Silver by Talia Vance

Book:  Silver

Author:  Talia Vance

Publisher:  Flux

Date:  September 8, 2012

Source:  Publisher via Netgalley

My grade:  A+

"As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away."

Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.

Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.

But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both.

Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love. (Cover and description from goodreads.com)

MY REVIEW

Initial reaction

Please Talia can I have some more?  (hot boys with Irish accents!)

Title and Cover

They were alright.  The title makes a lot of sense after reading the book, so that was good.  The cover was tied in to the book and I understand the stark landscape, but for a book about Irish mythology, I’d be partial to some lovely green Irish scenery.  ::shrugs::  But I guess that doesn’t scream paranormal.

So, what’s the story?

Now, I must admit that I have a weakness for all things Irish and all things mythology.  So when I realized that this book was based in Celtic mythology and dealt with the Tuatha de Danaan and the Milesians, well, I just couldn’t resist!  Of course, it could have been disappointing, but this book was the opposite of disappointing.  No, it was AMAZING!!!

I liked the main character, Brianna.  I felt so sorry for her living in the shadow of her beautiful best friend.  Of course, it’s every girl’s dream that there is a “reason” she is ignored by the hot guys at school, but this one was so seamlessly woven into the story, that I bought it hook, line and sinker!  I thought that Brianna was totally believable and she felt like a normal teen girl.

One of the things that I loved most about this book is that it pulled me in from chapter 1.  I love it when authors are able to set-up the novel while the action is taking place and Talia Vance did a great job of doing that!  I was sucked into this world from practically the first page.

Another thing that I loved about this book is that I closed the last page still unsure of whom I should trust.  Obviously, I trust Brianna, but other than that?  I don’t know who she should lean on or trust or believe.  It’s infuriating but it’s the best sort of infuriating! 

So let’s talk hot boys.  There are so many to choose from!  There’s Blake, the lead hottie and I sooooo loved him!  Of course, I also loved Austin, with his lovely accent who ends up being not what I imagined at all.  There’s Jonah, the real bad boy of the novel, but admit it.  Who doesn’t like the bad boy at times?  Then there’s Joe!  I loved Joe!  Even though he is not a major character, I almost felt like I could trust him more than anyone.

And speaking of Blake, I could not get this image out of my brain every time I started reading about him.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.....

 

I love the mythology that Talia has created in this book.  I have read a lot of Celtic mythology in my day and this book took that ancient Celtic mythology and did a beautiful job of bringing it into the modern world and meshing it into a new mythology and story line.  I don’t think that this particular myth with Danu and the warrior Killian is part of the Celtic mythology canon, but it feels like it could be, so that’s what makes this story so beautiful!

I could go on for days about how well-done everything in this novel is, but the bottom line is this:  This book just grabbed me from page one and I read and read until it was finished, then immediately ran to the computer to see how long it would be before I could get my hands on the next book.  This story pulled me in and immersed me into its world for the whole time that I was reading and I am still thinking about the book and what happened.  And that, my friends, is what we all look for in a book, right?

The soundtrack

This book needs a lush Celtic soundtrack to accompany it.  I hope these songs will suffice.  I love Irish/Celtic music, so I may have gone a bit overboard here.  ; )

Connie Dover --Somebody

Connie Dover --The Wishing Well

Tori Amos—Carry (From the Night of Hunters album)

Tori Amos—The Edge of the Moon (lyrics here:  http://www.yessaid.com/toriamos.html)

Loreena McKennitt—Samhain Night

The Final Grade

My grade for this book is A+!  This book left me breathless and begging for more at the end.  I would seriously consider trading my children for a copy of the next book right now!!!  If you love mythology, Irish/Celtic stuff and stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, do NOT delay!  Run get this book the day it arrives in stores!