Drowned Country, Emily Tesh
Received to review via Netgalley; publication date 18th August 2020
Drowned Country is a follow-up to Silver in the Wood. Tobias Finch has left the wood, leaving Silver behind to… well, mostly mope, actually. It’s a bed of his own making and he has to lie in it: it’s slowly revealed that he managed to drive Tobias away, despite the deep affection between them. But he has a chance to make things right: Silver’s mother returns to the wood to get him, in order to help with a particular case of supernatural shenanigans she and Tobias are dealing with. There’s a vampire roaming around, a young girl is missing, and they require Silver’s particular talents.
It’s a little disorientating to start where we do, but it makes sense: it allows a slow unfolding of how exactly Silver could mess it up so badly. We’re also in Silver’s point of view now, and get to see Tobias from the outside; that’s rather enjoyable, and the close-third POV is livelier and a little more human in outlook than the close-third to Tobias from the previous book. It gives everything a little more depth, and a different colour; the light has changed in the forest, though the trees are all the same.
It’s not a simple adventure, and the relationship between Tobias and Silver isn’t the sole driver of the plot. Instead, we get a little glimpse of other things deep and strange.
And of course, you still have to love Silver’s mother.
The two novellas are very easy reading, and beautifully written. Very worth it!
It sounds sublime. I bought Silver in the Wood back last year and didn’t read it till March. And even though I’d heard enough to know I would enjoy it, TBH how much I loved it, especially given how short it is, just came out of nowhere. At the time I didn’t realise there was a sequel and when I did I squealed like a baby!
Anyhow, all that to say I can’t wait for this little shortie to come out. And even though I read majority indie books (because I read approx 60% romance and prefer mostly indie authors in that genre), Tor overall has never yet let me down and is the only publisher I pay attention to.
They’re really lovely, though I knee-jerk sulked at the rift between Silver and Tobias at the start of Drowned Country!
This does sound great and that cover is just
Isn’t it?! And yeah, Silver in the Wood is great and this is a lovely follow-up.