Review of Silver to the Heart

[Michelle Menezes]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Silver to the Heart" by Brien Feathers.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The Elders, vampire-like beings, have protected humanity secretly for centuries. After the Elder War, the Council was formed under the leadership of Commander Sasuke to keep everyone in check and avoid another war. Unfortunately, there are those who do not like the restrictions imposed on them and decide to take matters into their own hands. The Reverend is hunting women with telepathic abilities, and his next target is Ana, who is believed to be the Guardian. Sasuke sends Drake to protect her. Little does he know that it is a mere distraction, and the Reverend has his eyes on a bigger prize. Caught up in a web of lies, secrets, and betrayal, the Elders have no option but to embark on a deadly mission that may end them all. Will they succeed, or will they be forced to watch their loved ones die?

Silver to the Heart by Brien Feathers is the first book in the Light of Adua series. The book had an action-packed beginning and an air of mystery to it. I liked the plot, and the author made a good attempt at executing it. Some characters were well written and had strong personalities and backstories. It helped me understand their motivations, thought processes, and reactions. The story alternated between the past and the present, which gave me an insight into the Elder War and its aftermath. I love the found-family trope where characters who are not related come together and look out for each other. This book managed to incorporate that well, and I liked their interactions. The character and cultural diversity pleased me. It included people from Japanese, French, Russian, and American ethnicities. I'm also relieved that the book came with trigger warnings, so I knew what I was getting into and could prepare myself mentally.

Unfortunately, the book has an equal number of negative aspects. The thing that put me off the most was the instant-love trope. Drake and Ana barely knew each other, and even before they've exchanged a few sentences, Ana was pining after him. Five minutes and a few sexual encounters later, they're in love. Drake is a 300-year-old man trapped in the body of a boy in his late teens, and every time Ana called him "baby," it made me cringe. I have nothing against that term of endearment; it just sounded forced and fake. Ana's character was badly written. All she did was obsess over someone she just met, roll her eyes whenever someone spoke, and live in denial. As a Guardian, I expected so much from her, but she had very little to contribute to the story. I wanted to know more about her visions, but they were few and far between with some vague explanation thrown in. She would have been better off as a supporting character since she didn't have much to do.

I found some parts confusing due to the leap from one scene to another. A break indicating that the scene had changed would have been more helpful. For example, the first paragraph has a character getting attacked, and in the next one, he is in a different time and place doing something else entirely. It took me a long time to realize what had happened. These scenes were vital to the plot, so the unexpected jumps ruined my understanding of the story. The book should have also come with a glossary since certain terms were not known to me, like daimyo, Dvor, etc. Some explanations that should have been given in the initial parts of the book, were given at the end, especially regarding the powers and how they worked. It almost felt like the author had forgotten to explain them in the beginning and added them later. Some scenes made me feel like the author came up with them at the last minute to tie the loopholes.

I rate the book 2 out of 4 stars due to the number of errors I found and the negative points I mentioned above. There were more than ten errors in the book, so it could use another round of editing. Since it consists of triggering topics like torture, violence, and mentions of pedophilia, people who are uncomfortable with these topics should steer clear of the book. It also has sexual content and profanity, so I would recommend the book to readers who are above 18 years of age and enjoy the urban fantasy genre with vampires in it.

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Silver to the Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Kingsley Emodi]

I'm not a fan of books with vampires in it, but I'm sure lovers of urban fantasy will enjoy this one. I could tell the book is action packed. Great review.

[marta baglioni]

Reading the title, I immediately thought of vampires
I usually like this kind of stories, but a main character I can relate to it is of the uttermost importance to me. I also am not into the "instant-love" trope: it feels a bit lazy from the authors. I think I will pass on this one.
Thank you for the review: it was honest and well-reasoned

[Clare Jose]

I don't know why but when I saw the book's cover and title, I too immediately thought 'Vampire'.

Being an avid reader of the supernatural/fantasy genre, I was hoping this would be a great read. The plot did look interesting, but having a reasonable main character is a requirement for me.
Thank you for a well-written and detailed review.

[Janet Kimetto]

I read fantasy series a lot. I was going to add this book to my shelf, but unfortunately, I'd dislike all the the negative aspects you pointed out. Thanks for the review!

[Primrose Mhlanga]

The book's cover has a dark hue, making it more fitting for the title and the story itself. Thank you for an insightful review.