Review: Silver's Edge

Books with the Sidhe (or fairies or elves) and various Pagan (usually vaguely Celtic) deities cram bookstore 'Science Fiction and Fantasy' shelves. All too often, they are predictable variations on King Arthur, The Quest, or love across species. To my delight, 'Silver's Edge' was not so unoriginal.

To be sure, there are Sidhe, Humans, Goblins and Celtic mythological figures in the story. There is even a Quest, or rather, more than one quest, and an aging lord whose young wife loves a knight. However, the depth of the characterization and interesting plot raise 'Silver's Edge' well above average.

The twists the story took were made all the more gripping by the uncertainty as to which was the 'right' side - and which characters were on it. Or were there two or more 'right' sides? It was by no means certain that the alliances between different Sidhe and Human factions would really be mutually beneficial - or were expected to be so by both parties.

There are a multitude of well-developed characters in the book. A woman is at the centre of each of three important plot threads. Nessa has been raised to her blacksmith father's trade, and refuses to accept the easy explanation of his disappearance. Cecily feels helpless in the middle of a civil war in which her aging husband has raised an army against their incapable king. And Delphinea, sent to represent her mother on the Sidhe Council, struggles to understand what is wrong in their Otherworld home and to discern who can be trusted.

This book is enriched by many other characters who are developed in convincing depth. The uneasy relationship between Sidhe and Human, due to the effects they have on each other, and the settings in the different worlds are effectively described. The depth with which the setting is presented is shown by the way that the importance of the traditionally female side of village life, that of the corn grannies, is presented in conjunction with Nessa's unconventional upbringing and her father's dismissal of that side of village life.

I gave this book 4 instead of 5 because it ended so abruptly, literally with the note 'To be continued' printed on the last page. Even if I had been warned that this was one book in a series, I would like to have had more of a resolution at the end of the book. Aside from that, I really enjoyed 'Silver's Edge'.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Cheryl - RAM

Book Review: Silver's Edge