Sigh. I wanted to like this one. I really did. It was just … underwhelming. Lovely, but underwhelming.
What happens?
Silver in the Wood and Drowned Country are a series of novellas that examine the myth of the Green Man – with a queer and Victorian flare.
In Silver, we meet Tobias Finch: the Green Man of the Hallowed Wood. He’s been the Green Man for the past 400 years, ever since his friend and lover left him for dead at the base of an ancient oak tree.
Tobias lives a solitary life — tethered to the woods, protecting the village from an ancient evil. Everything is going fine until he meets Henry Silver: a young man who’s recently purchased the woods and the manor house.
In Drowned Country, Henry travels to Rothport — his childhood home — where he and Tobias are hired to save a young woman from a vampire.
What I liked:
The mellow audio narration. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator was fabulous. Then, I re-listened to it while working on a manuscript. It made for really lovely background noise.
The dark fairy tale. This ain’t a Disney story. We have dark dryads, plant magic, demi-gods, and murder. It’s creepy and wild, and — I imagine — what nature magic would actually be like.
Henry. I liked him – especially in Drowned Country. He’s quirky and unusual, and I can empathize with his sulking.
What I didn’t like:
The plot. Ah. Yeah. No. There could have been a great story here, but there just wasn’t the space to develop it. Tesh went for atmosphere over plot.
The romance. I just didn’t get it. I really didn’t. I have no idea why Tobias and Henry even like each other. The relationship between them felt like a stilted, awkward acquaintance rather than … you know. A relationship.
Favourite quote:
Slow and green he felt the life of it, the life that had been his life as well these four centuries past. It poured around him thick and steady, binding all together: the long patient strength of the trees that anchored, the deep bright power of the handful of dryads–Tobias felt Bramble clear as day among them, young and strong–and then the small and necessary, the bracken and ferns, the mosses and mushrooms. Here were the songbirds and ravens and solemn wide-winged owls, shy deer and burrowing rabbits, fox and badger and snake, beetles and moths and midges, all the things that were the wood, that lived each in their own way under the shelter of the old oak.
Final thoughts:
I started this review by saying “lovely but underwhelming” — and, I stand by that. It’s an interesting idea with lots of promise … and the writing is languorous and dream-like. But, at least for me, it didn’t come together.
The Details:
- The Book: The Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh
- Published:Â 2019 & 2020, Tor
- My Copy: Public library
- Read date: September 16-18, 2020
- Rating/5: 🌲🌲
The Geeky Jock 
Atmosphere over plot makes me think of the Southern Reach Trilogy, although I guess that one had some plot. The covers are so lovely though!!
Oh yes! — Southern Reach is definitely atmosphere over plot! Did you see the movie?
Yes! It was only slightly less confusing 😂
Great review! Sounds like an interesting read.
Thank-you! 😀 It definitely is an interesting read. If you’re a mood reader, I’d highly suggest this one in early spring — just as the trees are starting to bud, preferably with one of those light spring rains.