Big thanks to Tor.com publishing for sending a copy of Silver in the Wood to me for review!

Click here for the 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.

When I saw the cover of Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh for the first time, I instantly fell in love. It carries some serious Swamp Thing vibes, and I am here for that. The idea of a humanoid being composed of, or extremely in tune with botanical matter is just so appealing to me. I’m not sure I can properly articulate why that is, but in an age when a lot of people don’t see real natural beauty everyday I’m incredibly drawn to the idea of increasing my connection to nature.

I don’t want to say too much about the progression of this story, because it is fairly short. Even with its shorter page count, I found book incredibly engaging and mystical. Though it pulls on familiar folk tales in deep dark woods, this story has a lot of unique elements. The romantic tension was very compelling for me, a notorious romance avoider. It is a bit of a paranormal romance, which I tend to enjoy and this was no exception!

Atmospherically, Silver in the Wood feels a great deal like a ages old story that’s been passed down through the years. At the same time, the romance and thematic elements are all too timely. The book speaks to being who you are, and loving who you love. It also touches on the human responsibility to protect and guard nature. If you resonate with those ideas, or just want to think about them through the lens of a new story I highly recommend picking up Silver in the Wood on 6/18.

Have you found any modern fairy tales in the past few years that really struck a chord with you? I would love some suggestions! Talk to me in the comments. ❤