that I need to sit down and finally watch it, I get reminded of my TBR pile and the fact that Borderlands 3 is out and I’ve yet to finish BL2 or BLTPS. I would give my soul for time to stop so I can finally catch up on everything.)

I’m acutely aware of how behind I am. I mean, let’s be real – what can I say about Silver In The Wood that hasn’t already been said? The podcast episode goes in depth about my admiration for the trope subversion and Henry Silver’s mother being the ultimate badass, as well as the fact that I love the rebirth of folklore with queer elements. They’re like, the most important parts. On the surface level, anyways.

But sitting here at night, surrounded by the vestiges of a younger self and remembering how bad things used to be, I’m reminded of something deeper that moved me in the story.

So let’s talk about how SILVER IN THE WOOD handles relationships.


So if you haven’t read Silver In The Wood by Emily Tesh, the best description of it is, “The Green Man mythos, but wicked gay.” Tobias, also known as The Wild Man, is tethered to the wilderness of Greenhollow. He knows its ins and outs, its wildlife, its magical elements, and more. And the people of Greenhollow, they know him as well as they can know the ageless Wild Man who lives somewhere no one can easily find in the woods.

Henry Silver, the new young man who’s come to claim Greenhollow Hall, finds im though. And being as new as he is, he’s the only one who doesn’t know how dangerous it is for him to walk those woods.

I know what you’re thinking. I really do. “What are you talking about? What other relationships can we talk about beyond that between Tobias and Henry, or the two and Mrs. Silver?”

I’m talking about Fabian Rafela, or more commonly known in the story, Red Fay. Our antagonist. Though, if you see the way Tobias thinks of him, he wasn’t always the antagonist.

I’ll be frank: I might have misinterpreted the story. I read it that Tobias and Fabian had been friends once; someone else put forth that Tobias had been stolen the way that Henry gets stolen. I don’t have my copy of the story on hand, but this brings about an excellent lesson for everyone, writers and readers alike.

Readers bring their own baggage to the story.

We see how Tobias gets when Henry mentions the mythos of Greenhollow, how cagey he gets when the Red Fay gets mentioned. Of course Tobias remembers him as Fabian – that was his human name once. And Tobias remembers this from a time when he used to be human, too. I read their relationship, their falling out, and their eventual battle as one between peers who had been thick as thieves (maybe even literally) but now despise each other. But more importantly, we can make a case for Fabian being an absolute shit friend (and maybe even an abusive one) to Tobias.

But I read this scenario, and I apply this lens to the story, because it’s the baggage I carry. I see Tobias’s hurt and I can feel the same bruise pattern on my own heart. And even if that’s not the intended message – if I’m supposed to see Tobias as just another victim of Fabian’s – I still have a connection to my own theory because it’s the connection I’ve forged in my own reading.

With this lens and understanding, Emily writes a poignant take on how it feels to be part from someone who knew you, and watch them continue down a road of abuse and bad choices. Abuse from a friend is something that sticks with you, and you can see how Tobias bends to Fabian’s will for a time until he finally gets the strength to fight back. It’s got the emotion, it’s got the gumption, it’s got an arm around your shoulders saying, “It’s gonna be a helluva ride, my friend, but the only way to move is forward.”

It’s heart-insulation, if you will – something that I keep wrapped around my soul to protect me a bit from the bad days. And I’m glad that I got the chance to read it.

Don't forget to check out the podcast episode, out now on iTunes, Spotify, and Podbean!

"Silver in the Wood" is a beautifully written fairy tale, cleverly plotted and just long enough. Readers will really sink their teeth into the world and characters, as each person is a fresh and unique voice who brings a surprise to the fairy tale story. From the great mystery of the woods, to the man of the woods who meets his match in another human, to the bookish folklorist who is contrasted by a monster-hunting ("practical") folklorist, each character is memorable and they drive the plot forward in unexpected ways. Readers will never be quite sure we they are going to end up or how things will end, but the journey will be beautiful along the way.

