Quirky Cat
Written on May 28, 2020
Drowned Country is the second novella in the Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh, and is something I personally have been waiting for all year. If you're looking for a series with stunningly fresh aesthetic, this is it.
In Silver in the Wood we were introduced to a world of magic, monsters, and men. Silver followed the lore he was so obsessed with into the woods, and there he found Tobias Finch. If only the story had ended right there.
Now Silver is the Wild Man of Greenhollow, and adjusting from a normal life chasing fantasy did not prepare him for a life of magic and isolation. But the world does not stop for anyone, not even Wild Men.
With a monster on the loose, Silver, alongside his mother and Finch, will be diving back into this world for another adventure, or risk losing it all. Again.
“'I cannot think what else to call it,' Mrs Silver said, 'when a healthy young person insists on building himself a thorn-grit fortress and sitting in it, consuming nothing but sour fruit and small beer for months on end.'”
Oh goodness, where to start? Everything about Drowned Country is simply divine. I knew I was going to love it from the moment I heard the title. Granted, I loved Silver in the Wood, so I had high expectations this time around as well.
Right from the start, we're pulled into Silver's narrative, which was an interesting perspective, given the last novella. He's so strikingly different from Tobias, and yet at the same time...there's something that will always keep these two tied together. The past does that to people.
I was curious to see all of the changes that would come with this novella. I fell in love with Silver in the Wood due to Tobias' connection to the wood, but I had no idea what Silver's connection would bring with it.
As it turned out, this novella took an almost entirely different direction. In a way, I absolutely love that. It forces the readers to stop making direct comparisons between the two characters, and instead focus on the story being told.
The entire story takes place two years after Silver has found himself in the particular situation many have found so fascinating (himself included, once upon a time). While much of the story takes place in another location – a surprise, to be sure. But a pleasant one.
Personally, I loved seeing more of this world, more of the magic that makes it spin, and a completely different perspective on it all. Silver and Finch think nothing alike. They do not observe the world or each other in the same way. It was enlightening to see it all in this way, so much so that I'm actually a little bit sad that this will only ever be a duology.
I really did come to love the world of Greenhollow. Tesh's writing style is beautiful, as is the way she develops worlds and characters side by side. I don't know what story Tesh will be coming up with next, but I do know that I have full intention of reading it.
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