Silver in the Wood took me completely by surprise. First, in my excitement, I didn't realize it was so short! So much is packed into a beautiful novella.

As soon as I saw the page count, the urgent tone of the story made sense. Novels will trail and wind; novellas and short stories will lead you down the path and punch you in the gut. In the best way possible.

This particular story is like something out of time. It hooks my arm behind my back while patting my head lovingly. It socks me in the face while giving me flowers. Silver in the Wood is a tree: deep and strong, but also beautifully lofty.

We follow Tobias Finch, a Man of the Wood. Hollow Hall is a building just on the fringes of the forest where Mister Henry Silver lives, having fairly recently purchased it. These are the two major players for this tale. Mrs Silver, as well as Fabian, are foreground secondaries. Bramble and Pearl are secondaries.

This world is full of quiet magic. Dryads and green time. Ghosts and barrows. Wights and Fay creatures. We get to be with Tobias all the while, watching his budding relationship with Henry grow slow as a tree. It's amazing how Emily Tesh fits so many elements into such a short story. With lilting language unseen in novels today, it reckons lyricism and music, begging to be read with every emotion your head can muster.

This is a book that will make you swell and knock you down. This is a tale that will lead you through hills and valleys. Full of quiet magic, quiet characters, and the loud thudding of your heart.

Emily Tesh’s Silver in the Wood feels like climbing into a fairy tale and walking around in it. It takes place in a forest somewhere in rural England at a time that is hard to pin down. The forest, the Green Hollow, is home to dryads and a frightening Lord of Summer and who knows what else. It’s also home to Tobias, a man who has been alive for a very, very long time. Who knows how long he might have gone tending his wood if Henry Silver hadn’t walked in his door?

Silver in the Wood is narrated by Tobias. As much as I relish trying to figure out backstory from clues and chance references, it’s nice to be in the head of a narrator who actually knows what’s going on. Not only does Tobias know what’s going on, he also knows what’s at stake as he grows closer to Silver. The two men share an attraction but they couldn’t be more different on the surface. Henry is talkative and a little incautious. Tobias is the dictionary definition of taciturn and, even though he is very brave, he is wary of taking chances. As much as he tries to protect Silver from the darkness in Green Hallow, he fails to save him from the sinister Lord of Summer. The rest of the novella sees Tobias trying to get back the man who brought him back from his green somnolence.

My only criticism is that Silver in the Wood is far too short. At 112 pages, this book flies by and I wanted a lot more of the world that Tesh created for her characters. I especially loved the hints about the wider world I saw when Henry Silver’s mother showed up on the scene to start taking names and kicking butts. I just inhaled this book. I sincerely hope to see more from Tesh, especially if it features Tobias and Henry.

Tobias, known to villagers as the Wild Man, lives in and is magically tethered to the woods in Greenhollow. When he meets the new owner of Greenhollow Hall, and essentially his landlord, named Henry Silver, Tobias is forced to recall painful memories and secrets rooted in folklore and myths. This story is a loose retelling of the Green Man of Greenhollow Wood with some fae and mythology elements.


I loved everything about this novella. There’s fae, atmospheric prose that is full of emotion and mystery, and vulnerable love. Tobias and Silver are well-developed and full of life. I loved their relationship and how selfless and genuine their love was. It was such a touching story, and I look forward to seeing what else Emily Tesh writes.

This unassuming beautiful little tale came up from behind and bit me on the ass. This short impactful little novella explores love and beauty and evil and identity in a way that is fresh and wholly original, yet has a feel of an old children’s fairy tale passed down from generation to generation. It is about facing your past, excepting your mistakes, and moving on.

I love stories that draw me in with their mood, and this one did that and so much more. This book reminds me of all the beautiful things in nature. It reminds me of green and growing things on the forest floor, of sunlight glimmering off of a drop of water on a leaf, of misty mornings, of wild plants in the deep forgotten parts of the forest, of the orange and red and yellow autumn leaves that fall to the forest floor during the colder parts of the year, and of the gnarled roots of trees long since felled be either time or human hands. Drawing from British and Celtic folklore and mythology, this is a loose retelling of the Green man of Green hollow Wood with a smattering of fairy and other mythology sprinkled in.

It follows Tobias a being magically tethered to the forest but who is one day uprooted from his comfortable life in his cottage with his pet cat Pearl, and the dryads of the forest he is guardian over; when he meets Henry Silver the landlord of Green hollow Hall, the land Tobias lives on, and a man obsessed with local folklore and mythology. Silver happily spends his days with Tobias telling him of the Wild man of green hollow and other myths he has discovered through his research and the two become fast friends and soon even more. Tobias and Silver grow closer and closer and Silver becomes ever more curious. But Tobias has secrets to he would like to keep buried. Soon though, this all comes to a head when, during the summer equinox, the dark sleeping old things of the forest awake and chaos and trouble ensue.

There is so many things about this tale I loved and nothing that I didn’t. Filled with atmospheric glimmering prose, a touching story, diverse lgbtq characters, forest magic, old gods, and so much more, put this on your to read lists now. You won’t regret it! Plus I mean, look at that cover so much coverly love for this one! Out in June. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishers for my Digital Review Copy for review.

Silver in then Woodis a charming novella filled with beautiful prose and imagery. It's a sweet, quick read and leaves you feeling happy. The characterization was done exceptionally well. You can really feel the vibes of the characters and connect with them. I think this is the only book I have ever read in which kindness is truly felt, and it gives you insight into what it means to be genuine and selfless

Loved it.

Such a fast, fun read! I loved the atmosphere and the beautiful writing, and I never expected such a short book to make me feel so much. I do wish it had been longer, if only for more world-building and more developed magical creatures.

