Book Review: Silver by Rhiannon Held

Pros: great characterizations, tackles tricky POV 

Cons: pack politics seem insane

When the Roanoke wolf pack’s enforcer, Andrew Dare, finds the lone wolf he’s been tracking in their territory, he’s horrified to discover the woman’s been tortured into madness.  He vows to help her find a home and take down whoever did this to her before they can strike again.

There are a lot of characters in the book, as several packs of werewolves are mentioned, though the author focuses of a few select people from each pack.  Because of all the people mentioned, however briefly, there’s a fantastic variety of temperaments and strength levels shown (ie, some women are dominant, others submissive, one man’s an alpha and a coward, another’s brave but submissive, etc).  This allows each character to feel like an individual rather than an archetype in the pack hierarchy (alpha, beta, mate…).  

Silver’s character is particularly interesting as she’s able to modify her pack status depending on the result she needs from those around her.  But her manipulations are only possible when she’s lucid enough to use them.  Which she isn’t, most of the time.  The author treats her madness with care, showing that, though she’s not always aware of her surroundings, she’s still a person with her own will and the right to make decisions for herself.  This is particularly important when her lucidity improves and people refuse to listen to her because all they see is the madwoman she was (and may be again).  I loved that it wasn’t clear if Silver’s visions of Death were hallucinations (as Andrew believes) or a real manifestation of their religion’s embodiment of evil.

Silver’s physical disabilities, particularly her arm that no longer works, are also dealt with well.  Her acceptance of her new limitations and lack of depression and self-pity are directly contrasted when another character is injured at the end of the book.  She’s shown as a character with true strength, despite her limitations.

I liked that the romantic elements were understated and felt real rather than forced.  The romance enters late and encounters realistic roadblocks caused by the plot and the problems the characters face.

Werewolves aren’t my favourite subjects because I find the pack politics of dominance and ‘no one matters outside our pack’ mentality insane and unsustainable.  Most of the problems in the book could have been solved easier and faster had the various packs communicated what was wrong.  The book therefore caused a bit of cognitive dissonance for me as I tried to wrap my head around how their system worked and railed against it’s stupidity.  And I acknowledge that this is my problem not the book’s.

On the whole I enjoyed the book and am interested to see how things progress in Tarnished.

Author Interview: T. C. Tombs

Novels: 

The Pack

The Oracle (forthcoming)

The Beast (forthcoming)

Website: tctombs.com

> What is The Pack, the first book in your Run With The Wolves trilogy, about?

It is the fifteenth century, and three kingdoms are caught up in the dire conflicts of their time. As the possibility of a peaceful resolution provides hope that a decade-long war will finally end, no one realizes that dark forces are waiting to invoke chaos as a full moon rises.

On a farm nestled beneath the Euralene Mountains along the western border of Medinia, young Willie works for the Smythes as a serf. One moonlit evening when the Smythes are gone to a neighbouring village, Willie hears the terrified cries of animals in the pastures. When he goes to investigate, he discovers that this wolf pack attack is like no other. Badly injured during the raid, he survives - but now is afflicted by the full moon madness that will soon transform him into one of the wolf creatures he dreads. With his life seemingly warped forever, Willie must face the prospect of a lifelong descent into horror.

In a time of witchcraft, superstitious folk lore, and fearsome creatures roaming the night, Willie struggles with an uncertain destiny and must seek help from the one man he holds most responsible for the dark fate that awaits him during the next full moon cycle.

> What interested you about werewolves?

I originally started this project with the writing of the lyrics to 3 songs. The first was about a wolfman. The second was about a Vampire type character. The third was about a group of social outcasts called the 'Oddities'. It occurred to me that the lyrics to the three songs all dealt with a related central theme. All the characters suffered from, and had to deal with, 'afflictions' which were not of their choosing and beyond their control. It was how they chose to deal with them that tested their humanity. That was when I decided to write a fantasy tale that incorporated these people and their trials and tribulations.

> Why did you choose to set your book in the 15th century?