An intriguing short story that gave me chills. I had strong flashbacks to the delight I felt while reading Robin Hood for the first time as a child. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep... and full of magic. The storyline pulls you along with hints and glimpses of a deeper truth but leaves you guessing right up until the last moment. I really didn't want to stop and I definitely didn't want the story to end. It revived my childhood belief that the woods are alive and there's something out there. I loved it.

A fascinating reimagining of the Green Man myth. Part mystery and part ghost story, Silver in the Wood is a joy to read with its slow burn relationship, dark magic and a manic villain. Silver was a soft moss boy who was a reckless flirt and Tobias didn't stand a chance. My only regret is that the story wasn't longer.

Oh. My. Goodness. Can I love a novella more than I loved this one? I'm honestly not sure.

This is a beautiful slow burn of a read. It's a lyrical and magical story that will pull you into it and make you never want to leave. It's a little dark, a little sweet, and so perfectly lush that you'll be wishing for more at the end. This could have been a 400+ page story, and it still wouldn't have been enough.

Read this. It's worth your time.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novella!

Title: Silver in the Wood
Author: Emily Tesh
Rating: 3.5 stars
Rep: gay MCs? No identity explicitly stated/talked about.

Seeing as this is the first review below 4 stars that I have read yet, I am definitely in the minority who didn’t love this. So please check out other reviews beforehand!

This was by far one of my most anticipated 2019 book releases, so I am very sad that it ended up not being my cup of tea. While I did enjoy it for the most part, it was definitely like nothing I was expecting prior to starting.

First up, things I liked:
-The title and cover really drew me in, they’re stunning!
-The writing style was beautiful and reminiscent of Neil Gaiman and Naomi Novik, people who liked books by those authors would probably love this one!
-The whole idea/premise was really great. Not sure whether this is a retelling or not, but either way, I loved the author’s imagination.
-The imagery was beautiful. I could picture everything so easily.
-Very fast-paced and gripping. The story is only around 120 pages long but I flew through this.

Things I didn’t really like:
-The characters felt really emotionless, particularly Tobias, the main character. Because of this, I struggled to connect.
– The world-building confused me.
– Tobias’s past and the ending didn’t make much sense to me.
-I thought there would be more romance than there was. I didn’t feel a connection between Tobias and Henry at all.

I feel like maybe if the story had been longer, it would’ve solved some of my problems.

Overall, I can see why a lot of people would love this, I am definitely in the minority with my opinion, this is a “me not you” situation and I would definitely recommend trying this book out if it sounds interesting to you!

Silver in the Wood is a lyrical forest fairy tale; a queer love story coming in at a little over 100 pages. Prepare to be transported into a magical realm of beautiful forest-- where you will fall in love, experience genuine kindness, and personality. It's a magical blend of fantasy elements and folklore. I only wish the story was longer because this is character driven, and I loved Tobias and Henry (including the cat, Pearl).

Wonderfully lyrical writing. This story unfolds like a perfect woodland flower, and is just as exquisite. A must read for any fan of folklore.

This is a slow burn of a story. I read one of the other reviewers describe this story as having its own music. It dances and sways to its own rhythm and prose. Much like the beat of the forest, you get the sense that there is a deep thrumming that exists from page to page. It adds a deep atmospheric quality to the narrative. The only issue is that it is a very specific type of story. It has an almost misty type quality to it that is like viewing a story through a keyhole.

Tesh wove a lovely and romantic but restrained love story around the green man myth. Instead of just a myth steeped in legend, Tesh humanizes the green man with backstory. Tesh explains how the green man experience time, yet tries to humanize himself and not get lost with the woods. And how he deals with dryads and his very fun cat, Pearl.

I don’t think that this type of storytelling appeals to the masses. But, if you enjoy fae type quality in storytelling you will enjoy this story. It is beautifully done.