SILVER IN THE MIST
EMILY VICTORIA
*****
Inkyard Press have very kindly asked me to participate in their blog tour for a brand new fantasy: Silver in the Mist which comes out TODAY! I am so excited to join in - I'll start by telling you all about the book and its author and then share my review!
THE BOOK
Eight years ago, everything changed for Devlin: Her country was attacked. Her father was killed. And her mother became the Whisperer of Aris, the head of the spies, retreating into her position away from everyone… even her daughter.
Joining the spy ranks herself, Dev sees her mother only when receiving assignments. She wants more, but she understands the peril their country, Aris, is in. The malevolent magic force of The Mists is swallowing Aris’s edges, their country is vulnerable to another attack from their wealthier neighbor, and the magic casters who protect them from both are burning out.
Dev has known strength and survival her whole life, but with a dangerous new assignment of infiltrating the royal court of their neighbor country Cerena to steal the magic they need, she learns that not all that glitters is weak. And not all stories are true.
THE AUTHOR
Emily Victoria is a Canadian prairie girl who writes young adult science fiction and fantasy. When not wordsmithing, she likes walking her overexcitable dog, drinking far too much tea, and crocheting things she no longer has the space to store. Her librarian degree has allowed her to work at a library and take home far too many books.
Emily's Website: https://www.avictoriantale.com/
Twitter: @avictoriantale
Instagram: @avictoriantale
MY REVIEW
*****
It must be very hard to create a standalone fantasy story, but I always get very excited at the idea of them. To create enough world-building to make a reader feel immersed and then create believable characters and a self-contained plot is a real challenge in around 400 pages.
Silver in the Mist deals with this perfectly - the world-building is somewhat simple, and the magic system isn’t really explored in detail, but the relevant history is explained really well, and we get a feel for the cities of Aris and Cerena and their contrasting citizens. We get a strong picture of the world our main character Devlin inhabits and the plot in general is detailed, interesting and kept me hooked throughout. The writing is easy to engage with and I didn’t feel lost at any point.
The characters are well-portrayed and relatable. Main character Devlin certainly has a lot of layers – a spy trying to impress her mother but also starting a friendship with Alyse and fighting for what she believes is right which may be at odds with her mission. When I first requested this book, the blurb stated that Dev was ace, which you can see mentioned in a lot of earlier reviews as well. The publishers have made a really good decision in removing this label from any of the marketing. Although there is no romance sub-plot in this book (which is incredibly refreshing), there is no explicit reference to Dev being ace and so it did not feel genuine to include it. The lack of romance is great though and means the book can devote the word-count to the plot and characters without also trying to work in a romance element as well. There is some representation for diversity however, in the form of a non-binary secondary character with they/them pronouns. This is the first time I have seen this in a novel, and it works well. The only thing I found a little jarring was the use of ‘Layde’ as a genderless term in Cerena. I just read it as ‘Lady’ and it was a bit odd to have male characters also referred to as this and it made it a little hard to keep track of who was being mentioned in the prose. If a new word had been used, I wouldn’t have had such a problem with it I don’t think.
I enjoyed the storyline although some aspects felt a little too convenient in places. I also would have liked a few parts to have been expanded upon (such as more of a tie-in for Devlin’s father perhaps). However, it’s an engaging read and a great standalone fantasy story. It’s made me want to read more stories set in the same world or using the same characters which signals the author has done a great job!
Overall, Silver in the Mist is a great standalone fantasy story which refreshingly does not include any romance. Thank you to NetGalley & Inkyard Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
LINKS TO BUY
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