Of Silver And Beasts

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Of Silver And Beasts

Of Silver And Beasts

by: Trisha Wolfe
My Rating: five-stars



Published by: Trisha Wolfe on Genres: New Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy & Fairy Tales

Pages: 290
Also by this author: Astarte's Wrath, The Darkest Part, Fireblood (Fireblood, #1)
Content Warning: sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence make this title appropriate for readers 18 and over.



Synopsis

New Adult Dark Fantasy: Intended for readers 17 years of age and older.

In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope's life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she's different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they're attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena.

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress's life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what's most important.
 






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My thoughts after reading Of Silver and Beasts

Of Silver and Beasts was the first novel by Trisha Wolfe that I’ve read. I’m glad it was. I didn’t start the book with any preconceived notions of what to expect from her. I didn’t know her writing style, characterization, and it was the first time I’d read a true dark fantasy. So I really got to feel the full experience Of Silver and Beasts right from the beginning. And I loved it.
 
I can usually tell by the first sentence, or at least the first chapter, of a book if I’ll continue reading it or not. As an author, I’m always reading books on writing to better myself and my craft. I once read a book dedicated almost entirely to the importance of the first chapter of a story. The majority of the book, however, repeatedly pounded into the reader’s brain that the first sentence is essential, crucial, almost the life-breath of a story. Most readers, not all, but a lot look at the first sentence and decide from there if they will continue reading that book or not.
 
 “The Mercury in my blood nearly boils.”

 Yeah, that’s a great first line. It immediately drew me in. I wanted to know why her blood was nearly boiling. And, most of all, why does she have mercury in her blood and where did it come from? And finally, who is she…or is it a he? There are a lot of questions in that one sentence that demand an answer and I kept reading, because I wanted to know…I’m nosey that way! And Trisha didn’t disappoint. I got the answers and then some.
 
Of Silver and Beasts begins on a very important day of Kaliope’s life. She’s getting ready for a Nactue ceremony, one she’s trained and waited for her entire life. Trisha does an exceptional job of giving bits of information about the characters around Kaliope, like Willa and Lilly, her best friends, and the surroundings. What the city looks like, what the market is like, the opulence of the palace, even the weather and how it feels on Kaliope in her uniform. She weaves this information together so expertly, giving little pieces here and there while keeping the momentum of the story going. This is an exceptionally hard thing for an author to accomplish without it feeling as though a checklist of information is being dropped in the reader’s lap. Trisha not only accomplished this in the first few chapters of the book, but throughout the entire story. I was very impressed by the way she was able to insert information that the reader needed to know without interrupting the story to do so. Everything flowed seamlessly. A feat every author strives for but few ever fully accomplish.
 
I knew Of Silver and Beasts was going to be full of action and I didn’t have to wait long for it to begin. Almost as soon as the big event Kaliope had been waiting for was over things started moving quickly and they didn’t stop. Scene after scene the tension ramped up and I found myself flipping the electronic pages on my Kindle faster and faster to find out what was going to happen next.
 
And while I was flipping pages reading scene after scene I found myself falling in love with the characters Trisha introduced. Kaliope is one kiss-ass leading character. She’s tough, brave and loyal to her position. But she isn’t so tough that she’s unlikable. In fact, she’s flawed in a way that makes your heart hurt for her and you just want to grab her and give her a hug. Her softer side shows in the way she loves and cares for her mother. And, really, what a great name!
 
Caben. Sigh. Caben, Caben, Caben. He comes off as a jerk, but quickly redeems himself. All I can say is I need more Caben in my life. Yummy. Trisha definitely hit a homerun with him in my opinion. I loved him as the male lead. He had trouble understanding some of Kaliope’s country’s customs, which turned into some slightly heated moments between them, but that only made me love him more. He, like Kaliope, is flawed in a way that you can’t help but feel for him. And, by the way, check out below how we can get Trisha to write a scene in Caben’s POV. I’m really looking forward to that!
 
The secondary characters were developed just as well as the two main characters and I found myself rooting for my favorites and hoping they made it through the events they were forced to endure throughout the book.
The world building was expertly done. I could picture myself in the surroundings with the characters. I could see the crowds, the buildings, the caverns. The descriptions were written so subtly. It never felt like she was giving me a checklist of information, but rather giving me just enough information when I needed it to keep me in the scene. And I found myself immersed in each scene.
 
Of Silver and Beasts was one of those rare books that when you read the last sentences you are sad it’s over, and maybe even a little mad, too. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m not so patiently waiting for the sequel Of Darkness and Crowns. But while I’m waiting for the sequel (and more Caben) I’ll be reading Trisha’s other books. She’s a very talented author and as awesome as Of Silver and Beasts is, I know her other books are going to be terrific!

About Trisha Wolfe

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.

Michelle
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