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, an intriguing short story. The Old Man in the woods has been there a long while, taking care of the forest and its denizens...

A short n' sweet tale of the mythical Green Man of Greenhollow Wood, and Henry Silver, the new owner of Greenhollow Hall and very amateur archaeologist trying to work out the whole story. It's the Green Man but with a LGBT twist and I love it. I wish this had been 400 pages instead of barely 100.

This was a quick read. I liked the plot and a nice concept. Paranormal aspects and the end were the best thing in this book. Author is new for me and I will definitely read more books in the future by this author.. This was a book you can read over the weekend.
Highly recommended.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This was a short but beautifully written story based on the myth of "The Green Man". The LGBTQ aspect was a nice touch that made the overall story more interesting.

If you’re like me, sometimes you just don’t have the patience to read a full length novel. Sometimes, all you want to do is read novellas because you can get through them quicker when your concentration is shot. So, really, Silver in the Wood was the perfect story.

It’s about Tobias, a man who lives on the edge of the wood. He isn’t an ordinary man – he knows dryads and keeps the people of the village safe when he needs to. And then one day Henry Silver, the new owner of the Hall, shows up at his cottage. And keeps coming back.

What I loved most about this book was how quietly magical it is. It’s based on some folklore, but it’s in the background for a lot of the book. I’m not entirely sure how to describe it best – it’s like the magic is an undercurrent to the rest of the book, but even when it comes more to the fore, it’s still quietly magical.

For the most part, it’s a very character-driven novella, which is great, because I loved all of the characters. (And also I think novellas work best when they’re character-driven else you’re trying to fit too much in, but that’s a whole different thing.) The major characters are obviously Tobias and Silver, but Silver’s mother is wonderful so, ultimately, the characters were what made the book.

The one tiny complaint I would have? Just over 100 pages is not nearly enough time to immerse myself in this world the way I wanted to.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I think Tor.Com is one of my favourite publishers, if not my absolute favourite. I love what they're doing in terms of giving own voice authors and diverse sff stories a place with their selection of novellas.

Silver in the Wood is a sort of retelling of the British-Celtic 'Green-man' or 'Jack in the Green' myth, with a bit of an Erlkonig/ wild hunt/ faerie abduction vibe thrown in. There's also a hint of some of the older folkloric vampyre feel to the story and the whole thing is focused through an early 20th C prism. If that all sounds as if it shouldn't go together, please be assured that while it is a weird little story, it really works.

Tobias Finch has lived under the Great Oak that is the heart tree of Greenhollow Wood for longer than he cares to remember. The arrival of a new master for Greenhollow Hall, Henry Silver, threatens to disrupt his quiet and resigned way of life. Silver has heard tales of the wild man of the woods and as an amateur folklorist, is determined to find something magical. Tobias and Silver form an odd kind of friendship, and Tobias finds himself trying to steer Silver away from the truth. Because something very dark lives beneath Greenhollow Wood. Something that enjoys likely young lads like Silver...

I enjoyed this a lot and read it in one sitting. While initially a bit unsure of the style and setting of the narrative, I quickly became engrossed and was rooting for Tobias and Silver all the way. This is very quiet folkloric fantasy. Don't expect sparks and bells and whistles, or huge action sequences - much of the character journey is internal. That said, I think it's even more powerful for that. The interactions with Silver's mother are beautiful - what a great character she is. (Personally I would love a series of novellas in which Tobias and Mrs Silver are partnered up and tackling the supernatural). I think you may also get more out of this if, like me, you're a closet folklorist. All in all, a great, fast read and a good intro into Tesh's style. Highly recommend.

A beautiful novella. While the pace of this story was quick, the description of the wood and the character’s emotions was so well done. Tobias was an interesting character to follow. Him dealing with emotions and feelings he hadn’t dealt with in a long time was interesting to read. A stoic man, but you feel for him. The characters and their emotions were so real, as if they were my own. This being Tesh’s first book, it feels as though she’s only just dipped her toe in the water. For her next and future works, I hope to see her expand on the physical and emotional connections of her characters. She has left me wanting more!

I loved everything about this book. It's only 112 pages, but the story (and the writing) is absolutely beautiful. It follows Tobias Finch and his life as the keeper of the woods. He has many secrets and is feared amongst all the villagers. His only company is his cat, Pearl until Henry Silver ends up at his cabin on a rainy night.

Silver is a bit of a mystery for the first few pages after we meet him. He doesn't talk much but we know where he lives because of Finch's POV. But, when Finch has an interesting history. We get a glimpse at his magical life after Silver heads home after the rain. He talks to the woods and protects the people living in the villages from evil that lurks there. Then, he gets hurt and we learn more about Silver and see their relationship develop.

Silver is interested in the folklore that surrounds the woods and finds himself being a part of it in a way he didn't expect. I love the build of romance between Finch and Silver as the story goes on. We don't see every interaction closely, but you the reader can tell they feel something for one another due to their actions, especially Finch's. It's very lovely to watch and at times, their interactions made me laugh (specifically at the end). I also really loved that you can SEE their attraction grow and their love develop. We are shown that this is happening instead of being told.

The ending is also very very open so the reader can create a narrative for the characters after the events of the book. On one hand, I like this because it makes the reader feel close to the story and like they have a part in it but on the other hand I want more of them. I want to know of their life afterwards!

This is the authors debut novel and I will definitely be reading any books she writes in the future. I loved the writing! Sometimes magical realism can go wrong but she did an amazing job with it! My only complaint is that I wish some of the folklore/creatures were explained (or if we had a glossary in the back or something that would have been helpful).