I've always been a history and folk lore buff. I wanted to write a fantasy that would bring in some actual historical detail as well. The story is set in 1461. The 15th century brought a Renaissance period of learning, invention, and discovery, but also a wave of intolerance, persecution and strife. It was the time of the inquisition, and of Vlad the Impaler – the likely inspiration for Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’. It was an era of witchcraft; and of superstitious folk lore in which fearsome creatures of the night sucked blood from helpless victims, and werewolves ranged the countryside when the moon was full.This was the century that saw the new world discovered; the advent of firearms; the decline of the knights; and it seemed to me it was the perfect setting for this type of tale.

> What made you want to be a writer?

I've been an avid reader since childhood. I've always loved books that take you on an adventure and where the characters seem so real that you can empathise with the trials and hardships that they are faced with and the inner demons that they must overcome. Whether it was reading Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe as a child; or Lord of the Rings and The Da Vinci Code as an adult; I seem to seek out stories that take you on a roller-coaster adventure. That was what I've tried to achieve in the three volumes of Run with the Wolves.

> If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

 I think I prefer life in this century. If I had to pick a character from my trilogy, I guess it would be Woodrow. He's a long-lived man of honour, compassion, and learning, but he has also suffered greatly.

> What were your literary influences for The Pack?

I think the same answer to Question 4 applies here. However there are so many more authors who have influenced me. Edward Rutherford, James Michener, Wilbur Smith, Steve Berry, David Baldacci, Dan Brown, James Lee Burke, Michael Chrichton, James Clavell - all come to mind - these authors weave such captivating stories with action and settings that drag the reader right into them.

> What's the first novel (published or unpublished) that you wrote and how long did it take to write it?

The Run with the Wolves trilogy is my first and only published venture. The three volumes are called The Pack; The Oracle; and The Beast. It took me about 10 years (part time - in addition to working for a living and raising a family) to write the whole series which includes the lyrics to about 48 songs. I have a vision here which includes books, movies, and music.

> What was the hardest scene for you to write?

There are a number of scenes in which some key characters get killed off. It's always difficult to say goodbye to someone that you dreamt up and who was an intricate part of your story.

> When and where do you write?

Usually in the evening secluded away in the office/den. Although I have been known to pull off to the side of the highway and jot down notes for the story or for a song when inspiration struck me.

> What’s the best/worst thing about writing?

The best is letting your imagination take you places that inspire you to write about. The worst - I suppose is that it's a lonely undertaking that has absolutely no guarantee that it will ever see the light of day or that anyone else will care for it. (There's also about a decade there where I couldn't tell you what my favourite TV show was because I didn't watch much - is that a bad or good thing???).

> Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

Write only about what you have a passion for - and don't give a f--- about what anyone else thinks.

> Any tips against writers block?

(Being a bit block-headed helps.) I suppose I overcame those times by first creating an overall blueprint of the story from beginning to end - and when I was stuck, I moved around it by writing a number of scenes out of order, and came back later. For example, I wrote the ending before I wrote anything else. It just took me another ten years to get there.

> How do you discipline yourself to write?

Now that's a good question.

a) By promising to reward yourself later with some form of treat.

b) Through self-ridicule - you started this project - are you going to leave it unfinished?

c) It helped that the Leafs were such a bad hockey team that writing was easier than watching them play.

Author Interview: Rhiannon Held

Novel: Silver

Website: rhiannonheld.com

> What is Silver about?

Andrew Dare is a werewolf. He’s the enforcer for the Roanoke pack, and responsible for capturing or killing any Were intruders in Roanoke’s territory. But the lone Were he’s tracking doesn’t smell or act like anyone he’s ever encountered. And when he catches her, it doesn’t get any better. She’s beautiful, she’s crazy, and someone has tortured her by injecting silver into her veins. She says her name is Silver, and that she’s lost her wild self and can’t shift any more.

The packs in North America have a live-and-let-live attitude, and try not to overlap with each other. But Silver represents a terrible threat to every Were on the continent.

Andrew and Silver will join forces to track down this menace while discovering their own power and their passion for each other.

> What drew you to writing about werewolves?

Several things! They suited my perspective as a professional archaeologist, because once I made them a species (my werewolves are only born, not turned), they offered lots of cool opportunities for showing social dynamics and pack behavior as people with human tendencies might interpret them.

Readers also already mostly know what werewolves are. That means I can spend a little time on establishing a few unique details of mine and then move on to what I think is the fun part: their culture and religion and social etiquette and all kinds of stuff. How do they interact with each other? How do they interact with humans, since they’re hiding their real culture?  If I’d made up a new creature, I’d have to spend much more time on establishing everything about that creature, and much less on their culture and interactions.

> If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

If I changed places with anyone, it would probably be one of my secondary characters. Their lives have much less upheaval! On the one hand, I think life in a pack-based society would be something I’d enjoy, since it’s so supportive. On the other hand, keeping your identity as a werewolf secret would be really stressful, so I think I’m better off as I am.

> What's the first novel (published or unpublished) that you wrote and how long did it take to write it?

This question has two answers, so I’ll give you both. The first almost-novel-length writing exercise I did was for National Novel Writing Month. It took me about six or seven months to write 60,000 words. The reason I don’t count it as a full novel is that it was so short, and I never even tried to revise it. Silver was the first real novel I wrote. For comparison, it ended up being 85,000 words. The first draft took 3 months, but I did multiple revisions after that. Including six months where I set it aside to recharge my creativity for that project, about 18 months passed from the time when I wrote the first word to when I submitted it.

> When and where do you write?

The simplest answer is “when I’m alert” and “on my laptop”. However, given that I work full time, I mostly end up writing in the evenings on weekdays and a variety of times on weekends. In my apartment, I usually take the laptop to the couch, but that’s not a necessary part of the experience. I’ll write in coffee shops with other writers, but not by myself. When it’s raining, I’ve been known to write in the back seat of my car at the park, because I want to be outside, but my laptop would not be amused if it I took it out in that kind of weather.

> Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

Meet people in the writing community. Now, when you’re first learning or honing your craft. Don’t wait until you have a finished novel and then aim yourself at editors at parties for a hard sell. Meet people now just to meet people. People who are your peers, people who are earlier in their learning process than you, people who are established writers. Go to writing community events: conventions, workshops, retreats, critique groups, gatherings at the local coffee shop. Make friends with as many people as happens naturally, and remain friendly with all the others. When it comes time to sell your novel, you probably will have networked with someone who can help you, certainly, but the real benefit is that you’ll have connections with a great group of people will support you and you can support along the way.

> Any tips against writers block?

I’ll be so bold as to say I’ve never gotten writer’s block. I do stall every so often, unable to get a plot element to work. Then I stop writing for the day and pick up the next day. By then, I’ll either have solved the problem or I’ll work on another project for a while. How do I solve thorny plot problems? The same way I solve other mental puzzles. I think hard about it consciously for significant period while I do something that makes my mental flow smoother, like driving or walking. When I’ve brainstormed and turned the problem this way and that consciously, I set it aside and do something completely different. That’s when my unconscious gets to work. More often than not, in under 24 hours a solution will pop into my conscious mind. You might recognize this sensation from other areas of your life, whether it’s Sudoku, crossword puzzles, anagrams, or even a computer game like Myst. You can’t be lazy and stop trying immediately when a problem gets hard, figuring you unconscious will help you. You have to put in the work, and then you’ll be rewarded later.

> How do you discipline yourself to write?

An easy answer to this would be that I just do, but that’s not very helpful. I think my discipline comes partially from knowing my rhythms of alertness and attention and working with them rather than trying to change them. For instance, if you want to lose weight and can’t resist cookies, you can either make yourself miserable thinking about the ones in the cupboard and wallow in guilt when you give in…or you can make sure not to buy any. I know I get very distracted after about two hours of writing. So rather than beating myself up and staring at a blank screen in the third hour, I plan to do something else after two. Maybe I get fewer words written that morning because I didn’t keep going for that extra hour. But maybe that afternoon after lunch and a walk, I feel energized and write many, many more, rather than being in a pit of guilt and getting nothing more done.

> How many rejection letters did you get for your first novel or story?

I sent my first story out with a group of three or four that all ended up rejected several times. In fact, back when I was writing only short stories, I came up with a game. When I reached 100 total rejections for all of the different stories I’d sent out, I’d buy myself a flat panel TV. Around 55 or so, I sold my first story. Around 70 I sold my novel. I still haven’t quite made 100, but I’m getting close now. I know I have a lot fewer total rejections than many writers, but I sent stories out pretty slowly during busy periods in my life, like when I was writing my thesis. And now I’ve got my novel series to work on!